MedStar crews are seeing a sharp increase in potential COVID-19 patients they're treating.
Since Thanksgiving, that volume has steadily risen by 112%.
"Back in November, we were treating an average of maybe 69 patients per day, who the crews felt might have coronavirus," says Matt Zavadsky, MedStar spokesman. "In the past week, that number has shot up to 146 patients per day."
Zavadsky went on to say that this rate of increase is a first for the pandemic, "which is likely a representation of the extreme ease at which this (omicron) variant is transmitted."
Zavadsky says one good thing coming from the rapid spread of the omicron variant is that more people are getting vaccinated.
"One of the positive things that's happening as a result of the omicron variant is people who were on the fence about getting vaccinated to some extent have come off the fence," Zavadsky says. "We have seen over the last couple of weeks a pretty dramatic increase - as many as 40 or 50 people per day coming to get those vaccines."
MedStar's next vaccine clinic is Fri., Jan. 14, from noon to six at its headquarters, 2900 Alta Mere Dr., Fort Worth.
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