CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The state’s top doctor says the Omicron variant is making this surge of the coronavirus the most challenging yet.
Illinois Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said while Omicron may generally be a less severe form of COVID than the Delta variant, many more people have been infected and there are more people hospitalized then ever-even more than last year.
That’s why staffed hospital beds are in short supply.
"I was on a call with all the chief medical officers of all the hospitals across the state. They're all crying the same thing," she said.
"They all need help. They have a significant number of staff that have left the profession, because of the exhaustion and the stress and the trauma that they've endured over the last two years."
Employees leaving hospitals is another reason for the lower numbers of staffed beds, making this surge even worse.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Wednesday that 919 supplemental workers have already been placed at hospitals “hit hard by COVID” as the Omicron variant continues to overwhelm medical staff. Another 552 workers are expected to arrive by the end of next week.
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