New data released by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington’s School of Medicine warns the US could see a peak of 2.8 million new infections per day.
“We are expecting an enormous surge in infections,” said IHME director Dr Chris Murray, due to the “enormous spread of Omicron.” Unveiling the institute’s forecast, Murray claimed that its experts expect 60% of the US will be infected with Omicron “in the next two to three months.”
While the virus is expected to be widespread, transmitting through a significant number of Americans, Murray accepted that more than 90% of infected individuals might not show symptoms, with around 400,000 cases potentially being reported.