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COVID-19 Update: 73% of Americans estimated to be immune to Omicron

COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations have been decreasing for weeks, according to the CDC

There’s been plenty of bad news over the past two years when it comes to COVID-19, but now, we have some good news from the front lines. COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations have been decreasing for weeks, according to the CDC, and now, America may be past the worst of the Omicron variant surge.

According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, 73% of Americans are now immune to the omicron variant. That means surges could be less disruptive to health care systems and society, according to experts.

According to the Institute, roughly half of eligible Americans have gotten their coronavirus booster shots, and there are been around 80 million reported infections. The number of infections could be much higher, too, counting those who took at-home tests and didn’t report positive test results. Using this data, the institute predicts the immunity percentage be as high as 80% by the middle of March.

This high level of immunity can also lower the amount of virus circulating, according to the Institute. It could also help hospitals avoid being overwhelmed during surges.

According to the study, about 80 million people in the U.S. are still vulnerable to severe infection from the virus. These are people who have not receive any form of vaccination. The study highlights that vaccination continues to be the biggest tool in our fight against COVID-19.

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