Omicron Means 'Rough and Dark Days' Ahead for Next 4-6 Weeks, UNMC Experts Say

Jan. 6, 2022, 4:30 p.m. ·

Speaking of Nebraska guests for Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022: Dr. Afua Ntem-Mensah, Dr. John Trapp and Dr. Mark Rupp
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A Nebraska Medical Center infectious disease doctor is expecting “rough and dark days” in Nebraska for the next four to six weeks because of the omicron variant.

Dr. Mark Rupp, a professor and division chief of infectious disease at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, said the new COVID-19 variant will continue to drive a wave of cases in Nebraska – just as it has in the rest of the country.

“The number of cases is undoubtedly an underestimate because so many people are not getting tested or having the home test kits that are not reported," Rupp said on Nebraska Public Media's "Speaking of Nebraska" Thursday. "And, although omicron appears to be somewhat less likely to cause severe disease, the sheer numbers of cases are putting a very heavy stress on the healthcare system.”

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The official case numbers increased 72% over the last two weeks, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 7-day average stands at more than 1,800 cases per day. At the pandemic's peak in late 2020, Nebraska saw the average climb to nearly 2,400 cases per day.