The Omicron Wave Is Receding. What Happens Now?
Julio Francisco waits for people to show up wanting a COVID-19 test on January 13, 2022 in Miami, Florida. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption
Julio Francisco waits for people to show up wanting a COVID-19 test on January 13, 2022 in Miami, Florida.
Joe Raedle/Getty ImagesCases rates are dropping, but the number of people dying each day is not. Many hospitals are still overwhelmed. NPR's Will Stone reports.
Deaths are a lagging indicator — meaning they, too, will soon fall as the omicron wave continues to recede. What does the next phase of the pandemic look like? NPR's Allison Aubrey explains why some public health experts think the coronavirus may not disappear — but become easier to live with.
In the meantime, workplaces are still reeling from the surge as employees call out sick or must quarantine. NPR's Andrea Hsu says it's even worse than last winter's pre-vaccine surge.
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