Public health expert says omicron has hit its peak in the Triad

A Triad public health expert says the omicron wave of COVID-19 has already hit its peak in the Triad.

Dr. Christopher Ohl, with Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, says COVID-19 case numbers are finally starting to come down.

“We did peak. If you're really into the case curves – last Friday, I think," says Ohl. "And since then, our case numbers have been coming down in the Triad as well as in the Triangle, as well as in the Mecklenburg/Charlotte area.”

About 28,750 new cases were reported statewide Thursday, according to data from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. While that's lower than last Friday's count, it's still five times higher than the number from one year ago. 

“So those numbers are still high compared to last year and last year's peak, but we'll take it," says Ohl. "Cases are coming down, I would think they would decrease fairly rapidly for a while.”

Despite the drop in cases, hospitalizations have continued to increase. As of Wednesday, a record 5,158 people are hospitalized with COVID-19, leaving health care systems stretched. 

The Triad has been particularly hard hit. According to NCDHHS, just 49 staffed ICU beds remain available in the region.