Prognosis
U.S. Hospital Staff Shortages Hit Most in a Year on Covid Surge
The Covid-19 Intensive Care Unit at a hospital in San Diego, California
Photographer: Bing Guan/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
U.S. hospitals are facing their worst staffing shortage in a year as the omicron Covid-19 variant sweeps the country with unprecedented infectiousness.
About 20% of U.S. hospitals are reporting critical staffing shortages, the most since Dec. 28, 2020, according to Department of Health and Human Services data. The seven-day average reached 18%, the highest since Jan. 11, 2021, the data show.