Arizona COVID-19 spread: 'Not yet at the omicron peak,' Banner Health official says

PHOENIX - Arizona's largest health care provider says COVID-19 numbers continue to spike due to the omicron variant and it's majorly impacting its hospitals.

Not only is it majorly impacting hospitals as of Jan. 11, but health officials also say Arizona hasn't experienced its "omicron peak" yet – meaning case and death numbers are expected to increase very soon.

Around one-third of Banner Health's inpatient beds are now occupied by COVID-19 patients or those who are suspected to be infected. Banner says roughly 90% of those patients are unvaccinated.

With hospitalizations increasing since the new year and holiday celebrations, Banner is taking precautions as it continues to face staff shortages.

"As we have done throughout the entire pandemic, we continue to provide safe care in all of our settings and that includes our emergency departments, our hospitals, and all of our clinics," says Dr. Marjorie Bessel, a Chief Clinical Officer at Banner, during a virtual news conference on Jan. 11. "We are currently following CDC guidance, and we do have a very strict process for return-to-work."

You may experience longer wait times, delays, and in some cases, closures at urgent care centers due to staff shortages, Banner says. It recommends checking online to see which locations are open and scheduling appointments, if possible, to reduce wait times.

Bessel says the severity of an omicron infection is "less" than variants that came before it, such as the delta variant.

Monoclonal antibody supply at the hospitals is running low, Bessel says, and those who wish to receive the treatment go through a screening process.

"We began providing that as the only monoclonal antibody at the end of December, when the omicron variant became the predominant variant in our marketplaces. Unfortunately, and as I stated my remarks here at the beginning, this particular monoclonal antibody is in extremely short supply. And we utilize everything that we get, and provide screening criteria so that the patients who are at the highest risk for severe illness or hospitalization are the ones that are getting that antibody," Bessel says.

Get vaccinated, get boosted if eligible, she warns, saying, "I want to emphasize that it is the unvaccinated who are most likely to end up in our hospitals and in our intensive care units."

Omicron peak not yet experienced in the state

When asked if Arizona has reached its predicted COVID-19 peak during the omicron spread, Bessel said, in part, "What we currently forecast is that in Arizona, we are not yet at the omicron peak that is likely going to occur in the upcoming weeks."

She explains further, "What we do know is that the number of cases that are going to be diagnosed here in the state of Arizona will continue to increase. We do expect some increase in hospitalization. But one of the things that we are learning about omicron from experience in other countries that have gone before us is that the descent from that peak will also be very rapid. I'm sure that is something that everybody will be very excited to see, including all of us who are in health care."