FLORIDA, USA — As the omicron variant continues to make its presence known, there’s another reason the United States is hitting record numbers of reported positive COVID-19 cases this week.
The On Your Side team spoke to a doctor who puts the surge into perspective.
The days of waiting in line for hours at a Federal COVID-19 testing site like Lot J are over. Now, you can get tested at numerous locations across the First Coast. You can even buy an at-home test right off the shelf at your local pharmacy.
“If you remember, it took seven days to get a PCR result back when this whole thing started," Dr. Michael Koren, CEO of Jacksonville Center for Clinical Research said. "And now, we get them within a couple hours. So, there's been tremendous improvements in the technology and in our logistics.”
Koren says the record seven-day average of U.S. COVID-19 cases Tuesday shows the omicron variant is dominating.
“But, it's also we're just testing more. So, keep in mind is that with the greater availability of tests, they're going to be more positive tests reported – just as simple as that," he explained. "So, it's not a perfect reflection of how big the surge is.“
Koren also says he continues to see good reports that people who contract omicron, especially those who are vaccinated or boosted, tend to have very mild illnesses.