(WXYZ) — In tonight's 7 UpFront segment we're examining the latest developments with the omicron variant of COVID-19 as ICU beds are filling up across the state, with some facilities nearing capacity.
Joining us to talk about it is Dr. Emily Martin, an Associate Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.
You can see the full interview in the video player above.
"The current count from the CDC has over 30 states currently seeing omicron cases. It does take a few weeks for data to come in and for the processing of samples to happen, so I wouldn't be surprised to find out in the coming days that we have both more in the Midwest and in states around the US," Martin says. "Some of the earliest data we're able to get is in terms of spread, and the latest data from the UK seems to be really indicating that it spreads about twice as fast as delta, that we've seen before. Now it's going to take more days and weeks as we get into understanding the match with the vaccines and the severity of disease, but we are starting to get some early signals from data in other places."