01/16/2022

Omicron Surge Hasn't Hit Rural Communities... Yet

Most counties already hit by omicron were prepared to handle it

Since it arrived in the United States, the COVID-19 virus has been a national story that is felt at the local level. Different communities have experienced the worst of the pandemic at different times. The pandemic started as a coastal story back in 2020, but it wasn’t long until it moved into the country as the virus spread.

Now, the omicron variant could take those local differences to new heights, driven by discrepancies in vaccination rates and hospital availability, and the data suggests that rural communities, in particular, could be headed for some hard weeks ahead.

For weeks now, the national COVID figures have been a focus of news stories and for good reason. The spike in new cases has been unlike anything the country has experienced so far in the pandemic.

Please select this link to read the complete article from NBC News.