US Hits 1.4 Million Covid-19 Cases, 1,673 Deaths, With 145,000 Hospitalizations (On Monday)

Daily Mail: Ex-FDA boss Scott Gottlieb says Omicron surge will infect up to 40% of Americans but new daily cases in east coast states ARE nearing their peak: Deaths remain low even as US hits 1.4 million daily cases

* Covid cases in the US have tripled over the past two weeks, up to over 768,000 per day, as the nation continues to suffer record surge

* There were 1.486M new cases Monday, the highest single day figure of the pandemic. Hospitalizations in the US also peaked

* Deaths have not followed the same trend, though, only increasing 11% as the CDC chief saying almost all are among people with four or more co-morbidities

* On average, 146,000 Americans are hospitalized with Covid every day, though many people are likely just testing positive when going in for other treatment

* Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla says the virus will likely be around for the next decade, but his company's booster shots will be able to 'control' the pandemic

* WHO officials warn that it is too early to believe the virus will become endemic yet, though, as it is spreading and evolving at an unpredictable rate

* The variant is already showing signs of burning out in England and Denmark, though, a positive sign for the US going forward

* One study found Omicron could have a lower death rate than the yearly flu

As many as 40 percent of Americans could be infected with COVID-19 during the Omicron variant-fueled surge hitting the US, an expert says, as the nation logs a record 1.4 million infections in a single day.

However, deaths caused by the variant remain low and are not growing at anywhere near the same rate as cases. Signs from the UK also show the variant could burn out in the near future.

Dr Scott Gottlieb, former chief of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), told CNBC's Squawk Box on Tuesday that the variant is infecting around one percent of Americans every day, and around ten percent of the population is actively infected at any given point.

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Update #1: Update #1: U.S. breaks record with more than 145,000 covid-19 hospitalizations (Washington Post)

Update #2: Covid-19 hospitalizations reach record high, HHS data shows (CNN)

WNU Editor: We will never know what the "real" numbers are .... True number of Covid deaths in the US probably undercounted, experts say (The Guardian).