Sen. Marco Rubio on Friday criticized fears over the Omicron variant as "irrational hysteria."
"Record numbers testing positive for a sore throat isn't a crisis," he tweeted.
Florida had a one-day record of 75,900 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, according to the CDC.
Sen. Marco Rubio on Friday criticized the public response to the highly-transmissible Omicron coronavirus variant, saying that fears emanating from the surge in new cases amounted to "irrational hysteria."
The Florida Republican —whose home state had a one-day record of 75,900 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — took to Twitter to minimize the severity of the new variant.
"Record numbers testing positive for a sore throat isn't a crisis. And people in the hospital for car accidents testing positive isn't a surge," Rubio wrote. "The real crisis is the irrational hysteria which has people with no symptoms waiting hours for a test or missing work for 10 days."
He went on to encourage fans who attended Friday's Orange Bowl football game in Miami.
"Very happy to see a packed stadium for tonight's #OrangeBowl," he tweeted. "There is no reason to close, limit or cancel anything. Ignore the hysteria & have a great New Years Eve!"
Despite the continued frustrated among many Americans over the enduring state of the pandemic as it enters a third consecutive year — along with President Joe Biden's continued push for vaccinations — the US recorded a record number of new COVID-19 cases this week.
However, the risk of hospitalization for individuals infected with the Omicron variant is roughly a third of what is posed from the highly-infectious Delta variant.
While vaccines do not prevent individuals from contracting the coronavirus, they are credited with reducing the severity of illness in those who contract the disease.
Earlier this week, Rochelle Walensky, the director of the CDC, struck a more positive note on Omicron as it related to hospitalizations — while also adding a note of caution.
"While cases have substantially increased from last week, hospitalizations and deaths remain comparatively low right now," she said during a White House press briefing.
She continued: "I want to emphasize that this virus has proven its ability to adapt quickly, and we must adapt with it. And it is in that context that, last week, CDC updated our isolation and quarantine guidance for healthcare workers as we prepare for an anticipated surge in COVID-19 cases."
The CDC endured some criticism this week for its new recommendation that asymptomatic people infected with the coronavirus complete their isolation period after five days, which is a reduction from 10 days.
The agency said that the new guidelines were driven by science that showed that the bulk of virus transmission transpired earlier in the infection period.
However, former US Surgeon General Jerome Adams on Tuesday spoke out against the latest guidance from the agency.
"I love the CDC. Grew up wanting to work there and have been one of their most ardent defenders. I never dreamed the day would come when I would advise people NOT to follow their guidance," he tweeted.
"But ask any of them. They wouldn't even follow it for their own family," he added.
Airlines are expanding their international networks to and from the US in 2022 despite the Omicron variant.
New destinations include places like Jordan, Qatar, India, Spain, Portugal, Norway, and Finland.
However, some experts say country border restrictions in response to Omicron could impact the routes.
The airline industry has been on a rollercoaster ride of uncertainty as the pandemic continues into 2022, but that is not stopping airlines from expanding their international networks.
Since the summer, the demand for air travel has been booming as many people finally feel comfortable flying on aircraft again. With the surge, the big three carriers in the US, including Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and American Airlines, as well as foreign carriers, have been eager to bring back their long-haul markets and have announced a plethora of new international routes.
However, the rise of the Omicron variant has added some uncertainty to the equation. Fitch Ratings, a credit rating agency, lowered its projected global air traffic from 15% below 2019 levels to 30%, citing "slow rebound in international traffic and constrained business travel." Nevertheless, some airlines do not believe the new variant will impact the launch of the new international service.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby told reporters in early December that the company is seeing some cancellations, but it is "too early to tell." Regardless, he said he is optimistic about future demand, saying he does not think bookings will decrease as much as they did for the Delta variant, according to CNBC.
Meanwhile, when asked if their 2022 international network will be impacted by Omicron, American, Delta, and United told Insider their routes are still on track to operate.
"Our scheduled start dates remain intact, albeit tentative in nature pending the impact of external factors that may necessitate change, as has been the case in regards to international routes, especially throughout the pandemic," Delta told Insider.
However, whether or not airlines want to fly to these places, Henry Harteveldt, travel analyst and president of Atmosphere Research Group, explained it depends on how countries respond to the Omicron variant.
"We are not sure if countries will impose new restrictions on US visitors, like pre-arrival COVID tests," he said. "We also do not know how open or locked down the key cities, attractions, and businesses that cater to tourists are going to be, or if conventions, conferences, and offices will be open. All of these factors affect leisure and business travel."
Most of the high-profile routes coming in 2022 are to Europe or the Middle East, with many Asian countries being left behind by carriers. Harteveldt explained that this is mostly due to the continent's slow recovery and delayed opening of country borders.
American Airlines' vice president of network planning Brian Znontins echoed Harteveldt, telling Insider that demand to Asia will take a year or two to rebound. Moreover, he explained bilateral issues with the Chinese government have impacted the airline's return to Shanghai and Beijing.
"They [the Chinese government] are only letting us fly two times a week to China right now, which is well below the bilateral negotiations between the US and Chinese permits," Znontins told Insider.
Here's a closer look at 13 high-profile international routes coming in 2022.
Between New York and Doha, Qatar
Doha, Qatar.
Sven Hansche/Shutterstock
American is launching an all-new daily route to the Middle Eastern city of Doha, Qatar on June 4 using a Boeing 777 aircraft. The flight will operate alongside the airline's Oneworld partner Qatar Airways, which also operates daily service to the country.
"We continue to creatively find ways to build a network that gets customers where they want to go when they are ready to travel," American's vice president of network planning, Brian Znotins, said. "Adding Doha to our expansive global network and resuming a significant portion of our European routes provides our customers with more choices as they plan next year's vacations."
Between Dallas/Fort Worth and Tel Aviv, Israel
Tel Aviv cityscape.
Francesco Russo/View Pictures/Universal Images Group/Getty Images
American postponed its service between Dallas and Tel Aviv this year due to "continued entry restrictions into Israel and the slower-than-expected return of international business travel," the airline told The Points Guy.
However, the company is hoping to officially launch the flagship route come March 5, though the delay of Dreamliner deliveries from Boeing has forced American to change the aircraft. Instead of operating on a Boeing 787-9, the thrice-weekly route will use a Boeing 777-200ER, according to Aviacionline.
Between Seattle and Bangalore, India
Bangalore, India.
Snehal Jeevan Pailkar/Shutterstock
American's high-anticipated route between Seattle and Bangalore is finally launching on October 29 using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The daily service will be the carrier's longest route once its launches, covering a whopping 8,078 miles. The route, which was initially scheduled to start in October 2020, is intended to serve corporate customers looking to travel to the heart of India's tech industry.
Moreover, it will serve as a gateway to the US via American's Oneworld alliance partner Alaska Airlines, which can shuttle international passengers from India through its domestic network, according to the carrier.
"India is a grossly underserved market, despite the number of businesses with a major presence in both India and the West Coast," Vasu Raja, American's senior vice president of network strategy, said in a press release. "By adding Seattle to Bangalore, we're giving customers from more than 70 U.S. cities access to India in one stop or less — versus the two, three, or four stops they'd have to make to get there in the past."
Between San Francisco and Bangalore, India
Julius Bagnas / EyeEm / Getty Images
United is also heading west across the Pacific to Bangalore, though it is planned to launch ahead of American on May 26 using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The daily service will be the carrier's longest route at 8,701 miles and will compete with Air India.
Like American, United is hoping to tap into the business demand heading to India, connecting the two tech hubs of San Francisco and Bangalore, according to the carrier.
Between Washington D.C. and Amman, Jordan
Amman, Jordan.
mbrand85/Shutterstock
United is launching to a handful of new international destinations next year, including five to "new, unexpected places," according to Patrick Quayle, United's senior vice president of international network and alliances. One of which is thrice-weekly service between Washington D.C. and Amman beginning May 7 using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The carrier will compete with Royal Jordanian on the route.
"I think United's announcement shows a bold sense of optimism for summer 2022 travel demand," Henry Harteveldt, travel analyst and president of Atmosphere Research Group, told Insider. "There are no blinding glimpses of the obvious when it comes to the route additions that they have made. These are compelling leisure destinations."
The announcement is the carrier's longest transatlantic expansion to date, according to the carrier.
Between Newark and Ponta Delgado, Portugal
Ponta Delgado, Portugal.
A. Storm Photography/Shutterstock
The second United route starting next summer is between Newark and Ponta Delgado operating daily beginning May 13. The seasonal route will operate through September 28 using a Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft and face competition from Portuguese carrier Azores Airlines.
The third United route starting next year is between Newark and Bergen operating thrice-weekly beginning May 20. The seasonal route will operate through September 23 using a Boeing 757-200 aircraft and face no competition.
Like the route to Portugal, the airline will use a narrowbody jet on the route.
Between Newark and Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
Balate Dorin/Shutterstock
The fourth United route starting next year is between Newark and Palma de Mallorca operating thrice-weekly beginning June 2. The seasonal route will operate through September 22 using a Boeing 767-300ER aircraft and face no competition.
Between Newark and Tenerife, Spain
Tenerife, Spain.
Balate Dorin/Shutterstock
The fifth "new, unexpected" United route starting next year is between Newark and Tenerife operating thrice-weekly beginning June 9. The seasonal route will operate through September 29 using a Boeing 757-200 aircraft and face no competition.
Between Frankfurt and St. Louis, Missouri
Frankfurt, Germany
Pigprox/Shutterstock
Lufthansa will start service between Frankfurt and St. Louis beginning June 2022. The airline has not revealed details about the number of frequencies or aircraft type, but the historic flight will be the first time in nearly 20 years the airport has offered transatlantic service.
The move comes as the St. Louis Port Authority and local business group Greater St. Louis Inc., along with a handful of its members, put up a collective $5 million in subsidiaries to operate in the city. St. Louis has a number of large international corporations in the metropolitan area, including some tied to Germany, including pharmaceutics company Bayer AG, seed company KWS, and chemical company Merck KGaA, according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Between London and Portland, Oregon
Chris Gorman/Getty Images
British Airways is launching its service between London Heathrow and Portland on June 3 using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The route will operate five times weekly with fares starting at $562. The highly-anticipated route was initially scheduled to start in June 2020 but was postponed due to COVID-19, according to Travel Weekly.
The route is part of BA's joint venture with American Airlines, Finnair, Iberia, LEVEL, and Aer Lingus, known as the "Atlantic Joint Business."
Between Helsinki and Seattle
Helsinki, Finland.
Piero Damiani / Getty Images
Another route launching as part of the Atlantic Joint Business is Finnair's service between Helsinki and Seattle. The seasonal route will operate thrice-weekly through October 29 using an Airbus A330 jet. The carrier will face no competition and tickets start at $877.
The route will be an important feeder for Oneworld alliance partner Alaska Airlines, according to Travel Weekly. The Seattle-based carrier can be a gateway for US-bound international travelers via its strong domestic network.
Between New York and Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm, Sweden.
Mistervlad/Shutterstock
Delta Air Lines is starting daily service between New York and Stockholm on June 1 using a Boeing 767-300 aircraft. The airline will compete with several carriers on the route, including Finnair, United, and Scandinavian Airlines. The flight marks the first time in five years Delta has operated the route, the carrier told Insider.
"We're focused on bringing back the routes and destinations our customers love. Customers planning next summer's European vacation will discover more routes, premium seats, and destinations in 2022," Delta said in a statement.
An annotated version of the UK Health Security Agency chart, showing protection against symptomatic disease and hospitalization after one, two, or three doses.
UKHSA/Insider
A chart shows vaccine protection against Omicron after one, two, or three shots.
Protection is high against severe disease, and is boosted by a third shot, per official UK stats.
Protection against getting mildly ill is much lower, although a booster raises it.
A new chart hows how much protection is conferred by one, two, and three doses of vaccine against the Omicron coronavirus variant.
It found that, while vaccines protect much less against catching COVID-19 with Omicron than with Delta, protection against hospitalization remains high.
Protection against hospitalization waned over time after a second dose, but a booster shot increased it again, the figures showed.
A chart shows protection from vaccines against symptomatic disease and hospitalization.
UKHSA
The study was based on data collected between 27 November and 24 December 2021. It provides the first formal assessments of booster vaccine effectiveness against severe disease, Eric Topol the director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, tweeted on Friday.
Here are the stats.
For hospitalization (all vaccine brands combined):
One dose: 52% reduced risk of hospitalization compared to unvaccinated.
Two doses: 72% reduction within 24 weeks of the second dose.
Two doses (longer term): 52% reduced risk over 24 weeks of the second dose.
Three doses: 88% reduced risk two weeks after the third shot.
For symptomatic disease (all vaccine brands combined):
One dose: 26% reduction of risk of catching symptomatic COVID-19 within four weeks of the first dose.
Two doses: 18% reduction within 24 weeks of the second dose.
Two doses (longer term): 2% reduction over 24 weeks of the second dose.
Three doses: 63% reduced risk two weeks after the third shot.
Since the data was from the UK it isn't totally applicable to the US, which uses a different set of vaccines.
Most older people in the UK were given the AstraZeneca vaccine, which the US hasn't used. The UK never used the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Both countries use the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, and the UK is using those two exclusively in its booster rollout.
The findings appear to confirm that vaccination and boosters are an effective tool against Omicron. The variant is sweeping the world, and risks pushing health systems to the "brink of collapse," the World Health Organization recently said.
It is not clear how long booster protection will last. The UKHSA previously reported that protection against symptomatic disease dropped after 10 weeks —from 70% to 45% — after a Pfizer booster among those who had already taken two Pfizer doses.
Travelers board an Amtrak train in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
AP Photo/Matt Rourke
Amtrak has canceled about two dozen trains, blaming bad weather and COVID-19 cases among workers.
The affected routes include some trains in the Northeast Corridor and a New Orleans route.
The disruptions are similar to ones that airlines are currently experiencing for the same reasons.
Amtrak said that it would be reducing its schedule and canceling trips on certain routes through January 6, the Washington Post reported Thursday.
The schedule reductions are due to both winter weather and rising COVID-19 cases among employees as the Omicron variant leads to record-high positivity rates.
About two dozen trains will be affected, including some overnight trains in the Northeast Corridor and long-distance routes between New York and New Orleans. Scheduled trips between Boston and Newport News, Virginia, as well as between Washington, DC, and Springfield, Massachusetts, have been canceled.
A representative for Amtrak did not immediately return Insider's request for further comment but told the Washington Post that it "regrets any inconvenience."
"We are continuing to monitor changing conditions and will make any further adjustments as required," the representative said.
Amtrak warned earlier in December that it could be forced to reduce service because not enough employees had been vaccinated against COVID-19. But with the Biden administration's federal vaccine mandate in question, the railroad announced on December 14 that it would no longer enforce a vaccine requirement for its employees and that it did not expect to have to cut service.
Cases of COVID-19 have spiked nationally since then.
Omicron is also crippling airlines
Air travel has similarly been subject to disruptions amid a surge in cases and busy holiday season. Airlines have had to cancel flights as growing numbers of employees test positive for COVID-19 and must isolate.
The FAA warned Thursday that case counts among air traffic control staff could lead to further delays. Roughly 20,000 flights have been canceled since December 24, with some 3,000 flights canceled on Thursday alone.
A United States Marine prepares to receive the Moderna coronavirus vaccine at Camp Hansen on April 28, 2021 in Kin, Japan.
Carl Court/Getty Images
The Marines Corps has now discharged 206 members for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Active-duty Marines and Reserve members were required to be fully vaccinated by November 14 and December 14, respectively.
"The speed with which the disease transmits among individuals has increased risk to our Marines," a spokesperson told Insider.
The US Marine Corps has now discharged a total of 206 service members for refusing to adhere to a vaccination mandate, up from more than 100 troops who were first removed on December 16.
Under the mandate, all active-duty Marines and Reserve members were required to be fully vaccinated by November 14 and December 14, respectively. Jay Hernandez, spokesperson for Marine Corps Aviation, told Insider in a statement that members who fail to obtain a "pending or approved administrative exemption, medical exemption, or religious accommodation, or appeal, will be processed for administrative separation."
"All current exemption requests are being reviewed on a case-by-case basis," Hernandez said in the statement. "Each request will be given full consideration with respect to the facts and circumstances submitted in the request."
Currently 94% of active-duty members are fully vaccinated, while 83% of Reserves are fully inoculated, according to Marine Corps data. Hernandez told Insider in the statement that the Marines Corps "recognizes COVID-19 as a readiness issue."
"The speed with which the disease transmits among individuals has increased risk to our Marines and the Marine Corps' mission," Hernandez said. "We are confident the vaccine protects our Marines, our communities, and the Nation."
To date, the service has approved 1,007 administrative or medical exemptions. The Marines Corps has also received a total of 3,247 requests for religious exemption from the vaccine, of which 3,115 have been processed and none have been approved.
All Marine service members removed from the service for refusing vaccines are protected from dishonorable discharge under protections put in place by the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden on Monday. The removal must be classified as honorable or "general under honorable conditions," according to Politico.
Medics around a COVID-19 patient in the ICU of the Institute of Clinical Cardiology in Rome, Italy, on December 30, 2021.
ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images
Some patients counted in COVID hospitalization stats are there for other reasons.
These "incidental" cases were found to be prominent in England and South Africa.
Experts including Dr. Anthony Fauci have also pointed to the phenomenon in the US.
A significant proportion of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in recent weeks were admitted for other reasons, according to health officials and government data.
The exact scale of the phenomenon in the US is not recorded in federal statistics, but has been noted anecdotally.
And Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical adviser to the White House, described the phenomenon, specifically in children, in a Wednesday night interview with MSNBC.
Since all hospital admissions are tested for COVID-19, Fauci said, many are "hospitalized with COVID, as opposed to because of COVID." The real reason for hospitalization might be "a broken leg, or appendicitis, or something like that," he continued.
Julie Zauzmer Weil, a Washington Post reporter, said that a similar thing can happen with adults. Citing an unnamed DC-area health official, Weil wrote in a series of tweets that people with mild COVID who test positive are still counted in the headline hospitalization stats.
In a series of tweets posted earlier that week, Chris Hopson, the head of the the umbrella group NHS Providers, which represents individual parts of the health system, said that the level of incidental COVID admissions was a key factor in how senior managers were planning their hospital capacity.
The council noted that in a study of a hospital complex in Tshwane, a city in the hard-hit Gauteng province, 76% of the 166 patients admitted between November 14 and 29 had incidental COVID cases.
While patients having COVID incidentally is less worrying than them having severe COVID, it does not mean that there is nothing to worry about.
David Strain, a senior clinical lecturer at the England's University of Exeter medical school, told The Guardian that incidental admission can still be concerning.
"We [have] seen many other people who have been otherwise stable [with] chronic diseases such as heart failure, ulcerative colitis etc that caught COVID and had a rapid deterioration," he told the outlet.
The complications of having COVID while also having other medical problems could still severely harm patients, Strain said.
