‘Things are improving’: doctors say omicron may have reached its peak

ORLANDO, Fla. — In a sign that cases of the omicron variant may have reached their peak, doctors with Adventhealth Centra Care say it appears COVID-19 cases are on the decline.

Dr. Tim Hendrix with AdventHealth delivered the news on Eyewitness News Tuesday.

“I think from a frontline perspective what we’re seeing at Centra Care is that we’ve probably hit the peak and things are improving,” Hendrix said.

Read: New monoclonal antibody treatment sites open in Florida

While Hendrix says the news is positive, it does come with one caveat.

“Pediatric patients are still increasing in their positivity and for the first time in this pandemic have exceeded the positivity rate of adults,” he said

Hendrix said the positivity rate for children is at 37%. While it’s a one percent difference, it is something to keep an eye on.

Read: Pediatricians: COVID-19 in young children could look like croup

For example, Orange County Public Schools has seen 5,600 positive cases among students since returning to classes this semester.

For many, long lines at test sites to empty shelves at local pharmacies have made testing difficult.

Thanks to a new program, residents can order four free at-home tests from the federal government beginning this week.

Read: Israeli study shows 4th shot of COVID-19 vaccine less effective on omicron

Hendrix encourages everyone to get the tests but to make sure they follow instructions carefully to ensure accurate results.

“I have seen false-negative results, meaning that a test is negative and you really have COVID,” he said.

Centra Care: COVID-19 positivity rate now higher for kids than adults (Christian Bruey, WFTV.com/WFTV)

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