U.S. Hospital Staff Shortages Hit Most in a Year on Covid Surge

U.S. hospitals are facing their worst staffing shortage in a year as the omicron Covid-19 variant sweeps the country with unprecedented infectiousness.

About 20% of U.S. hospitals are reporting critical staffing shortages, the most since Dec. 28, 2020, according to Department of Health and Human Services data. The seven-day average reached 18%, the highest since Jan. 11, 2021, the data show.

The seven-day average of Covid-19 cases surged to about 554,000 Tuesday, about twice the peak of last winter’s wave, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

So far, the infections are causing much less severe illness and death, a ...