Expert warns that 'viral blizzard' in the United States is imminent

As hospitalizations rise and millions of Americans prepare to embark on holiday travel, one expert warned that the country may be facing a “viral blizzard,” fueled by rising omicron and delta variant infections.  

Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, told CNN's Erin Burnett on Thursday, "In the next three to eight weeks, we're going to see millions of Americans are going to be infected with this virus, and that will be overlaid on top of delta.”

Since the omicron variant was first detected 17 days ago, it has been identified in at least 40 states, in addition to Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.

Osterholm warned that omicron – whose cases so far appear to be mild – will cause a serious strain on an already fragile health care system as more Americans will likely get sick. "I've been very concerned about the fact that we could easily see a quarter or a third of our health care workers quickly becoming cases themselves,” he noted.

On Friday, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky reported that the omicron variant is “increasing rapidly” and will likely “become the dominant strain in the United States as it has in other countries in the coming weeks."

Andy Slavitt, a former senior pandemic adviser to the Biden administration, said that while vaccines and other preventative tools are widely available, "a very rough January" lies ahead due to omicron.

"For the health care workers, the hospitals, for people who are sick, even sick with things other than COVID, that represents a real danger and a real threat," he added.