Is Omicron Reaching Its Peak? Experts Predict That Next Few Weeks Will Tell

The U.S. is going through another surge in COVID-19 cases just as a new school semester begins and as the Omicron variant continues to sweep across the nation. Many are questioning when a peak will be reached that will see cases tumble.

As more Americans begin to get negative flashbacks of a year lost to business lockdowns and schools closing, they fear this latest wave of cases will send the country back down the path to more shutdowns. However, for all these concerns, experts believe that the way to avoid this scenario will depend on how the next few weeks play out nationwide.

Omicron has become the dominant variant of COVID-19 and is considered milder than the previous Delta strain, but it is also more contagious and is still potentially deadly. Cases have been shooting up in recent weeks, leading to increased hospitalizations for adults and children alike.

Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, explained that a lack of long-term planning will result in continued stress on the healthcare system as hospitals and schools struggle to keep numbers down. To remedy this, Jha suggested to ABC News that a longer-term strategy had to be formulated to manage COVID-19.

"Then we have to start thinking about a long-term strategy for how we manage this virus and not go from surge to surge feeling like we don't have a longer-termed approach," said Jha.

As to when Omicron will reach its peak, Jha suggested it could happen in February if the U.S. capacity to respond to new hospital shortages and growing case numbers is able to get a handle on the surge.

One way to buttress this is to raise the country's capacity to increase testing. Several schools have been stockpiling testing kits to help ensure the safety of students.

Dr. Jonathan Reiner, professor of medicine and surgery at George Washington University, said testing is a major part of controlling the spread of COVID-19. He insisted that improved capacity will be essential in keeping schools open and students safe.

"If you want to get kids and teachers back in schools, the way to do that is a multi-pronged approach, including flooding our schools with testing. Testing kids every week, testing teachers every week," and requiring teachers and eligible students to be vaccinated, he told CNN's Jim Acosta on Sunday.

A number of school districts have been hobbled in their reopening plans amid COVID-19 surges. Several districts have opted to adopt remote learning options for the start of the semester, but others, including Chicago, have closed for remote learning after the teachers’ union defied the mayor and moved to close schools.