Maryland covid deaths have hit a monthly record amid omicron

Covid-19 deaths are mounting in Maryland even as new infections decline.

With nearly a week left in January, the state on Tuesday already had logged 1,475 covid-related fatalities, more than double the number recorded in December, and higher than any other month since the pandemic began.

Public health experts say death rates tend to lag weeks after patients receive positive test results and symptoms worsen, which explains why fatalities can spike as infection rates have fallen across D.C., Maryland and Virginia for more than a week. Officials add that it can take weeks to retroactively verify death certificates, which can change fatality numbers slightly over time.

Eric Toner, a senior scientist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said Maryland’s peak in deaths could “come and go” as quickly as the omicron surge in cases has, but urged residents and elected officials to exercise caution...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/01/25/omicron-covid-virus-deaths/