The puzzle of America's record COVID hospital rate

Professor David Larsen, an epidemiologist and global health expert at Syracuse University in New York, told the BBC that the US population is markedly different from that of both Europe and South Africa.

“We have an older population than South Africa. That’s a big one,” he said. “[The US] is kind of similar in age structure to Europe. But there’s also a less healthy population than in Europe.”

As examples, Dr Larsen noted that rates of hypertension and obesity – both of which are comorbidities that increase the risk of Covid – are higher in the US than in most other countries…

“The seasonality is also different,” he said. “Omicron’s surge through South Africa was during their summer, and it’s hitting us in winter when we know more people gather indoors and there’s more transmission…it’s going to be bad.”