Hospitals, pharmacies pushed to breaking point by Covid surge

To ensure delivery to your inbox add email@mail.nbcnews.com to your contacts Today's Top Stories from NBC News TUESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2021 Good morning, NBC News readers.     Today we look at the human toll the surge in Covid cases is taking on hospital workers, as well as pharmacy technicians. Plus, can you distinguish between what happened during 2020 versus 2021? Take our double-year-end quiz.    Here's what we're watching this Tuesday morning.     Pushed to the edge: Hospitals and pharmacies buckling under the crush of nearly two years of the pandemic  Health care workers, already pushed to their limits, are bracing for a post-holiday surge in Covid-19 cases, driven by the extremely contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus.    With many hospitals at or near capacity, health care staffers are exhausted, said Dr. Nadine Himelfarb, the president of the Rhode Island Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians.     "We're in a really tenuous spot as far as staffing and capacity in hospitals and emergency departments right now," she said. "Anything added to that is going to cause added strain."    Hospitals aren't the only health care organizations struggling after nearly two years of the pandemic.    Pushed to the breaking point, pharmacy technicians are quitting in waves and stores are struggling to hire, leading to shorter hours, delayed prescriptions and risky mistakes.    "It's not a cheeseburger we're talking about. ... This is life-sustaining medication in some cases, so you have to be able to focus on one thing at a time, not four things," said Kimberly Bailey Parry, a technician in Illinois who said she left her job at a CVS in a Target in August after 10 years to work for another pharmacy with better conditions.    More Covid news: CDC shortens Covid isolation period to 5 days for people without symptoms  Did you test positive on a home Covid kit? Your local health department wants to know German pastors push for shots in region known for vaccine resistance  Tuesday's Top Stories Four dead, three injured in Denver-area 'killing spree' Three people were fatally shot in Denver and another was killed in suburban Lakewood, where a police officer was also injured. READ MORE These 10 races could determine control of the Senate in 2022 Republicans have history on their side, but retirements by several reliable vote-getters and Trump's polarizing presence are potential hazards on the road back to a majority. READ MORE 'They're going to lose': Treatment of Vanessa Bryant shows cracks in case In the nearly two years since Vanessa Bryant lost her husband, NBA legend Kobe Bryant, in a helicopter crash, the widow has been forced to relive her grief in the public eye as a contentious lawsuit against Los Angeles County unfolds. READ MORE From real estate to inflation, here's what to expect from the economy in 2022 Will the pandemic economy bounce back next year? Check out the top issues economists have on their radar for 2022. READ MORE Also in the News Investigation underway after small plane crashes in southern California Israel hits Syrian port for second time this month, Syrian state media reports Federal appeals court to hear Texas abortion case on Jan. 7 Video shows mask fight between passengers on Delta flight; woman detained at Atlanta airport 'They found it!': Long-sought after time capsule apparently discovered at site where Robert E. Lee statue once stood Ciao 2021! From Lady Gaga's Italian accent to Benedict Cumberbatch's cowboy snarl: This year's most notable on-screen accents  Editor's Pick Stay home and shut your windows: Chinese city of 13 million goes into lockdown A Chinese city with nearly twice as many people as New York City is on strict lockdown after authorities reported 150 new local symptomatic coronavirus cases on Monday.  READ MORE Select From poetry and picture books to novels by authors like Michelle Obama, check out the bestselling books from 2021.  One Fun Thing Wait, was that 2020? Or 2021?   A lot of newsworthy events happened over the last two years. But when you've taken to wearing your pajama bottoms for days on end as you work remotely, time becomes a blur.     Did former President Donald Trump's second impeachment happen this year or last year? You're forgiven if you can't remember.    Take our quiz to test your recall of 2020 vs. 2021.    Bonus round post-quiz: Check out 2021 in Pictures to see if it jogs your memory.    Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown.    If you have any comments — likes, dislikes — send me an email at: petra@nbcuni.com   If you're a fan, please forward it to your family and friends. They can sign-up here.    Thanks, Petra Cahill     FOLLOW US     Want to receive NBC Breaking News and Special Alerts in your inbox? SIGN UP HERE Check out all of NBC Newsletters here.     Get the NBC News Mobile App   30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, NY 10112 View in browser | Unsubscribe | Manage Subscription | Contact | Privacy