COVID-19 is tearing through the U.S. workforce, disrupting businesses from grocery stores to airlines.
Summary
- A record spike in COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant is causing a nationwide worker “sickout,” disrupting businesses ranging from grocery stores to airlines.
- The past few weeks have been “hellacious,” Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian said in a Thursday conference call with stock analysts and reporters.
- The latest worker shortages are compounding earlier pandemic problems, including supply-chain disruptions and shortages of some services.
- “Most people are going to get COVID"But there are other impacts beyond shortages of bread and other grocery items.
- Most alarmingly, about 1 in 5 U.S. hospitals are experiencing critical staff shortages, according to Becker’s Hospital Review, citing January 9 government data.