The omicron variant

Central Florida: Beyond The Soundbite

One word: Omicron. Just the latest variant of concern of COVID-19, after last summer’s delta.

In the week between Christmas and New Year’s, the lines for COVID-19 testing were eye-opening.

At the Barnett Park testing site in Orlando at the Central Florida Fairgrounds, cars wrapped throughout the park, out to West Colonial Drive, back to Mercy Drive, and back up Mercy Drive, all before the testing site opened for business at 9 a.m.

However, it appears as though deaths and hospitalizations with omicron are not higher than what we would consider normal.

So why is Omicron pushing more people to testing sites? Is there something special about omicron?

We find out from Orlando pulmonologist Dr. Fortune Alabi on this week’s “Central Florida: Beyond the Soundbite.”

ABOUT THE SHOW

Political figures and influencers are often heard in brief bites that don’t capture the context of the whole story. “Central Florida: Beyond the Soundbite” expands the conversation with these newsmakers along the I-4 corridor and beyond. Join award-winning Spectrum News 13 anchor and Orlando Woman of the Year Ybeth Bruzual, political reporter Greg Angel, and veteran producer Gary Darling for a must-hear interview each week and learn about the issues affecting Central Florida.