?Too early to tell?: health experts nervous about Omicron?s effect on Australia?s hospitalisation rates

Health experts are nervous about rising Covid hospitalisations, particularly in New South Wales, as political leaders continue to call for calm over skyrocketing case numbers.

Across Australia, attention is turning from the Covid case numbers to how many people end up in hospital and the ICU. Given Australia's high vaccination rates, the prime minister, Scott Morrison, said on Monday the focus should be on the impact on the health system rather than the record case numbers.

Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) president Dr Clare Skinner told the Guardian there is a nervousness among health experts as numbers continue to rise.

"It is too early to tell how Omicron will play out for the hospital system. We're nervous, and we are treating the situation with caution."

"We're concerned about potential overload on already overcrowded emergency departments, and we welcome conversations with health decision makers on how to create the best systems for optimal patient care."

So what does the data on hospital admissions and ICU patients tell us so far?

Hospitalisations linked to Covid have been gradually rising in NSW, with the total number of people in hospital at 261 on Monday as the state recorded its highest ever daily case numbers at 2,501.