Omicron starts to subside in Northeast | Kids’ Covid hospitalization hit record | Biden’s free tests goes live

VIEW IN BROWSER | SUBSCRIBE Fri, Jan 21, 2022 EDITOR'S NOTE Think a friend or colleague should be getting this newsletter? Share this link with them to sign up.   Kids' hospitalizations hit a pandemic high this week. Although omicron appears to be less virulent than previous strains, it's so contagious, children's hospitals are jammed with pediatric cases. Spencer Kimball has a very personal look from three mothers who shared their daughters' health fight with CNBC. All three recovered from Covid, only to end up in the hospital weeks or months later with severe complications from long Covid.   Nate Rattner and Lauren Feiner took a deep dive into the case data this week, finding a slowdown in infections in the Northeast as omicron makes its way across the U.S. and starts to settle elsewhere in the country. Holly Ellyatt in London noticed an uptick in divorces there, which led her to some couples counselors who attributed the rise to stress induced by the pandemic.    Feel free to send any tips, suggestions, story ideas and data to me at dawn.kopecki@nbcuni.com. Dawn Kopecki | Health & Science Editor @Dawn_Kopecki Dawn Kopecki | Health & Science Editor @Dawn_Kopecki Two years since Covid was first confirmed in U.S., the pandemic is worse than anyone imagined In the two years since the nation confirmed its first case in Washington state, the virus has torn through the U.S. with a ferocity and duration few anticipated. The human toll is staggering, with more than 860,000 people dead and more than 69 million total infections. Hospitals around the nation have been pushed to the breaking point with more than 4 million admissions of confirmed Covid patients since August 2020, when the CDC started tracking hospitalizations. The highly contagious omicron variant has pushed infections and hospitalizations to record highs across the globe this month, a shock to a weary public that wants a return to normal life after two years of lockdowns, event cancellations, working from home and mask and vaccine mandates. -Spencer Kimball and Nate Rattner Omicron surge shows signs of easing in states hit early by the fast-spreading variant Following weeks of soaring infections, the latest Covid surge is showing signs of slowing in a handful of areas hit earliest by the omicron variant — offering a glimmer of hope that this wave is starting to ease. The U.S. has reported an average of nearly 800,000 cases per day over the past week, more than three times the level seen during last winter's previous record. But in New York, New Jersey and a few other states and cities, particularly on the East Coast, cases appear to have plateaued or fallen in recent days. -Nate Rattner and Lauren Feiner Kids' Covid hospitalizations hit pandemic high, worrying doctors and parents Trisha DeGroot's 10-year-old daughter, Rainey, returned to her Houston home after a church choir practice in September looking unwell. Things took a turn for the worse from there. She was later diagnosed with long Covid and dysautonomia; Rainey now has a feeding tube and difficulty reading. Infectious disease experts at children's hospitals in Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver and Washington, D.C., all told CNBC that they are seeing more children hospitalized with Covid than ever before as omicron cases soar. -Spencer Kimball Biden's website to order free Covid tests goes live Americans on Tuesday started placing orders for free Covid tests promised by the Biden administration after the federal government rolled out the website a day earlier than expected. Some ran into glitches, unable to order test kits if they lived in small apartment buildings and a neighbor beat them to the punch. It's part of Biden's plan to supply Americans with 1 billion free tests over the coming months. Are they accurate, you may wonder.  Jade Scipioni from our MakeIt team has the latest on that. -Spencer Kimball and Jade Scipioni Arguing with your partner over Covid? You're not alone as the pandemic strains relationships The pandemic has taken an immense emotional toll on humankind as  people around the world lose loved ones, jobs and even their minds. Lockdowns, mask mandates, working from home and home schooling have put the best marriages to the test. From arguments over Covid rules and restrictions to disagreements over whether children should be vaccinated — and even disputes between families and friends over the very existence of the virus — have seen relationships pushed to breaking point during the pandemic, according to family law experts and psychologists. -Holly Ellyatt JOIN US Register Now Join top C-level executives in healthcare and other industries as part of CNBC Councils, which bring together C-suite leaders (including  CIOs, CHROs, CFOs, and more) in key functional areas to exchange ideas with peers; leverage trusted, curated information from CNBC; and raise their profiles through thought leadership opportunities. 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