As the omicron surge continues to impact the health care workforce, there are three challenging realities we may have to face in the coming days and weeks. Advisory Board's Monica Westhead and Rachel Gerstendfeld set the stage for what's to come—with a few thoughts on how to navigate it.

Early data suggests that omicron proliferates more quickly in the throat than in the nose, leading some prominent experts to suggest that throat-swabbing may improve the accuracy of rapid Covid-19 tests. However, FDA and test manufacturers are discouraging the practice, saying the tests were initially validated using nasal swabs.

Covid-19 cases are hitting record levels amid omicron's surge, and two new models—one from the Covid-19 Scenario Modeling Hub and one from Jeffrey Shaman, an infectious disease modeler at Columbia University—suggest that cases will continue to climb and likely peak around the end of January.

A fourth dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine drives a five-fold increase in antibodies and likely significantly improves protection against coronavirus infections, according to an Israeli study. But several health experts expressed doubt that fourth doses are needed right now.

In hearings on Friday, the Supreme Court appeared to lean toward blocking the Biden administration's vaccine mandate for businesses with at least 100 employees, but it seemed more likely to allow a separate mandate for health care workers.

As many Americans adopt diet-related New Year's resolutions, some find that changing their eating habits can be "an unpleasant and demoralizing experience"—but it doesn't have to be. In two articles for the New York Times, David Leonhardt and Tara Parker-Pope offer tips on approaching food more mindfully.

Walgreens Boots Alliance saw its highest profit increase in 20 years amid the latest surge in demand for Covid-19 tests and vaccines, in today's bite-sized hospital and health industry news from Connecticut, Illinois, and West Virginia.

How to help your overwhelmed workforce during the omicron surge, how quickly can rapid tests detect omicron, and more.