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COVID Updates for Travel Nurses: May 4, 2022

May 11, 2022

Since our last update, a lot has changed regarding COVID. For instance, mask restrictions were lifted – literally mid-flight – in airports and on planes. Nationwide, virtually all indoor mask restrictions have also ended. 

Some have felt the CDC relaxed restrictions too soon while others have celebrated the move. Some states brought back temporary masking in response to rising cases that seemed to coincide with the restrictions being lifted. Meanwhile, other states, like Michigan, have already issued warnings about rising cases and the new variant possibly causing a spring surge. Becker’s Hospital Review reports that nationwide, COVID infections have gone up 50% over the past two weeks.

Here’s more on what’s happening with the virus in the U.S. now and what COVID travel nurse jobs are available.

​​Interested in assignments in COVID-impacted areas? Start here. 

What’s happening with COVID-19 right now

Officially speaking, COVID cases are again rising after a significant decline in the U.S. However, official testing has also slowed considerably and home testing has risen significantly, which means that we don’t have all of the most accurate numbers for case counts either. Additionally, vaccination rates and previous immunity may mean that re-infections or post-vaccination infections are more mild, resulting in people not testing for the virus at all.  

Here’s what we do know officially though: 

  • To date, the U.S. has seen a total of 81,307,595 cases of COVID
  • The death toll from COVID has reached 991,439
  • The U.S. is currently averaging about 53K cases per day, which is a significant increase from our last update of 26K daily cases in April
  • Deaths have continued to decrease, with an average of 334 COVID-related deaths per day 

What’s happening in hospitals right now

According to Becker’s Hospital Review, hospitalizations have risen 18% over the past week in the U.S. with 40 states reporting an increase in COVID-related admissions. They report the top 12 states with an increase in COVID hospitalizations are:

  1. New Hampshire: 78% increase
  2. Hawaii: 76% increase
  3. Wisconsin: 55% increase
  4. Vermont: 50% increase
  5. Maine: 49% increase
  6. Montana: 49% increase
  7. Connecticut: 48% increase
  8. Massachusetts: 43% increase
  9. South Carolina: 39% increase
  10. Michigan: 39% increase
  11. Illinois: 37% increase
  12. New York: 36% increase

The New York Times COVID map and tracker also confirms that COVID cases have doubled over the past few weeks, but added that overall, infections seem milder than they were in previous surges. For instance, there are fewer ICU patients hospitalized than at any point in the pandemic so far. 

Travel nursing opportunities may be increased again with any rise in cases and hospitalizations, as well as the summer months when many healthcare workers may take time off. If you are looking for a COVID-specific travel nursing job, here are some of the current travel nursing positions available with weekly rates listed. 

Current COVID-19 travel nursing jobs for May 4, 2022

All of the following positions are MICU/SICU/ICU roles, which are most commonly COVID units: 

  • Alabama: $3.3K/week
  • Arizona: $3.6K/week
  • California: $4K/week
  • Louisiana: $2.8K/week
  • Massachusetts: $5K/week
  • Missouri: $4.8K/week
  • New Jersey: $5.7K/week
  • New York: $6.5K/week
  • Pennsylvania: $3.1K/week
  • North Carolina: $5.4K/week
  • Tennessee: $5.2K/week
  • Texas: $2.8K/week

Speak with a recruiter about available assignments in COVID-impacted areas today.

What’s happening with the vaccine 

The CDC continues to recommend that anyone 5 years old and over receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Moderna has also asked the FDA to authorize its vaccine for children 5 and younger—a vaccine for COVID for children under 5 has yet to be approved. According to Moderna, the vaccines tested in children 6-23 months old and 2-6 years olds revealed both a “robust neutralizing antibody response” and a “favorable safety profile.” 

The FDA has also suggested that COVID vaccines may be recommended annually, much like the vaccines for influenza and pneumonia. 

According to the CDC, 219.8 million people in the U.S. have now been fully vaccinated. Here’s how the current vaccine numbers stack up:

  • 77.7% of the population has received at least one dose
  • 66.2% of the population is fully vaccinated
  • 100.8 million people have received a booster dose

Booster Updates

The CDC recommends that all people aged 12 and over get a booster shot to protect against severe complications from COVID-19 infection. Here are the exact recommendations from the CDC regarding boosters:

If your first vaccine was:
Get this booster: When:
Pfizer-BioNTechPfizer-BioNTech or Moderna for your first booster if you’re over 18; Pfizer-BioNTech if you’re between 12 and 17. 
You can also get a second mRNA-only booster if you’re over 50. 		5 months after your first vaccine series.
If you’re getting a second booster (age 50+), get it 4 months after your first. 
ModernaPfizer-BioNTech or Moderna (adults 18+ only).
You can also get a second mRNA-only booster if you’re over 50. 		5 months after your first vaccine series.
If you’re getting a second booster (age 50+), get it 4 months after your first. 
J&J/JanssenPfizer-BioNTech or Moderna (adults 18+ only).
You can also get a second mRNA-only booster if you’re over 50. 		3 months after your first vaccine.
If you’re getting a second booster (age 50+), get it 4 months after your first. 

​​Interested in assignments in COVID-impacted areas? Start here.