New Covid trend found in hospital patients

(KYMA, KECY/ NBC News) - As the Omicron variant spreads throughout the nation, hospitals are seeing a growing trend with people admitted for other ailments testing positive for Covid-19.

Doctors say it may mean that more people may be asymtomatic or have undiagnosed disease than originally thought.

Many hospitals are seeing patients coming in with non-Covid related issues but these patients are then later testing positive for the disease.

Doctors say some of these patients are coming in with an ailment, and no sign of respiratory disease - and they are still testing positive for Covid-19.

In Austin, Texas, some hospitals are reporting that 30% to 40% of patients admitted for other reasons are also Covid-positive.

Health experts say this growing trend may actually have a silver lining.

They say it supports evidence that the Omicron variant is less likely to cause severe illness than earlier variants were - especially in people who are fully vaccinated and boosted, but it also presents a complication.

People who aren't showing symptoms may be early in the course of the disease and may be far more contagious and that experts say presents a danger to others - including at-risk patients and health care workers.