As the New Year dawned, Arkansas was again experiencing a spike in new covid-19 cases.
It was bad enough. But it would get worse.
The number of new cases was just shy of 4,000 on New Year's Eve but that followed almost 5,000 new cases the day before, which was just the beginning of record-setting infections within the state, mostly the result of the fast-spreading omicron variant.
During the first week of January, new cases hit records four days in a row: 6,562 on Jan. 4, followed on consecutive days by 7,488, then 7,787 and 8,434. In that same week, the number of active cases in the state topped 50,000 for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
Arkansas began the second week of January with yet another record-setting mark. The total number of active covid-19 cases reached 61,122 and the state's covid-related death toll hit 9,333.
Monday's report showed the state setting a record for the number of active cases for the 13th day in a row with 96,379 active cases of covid-19 in the state this past Sunday.
New cases are being reported daily at the rate of more than 10,000, 11,000 and 12,000. The total number of active cases should easily break the 100,000 mark this week.
And those most likely won't represent all the active cases, since many Arkansans are using rapid at-home tests to determine whether they have covid-19.
The point is that, in just days since we were bringing in the New Year, omicron has dramatically changed the environment for infection and the need for renewed measures to protect yourself and others against this virus.
Mind you, in the days just before year's end, Arkansas actually had only one confirmed case of the omicron variant.
The highly infectious variant was already here, but it was not being detected separately from the delta strain that was itself causing plenty of challenges for health care providers.
What has happened in the few weeks since then has been jaw-dropping, further taxing the state's hospitals as they, like schools and other employers, have simultaneously faced more demand for their services and staffing shortages because of the virus.
Reread those numbers. New infections have risen by 10,000 and more for days. Total active cases approach 100,000 in Arkansas.
The state has had to start making arrangements for additional hospital beds to weather what Gov. Asa Hutchinson aptly predicted would be a "rough January."
Hospitalizations are on the rise, particularly among unvaccinated people. One report noted that covid-related hospitalizations in Arkansas increased by more than 120 percent in less than four weeks.
The state has more than 1,000 covid patients in hospital beds and has asked for funding to open 265 beds at 11 hospitals across the state.
What's worse, that "rough January" the governor warned about is far from over.
The good news is that the overall infections from omicron are generally milder than from some of the other variants. But some infections are severe enough to send victims to critical care, ventilator use and even death.
The best defense is still vaccination and booster shots. They're available and free. Thankfully, some more Arkansans are getting them.
Many aren't, however, which leaves an open door for omicron to spread, particularly if people don't protect themselves by social distancing, wearing masks and washing their hands frequently.
The virus is everywhere and there's no guarantee this rough January won't be followed by another surge or possibly even another variant.
It's no time to let your guard down.