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Covid News Watch
Confessions of a ‘Human Guinea Pig’: Why I’m Resigning From Moderna Vaccine Trials + More
Confessions of a ‘Human Guinea Pig’: Why I’m Resigning From Moderna Vaccine Trials
In July 2020, I volunteered to be in Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine trial. If I knew then what I know now about the company’s quest for profits, I wouldn’t have done that.
As one of about 30,000 “human guinea pigs,” I permitted Moderna to test its experimental vaccine on me to see if it would provide protection from SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Letting a company that had never brought a vaccine to market use my body as a test subject was scary, painful and exhausting.
I have come to understand that the noble enterprise of science-making I had imagined I was a part of is actually, first and foremost, an exercise in ruthless corporate profit-making.
Florida Hospital System Says 50% of Its COVID Patients Are Mainly There for Other Reasons
About half of the patients listed as being in the hospital with COVID-19 were admitted for “non-COVID reasons,” a health authority in Florida said.
“Jackson Health System hospitals currently have 439 patients who have tested positive for COVID-19,” the Jackson Health System said in a tweet on Monday. “Of those, 220 patients — or 50% — are admitted to the hospital primarily for non-COVID reasons.”
The post was a relatively rare snapshot of the prevalence of so-called incidental COVID in the U.S.
Anthony Fauci, the White House chief medical advisor, recently warned that COVID-19 hospitalization data should be taken with a grain of salt, Insider previously reported.
U.S. CDC Recommends Five-Month Gap for Pfizer COVID Booster Dose
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday recommended shortening the interval between Pfizer-BioNTech’s (PFE.N), (22UAy.DE) second COVID-19 vaccine dose and the booster shot to five months from six.
The move follows the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s decision on Monday to reduce the interval for the booster dose and authorize the use of a third dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children aged 12 to 15 years.
The CDC has also recommended that moderately or severely immunocompromised children aged five to 11 years receive an additional dose of vaccine 28 days after their second shot.
Have COVID? You Can’t Get Unemployment Benefits
COVID-19 infections are ballooning, and sick Americans who miss work due to the virus may wonder if they qualify for unemployment benefits. The short answer: They don’t.
Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 and stay home to recover and isolate from others aren’t eligible for jobless benefits, according to Michele Evermore, a senior policy advisor for unemployment insurance at the U.S. Department of Labor.
Unemployment benefits are a type of social insurance paid on a weekly basis. The law requires Americans to be “able and available” for work to qualify for assistance. An individual who has COVID-19 doesn’t meet this core requirement, Evermore said.
The Omicron Variant Now Makes up 95% of Recent COVID Cases in the U.S., According to the CDC
The highly transmissible Omicron variant is now estimated to make up a staggering 95% of recent COVID-19 cases in the US, according to the latest estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC projects that 95.4% of COVID-19 cases as of Jan. 1 are fueled by the Omicron variant, compared to just 4.6% of Delta variant cases.
Aaron Rodgers and the Public Health Credibility Crisis
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers outraged many when, after contracting COVID in November, he revealed that his pre-season comments about being “immunized” referred to an unsanctioned treatment regimen rather than vaccination.
This past week, appearing on his favorite platform, Pat McAfee’s SiriusXM show, Rodgers threw down the gauntlet to his critics by pointing out that, “if science can’t be questioned, it’s not science anymore; it’s propaganda.” That remark unleashed yet another deluge of scorn.
Though Rodgers has complained about being the victim of woke mobs and cancel culture, he is in little danger of losing his job. But Rodgers is also right about the foundational principles of science.
Short-Staffed NYC Schools Are Asking Teachers With Mild COVID Symptoms to Return to the Classroom
As students return to school amid a record-breaking spike of COVID-19 cases in New York City, some might be taught by teachers who tested positive just five days earlier.
The latest protocols now say that teachers and school-based staff who have tested positive but are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms can return after five days instead of 10, according to an email from the Department of Education to teachers, which was viewed by Insider.
For teachers who test positive, symptoms that would allow them to return include a “minimal cough” — they can’t be “coughing up phlegm” — and symptoms have to be mild or improving.
They also must “must continue to stay at home outside of work” and “observe” other elements of isolation until 10 days pass. They will not need a negative test to return to school.
Governors Demand Schools Stay Open but Districts May Lack Enough Teachers
President Joe Biden’s plea to keep schools open in the face of the fast-spreading Omicron variant is confronting major challenges this week as staff shortages, illnesses and labor unrest grip some of the nation’s biggest school systems just as students are supposed to return from winter break.
Schools in Atlanta, Milwaukee and Detroit closed classrooms this week. The Chicago Teachers Union is considering a unilateral move to remote learning in defiance of Mayor Lori Lightfoot and city school officials.
And some California districts face woeful staff shortages that are forcing them into any number of contingency plans — except for Zoom.
Why Are so Many Vaccinated People Getting COVID Lately?
Why are so many vaccinated people getting COVID-19 lately?
A couple of factors are at play, starting with the emergence of the highly contagious Omicron variant. Omicron is more likely to infect people, even if it doesn’t make them very sick, and its surge coincided with the holiday travel season in many places.
People might mistakenly think the COVID-19 vaccines will completely block infection, but the shots are mainly designed to prevent severe illness, says Louis Mansky, a virus researcher at the University of Minnesota.
Vaccine Stocks Tumble Even Though COVID Cases Are Soaring
Shares of COVID-19 vaccine makers plunged on the first trading day of the year, even as cases of the virus surge and governments ratchet up their use of the shots to combat the Omicron variant.
The selloff, which comes after a 2021 that brought spectacular gains for the stocks, could signal growing uncertainty around the long-term market for the COVID-19 vaccines, as well as the valuations of the manufacturers.
Each of the three developers of the leading two COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. saw substantial share-price declines on Monday, while the S&P 500 climbed 0.6%
Israel Embarks on Fourth COVID Vaccination Campaign
Israel has become the first country in the world to embark on a fourth COVID-19 vaccination campaign as part of efforts to stem rapidly rising infection rates caused by the Omicron variant.
Officials had previously said they would wait for more data on the efficacy of a fourth shot before making it more widely available. The Israeli health ministry said on Tuesday, however, that even though it believes the threat posed by Omicron is minimal, it had been forced to act more quickly in the face of skyrocketing infection rates.
New York Woman Arrested, Accused of Giving Teen COVID Vaccine Without Mother’s Permission + More
Long Island Woman Accused of Giving Teen COVID Vaccine Inside Her Home Without Permission
A Long Island woman is under arrest after allegedly giving a COVID vaccine to a teen without permission.
According to detectives, Laura Parker Russo, 54, gave an injection of what is believed to be a COVID vaccine to a 17-year-old boy inside her home in Sea Cliff. The teen then went home and told his mother what happened. His mother had not given permission or authority to have her son receive the vaccine and immediately called police.
After an investigation, officials discovered that Russo is not a medical professional or authorized to administer vaccines. Russo was then placed under arrest, and is charged with unauthorized practice of a profession.
FDA Expands Pfizer Boosters for More Teens as Omicron Surges
The U.S. is expanding COVID-19 boosters as it confronts the Omicron surge, with the Food and Drug Administration allowing extra Pfizer shots for children as young as 12.
Boosters already are recommended for everyone 16 and older, and federal regulators on Monday decided they’re also warranted for 12- to 15-year-olds once enough time has passed since their last dose.
But the move, coming as classes restart after the holidays, isn’t the final step. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must decide whether to recommend boosters for the younger teens. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC’s director, is expected to rule later this week.
The FDA also said everyone 12 and older eligible for a booster can get one as early as five months after their last dose rather than six months.
CDC to Reconsider Latest Guidance Amid Backlash, Rise in Cases
A decision by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week to cut isolation time in half, from 10 days to five days for asymptomatic COVID-19, was met with backlash after officials said it was due in part to allow people to return to work faster. It came one week after some companies, including Delta Air Lines, wrote to the CDC requesting such a change.
Appearing on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, Anthony Fauci, the president’s chief medical adviser, said the CDC was looking into amending its isolation guidelines nearly one week after it updated its latest guidance, which did not require a negative test before the five days were up.
“There has been some concern about why we don’t ask people at that five-day period to get tested. That is something that is now under consideration,” Fauci said.
When Three Shots Are Not Enough
Ms. Stacey Ricks, 49, a kidney transplant recipient who takes immune suppressing medication, didn’t develop antibodies after her first two Moderna shots.
In June, without disclosing she already had received the Moderna shots, she got a dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine before federal health officials had approved anyone for a third shot.
Getting her fourth and fifth shots was trickier. Armed with a doctor’s note explaining that she hadn’t developed antibodies, Ms. Ricks convinced a pharmacist to give her two doses of the Pfizer vaccine over the summer.
Rhode Island Defends Using COVID-Positive Staff Over Unvaccinated Healthcare Workers
The Rhode Island Department of Health stands by the decision to allow COVID-positive healthcare workers to return to their jobs instead of rehiring unvaccinated workers who were terminated because of their inoculation status.
Updated quarantine and isolation guidance from the Rhode Island Department of Health allows employees to continue working at hospitals and nursing homes without restrictions if the facility is so short-staffed it’s a safety hazard for patients and residents.
The updated guidance sparked some criticism after healthcare workers were placed on unpaid leave for not getting vaccinated, with critics questioning if lifting the mandate would be a better solution to staffing shortages.
COVID Is Rampant Among Deer, Research Shows
Humans have infected wild deer with COVID-19 in a handful of states, and there’s evidence that the coronavirus has been spreading among deer, according to recent studies that outline findings that could complicate the path out of the pandemic.
Scientists swabbed the nostrils of white-tailed deer in Ohio and found evidence that humans had spread the coronavirus to deer at least six times, according to a study published last month in Nature.
The research suggests that the coronavirus could be taking hold in a free-ranging species that numbers about 30 million in the U.S. No cases of COVID spread from deer to human have been reported, but it’s possible, scientists say.
A New Coronavirus Vaccine Heading to India Was Developed by a Small Team in Texas. It Expects Nothing in Return.
For some vaccine developers, the coronavirus pandemic has had a silver lining in billions of dollars in profits. But a new vaccine rolling out soon in India is taking the opposite approach: Its developers are getting zilch.
“We’re not trying to make money,” said Peter Hotez of the Texas Children’s Hospital’s Center for Vaccine Development. “We just want to see people get vaccinated.”
On Tuesday, the Indian government granted emergency approval to a vaccine manufactured by the Hyderabad-based company Biological E. This “second generation” coronavirus vaccine was developed by Hotez and his longtime collaborator Maria Elena Bottazzi. It was then licensed to Biological E. through a commercialization team at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, where both developers also work.
Biological E. has ambitious plans to produce more than 1 billion doses of the vaccine in 2022. Hotez and Bottazzi won’t personally get a penny from it, but their employer Baylor College will get a fee.
New York Says It Will Prioritize Non-White People in Distributing Low Supply of COVID Treatments
The state of New York said it will prioritize non-White people in the distribution of COVID-19 treatments in short supply.
New York’s Department of Health released a document detailing its plan to distribute the treatments, such as monoclonal antibody treatment and antiviral pills.
The plan includes a section on eligibility for the scarce antiviral pills that people must meet to receive the treatment, including a line stating a person needs to have “a medical condition or other factors that increase their risk for severe illness.”
One such “risk factor” is being a race or ethnicity that is not White due to “longstanding systemic health and social inequities. Non-white race or Hispanic/Latino ethnicity should be considered a risk factor, as longstanding systemic health and social inequities have contributed to an increased risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19,” the memo reads.
Back to School: Omicron Edition
Months after Delta threatened the fall back-to-school ritual, COVID-19 is again complicating kids’ return to the classroom.
While many of the nation’s school districts are moving ahead with in-person classes, more than 2,100 schools are expected to be closed or open only for remote instruction this week, according to the school tracking website Burbio.
As the U.S. gets back to business and school in the new year, Americans will be adjusting to increased testing, changing isolation protocols, and evolving views on the importance of mask quality.
Novavax Files COVID Vaccine Data With FDA
Novavax on Friday filed final data with the Food and Drug Administration for its COVID-19 vaccine, clearing the way for a potential emergency approval.
The move was the last step for the Maryland-based biotechnology company to fulfill prerequisites for its protein-based vaccine, which is different than the other three vaccines approved in the U.S. from Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.
If all goes well, Novavax could seek emergency approval next month as the U.S. continues to prioritize booster shots amid a spike in confirmed coronavirus cases driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
Avoid Cruise Travel as Omicron Cases Surge, Says U.S. CDC
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said people should avoid traveling on cruise ships regardless of their vaccination status, as daily COVID-19 cases in the country climb to record highs due to the fast-spreading Omicron variant.
The move delivers another blow to the cruise industry that had just started returning to the seas in June after a months-long suspension of voyages caused by the pandemic.
The health agency has investigated and still probing into COVID-19 cases on more than 90 ships. It starts scrutiny if 0.10% or more passengers on guest voyages test positive for COVID-19.
COVID Outbreak Ends Cruise for Thousands on German Ship in Lisbon
The German operator of a cruise ship that has been stuck in Lisbon’s port due to an outbreak of the coronavirus among its crew pulled the plug on the voyage on Sunday after some passengers tested positive, port authorities said.
The AIDAnova, with 2,844 passengers and 1,353 crew onboard docked in Lisbon on Dec. 29 while en route to the island of Madeira for New Year’s Eve celebrations, but was unable to continue the journey after 52 cases of COVID-19 were detected among the fully-vaccinated crew.
Omicron ‘Plainly Milder’; New Measures Not Needed, UK’s Johnson Says
New measures are not needed now in Britain to fight the Omicron variant, which is “plainly milder” than earlier forms of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday.
“The way forward for the country as a whole is to continue with the path that we are on,” he told broadcasters. “Of course we will keep all measures under review, but the mixture of things that we are doing at the moment is I think the right one.”
India Vaccinates 3.8 Million Teens in New COVID Inoculation Push
India vaccinated more than 3.8 million teens aged between 15 and 18 years on Monday, as the country expanded an inoculation effort to protect its large adolescent population ahead of a looming wave of coronavirus infections.
The teenagers, many wearing their uniforms, queued at schools and health centers across the country as health workers injected them with Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin — the only COVID-19 vaccine so far approved by India for those below 18 years.
Omicron ‘Is Going to Find You,’ Fauci Says in Warning to the Unvaccinated + More
Omicron ‘Is Going to Find You,’ Fauci Says in Warning to the Unvaccinated
While the country grapples with the latest coronavirus explosion due to the fast-spreading Omicron variant, Anthony S. Fauci on Tuesday reassured those Americans who are vaccinated and boosted that they would have considerable protection from serious illness.
Fauci went one step further in predicting that Omicron, which is even faster-spreading than the Delta variant that sent infections spiking earlier in the year, “is going to find” those who are unvaccinated.
“That’s why I worry about the people who refuse to get vaccinated. When you’re dealing with any SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 virus, it’s a problem,” he said to MSNBC’s Alicia Menendez. “When you’re dealing with one that spreads so rapidly and you are unvaccinated, the virus is going to find you.”
Anthony Fauci Says Only 30% of Americans Might Be Classed as Fully Vaccinated
Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, has said that in the future it’s possible that only those who have had a booster shot of a COVID-19 vaccine could be considered by the government as “fully vaccinated,” which is currently only 30% of all Americans.
Fauci made the comments on MSNBC on Tuesday night. Asked whether the definition of “fully vaccinated” would change to include a booster dose as well, Fauci said: “The semantics of what you’re calling ‘fully vaccinated’ or not — for regulatory or requirement purposes — doesn’t avoid the fact that if you want to really be optimally protected, go get a boost.”
Army to Announce Vaccine That Protects Against an Array of COVID Variants
The U.S. Army is expected to announce that it has developed a vaccine that protects against an array of COVID-19 variants, Defense One reported.
The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) has been developing a spike ferritin nanoparticle (SpFN) vaccine since early 2020 and began early-stage human trials of the vaccine in early April.
Kayvon Modjarrad, director of WRAIR’s infections disease branch, told Defense One that the early-stage trials ended this month, and yielded positive results that are currently under review.
The SpFN vaccine uses a protein with 24 faces which allows for scientists to attach the spikes of multiple coronavirus strains on different faces, according to Defense One.
FDA Authorizes Pfizer’s COVID Treatment Pill, the First Oral Antiviral Drug Cleared During the Pandemic
The Food and Drug Administration granted emergency authorization Wednesday to Pfizer’s COVID treatment pill, a major milestone that promises to revolutionize the fight against the virus.
The medication, which is recommended for people at a high risk of hospitalization or death, could be available to patients as early as this weekend. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told CNBC earlier this month the company has already shipped some of the pills to the U.S. so they can be prescribed as soon as the FDA authorization comes through.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to quickly follow suit with its seal of approval, authorizing its distribution.
Pfizer Pill Adds to Growing U.S. Stockpile of Virus Treatments
The Biden administration expects to take delivery of 4 million courses of COVID-19 treatments by the end of January, according to officials familiar with the matter, sharply ramping up therapies for the disease as the Omicron variant spreads.
The treatments include a monoclonal antibody product, pre-exposure preventive drugs for immunocompromised people, and new antiviral pills awaiting Food and Drug Administration authorization, the officials said. That authorization is expected as soon as Wednesday.
How Omicron Broke COVID Testing
A surge in cases driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant has stretched America’s COVID-19 testing capabilities to their limit. Rapid antigen tests are out of stock at many drug stores, and lines for PCR tests stretch around the block in cities across the United States. The problem will likely get worse as more people travel for the holidays and fuel new outbreaks, long before new supplies of tests from the federal government are scheduled to arrive.
With test supplies dwindling, some local officials are urging the Biden administration to invoke the Defense Production Act, a Korean War-era law that allows the president to order private companies to manufacture certain products during emergencies.
The supply crunch for tests might seem sudden, but it’s actually been months in the making. Limited federal investment, a sluggish regulatory approval process, and ongoing shortages of raw materials and workers have all hampered test manufacturing.
Fauci Says the U.S. Is Considering Changing Its 10-Day Isolation Guidelines for Vaccinated People Who Test Positive for COVID
The White House’s chief medical advisor Anthony Fauci said on Tuesday that the U.S. is considering shortening the 10-day recommended isolation period for vaccinated people who test positive for COVID-19.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 should isolate for 10 days.
But Fauci said the guidelines should be reassessed for people who test positive but who are fully vaccinated and asymptomatic so that they can get back to work sooner.
The White House has yet to announce a revision to the policy.
South African Study Offers Omicron Hope Ahead of Second Coronavirus Christmas
A South African study offered pre-Christmas good tidings about the severity of Omicron on Wednesday as the fast-spreading coronavirus variant forces countries across the world to impose new curbs.
The study by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) and major universities, which had not been peer-reviewed, compared South African Omicron data from October and November with data about Delta between April and November.
The authors found that the risk of hospital admission was roughly 80% lower for those with Omicron, and that for those in hospital the risk of severe disease was roughly 30% lower. “Compellingly, together our data really suggest a positive story of a reduced severity of Omicron compared to other variants.”
South Africa’s Drop in Daily New COVID Cases Suggest Its Omicron Peak May Have Passed, Experts Say
COVID-19 cases in South Africa have been steadily declining in recent days, prompting some experts to say the country’s peak of the Omicron variant may have passed.
Marta Nunes, senior researcher at the Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics department of the University of Witwatersrand, told the Associated Press she believes this “sustained drop” in cases “indicates that we are past the peak.”
It’s important to note that case numbers are not a wholly reliable indication of the trajectory of a virus, with potential delays in testing and fluctuations in numbers being two common factors that could impact the data.
Vulnerable Children Aged 5 to 11 to Be Offered COVID Jabs
The government’s vaccines watchdog has recommended COVID vaccinations should be extended to the most clinically vulnerable children aged five to 11, but could wait another month or more before extending them more widely.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which also announced the expansion of the booster program to some younger teenagers, will for now only recommend vaccines for around 330,000 younger children.
The JCVI’s recommendations are UK-wide, though it is then up to the governments of each UK nation to decide whether to accept them.
France Cancels Order for Merck’s COVID Antiviral Drug
France has cancelled its order for Merck & Co’s (MRK.N) COVID-19 antiviral drug following disappointing trial data and hopes instead to receive Pfizer‘s (PFE.N) competing drug before the end of January, the health minister said on Wednesday.
France is the first country to publicly say it has cancelled an order for the Merck treatment after the company released data in late November suggesting its drug was markedly less effective than previously thought, reducing hospitalizations and deaths in its clinical trial of high-risk individuals by about 30%.
The European Medicines Agency is expected to decide whether to approve the Merck and Pfizer pills in the new year.
Israel to Offer Fourth COVID Vaccine Dose in Bid to Outpace Omicron
Israel is to offer a fourth dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to people older than 60 or with compromised immune systems, and to health workers, as part of a drive to ramp up the shots and outpace the spread of the Omicron variant.
A health ministry expert panel — whose findings have yet to be implemented — recommended Tuesday that those eligible receive the fourth shot at least four months after receiving their third.
The panel further recommended that the time allotted between second and third shots be reduced to three months from five.
‘No Crisis’ Despite Surging COVID Cases, Says CEO of New York’s Largest Hospital System + More
CEO of New York’s Largest Hospital System Says ‘No Crisis’ Despite Surging COVID Cases
The CEO of New York state’s largest hospital system urged people to stay calm amid the surge in coronavirus cases while appearing on CNN Tuesday.
Michael Dowling, CEO of Northwell Health — which serves New York City, Long Island and Westchester County — told CNN that while the area’s positivity rate is rising, it does not automatically mean an increase in hospitalizations.
Dowling said that as of Tuesday, hospitals in the Northwell Health network were still managing the case increases.
“We’re doing very, very well. Very manageable. There’s no crisis,” he said. About 460 COVID-19 patients are in the hospital system, less than 10% of its overall capacity, Dowling said.
Vaccinated People With COVID May Soon Not Have to Isolate for 10 Days — if They’re Asymptomatic — Fauci Suggests
The federal government is considering relaxing its guidance for people with COVID-19 to isolate for 10 days after developing symptoms — particularly for healthcare workers with asymptomatic cases — Dr. Anthony Fauci said Monday, as the U.S. faces a likely huge influx in mild breakthrough cases from the highly transmissible Omicron coronavirus variant.
Fauci was asked about the isolation period after Dr. Anish K. Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, suggested on Twitter the 10-day period may be “excessive” for people who have received booster shots and only have mild breakthrough cases — though he noted “more data” on exactly when people stop being contagious “would be nice.”
CDC Director Says Initial COVID Shots ‘May Not Be Enough’ as Omicron Rapidly Sweeps the Nation
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said the Omicron variant of the coronavirus has “over 50 mutations and because of those mutations, just being vaccinated with two doses may not be enough” ahead of the holidays.
Walensky told CNBC’s “The News with Shepard Smith” on Monday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was “examining” its definition of fully vaccinated. Right now, the agency defines full vaccination as two weeks after the second dose of one of the two-shot vaccines from Moderna or Pfizer or two weeks after the one-dose vaccine from Johnson & Johnson.
Even so, Walensky said that vaccines “may not prevent infection” according to data so far. She said this means people need “to continue to wear their masks to prevent the infections overall.”
FDA Expected to Authorize Pfizer and Merck COVID Pills This Week
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is poised to authorize a pair of pills from Pfizer Inc. and Merck & Co. to treat COVID-19 as soon as this week, according to people familiar with the matter — a milestone in the fight against the pandemic that will soon expand therapies for the ill.
An announcement may come as early as Wednesday, according to three of the people. They asked not to be identified ahead of the authorization and cautioned that the plan could change.
Pfizer’s pill, Paxlovid, and Merck’s molnupiravir are intended for higher-risk people who test positive for COVID. The treatments, in which patients take a series of pills at home over several days, could ease the burden on stretched hospitals with infections poised to soar through the winter in the U.S.
Biden Plan Will Send out 500 Million Coronavirus Tests and Federal Vaccinators Across 12 States
The White House says President Biden will deliver a speech Tuesday to announce a plan to distribute 500 million free at-home rapid COVID-19 tests beginning next month, as the administration ramps up attempts to deal with the spread of the Omicron variant. The administration says it will set up a website for Americans who want to request a test to be delivered to their homes for free.
The president’s so-called “winter plan” will also send 1,000 medical military members — including doctors, nurses, and other personnel — to hospitals overwhelmed with COVID patients and will set up more free federal testing sites.
And the administration says it will deploy hundreds of federal “vaccinators” across 12 states, Tribes, and territories to help “enable thousands of additional appointments over the next few weeks.”
9 NHL Teams Hit Pause as COVID Surges Across League
As COVID surges across the league, nine NHL teams have been forced to halt all activity.
The league and NHL Players’ Association said Sunday the plan was to avoid a full league shutdown, pausing team activities on a case-by-case basis and postponing all cross-border games through Thursday. The Christmas break begins Friday and runs through Sunday, with games scheduled to resume next Monday.
Approximately 10% of the league’s players are in virus protocol. With the spread of the Delta and Omicron variants in North America, it is unlikely for the hockey players to participate in the upcoming Winter Olympics.
Moderna Could Be Ready to Develop Omicron Booster in Weeks — CEO
COVID-19 vaccine maker Moderna (MRNA.O) does not expect any problems in developing a booster shot to protect against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus and could begin work in a few weeks, Chief Executive Stephane Bancel said in an interview.
Moderna hopes to start clinical trials early next year on a vaccine to protect against the fast-spreading Omicron variant but for now is focussing on a booster dose of its current mRNA-1273 vaccine.
“It only needs minor adjustments for Omicron. I don’t expect any problems,” Bancel said in an interview with the Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger published on Tuesday.
Bill Gates Says He’s Canceled His Holiday Plans Due to Omicron, but He Believes the Wave Will Be Over by March
Just when it seemed like life would return to normal, we could be entering the worst part of the pandemic,” Bill Gates said as he kicked off a Twitter thread about the variant.
But the billionaire also said he believes this current wave of the coronavirus will be over by March of next year since the new coronavirus variant spreads so quickly.
Because of its quick transmissibility, Gates thinks we could get out of this wave in under three months.
Omicron Sweeps Across Nation, Now 73% of New U.S. COVID Cases
Omicron has raced ahead of other variants and is now the dominant version of the coronavirus in the U.S., accounting for 73% of new infections last week, federal health officials said Monday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention numbers showed nearly a six-fold increase in Omicron’s share of infections in only one week.
Much about the Omicron variant remains unknown, including whether it causes more or less severe illness.
Highly Vaccinated United Arab Emirates Reports Most Virus Cases in Months
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday recorded its highest daily virus caseload in months, a spike that comes as the Omicron variant races across the globe and the Mideast tourist hub prepares to welcome hordes of tourists for the holidays.
The emirate reported 452 infections in the past 24 hours, including two deaths — an increase not seen in the highly vaccinated Gulf Arab state since mid-September.
The UAE boasts one of the world’s highest vaccination rates, with authorities reporting that over 99% of eligible residents have received at least one dose. The government also offers Pfizer-BioNTech booster shots to all adults.
German Committee Recommends Booster After Three Months as Omicron Spreads
Germany’s STIKO vaccine authority on Tuesday shortened the recommended period between a second coronavirus shot and a booster to three months from six, reflecting the increasing presence of the highly infectious Omicron variant.
The authority said anyone over age 18 should have a booster using an mRNA vaccine three months after completing a two-shot course of COVID-19 vaccines.
For the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, that period remains four weeks.
STIKO also recommended that anyone over age 12 who was infected with the coronavirus should receive a shot at least three months after they recovered.