Moderna to make two different omicron boosters: one for US, another for UK, EU
Moderna says its BA.1-targeting vaccine boosts protection against BA.4/5. Enlarge / A vial containing Moderna COVID-19 booster vaccine at a vaccination center. (credit: Getty | SOPA Images) The type of COVID-19 booster dose yo.....»»
Amazon, Meta, and Twitter drop out of CES over Omicron fears
While CES 2020 was one of the last big events to be held in-person, CES 2021 was digital-only. The organizers said that 2022 would be a hybrid show with in-person and digital elements, and attendees must show proof of their Covid-19 vaccination......»»
Biden’s omicron battle plan includes 500 million home test kits
President Biden outlined the federal government's response to omicron's ascendancy. Enlarge / Rapid at-home COVID-19 test kits. (credit: Bloomberg | Getty Images) In an address to the nation today, President Joe Biden outlined.....»»
WHO Sounds Warning Over Fast-spreading Omicron
The Omicron variant of the coronavirus is spreading faster than the Delta variant and is causing infections in people already vaccinated or who have recovered from the COVID-19 disease, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said. From a rep.....»»
Third dose of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine leads to 37-fold jump in antibodies
While work on omicron-specific shots continues, boosters thwart severe omicron infections. Enlarge (credit: JOSEPH PREZIOSO / Getty Images) Moderna announced Monday that its booster provides protection against COVID-19 varian.....»»
Covid Vaccines Fight Serious Illness, But Only Pfizer and Moderna With a Booster Stop Omicron Infections
"A growing body of preliminary research suggests the COVID vaccines used in most of the world offer almost no defense against becoming infected by the highly contagious omicron variant," reports the New York Times. (Emphasis added, because they stres.....»»
"No Evidence" That Omicron is Less Severe Than Delta, Say Imperial Researchers
There is at present "no evidence" that the Omicron coronavirus variant is any less severe than the Delta strain, according to early findings from researchers at Imperial College London, which also highlighted the elevated risk of reinfection posed by.....»»
A domestic newspaper warns of the Russian space program’s “rapid collapse”
"The space program is rotting from within." Enlarge / Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin visits the construction site for the launch pad for the rocket boosters of the Angara family, at the Vostochny Cosmodrome. (credit: Yegor AleyevTASS v.....»»
CDC Panel Recommends Moderna, Pfizer Vaccines Over J&J"s
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: A panel of outside advisers to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday voted to recommend Americans choose to receive one of the other two authorized COVID-19 vaccines over Joh.....»»
Why Is Omicron So Contagious?
The new coronavirus variant may be better than other versions at avoiding human immune defenses—but that ability may change in different countries -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.....»»
Current vaccines are enough to fight omicron, but massive wave is coming fast
With just 17% of the US boosted, a massive omicron wave could peak in January. Enlarge / Dr. Anthony Fauci, Chief Medical Advisor to the President, during the daily press briefing at the White House on December 1, 2021, in Washington,.....»»
Omicron is rising rapidly in the US—3% of cases nationally, 13% in NY and NJ
Dr. Tedros: "Omicron is spreading at a rate we have not seen with any previous variant." Enlarge / Medical workers carry a patient to a hospital in New York, the United States, Dec. 13, 2021. (credit: Getty | Xinhua News Agency ).....»»
Apple reinstates mask mandate at all its US stores over concerns about rising Covid-19 cases
Apple will once again require anyone inside its US retail stores to wear a mask as concerns mount over rising Covid-19 cases and the spread of the Omicron variant......»»
First UK Death Recorded With Omicron Variant
Thelasko shares a report from the BBC: At least one person in the UK has died with the Omicron coronavirus variant, the prime minister has said. Boris Johnson said the new variant was also resulting in hospital admissions, and the "best thing" people.....»»
Vaccines and previous infection could offer some "stronger than basic" protection to Omicron, early study suggests
One of the earliest, peer-reviewed studies looking into the Omicron variant of COVID-19 suggests that people previously infected with COVID, and those vaccinated, will have some, 'stronger than basic' defence against this new strain of concern......»»
FDA authorizes boosters for ages 16 and 17 ahead of holidays, omicron [Updated]
With delta raging, omicron looming, and holidays nearing, officials push for more shots. Enlarge (credit: Getty | Noam Galai) Update 12/9/2021, 2:55 pm ET: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has signed off on the F.....»»
FDA authorizes boosters for ages 16 and 17 ahead of holidays, omicron
With delta raging, omicron looming, and holidays nearing, officials push for more shots. Enlarge (credit: Getty | Noam Galai) The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for use.....»»
Labor shortage worsens in China
Taiwan's tech supply chain is feeling the pressure of a labor shortage in China as concerns over the Omicron COVID-19 variant, port congestion, and insufficient component supplies rise......»»
Omicron weakens vaccine protection, but boosters revive defenses, early data finds
Omicron is "a tractable problem with the tools we have." Enlarge / Pedestrians walk in front of a COVID-19 vaccination site in Brooklyn, New York, on Nov. 19, 2021. (credit: Xinhua News Agency) The first batch of preliminary.....»»
Protein region on COVID"s viral spike senses temperature, drives seasonal mutation patterns
Not to pile on, but winter is coming and the COVID-19 pandemic is about to get worse. Not necessarily because of omicron—scientists are still working that one out—but because there's more evidence than ever that COVID-19 is a seasonal disease......»»
Pfizer, BioNTech Say Third Dose Neutralizes Omicron Variant
Pfizer and BioNTech said initial lab studies show a third dose of their Covid-19 vaccine neutralizes the omicron variant, results that will accelerate booster shot drives around the world. From a report: A booster with the current version of the vacc.....»»