New Omicron Variants Are Here--What We Know So Far
The variants appear to sneak past the immune system, but vaccines will likely continue to hold strong.....»»
Denmark Sees Initial Signs That Dire Omicron Surge Can Be Avoided
"Early benchmarks from Denmark on infections and hospitalizations are providing grounds for guarded optimism that highly vaccinated countries might be able to weather the omicron wave," reports the Washington Post. "The developments, coupled with De.....»»
The first PCIe 5.0 SSDs from Adata and Samsung are on the way
The upcoming CES is showing even more signs of becoming a full-on virtual event, with several big names in the industry pulling out over fears of the latest Omicron variant. However, storage maker Adata has shared that it will be on location in Las V.....»»
Omicron"s Effect Won"t Be as Mild as Hoped
It’s too soon to know if the variant causes milder COVID, but its transmissibility and ability to evade vaccines are still cause for concern -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.....»»
Consumer confidence: Omicron plays holiday Grinch
Although consumers were slightly more optimistic about economic conditions in the December survey, nearly all the data were collected prior to the rapid spread of Omicron in the U.S., according to the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers......»»
Midrange Samsung Galaxy A53 to get separate Exynos, Snapdragon variants
Samsung’s upcoming midrange smartphone, the Galaxy A53, could be sold in Exynos and Snapdragon variants......»»
US Army Creates Single Vaccine Against All COVID, SARS Variants
Slashdot readers fahrbot-bot and Tangential share a report from Defense One: Within weeks, scientists at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research expect to announce that they have developed a vaccine that is effective against COVID-19 and all its v.....»»
South Africa"s Huge Omicron Wave Appears To Be Subsiding Just as Quickly As it Grew
South Africa's huge wave of omicron cases appears to be subsiding just as quickly as it grew in the weeks after the country first announced to the world that a new coronavirus variant had been identified. From a report: South Africa's top infectious-.....»»
Omicron cases less likely to require hospital treatment, studies show
High rate of infectiousness could still strain hospitals around the world. Enlarge / Illustration of antibodies (red and blue) responding to an infection with Covid-19 (purple). (credit: Getty Images) A lower share of people.....»»
The NHTSA is looking into Tesla"s Passenger Play gaming feature
The ODI’s evaluation spans 2017-2022 Tesla Model 3, S, X and Y variants and focuses on a feature called Passenger Play that allows certain games to be played on the center console screen while the vehicle is in motion. The ODI is concerned that the.....»»
Estimating the strength of selection for new COVID-19 variants
As the discovery of the new omicron variant illustrates, new COVID-19 variants will continue to regularly emerge. In an effort to make sense of these new variants, scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed methods to quantify how mu.....»»
CES Organizers Press on despite Omicron threat
The Consumer Technology Association says it is going ahead with next month's CES trade show in Las Vegas even as a number of tech companies and publications say they won't be sending their employees. From a report: The annual consumer electronics tra.....»»
Sugar-coated COVID-19 test strip takes advantage of coronavirus" sweet tooth
A sugar-coated COVID-19 test strip is effective at detecting all known coronaviruses, including variants, according to a new study......»»
Exploring genetics of SARS-CoV-2 and related viruses in animals around the world
A genetic and geographic analysis of variants of SARS-CoV-2 -- the virus that causes COVID-19 -- and related viruses in humans and animals may provide evidence of interspecies transmission worldwide......»»
Breakthrough infections generate "super immunity" to COVID-19, study suggests
Breakthrough infections greatly enhance immune response to variants of the virus that causes COVID-19, according to new research. The study is the first to use live SARS-CoV-2 variants to measure cross-neutralization of blood serum from breakthrough.....»»
Shark antibody-like proteins neutralize COVID-19 virus, help prepare for future coronaviruses
Small, unique antibody-like proteins known as VNARs -- derived from the immune systems of sharks -- can prevent the virus that causes COVID-19, its variants, and related coronaviruses from infecting human cells, according to a new study......»»
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.....»»