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.....»»
With US swamped by omicron, Biden scraps travel bans
Experts have long argued that such travel restrictions are ineffective and harmful. Enlarge (credit: Craig Hastings | Getty Images) President Joe Biden on Tuesday issued a proclamation revoking controversial travel restriction.....»»
South Africa Study Suggests Omicron Could Displace Delta
Research by South African scientists suggests that Omicron could displace the Delta variant of the coronavirus because infection with the new variant boosts immunity to the older one. From a report: The study only covered a small group of people and.....»»
Apple closes all New York stores to browsing as Omicron cases surge
Apple has closed all of its New York store locations to browsing because of a surge in Covid-19 cases. The roughly one dozen locations in the city will be limited to picking up online orders......»»
Scientists Identify antibodies that can kill the Omicron variant of the Coronavirus
Image Credit:CIPhotos via Getty Images By Denise ChowA global team of scientists has discovered antibodies that can kill the variant responsible for the rise of Omicron around the world. In addition, the scientists claim that these antibodies can neu.....»»
Nearly 5,000 Flights Canceled Globally As Omicron Infects Airline Employees
"Almost 5,000 flights were canceled across the world over Christmas weekend," reports NBC News, "as holiday travel plans were brought to a halt amid the rapidly spreading omicron variant of Covid-19." About 2,800 global flights were canceled on Chri.....»»
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......»»
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.....»»
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.....»»
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.....»»
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.....»»