OMICRON

GENEVA — (AP) — The coronavirus remains a global health emergency, the World Health Organization chief said Monday, after a key advisory panel found the pandemic may be nearing an “inflexion point” where higher levels of immunity can lower virus-related deaths. But Tedros warned that in the last eight weeks, at least 170,000 people have died around the world in connection with the coronavirus. “The committee acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic may be approaching an inflexion point," WHO said in a statement. “(B)ut there is little doubt that this virus will remain a permanently established pathogen in humans and animals for the foreseeable future,” it said. While Omicron versions are easily spread, “there has been a decoupling between infection and severe disease” compared to that of earlier variants.

The Food and Drug Administration's independent advisory committee on Thursday unanimously recommended replacing Pfizer and Moderna's original Covid vaccine used in the U.S. for everyone's first two immunizations with the new bivalent omicron shots. Instead, the drugmakers' bivalent omicron shots that target the omicron BA.5 subvariant as well as the original strain would be used for the entire vaccination series. Currently, Pfizer's and Moderna's omicron shots are only authorized as a booster, while the first two doses are still their old shots based on the original Covid strain. The FDA has proposed moving to a system that resembles how the agency updates and rolls out flu shots every year. The agency would select a Covid vaccine formulation in June to target the variant that is expected to dominate in the fall and winter.

The CDC study published Wednesday provides the first estimate of the omicron shots' real-world effectiveness against the XBB family of subvariants. For people ages 18 to 49, the omicron booster reduced the risk of mild illness by about 48% two to three months after receiving the shot. The shots provided 38% protection against mild illness for those ages 50 to 64 and 42% protection for people ages 65 and older, according to the study. They had very little protection against mild illness due to waning immunity observed with the old vaccines, Link-Gelles said. It's too early to draw conclusions about how the protection from the omicron boosters holds up over time, she said.

A preliminary study finds that seniors who received an Omicron-targeting booster shot were 81% less likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than those who skipped it.

The recent attempt to limit the spread of disease from China makes no sense at all.

XBB.1.5's prevalence remains highest in the Northeast, according to the CDC's latest estimates.

Yet another new and highly transmissible subvariant of the coronavirus is taking over.

The new XBB.1.5 COVID-19 mutation is popping up in new cases across the country at a concerning speed. Health experts weigh in on the latest variant of the virus.

From mental wellness to a multitude of illnesses, the past year in health and medicine has been a roller-coaster ride.

Although reports from China about this variant's characteristics are concerning, it doesn't appear to be growing too much elsewhere in the world.

U.S. health officials have focused in particular on making sure older adults stay up to date on their Covid vaccines.

The FDA on Thursday approved the use of updated COVID-19 vaccines for children younger than 5, three days after Pfizer-BioNTech applied for an emergency use authorization.

The boosters did not trigger a robust response against BQ.1.1. People with a prior history of infection who received the booster had a stronger response

Dozens of districts in major cities have now begun lifting lockdown measures despite high case numbers.

The coronavirus has continued to mutate, and two new Omicron subvariants have now become dominant in the U.S., according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The subvariants, called BQ.1 and BQ.1.1, are descendants of BA.5, the Omicron subvariant that dominated infections in the U.S. since the summer. Can they cause more severe disease? However, she said, it does not appear they cause more severe disease than previous strains of the virus. It is too soon to know yet exactly how effective our current COVID vaccines are holding up against BQ.1 and BQ.1.1.

The coronavirus has continued to mutate, and two new Omicron subvariants have become dominant in the U.S., according to the CDC. The subvariants, called BQ.1 and BQ.1.1, now account for more than half of infections nationwide.

Pfizer said the booster triggered more antibodies against omicron BQ.1.1, BA.4.6, BA.2.75.2 and XBB.1 in adults older than 55 compared to the original vaccines.

Moderna’s vaccine catered to the Omicron variant produced more antibodies than the company’s original COVID shot. About 31 million U.S. citizens have received an Omicron-tailored shot.

The airport has been working with airlines and ground handlers to prepare for the busy period.

Two independent studies suggest the new Covid booster shots don't protect better against omicron BA.5 than the original vaccines.

SARS-CoV-2 is evolving "rapidly," spawning one new variant after another. But omicron continues to dominate, raising new questions about how evolution of the virus is headed.

XBB, a new version of Omicron, is evading immunity in Asia. Experts say strategic masking will help as COVID infections rise this winter.

Researchers at Boston University say they have developed a new COVID strain that has an 80% kill rate following a series of similar experiments first thought to have started the global pandemic that began in China.

Researchers at Boston University say they have developed a new COVID strain that has an 80% kill rate following a series of similar experiments first thought to have started the global pandemic that began in China.

Photo Illustration by Erin O'Flynn/The Daily Beast/GettyA new subvariant of the novel-coronavirus called XBB dramatically announced itself earlier this week, in Singapore. New COVID cases more than doubled in a day, from 4,700 on Monday to 11,700 on Tuesday—and XBB is almost certainly why. The same subvariant just appeared in Hong Kong, too.A highly-mutated descendant of the Omicron variant of the SAR-CoV-2 virus that drove a record wave of infections starting around a year ago, XBB in many ways

The boosters, rolled out for Americans 12 and older last month, are doses modified to target today's most common and contagious Omicron relatives.

Children as young as 5 are now eligible to receive the new updated COVID-19 boosters, which target the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. Marks noted that while COVID-19 can be less severe in children than adults, many children have been hospitalized throughout the pandemic. The FDA authorized Pfizer-BioNTech's bivalent vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11. The Moderna bivalent booster, which had already been approved for people 18 and older, was cleared for kids 6 through 17. Health experts say it is important for everyone who is eligible, including children, to get the Omicron boosters as soon as possible.

Even if you already had Covid, you might get it again this fall or winter. Here's what to know about reinfections — including their severity, and how to prevent them.

Major population areas in Japan have reached about 90% in COVID-19 herd immunity after the recent Omicron wave. However, that level is expected to diminish soon.

Experts say the booster shots are to get ahead of a COVID surge before the end of the year, when more people are indoors.

The pending arrival of an Omicron booster shot marks an ambitious new phase in the nation's vaccination campaign before a possible new COVID surge.

Everyone will probably gain something from the updated vaccines. Here’s how to make the most of it.

Dr. Anthony Fauci speaks about the Omicron coronavirus variant during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, December 1, 2021. The nation's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, plans to step down from his roles running the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and advising the White House as its chief medical advisor at the end of the year, he announced Monday. Fauci has become a household fixture during the Covid-19 pandemic, battling back misinformation, sometimes from the highest levels of government. The 81-year-old has advised seven U.S. presidents, starting with Ronald Reagan through the HIV/AIDS epidemic, West Nile virus, the 2001 anthrax attacks, pandemic influenza, various bird influenza threats, Ebola, Zika and, most recently, Covid and monkeypox. Fauci, who also runs the NIAID Laboratory of Immunoregulation, said has no intentions of retiring.

The new booster 'will become available by early to mid-September,' if the FDA and CDC authorize shots, a top White House official said this week.

Pfizer chairman and CEO Albert Bourla said he is taking Pfizer's Paxlovid pill and isolating while he recovers.

Quarantining from a sick housemate really is worth the hassle.

Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily BeastThe world has built up a lot of immunity in the nine months since the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus became dominant, driving a record wave of infections.That immunity from vaccines and past infection is helping to keep down hospitalizations and deaths even as Omicron’s offspring—a succession of subvariants—have become dominant, one after one.Now the virus is trying to find a way around our antibodies. A new subvariant, BA.4.6, is begin

The conventional wisdom is that Omicron is less likely to cause serious illness, but that might have more to do with better immunity and treatments, not the virus itself.

Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/GettyA wave of COVID infections caused by the BA.5 subvariant has crested. All over the world, daily new cases, hospitalizations and deaths are going down.But the SARS-CoV-2 virus is almost certainly here to stay. Another wave is all but inevitable as new variants and subvariants mutate, compete for dominance and find new transmission pathways.How fast that wave comes, and how bad it gets, probably comes down to a genetic competition between different mutati

U.S. regulators say they are no longer considering authorizing second COVID-19 booster shots for all adults under 50 this summer.

No one knows exactly what this will look like—only that it’s guaranteed to keep happening.

With new COVID-19 boosters expected later this year, health experts urge Californians not to put off a first or second booster shot until then.

The BA.5 subvariant of Omicron is reinfecting at record clip. We asked public-health experts to rate how concerned we should be about this COVID wave.

Top U.S. health officials warned Tuesday that an expected surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the highly transmissible Omicron subvariant BA.5 has arrived, but that the country has the tools to deal with it.

Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday that the Omicron BA.5 subvariant "substantially evades" antibodies from both vaccination and prior COVID-19 infection.

Compared to its ancestors, the latest Omicron subvariant, BA.5, may have an enhanced ability to create a large number of copies of the coronavirus once it gets into human cells.

A subvariant of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, BA.5, is now the dominant strain in the U.S., and its infection rates are even more harsh.

Scientists say the new variant — named BA.2.75 — appears to spread rapidly and may be able to get around immunity from vaccines and prior infection.

Omicron subvariant BA.5 is responsible for more than half of all new cases in the country, according to the CDC.

Viruses evolve, and vaccines should too. That was the big-picture takeaway from a pivotal meeting this week of the FDA’s expert advisory panel. The question before them was simple: Ahead of an expected winter surge, should vaccine manufacturers tweak their forthcoming booster shots to target Omicron, or should they stick with the tried-and-true 2020 recipe?

Visit Orlando attributes the drop in tourism tax dollars due to the impact of the omicron variant of COVID-19, as well as “seasonal travel patterns.”

U.S. officials say most Americans live in places where healthy people can safely take a break from wearing masks.

The coronavirus mutant widely known as stealth omicron is now causing more than a third of new omicron cases around the world.

The vaccination drive against COVID-19 in the U.S. is grinding to a halt, and lagging demand is especially stark in conservative corners of the country where many people weren't interested in the shots in the first place.

Experts say it's not likely that the highly transmissible omicron variant — or any other variant — will lead us closer to herd immunity against COVID-19.

This winter's omicron wave in the U.S. also bolstered our defenses, leaving enough protection against the coronavirus that future spikes will likely require much less disruption to society.

Experts say it's too early to know whether people infected with the omicron variant will develop long COVID.

Spain will end a mandate to wear masks outdoors next week, reversing a late December order against an unprecedented surge of coronavirus infections fueled by a highly contagious mutation.

In a surprising burst of hiring, America’s employers added 467,000 jobs in January in a sign of the economy’s resilience even in the face of a wave of omicron infections last month.

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings provided a COVID-19 update Wednesday from the Orange County administration building in downtown Orlando.

The World Health Organization chief says 90 million cases of coronavirus have been reported since the omicron variant was first identified 10 weeks ago, amounting to more than in all of 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Omicron's race across the globe has amped up concerns about long COVID, which some estimates suggest affects a third of COVID-19 survivors.

The highly contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus is driving the daily American death toll higher than during last fall’s delta wave.

The World Health Organization says there were 21 million new coronavirus cases reported globally last week.

The stock market is losing crucial support from the Federal Reserve.

Pfizer and BioNTech have begun studying a COVID-19 vaccine tweaked to match to the omicron variant in healthy adults.

The Omicron BA.2 subvariant, also known as “stealth omicron,” has spread across 40 countries, including the United States, according to a recent report by Newsweek.

The Food and Drug Administration on Monday revised its authorizations for two monoclonal antibody treatments because they are “highly unlikely to be active against the omicron variant” of COVID-19.

Despite seeing a drop in COVID cases, Marion County has reached a new record with its positivity rate in the last week, according to the state health department.

Omicron is officially the only variant detected in the Altamonte Springs and Casselberry wastewater, according to the most recent sample taken on Jan. 20.

Three new U.S. studies offer more evidence that the COVID-19 vaccines are standing up to the omicron variant, at least among people who have gotten booster shots.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released several days of data after the holiday weekend that shows Florida may be turning the corner when it comes to the omicron wave.

The World Health Organization says the number of new coronavirus cases globally rose by 20% last week to more than 18 million, marking a slowdown in the surge caused by the omicron variant.

The fast-moving omicron variant may cause less severe disease on average, yet COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. are climbing.

The White House says the federal website where Americans can request free COVID-19 tests will begin accepting orders on Wednesday.

Just last week, we asked: If you’re a health care worker, what are you seeing lately on the job?

While Altamonte Springs officials are still detecting multiple variants near the city’s Sewer Service Area, the virus concentration has lessened substantially, officials said.

It’s not yet clear when people infected with omicron become contagious but early data suggests it might be sooner than with earlier variants.

As University of Florida researchers predict Florida will hit its peak of the omicron surge this week, one local pediatrician said he’s seeing its impact on kids in his office.

Shortages at U.S. grocery stores have grown more acute in recent weeks.

Scientists are seeing signals that COVID-19′s alarming omicron wave may have peaked in Britain and is about to do the same in the U.S., at which point cases may start dropping off dramatically.

As Florida continues to see a record number of COVID cases, one expert is predicting 80% of the state's population will have had COVID-19 by the end of the wave.

Starting Saturday, private health insurers will be required to cover up to eight home COVID-19 tests per month for those on their plans.

The spring semester at the University of Central Florida began Monday with health and safety protocols in place during the rise of the omicron variant of COVID-19.

The latest numbers of omicron cases in Altamonte Springs are staggering.

As the demand for COVID-19 tests remains high, the former head of the Food and Drug Administration said things should start improving soon in Florida.

Picking up Capeview Elementary students after their first day of the semester, some families expressed concern while others expressed no concern about kids and the Omicron variant.

The World Health Organization says a record 9_5 million COVID-19 cases were tallied over the last week as the omicron variant of the coronavirus swept the planet, a 71% increase from the previous 7-day period that the U_N_ health agency likened to a “tsunami.”.

The Florida Department of Health issued new COVID-19 testing guidelines Thursday in an effort to alleviate sites seeing high demand as the omicron variant continues to fuel new cases.

Look, life as we know it right now is pretty insane. Omicron is raging across the country, it didn’t even feel like 2021 happened and America’s sweetheart, Betty White, is dead.

President Joe Biden is urging concern but not alarm as the United States set records for daily reported COVID-19 cases and his administration struggles to ease concerns about testing shortages.

Omicron is touching almost all of Orange County, Mayor Jerry Demings said at the latest COVID-19 news briefing Tuesday afternoon.

Brevard Public Schools is taking a largely voluntary approach as schools prepare to reopen Thursday amid a rising number of COVID-19 cases countywide likely due to the highly contagious omicron variant.

Why are so many vaccinated people getting COVID-19 lately.

Some school systems around the U.S. have extended their holiday break or switched back to online instruction because of the explosion in COVID-19 cases.

A group of Florida parents who have children with disabilities has resubmitted a lawsuit to try and reverse Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ban on mask mandates in schools.

The U.S. is expanding COVID-19 boosters as it confronts the omicron surge.

Gov. Ron DeSantis called on the federal government Monday to allow states to directly purchase monoclonal antibody treatments from companies, saying the state is ready to open new monoclonal antibody treatment sites but is waiting on treatments.

Florida set another record for the number of new cases of coronavirus in a single day.

A “historic increase” of COVID-19 has been recorded in wastewater service areas in Orange County as cases continue to surge as a result of the omicron variant, according to county officials.