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Friday, dec 20
News
Covid-
19: FDA OKs First Authorized Home Treatment For Virus
The fight against COVID-19 took a step forward as federal health officials authorized the first pill that Americans will be able to take at home to head off the worst effects of the virus. On Wednesday, Dec. 22, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency authorization for Pfizer’s COVID-19 treatment pill, which has been recommended for people at high risk of developing severe cases of COVID-19. The pill could be available as soon as this weekend, according to Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla. Related story - COVID-19: Pfizer Releases Data On Anti-Viral Pill's Effective…
News
Covid-
19: New CT Town Reinstates Mask Mandate After Resident Tests Positive For Omicron Variant
A new Connecticut town has reinstated its indoor mask mandate after a resident tested positive for the COVID-19 variant, Omicron. Hamden Mayor Lauren Garrett signed an executive order to reinstate the indoor mask mandate effective Saturday, Dec. 11, town officials said. Under the order, masks will be required in any indoor public spaces, regardless of vaccination status. “We want our town to thrive, and with this mask mandate, we can stay open by taking these healthy and safe measures," Garrett said in a statement. Health officials say vaccination is the primary preventative method to con…
News
Covid-
19: First Findings Released On Vaccine Effectiveness Against Omicron Variant
The first findings on the effectiveness of vaccines against the COVID-19 Omicron variant have been released. Pfizer and its European partner BioNTech said that a booster shot offers significant protection against Omicron and "neutralizes" the strain. Two vaccine doses "show significantly reduced neutralization titers" but could protect against severe disease from COVID, the companies said. The findings come from an initial laboratory study. According to the companies’ preliminary data, "a third dose provides a similar level of neutralizing antibodies to Omicron as is observ…
News
Covid-
19: Four More NY Residents Identified As Being Infected With Omicron Variant
Omicron, the new strain of COVID-19 that has caused worldwide alarm the last week, has now been detected in 12 New York residents. On Monday, Dec.6, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced four more cases have been identified, four days after the state announced its first five cases and two days after it announced three additional cases. So far, the cases appear unrelated and have been confirmed through sequencing of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, according to the New York State Health Department. Two of the new cases are Suffolk and Oneida counties, bringing Suffolk County's total number o…
News
Covid-
19: Number Of US Omicron Cases Now At Nine; Here's Info On Conditions Of Those Infected
Omicron, the new strain of COVID that has caused worldwide alarm the last week, has now been detected in five states, with a total of nine cases. New York is the only state with multiple infections so far. Here's a rundown, with the number of cases in parentheses following the name of the state: New York (5): Four of the five infected are from New York City and the other was a 67-year-old Long Island woman who lives in Suffolk County and had recently traveled to South Africa, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced early Thursday evening, Dec. 2. All five had mild symptoms, Hoc…
News
Covid-
19: First Case Of New Omicron Variant Identified In United States
Omicron, the new strain of COVID that has caused worldwide alarm the last week, has been detected in the United States for the first time. Health officials had been bracing for the first such Omicron case for days, and early Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 1, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention confirmed a person in California has been infected with the new strain. The San Francisco Department of Health said the individual was a traveler who returned from South Africa on Monday, Nov. 22, and tested positive for COVID on Monday, Nov. 29. The individual was fully vaccinated and experi…
News
Covid-
19: Pfizer CEO Says New Vaccine May Be Needed For Omicron, Anti-Viral Pills Are Effective
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said that his company is preparing to tackle new COVID-19 variants, and that he expects the company’s treatment pill will be effective in helping avoid severe illness or possibly death if one get infected. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Omicron poses a “very high” global risk, with the likelihood it is more transmissible than previous strains. The new variant has nearly three dozen mutations that reportedly decrease antibody protection. WHO described Omicron as a “highly divergent variant with a high number of mutations ... some of which are conce…
News
Covid-
19: Be 'Vigilant' Over New Variant, Lamont Tells CT Residents
With concern growing across the country over the new COVID-19 variant Omicron, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said residents should be vigilant. "While there have been no cases of the Omicron variant reported here in Connecticut or the United States to date, we still must be vigilant," Lamont said. Related story - COVID-19: First Cases Of New Variant Identified In North America The variant, which first surfaced in South Africa recently, has garnered significant attention as its spread has been found in Europe, Canada, and Asia. While little is known about Omicron, the World …
News
Covid-
19: New Variant's 50 Mutations Make It Different From Original Virus, NIH Director Says
Why are scientists so concerned about the new strain of COVID-19? Simply stated, when it comes to Omicron, it's all about the sheer numbers -- as in the number of mutations. "The main thing that has us focused on this and has caused us to be sort of 24-7 on Zoom calls the last four days is that it has so many mutations," Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), said Sunday morning, Nov. 28 on CNN. "Omicron has more than 50 variants that make it different from the original virus, including more than 30 that are in the spike protein." The spike proteins …
News
Covid-
19: Newly Discovered Strain Could Be Worse Than Delta Variant, Scientists Fear
Updated story - COVID-19: New Variant's 50 Mutations Make It Different From Original Virus, NIH Director Says A new COVID-19 variant that could be worse than the Delta strain is sparking concerns among scientists. The B.1.1.529 strain, now known as Omicron, could become a "variant of concern" as soon as Friday, Nov. 26, when the World Health Organization holds an emergency meeting. It is now spreading rapidly in parts of South Africa after first being detected in neighboring Botswana. The new variant has already shown a large number of mutations, and scientists fear it…
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