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COVID-19: Four More NY Residents Identified As Being Infected With Omicron Variant COVID-19: Four More NY Residents Identified As Being Infected With Omicron Variant
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…

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by Joe Lombardi
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COVID-19: Number Of US Omicron Cases Now At Nine; Here's Info On Conditions Of Those Infected COVID-19: Number Of US Omicron Cases Now At Nine; Here's Info On Conditions Of Those Infected
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…

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by Joe Lombardi
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COVID-19: First Case Of New Omicron Variant Identified In United States COVID-19: First Case Of New Omicron Variant Identified In United States
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…

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by Joe Lombardi
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COVID-19: Pfizer CEO Says New Vaccine May Be Needed For Omicron, Anti-Viral Pills Are Effective COVID-19: Pfizer CEO Says New Vaccine May Be Needed For Omicron, Anti-Viral Pills Are Effective
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…

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by Zak Failla
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COVID-19: New Variant's 50 Mutations Make It Different From Original Virus, NIH Director Says COVID-19: New Variant's 50 Mutations Make It Different From Original Virus, NIH Director Says
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 …

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by Joe Lombardi
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COVID-19: Newly Discovered Strain Could Be Worse Than Delta Variant, Scientists Fear COVID-19: Newly Discovered Strain Could Be Worse Than Delta Variant, Scientists Fear
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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by Joe Lombardi