COVID: 'Everything Points to a Large Wave'

Major study suggests omicron evades vaccines better, though cases are milder
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 14, 2021 8:57 AM CST
COVID: 'Everything Points to a Large Wave'
A health-care worker prepares to administer a COVID-19 vaccine at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C.   (AP Photo/Gerry Broome, File)

Research into the omicron variant remains in its early days, but another study reinforces the notion that it spreads more quickly but causes milder cases than previous versions of COVID. Details and related coverage:

  • Good and bad: A major study out of South Africa suggests that Pfizer's two-dose regimen offers only 33% protection against omicron, significantly lower than other variants, though the shots offered 70% protection against hospitalization, reports the AP.
  • The warning: The White House is bracing for an omicron surge based on the above stats. "Everything points to a large wave," a senior official tells Axios. "It will be fast. It won't be as severe, but regrettably, there will be plenty of hospitalizations." Even a small uptick in the latter is bad news for overwhelmed hospitals.

  • Better news: Pfizer said Tuesday that its COVID pill, still under review, appears to dramatically reduce hospitalizations and deaths among those especially vulnerable to the virus. Both rates were cut by 90% among people who took the pill within a few days of the onset of symptoms. US regulators are still considering the pill and another by Merck.
  • In Philadelphia: Philly is joining New York and California in tightening COVID rules amid a rise in cases. As of Jan. 3, people will need to show proof of vaccination to dine at a restaurant, reports CBS Philadelphia. The same applies to the city's sports venues. For now, the delta variant is being blamed for the current spike in US cases.
  • Abroad: Thanks to the delta variant, South Korea just marked its deadliest day of the pandemic yet, per the AP. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Tuesday that 94 virus patients died in the past 24 hours, and another 906 were in serious or critical condition. Britain, meanwhile, recorded its first confirmed death from the omicron variant, reports NBC News.
(More COVID-19 stories.)

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