Natural immunity a factor in Omicron severity
A leading USA physician and researcher says there’s no firm evidence yet that the Omicron variant is less lethal to unprotected humans than prior strains of the COVID-19. Dr. Eric…
Pfizer’s breakthrough PAXLOVID pill 90% effective against severe COVID-19
In a breakthrough against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, drug maker Pfizer has announced that its oral product PAXLOVID was shown to be highly effective in keeping people out of hospital after…
South African study finds lower risk of severe disease with Omicron
South Africa’s Discovery Health has investigated the Omicron variant’s clinical impact relative to other SARS-CoV-2 variants. This was a major study involving 211,000 COVID-19 test results. The report was released…
Swiss data: death rate 11 times higher among unvaccinated
During the week of Dec 4 new data shows unvaccinated people in Switzerland are 11 times more likely to die from COVID than those fully vaccinated. Switzerland has fully vaccinated…
Risk some rapid tests may not detect Omicron: UK expert
Rupert Beale, in the LRB, says if the Omicron mutation appears to be ‘milder’ than other variants we’ve seen so far – that’s usually because of partial immunity in previously…
Vaccine effectiveness against Omicron unknown: UK assessment
Preliminary UK risk assessment of the SARS-COV-2 Omicron variant suggests high transmissibility and reduced protection among those who’ve already had the virus. Also, uncertainty on the question of vaccine effectiveness…