Negative rapid test, then COVID positive?
Questions are being raised about the efficacy of Covid-19 rapid tests and whether they provide true confidence for people possibly exposed to the Omicron variant of COVID-19. The consensus seems…
Moderna says its mRNA vaccine effective vs Omicron
Drug maker Moderna says a half-dose booster of its mRNA vaccine provides 37 times more neutralizing antibodies against the Omicron COVID variant. And a higher, 100µg booster dose of the…
Early data: Omicron symptoms in UK similar to South Africa
A UK study of Omicron shows that symptoms for vaccinated individuals fall in line with what has been observed in South Africa: Omicron symptoms are predominantly cold symptoms such as…
Omicron multiplies 70X faster but could lead to less severe disease
Researchers in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom have independently found that the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 seems to proliferate in the upper bronchia rather than in the lungs, potentially leading to…
WHO approves emergency use for India’s COVOVAX
The World Health Organization has approved emergency use for Covovax, the Serum Institute of India’s version of Novavax Inc’s Covid-19 vaccine. The WHO says this decision is expected to provide…
SARS-CoV-2 will continue to mutate beyond Omicron as it adapts
The Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus is almost certainly not the final iteration of SARS-CoV-2 that the world will face, says a technical study published in the journal Science.…
UK study finds no change in COVID biology
An analysis of 120,000 Delta cases and 15,000 suspected Omicron cases found that people infected with Omicron were no more likely to be asymptomatic than those infected with Delta, a…
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…