January 18, 2022 coronavirus pandemic and Omicron variant news | CNN

January 18 coronavirus pandemic and Omicron variant news

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Mom with 1-year-old battling Covid has a powerful message
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CDC director: Unvaccinated adults 13 times more likely to be hospitalized than fully vaccinated in November

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shared some of the agency’s new data on US Covid-19 hospitalizations on Twitter Tuesday.

“November #COVID19 Data: Hospitalization rates among unvaccinated were 13x higher than fully vaccinated,” she tweeted.

Walensky broke down the monthly rates of Covid-19-associated hospitalizations among unvaccinated, noting that rates “were higher than vaccinated in all age groups.”

  • 10 times higher in 12-17
  • 17 times higher in 18-49
  • 16 times higher in 50-64
  • 12 times higher in those 65 and older

See her tweet:

UK prime minister will "review" Covid-19 measures as cases fall in England and update parliament tomorrow 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will review Plan B measures currently in place in England and update parliament on Wednesday afternoon. 

According to a Tuesday news release, the Cabinet will meet Wednesday morning to review the latest Covid-19 data and Plan B measures, followed by an update to parliament in the afternoon.

Plan B regulations are set to expire on Jan. 26. The British government committed to reviewing them ahead of this date.

“Decisions on the next steps remain finely balanced,” a government spokesperson said.

“The Omicron variant continues to pose a significant threat and the pandemic is not over. Infections remain high but the latest data is encouraging, with cases beginning to fall,” the spokesperson said.

“Plan B was implemented in December to slow the rapid spread of the extremely transmissible Omicron variant, and get more jabs in arms. It’s thanks to the phenomenal efforts of the NHS and many dedicated volunteers that we have now delivered over 36 million boosters to people across the UK,” the spokesperson also said.

Plan B was introduced in Dec. 8, 2021. It made face coverings mandatory again in most public venues, including cinemas; included a recommendation to work from home and mandated a “Covid Pass” proving vaccination or recent recovery in order to enter nightclubs and other venues with large crowds.

75% of the US population has received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, CDC data shows 

Here’s the latest data on vaccination efforts in the United States, published Tuesday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

  • Fully vaccinated: 63% of the total US population (all ages), about 209 million people.
  • Three-quarters (75.1%) of the total US population has received at least one dose of vaccine.
  • Not vaccinated: At least 20.1% of the eligible population (age 5+) has not received any dose of Covid-19 vaccine, at least 63 million people.
  • Current pace of vaccinations (seven-day average): 1,158,537 doses are being administered each day.
  • Most doses being administered – about 666,000 – are booster doses.
  • Only about 296,000 people are initiating vaccination each day. New Covid-19 case counts (about 786,000 per day, according to Johns Hopkins University) are about 2.4 times as high. 
  • About 81 million people have received a booster dose.
  • About 24% of the total US population is now fully vaccinated and boosted.
  • Less than half of those eligible have received a booster dose.

Note: CDC data on Covid-19 vaccinations are estimates. The agency notes that data on people who are fully vaccinated and those with a booster dose may be underestimated, while data on people with at least one dose may be overestimated. 

Here’s a look at the seven-day average of new vaccine doses administered over time, according to the CDC:

Lab studies suggest Pfizer’s antiviral drug works against Omicron variant, company says

Pfizer on Tuesday shared results from three lab studies that suggest its antiviral Paxlovid is effective against the Omicron variant.

One study tested nirmatrelvir, an antiviral in Pfizer’s drug, against an enzyme from several variants that the virus needs in order to replicate. In all cases, Pfizer said, nirmatrelvir was a “potent inhibitor of its target.”

In another study, the drug was tested against several variants of concern, and its response to Omicron was in line with those observed for other variants.

A third study, conducted with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, found that a similar concentration of nirmatrelvir was needed to inhibit infection from Omicron.

“These data suggest that our oral COVID-19 therapy can be an important and effective tool in our continued battle against this devastating virus and current variants of concern, including the highly transmissible Omicron,” said Dr. Mikael Dolsten, Pfizer’s chief scientific officer. “We will continue to monitor the treatment’s activity in real-world settings and believe that these in vitro findings will continue to be validated.”

The US Food and Drug Administration gave Paxlovid emergency use authorization last month to treat mild to moderate Covid-19 in people 12 and older who are at high risk of severe disease. Pfizer previously released results that showed the treatment cut the risk of hospitalization or death by 89% if given to high-risk adults within a few days of their first Covid-19 symptoms.

Grammy Awards move to April 3 and Las Vegas

Billie Eilish and Finneas accept the award for Song Of The Year during the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards on January 26, 2020, in Los Angeles.

The Grammy Awards have a new date and location.

Originally set to take place later this month in Los Angeles but postponed due to the pandemic, CBS and the Recording Academy announced Tuesday that the music event will move to Las Vegas and will take place on Sunday, April 3, one week after the Academy Awards.

The CMT Music Awards, a show in which fans vote for their favorite country music artists, was supposed to take place on April 3. That event will move to a later date and air on CBS, according to the network.

The Grammy Awards will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena with “The Daily Show” host Trevor Noah as the night’s master of ceremonies. 

A majority of New York City employers have delayed return to offices due to Omicron variant, survey shows

A survey of employers in Manhattan found that 75% of them delayed their return to the office because of the increase in the number of Covid-19 cases caused by the Omicron variant, according to the Partnership for New York City, a nonprofit membership organization of more than 300 business leaders.

The survey, taken between Jan. 10 and 18, noted that 22% of companies are currently unable to provide an estimate of when office attendance will exceed 50%, with several saying that increased office attendance is contingent on a decline in Covid-19 cases.

Yet 61% of employers expect average daily attendance in their Manhattan offices will exceed 50% by end of the first quarter of the year.

The survey also found that due to the Omicron variant, one-third of companies reinstated mask mandates, and one-fourth of the companies closed their offices to nonessential employees.

On vaccines, the survey found that only 12% of companies would require that all employees are vaccinated and have received a booster shot by a specific date.

One-third of the respondents in the survey are in the financial services industry. 

WHO experts are "already deliberating" how best to use variant-specific coronavirus vaccines

Expert committees at the World Health Organization are “already deliberating on, anticipating and eagerly awaiting” results from clinical trials on variant-specific coronavirus vaccines, said Dr. Kate O’Brien, director of WHO’s immunization, vaccines and biologicals department.

Currently, there are no variant-specific coronavirus vaccines on the market, but some vaccine makers, including Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, have announced publicly that they are developing Omicron-specific coronavirus vaccines. It remains unclear what the rollout strategy for such vaccines would be.

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla has said the company’s variant-specific vaccine could be ready in March, and Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel says the company plans to have its clinical trial results around March.

“We’re really going to have to see the evidence on the vaccines before any decisions are made about what would be the best way to use the vaccines,” O’Brien said.

US CDC adds 22 destinations to its highest-risk category for travel

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added 22 destinations to its highest-risk category for travel on Tuesday, including Australia, Argentina and Egypt.

The CDC places a destination at “Level 4: Covid-19 Very High” risk when more than 500 cases per 100,000 residents are registered in the past 28 days.

In contrast, the CDC added just two nations — Canada and Curaçao – to Level 4 last week.

Twenty-two destinations were also added on Tuesday to Level 3, which is the CDC’s “High” risk category. The Level 3 category applies to destinations that have had between 100 and 500 cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days.

Health pass prevented more than 6,000 Covid-19 deaths across three major European countries, study shows   

A visitor has their smartphone Covid-19 health pass checked before entering the George Pompidou Center in Paris, France, in August 2021.

The adoption of a health pass saved close to 4,000 lives in France, 1,100 in Germany and 1,300 in Italy, between the time the three countries adopted a health pass and the end of 2021, according to a study published Tuesday by the French Council of Economic Analysis, an independent body that advises the government.   

A health pass requires full vaccination, proof of recovery or a negative Covid test mandatory in bars, restaurants, theaters and other entertainment venues. France and Italy announced the measure in July of last year and Germany in August.  

“Notably, the application of health pass substantially reduced the pressure on intensive care units (ICUs) and, in France, averted surpassing the occupancy levels where prior lockdowns were instated,” the study says.    

One main driver behind this is the positive effect health pass had on vaccination rates across the three countries. It boosted vaccination rate in France by roughly 13%, in Germany by 6.2% and in Italy by 9.7%, according to the model estimates.      

Health passes also helped avoid huge economic loss across the three countries – 6 billion euros in France, 1.4 billion euros in Germany and 2.1 billion euros in Italy, it said.   

The French Constitutional Court is set to rule on a new bill on January 21, that will turn the country’s health pass into a vaccination pass, meaning proof of vaccination is necessary for access to a range of everyday activities, from entering restaurants and bars to traveling inside the country. It would no longer accept proof of a negative test or recent recovery from Covid.

Italy in December made a “super green pass” mandatory in bars, restaurants, theaters and other closed entertainment venues, which was an extension to the country’s green pass, which requires full vaccination, proof of recovery or a negative Covid test. As opposed to the normal green pass, the “super green pass” does not accept a negative test in lieu of the vaccine — a move by the government to encourage more people to get vaccinated.   

Here's the latest on schools across the US as Omicron continues to spread

The spread of the highly transmissible Omicron coronavirus variant is forcing some US schools to halt in-person learning because of high case rates and teacher absences.

Here are some updates on schools across the county:

  • In New York City: New York City Mayor Eric Adams is standing firm on keeping schools open. He says any potential remote school option would be for sick children.
  • In Houston: All schools and offices in the Houston Independent School District are closed Tuesday due to rising infections in the area, the school district announced on its website.
  • In Massachusetts: Weekly at-home Covid-19 tests will be distributed to students and teachers who are enrolled in the state’s testing program starting next week, Republican Gov. Charlie Baker announced Tuesday.
  • In Virginia: Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued an executive order Saturday stating parents will get to decide if their child must wear a mask in class, a departure from his predecessor’s public health emergency order in August that masks were to be worn in schools. Several districts announced they will reject the latest order.

Meanwhile, some current and former health officials and physicians who have worked with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on health guidance are criticizing the organization’s recommendation that schools “cancel or hold high-risk sports and extra-curricular activities virtually” any time a community has a “high” Covid-19 transmission rate.

In a statement, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said the agency “prioritized academics over athletics because of the increased risks involved in some extracurricular sports. When followed, our school guidance has been incredibly effective.”

Additionally, a review of studies has found that school closures have “consistent” negative health impacts on children.

WHO director: There’s "hope that the worst of this latest wave is done with"

The Omicron coronavirus variant is continuing to “sweep the world,” and there is concern about the impact it could have on healthcare workers and health care systems, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Tuesday.

“In some countries, cases seem to have peaked, which gives hope that the worst of this latest wave is done with, but no country is out of the woods yet,” he said, adding that he was particularly concerned about countries with low vaccination rates, as the unvaccinated remain at higher risk for severe disease and death.

He also cautioned against the narrative that Omicron is a mild disease.

“Omicron may be less severe – on average, of course – but the narrative that it is mild disease is misleading, hurts the overall response, and costs more lives,” he said. “Make no mistake, Omicron is causing hospitalizations and deaths and even the less severe cases are inundating health facilities. The virus is circulating far too intensely with many still vulnerable.”

In many countries, the next few weeks will be critical for health workers and systems, Tedros said, and he urged everyone to do their best to reduce their risk of infection to help relieve pressure on systems.

“Now is not the time to give up and wave the white flag,” he said. “We can still significantly reduce the impact of the current wave by sharing and using health tools effectively and implementing public health and social measures that we know work.”

US website to order free Covid-19 tests is up and running

A resident processes a self-administered at-home Covid-19 test, received through a government program, in Easton, New Hampshire, in December 2021.

The federal government quietly launched its website to sign up for free Covid-19 tests, allowing people to order a maximum of four tests shipped directly to their household.

Given the formal launch wasn’t expected until Wednesday, a White House official said this is only the beta phase to ensure the site works seamlessly.

“In alignment with website launch best practices, covidtests.gov is currently in its beta phase, which means that the website is operating at limited capacity ahead of its official launch,” a White House official told CNN. “This is standard practice to address troubleshooting and ensure as smooth of an official launch tomorrow as possible.”

Though the official said the site was only operating at a limited capacity, it’s unclear how the initial phase of the site is limited. Once shipping information was entered online, the site instructed people that tests would begin shipping in “late January” and the United States Postal Service, which is handling the deliveries, “will only send one set of 4 free at-home COVID-19 tests to valid residential addresses.”

White House press secretary Jen Psaki went on to confirm today that the government website to order free Covid-19 tests is up and running as part of a beta phase ahead of the government website’s formal rollout Wednesday morning. 

“Covid test.gov is in the Beta phase right now, which is a standard part of the process typically as it’s being kind of tested in the early stages of being rolled out,” Psaki told reporters at the White House. “It will officially launch tomorrow morning.” 

Psaki also noted that the administration went through a similar process for vaccines.gov, and she added that any orders placed during the Beta phase will go through.

The press secretary said there is no formal time for Wednesday’s official rollout, but that her expectation is some time around “mid-morning.”

“It’s going to be out tomorrow morning, mid morning tomorrow. And we are looking forward to getting free tests out to the public,” Psaki said. 

Boston opens new high-capacity testing center

A medical worker prepares a Covid-19 PCR test in Boston, Massachusetts on December 20, 2021.

A high-capacity Covid-19 testing site opened at the Bruce C. Bolling Building in Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood on Tuesday.

Cambridge-based CIC Health will provide free PCR testing services from noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday on a walk-in basis, according to Mayor Michelle Wu.

Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, executive director of the Boston Public Health Commission, called the new testing center a “vital resource” for the Roxbury neighborhood, and its surrounding communities.

“We know COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted people of color and exacerbated existing barriers to care,” Ojikutu said. “So, we’re really proud to open this site in the heart of Boston’s Black and African American community.” 

To get the word out about the location, flyers will be posted across the Roxbury neighborhood in multiple languages.

“I am so excited at the potential for this to be one more way to cut down the lines that we’ve been seeing across the city,” Wu said.

Additional Boston testing sites are slated to be opened in the Dorchester and Mattapan neighborhoods starting this week.

New York records about 22,000 new Covid-19 cases, down by 75% since peak on Jan. 7

New York state reported a little more than 22,000 positive Covid-19 cases on Monday, which is down by about 75% from the peak of 90,000 cases less than two weeks ago, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Cases have also dropped by about 43% in the last seven days and hospitalizations continue to decline, she said. The governor said that percent positivity is at 12.48% and has dropped by about 11% since the peak on Jan. 2.

The state’s highest case count of the pandemic was 90,132 people on Jan. 7, state data shows. 

She said this steady decline is a hopeful sign that the state may be able to “close the books” on this winter surge soon so the state can focus on recovering from the pandemic.

Omicron now accounts for 99.5% of US Covid-19 infections

The Omicron variant caused 99.5% of new coronavirus cases in the US last week – slightly higher than the previous week, according to estimates posted Tuesday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Delta variant makes up the remaining 0.5%.

Over the past month and a half, Omicron has risen rapidly in estimates, accounting for:

  • 0.6% of cases the week ending Dec. 4
  • 89.1% of cases the week ending Jan. 1
  • 97.9% of cases the week ending Jan. 8.

Note on the data: Not every Covid-19 test is sent for the extra genetic sequencing needed to detect which variant has infected someone. The CDC works off samples and extrapolates its estimates based on that extra testing.

Arkansas ACLU files lawsuit on behalf of inmates who say they were given Ivermectin without consent

The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas has filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of four inmates who claim they were given the drug Ivermectin to treat Covid-19 without their consent. 

The suit, which was filed on Jan. 13 in the US District Court of Western Arkansas against the Washington County Detention Center, Washington County Sheriff Tim Helder, jail physician Dr. Robert Karas, and Karas Correctional Health, accuses the defendants of administering Ivermectin to the incarcerated individuals without prior informed consent as to the nature, contents, or potential side effects of the drug. 

Ivermectin is used to treat parasites such as worms and lice in humans and it is also used by veterinarians to de-worm large animals.

Plaintiffs Edrick Floreal-Wooten, Jeremiah Little, Julio Gonzales, and Dayman Blackburn allege they were deceived over a period of days and possibly weeks after receiving “high amounts” of Ivermectin. The lawsuit states the plaintiffs say they were given Ivermectin as early as November 2020 and didn’t become aware of the treatment until July 2021- instead being told their treatment consisted of “vitamins”, “antibiotics”, and/or “steroids”.  

In August 2021 at a county budget hearing Sheriff Tim Helder confirmed that Karas Correctional Health had been prescribing Ivermectin as a treatment at WCDC, the ACLU said in a news release. Last year the Sheriff’s office defended the practices to the local paper saying that all treatment is “voluntary”.

Karas also publicly defended his practice on Aug. 25, 2021, stating that there had been no Covid-19 deaths reported out of the 531 cases in the jail at the time, the lawsuit stated. 

CNN previously reported that the Arkansas Medical Board had opened an investigation into the matter. CNN has reached out to the AMB for an update. 

The suit also alleges that the defendants knowingly and intentionally disregarded U.S. Food and Drug Administration warnings against using the drug to treat Covid-19.

Last March, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cautioned against using Ivermectin to attempt to treat or prevent Covid-19. 

In a news release, Gary Sullivan, legal director of the ACLU of Arkansas accused the detention center of failing to use safe and appropriate treatments for Covid-19, even in the midst of a pandemic. 

“No one - including incarcerated individuals - should be deceived and subject to medical experimentation. Sheriff Helder has a responsibility to provide food, shelter, and safe, appropriate care to incarcerated individuals,” Sullivan said. 

In a statement to CNN, Washington County Sheriff’s Office said they are unable to comment on pending litigation. CNN has also reached out to Karas Correctional Health. 

Arkansas Department of Health spokesperson Danyelle McNeill tells CNN that Karas is scheduled to appear in person before the Arkansas State Medical Board on Feb. 3, 2022.

CNN previously reported that the Arkansas Medical Board had opened an investigation into Karas’ practice of administering the drug Ivermectin as treatment for Covid-19 to inmates detained in the Washington County Detention Center. 

You can read the complaint here.

School closures have "consistent" negative health impacts on children, studies find

Dozens of studies found that children experienced consistent negative mental and physical health impacts — including increased anxiety and depression symptoms and decreased physical activity — during school closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a review published Tuesday.

The review, published in JAMA Pediatrics, examined 36 studies that were conducted from February to July 2020 in 11 countries. Authors found “consistency in findings across studies. … with almost all studies documenting poorer mental health and well-being.”

A UK study found more than 50% of girls and 44% of boys had “symptoms of anxiety and trauma above population threshold.” Chinese studies found high levels of mental health symptoms, and studies in other countries continued to find increased anxiety and depression symptoms.

Two studies on suicide found no significant increases during school closures and lockdowns. One of those studies, conducted in England, found “factors associated with Covid-19 and lockdown were judged by the investigators to have contributed to 48% of the 26 suicide deaths during lockdown.”

Three studies on physical activity levels found 36% to 47% of children had decreases in physical activity levels, and around 24% increased their physical activity level.

The authors noted that the studies examined are unable to separate the effects from school closures from the effects of broader lockdowns happening at the same time, and it’s “likely” that some impact of general lockdowns is seen in the data collected.

Children account for less than 0.2% of Covid-19 deaths in the US, according to CDC data

A healthcare worker pretends to administer a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine to a child's stuffed animal at a Salvation Army vaccination clinic in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., in this file photo dated November 12, 2021.

Less than 0.2% of Covid-19 deaths in the United States have been among children, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Children account for about one in five (22%) people in the US population overall, but about one in every 645 Covid-19 deaths and one in every six Covid-19 cases since the start of the pandemic.

There have been about 1,100 deaths and about 8.3 million cases among children, according to CDC data.

More than three-quarters of Covid-19 deaths have been among seniors, including more than a quarter that have been among people age 85 and older.

There have been more than 200,000 Covid-19 deaths among people age 85 and older, who represent about 2% of the US population overall, CDC data shows. Comparatively, there have been less than 400 Covid-19 deaths among children under 5, who represent about 6% of the US population overall.

Any potential remote school option in NYC would be for sick children, mayor says

New York City mayor Eric Adams at a news conference outside the Manhattan Civil Courthouse in New York, on Thursday, January 13, 2022.

New York City schools are going to remain open, Mayor Eric Adams said Tuesday.

While discussions are underway with teacher union leadership with regards to a remote option for very sick children while they are in quarantine, Adams said, in no uncertain terms does it signal that any launch of a remote learning tool would become an option for students to remain home.

“Our exploration of anything remote is to target those children who are infected and we want to isolate them,” Adams said.

New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks said that they have not announced a remote learning option, but added they are “exploring the possibilities of the expansion of a remote learning option.” 

Meanwhile, officials continue to be pressed on school attendance which was at about 75% on Friday. The chancellor said school attendance was at 68% prior to the winter break and is steadily increasing.

The mayor said officials are “digging down” into the numbers to find children who are not in school and have not tested positive for Covid-19, and determine if there is any assistance school officials can give them to come back to campus.

Covid-19 cases in NYC are declining, mayor says

People wait in line to receive a COVID-19 test from a mobile test site set up on near the Empire State Building in New York on January 3, 2022.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams exclaimed “good news” in the city’s battle against the Omicron variant, saying the level of cases in the city are declining, and touted that the city just surpassed 16 million vaccine doses administered.

“We’re managing it in a real way,” Adams said, adding “we’re going to win, because were resilient, and because, I say over and over again, because we are New Yorkers.”

The numbers still remain at a very high level, but the city is see a leveling off, he said.

The seven-day average of daily new cases is under 20,000, which is less than half of the peak of nearly 43,000 average new cases a day earlier in January, according to Dr. Dave Chokshi, the commissioner of the New York City health department.

Hospitalizations are starting to decrease, down from about 6,500 on Jan. 11 to about 5,800 Sunday, Chokshi added.

However, the high case numbers mean community transmission is still widespread, Chokshi said, reinforcing the need for vaccination.

GO DEEPER

Here’s how you can get free home Covid-19 tests
Watch Covid-19 cases sweep across the United States
As the Omicron surge continues, parents of young kids hunker down…again
China says tickets for Winter Olympics will not be sold to general public due to Covid-19
Europe’s loud, rule-breaking unvaccinated minority are falling out of society

GO DEEPER

Here’s how you can get free home Covid-19 tests
Watch Covid-19 cases sweep across the United States
As the Omicron surge continues, parents of young kids hunker down…again
China says tickets for Winter Olympics will not be sold to general public due to Covid-19
Europe’s loud, rule-breaking unvaccinated minority are falling out of society