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“To date, a total of 542 cases with SARS-CoV-2 variants have been identified and investigated in residents of Dallas County, including: 148 cases of B.1.1.7 (Alpha); 4 cases of B.1.351 (Beta); 344 cases of B.1.617.2 (Delta); 11 cases of B.1.427 (Epsilon); 19 cases of P.1 (Gamma); 9 cases of B.1.526 (Iota); 4 case of C.37 (Lambda); 1 case of B.1.621 (Mu); 1 case of B.1.1.529 (Omicron); and 1 case of P.2 (Zeta). One hundred and 10 cases have been hospitalized and 9 have died. Eight COVID-19 variant cases were reinfections. One hundred and twenty-three people were considered fully vaccinated before...

LONDON (AP) — Nations across Europe moved to reimpose tougher measures to stem a new wave of COVID-19 infections spurred by the highly transmissible omicron variant, with the Netherlands leading the way by imposing a nationwide lockdown. All non-essential stores, bars and restaurants in the Netherlands will be closed until Jan. 14 starting Sunday, caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte said at a hastily arranged press conference Saturday night. Schools and universities will shut until Jan. 9, he said. In what is surely to prove a major disappointment, the lockdown terms also rein in private holiday celebrations. Residents only will be...

COVID-19 hospitalizations plunged more than 90% in South Africa as the new, more contagious omicron variant crowds out delta.The country reports “a much lower rate of hospital admissions and signs that the wave of infections may be peaking,” according to Bloomberg.Omicron first hit South Africa, and hit hard.Correction: Omicron hit a lot — hard, not so much.Fewer than 2% of detected COVID cases required hospital admissions in the second week of this omicron wave, compared with nearly 20% in the second week of the delta wave. That’s according to South African Health Minister Joe Phaahla.Bloomberg can’t help but indulge in...

As cases of COVID-19 surge at Cornell, local health officials say every single student sample they tested was the omicron variant, underlining how quickly the highly contagious virus is spreading. Tompkins County health officials said late Friday they checked 115 samples from COVID-positive students ages 18-24 and every single one of them was the omicron variant, which was unknown to science less than a month ago. None of the students in question are severely ill, they added. At a community testing site at a local mall, 18 of 44 positive samples were omicron, suggesting community spread well off campus too…....

Los Angeles County reported 3,360 new cases of Covid-19 today. That’s up 1,085 cases (or 48%) over Thursday’s total of 2,275 new cases in the region. It’s the highest daily mark since 3,550 on August 18, which was among the peaks of the summer 2021 surge. The County identified eight more cases of the Omicron variant today for a total of 38. Yesterday saw 12 new cases related to Omicron, which brought the tally to 30. On Tuesday, the total was 15, meaning the number doubled in two days. Less than a week before that, on December 8, Los Angeles...

I turn 40 today, and I was planning to have a party. The Delta surge made me nervous about it. The arrival of Omicron made me cancel it. The plan was to have an extended house party, with a couple dozen people popping by over the weekend. On the one hand, it would have been an unmasked, indoor event—the kind in which the coronavirus, in all its incarnations, spreads most easily. On the other hand, everyone who was going to be there is fully vaccinated, and most of them, myself included, have been boosted. A month ago, I would have...

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) -- Hospitals are slammed across Arizona. The state is asking the federal government for help with staffing, and Yavapai County is so inundated, it's running out of room at its morgue. Thursday, Yavapai County Community Health Services said it's requesting a refrigerated truck because so many people are dying from COVID. Their morgue is close to capacity, and they need to be prepared. In Maricopa County, public health leaders said it's not that bad here yet, although they are watching those numbers closely. "January marks two years from the first COVID-19 case in Maricopa County," said Marcy...

A new super-variant could be created if Omicron and Delta infect someone at the same time, one of Moderna's bosses has warned. Covid infections normally only involve one mutant strain, but in extremely rare cases two can strike at the same time. If these also infect the same cell, they may be able to swap DNA and combine to make a new version of the virus.

LONDON — Omicron is “the most significant threat” to public health in the U.K., authorities warned Wednesday, as the World Health Organization cautioned that the highly contagious Covid-19 variant was spreading at an unprecedented rate. Britain reported 59,610 new Covid infections on Tuesday, the highest figure since early January and the fifth highest recorded since the outbreak of the pandemic in March last year. More than 5,300 cases of omicron have been recorded in the U.K., with 10 people hospitalized. One person died after contracting the variant. New regulations intended to help slow the spread of omicron, including masks in...

The first real-world study looking at 78,000 Omicron cases in South Africa found the risk of hospitalisation is 29 per cent lower compared to the Wuhan strain, and 23 per cent lower than delta, with vaccines holding up well. Far fewer people have also needed intensive care from Omicron, with just five per cent of cases admitted to ICU compared to 22 per cent of delta patients, the study shows. Professor Robert Dingwall, a government COVID advisor from Nottingham Trent University, said it was clear from the South African data that panic was unjustified ... “The Omicron situation seems to...

THERE is a very real risk of getting a "dual infection" from both Omicron and Delta, a top vaccine boss has warned today. Dr Paul Burton, chief medical officer for Moderna, said: "In the near future these two viruses are going to coexists." "People can harbor both viruses, and that could be possible here. it certainly could be [much worse].” "It give an opportunity for the two viruses could share genes and swap genes over."

People around the world have now been lining up to get their third Covid-19 “booster” jab due to their “waning” protection from the first round, the CEO of Pfizer, Albert Bourla, has announced that people are going to need a fourth booster sooner than expected.In an interview with CNBC, the CEO said that Pfizer is carrying out studies on the Omicron “variant”, stating that whilst results may show that a third shot could fight the variant, the pharma giant is already preparing for a fourth vaccine that will only boost profits.Bourla said that while he originally believed a fourth shot...

The omicron variant now represents about 3 percent of domestic COVID-19 cases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Tuesday, showing the new variant is starting to rise in the U.S. The CDC estimated omicron was 2.9 percent of sequenced U.S. cases for the week ending Dec. 11, up from 0.4 percent one week earlier. The number is expected to rise quickly given the sharp spikes in omicron in other countries. For example, officials in Britain have estimated omicron will be the dominant variant there within days. The U.S. trajectory appears to be somewhat behind.

A lack of transparency over the UK's first Omicron death prompted fury today, as a doctor told the Government to release more details to stop 'unnecessary alarm'. Experts are demanding answers about the UK's first Omicron fatality, such as the individual's vaccination status, if they were part of group vulnerable to Covid, and if the virus was the leading cause of death. Professor of medicine and consultant oncologist Karol Sikora said the Government was not providing the nation with enough information about the death, and that this was causing 'unnecessarily alarming'. Were they in hospital for Covid or were they...

At least one patient has died in the United Kingdom after contracting the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday. "Sadly at least one patient has now been confirmed to have died with Omicron," Johnson told reporters. “So I think the idea that this is somehow a milder version of the virus - I think that's something we need to set on one side - and just recognise the sheer pace at which it accelerates through the population."… … Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the Omicron coronavirus variant was spreading at a "phenomenal rate" and...

The number of new positive cases of COVID-19 reported in South Africa has continued its downward trend despite increased testing, according to South African National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) data.The NICD reported 17,154 new cases on Dec. 11, nearly 2,000 down from the 19,018 new cases reported on Dec. 10. At the same time the NICD recorded 104,831 new tests conducted on Dec. 11, which was over 20,000 more carried out than on Dec. 10.Professor Francois Balloux, director of the University College London Genetics Institute, noted a “dramatic decrease in test positivity,” which fell from 45 percent on Dec....

The neutralizing ability of even three shots of the Pfizer corona vaccine is four times less against the Omicron than the Delta variant, according to researchers at Sheba Medical Center. The team looked at the ability of serums of 40 vaccinated healthcare workers at Sheba to neutralize the Omicron variant – 20 who received the booster shot within the last month, and 20 who had only received two shots, the last one five or six months ago. The study is based on the exclusive data available in Sheba as part of the large serology study conducted among health workers at...

Make no mistake, this is 21st century media warfare, and we are fighting against horizontally integrated corporate-sponsored Global Tyranny. This is likely to be the first skirmish in what will be a long war, and we are outgunned and out capitalized by far. Fortunately, here in good-old USA, we have the example, lessons learned and wisdom of a little guerrilla revolution from a few centuries ago that threw off another form of Global Tyranny driven by the madness of King George. There are many parallels. And much to be remembered and re-learned from the revolutionary citizen-politician leaders of those days....

There are encouraging signs the Omicron variant has been milder than feared in South Africa, experts say Leading experts have praised the country's leaders for not locking down as infections appear to wane. There are encouraging signs the Omicron variant has been milder than feared in South Africa, experts say But experts in the UK are bracing for a 'wave' of infections - as eligible adults are urged to get their boosters booked Nationally 17,154 cases were reported in the past 24 hours - 4.8 percent up on last week and around 1,000 more than the previous Saturday. However,...

Booster jabs will be offered to everyone over 18 in England from this week, the PM has announced, as he declared an "Omicron emergency". "No one should be in any doubt, there is a tidal wave of Omicron coming," Boris Johnson said in a TV statement on Sunday evening. The target to offer a booster to all adults by the end of January will be brought forward by a month, he said. Some medical appointments may also be postponed to focus on boosters. Mr Johnson gave his update on Sunday evening - just hours after the UK's Covid alert level...