Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains how Omicron compares to other variants
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What we covered here
The Omicron variant has now been detected in every US state and health officials warn more people are expected to get infected as they gather ahead of the holidays.
The US Food and Drug Administration has authorized two new antiviral pills to treat Covid-19, before people get sick enough to be hospitalized.
Meanwhile, Israel’s panel of coronavirus experts has recommended that all people 60 and older be given a fourth dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
United cancels more than 100 flights, citing Omicron cases
From CNN's Pete Muntean
United Airlines planes sit on the runway at Newark Liberty International Airport on November 30, in Newark, New Jersey.
(Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
United Airlines says it has had to “cancel some flights” because of the Omicron variant.
United has canceled more than 100 Christmas Eve flights according to flight tracking site FlightAware.
United says it is “notifying impacted customers in advance of them coming to the airport,” according to a company statement. “We’re sorry for the disruption and are working hard to rebook as many people as possible and get them on their way for the holidays.”
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Health care workers with Covid-19 no longer need to isolate for 10 days, CDC says
\From CNN Health’s Michael Nedelman
A healthcare worker labels a test tube containing a Covid-19 test in Omaha, Nebraska, on November 10.
(Dan Brouillette/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday released updated guidance for health care workers who test positive for Covid-19, saying they can return to work after seven days if they are asymptomatic and test negative.
In a statement, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said, “our goal is to keep healthcare personnel and patients safe, and to address and prevent undue burden on our healthcare facilities.”
The agency also specified that health care workers don’t need to quarantine “following high-risk exposures” if they’ve gotten all recommended vaccinations, including a booster shot. (Remember: Quarantine refers to people who have been exposed to the virus but have not yet been diagnosed with an infection.)
CDC stressed that the new guidelines don’t extend to the general public and only apply to health care workers.
“CDC continues to evaluate isolation and quarantine recommendations for the broader population as we learn about the Omicron variant and will update the public as appropriate,” the agency said.
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It will be months before we know if another booster is needed, Moderna official says
From CNN's Amanda Sealy
While some other countries are taking steps to offer a fourth dose of Covid-19 vaccine, we will need to wait months before we know whether it is necessary in the United States, Paul Burton, Moderna’s chief medical officer, said on Thursday.
However, Burton said he did not want to downplay the importance of boosters right now. “I think we can be confident, Wolf, getting a booster shot will provide protection throughout the holiday season and throughout these winter months.”
Moderna announced on Monday that preliminary data suggests its half-dose booster shot increased antibody levels against the Omicron variant compared with the levels seen when a fully vaccinated person has not received a booster.
When it comes to the variant-specific booster Moderna is developing, Burton confirmed the company would be starting clinical trials in early 2022, and it would take a couple of months. “It’s a second quarter scale-up” when it comes to availability,” he said.
But Burton stressed that we need to “wait and see” regarding how frequently we need boosters, and whether variant-specific boosters will be necessary.
“I think we’ll have to continue to see how the Omicron phase of this pandemic continues.”
“We need to keep in mind that Delta is still there, very strongly. Omicron is here right now, but on a very strong background of Delta,” he added.
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Airline industry asks CDC to shorten isolation period for airline workers with breakthrough infections
From CNN’s Pete Muntean
The head of the airline industry’s top lobbying group on Thursday requested the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shorten the isolation period for fully vaccinated airline workers who experience breakthrough Covid-19 infections.
In a letter to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the group said that the 10 day isolation period should be shortened to five days following symptom onset.
Calio also said those people ending isolation would enter an appropriate testing protocol.
“We believe that these combined variables justify a hastened reassessment of isolation guidelines and look forward to working with you to implement sound policies that protect the health and safety of our workforce and customers as the pandemic evolves.”
The letter mirrors a plea sent by Delta Air Lines to the CDC earlier this week.
“With the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, the 10-day isolation for those who are fully vaccinated may significantly impact our workforce and operations,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian and the company’s top health officers wrote in a letter to CDC Director Rochelle Walensky on Tuesday.
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Ecuador makes Covid-19 vaccines mandatory for everyone 5 and older
From CNN's Marlon Sorto and Karol Suarez
A health worker prepares a dose of the Sinovac vaccine as part of the immunization plan against COVID-19 for children aged 5 to 11 at Colegio Abdón Calderón on December 20, 2021 in Cuenca, Ecuador.
Ecuador announced that vaccination against Covid-19 will be mandatory in the country for those five years and older, becoming the first country in Latin America to impose such a measure for the entire eligible population.
The decision was made due to an increase in new coronavirus cases, including the Omicron variant, the health ministry said in a statement.
The ministry stressed that the measure has a legal foundation, saying the country’s Organic Health Act provides the government power “to declare the mandatory nature of immunizations against certain diseases, in terms and conditions that the national and local epidemiological reality requires.”
The vaccination will not be mandatory for those with pre-existing medical conditions, the statement said.
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Italy imposes new restrictions due to Omicron variant
From CNN's Livia Borghese
People line up at a pharmacy to book nasal swabs tests, in Milan, Italy on Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021.
(Luca Bruno/AP)
The Italian government has introduced new Covid-19 restrictions, including an outdoor mask mandate, as the Omicron variant now accounts for nearly one-third of cases.
Effective immediately, masks will be mandatory outdoors for any public activity, with the exception of outdoor sports, a government news release said on Thursday. The more protective FFP2 (filtering face-piece) mask will be required to enter stadiums, museums, cinemas, and theaters, as well as to travel on public transport, including local public transport.
Beginning on Dec. 30, the restrictions will also include the closure of nightclubs and a ban on eating in public squares. The new measures will last until Jan. 31, the release said.
From Feb. 1, the government will also reduce the timeframe for the validity of vaccination certificates, known as ‘”green passes,” from nine to six months.
People who have tested negative but are not vaccinated will not be able to enter bars and restaurants. A “green pass” will also be necessary to be served at a bar counter.
Research from Italy’s Superior Health Institute published Thursday shows that the Omicron variant is “rapidly increasing” across the country and likely accounts for around 28% of cases, a news release from the Superior Health Institute said.
The Health Ministry reported 44,595 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday – a record number since the pandemic began. Italy also recorded 168 deaths in the last 24 hours.
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Fauci: "Premature" to be discussing a fourth Covid-19 vaccine dose
From CNN’s Virginia Langmaid
It’s too early to be discussing a potential fourth Covid-19 vaccine shot for most people, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci said Wednesday.
“I think it’s too premature to be talking about a fourth dose,” Fauci told Michael Wallace and Steve Scott of WCBS 880.
On Tuesday, Israel’s prime minister announced the country would be rolling out a fourth dose for health care workers, people with suppressed immune systems and those age 60 and older.
“One of the things that we’re going to be following very carefully is what the durability of the protection is following the third dose of an mRNA vaccine,” Fauci said.
Fauci said the only population where this might be different is in people who are severely immunocompromised.
Fauci also emphasized the importance of getting a booster now for the best protection against the virus.
“Sometimes when people hear the word booster, they think it’s a luxury or an add on. It’s not, it really is an essential part of the optimal type of protection that you want,” he said.
“From the standpoint of if you want to be optimally protected, no doubt you should get boosted,” he added.
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New York City mayor announces "scaled back" NYE celebration in Times Square
From CNN's Laura Ly
The 2022 sign that will be lit on top of a building on New Year's Eve is displayed in Times Square, New York, on December 20.
(Seth Wenig/AP)
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced plans for a “scaled back” New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square with fewer revelers and mask requirements, according to a news release from de Blasio’s office.
The NYE celebration in Times Square typically holds around 58,000 people in viewing areas, but this year will be limited to 15,000 people and visitors will not be allowed entry into the area until 3 p.m. ET.
Additionally, everyone will be required to wear a mask and show photo identification at the fully-outdoor event, de Blasio’s office said.
As previously announced, all visitors to the Times Square celebration are required to be fully-vaccinated if they are older than five. Any unvaccinated minors under the age of five must be accompanied by a vaccinated adult in order to attend, the mayor’s office said.
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Risk of Covid-19 hospitalization lower with Omicron than Delta, according to UK real-world analysis
From CNN's Jacqueline Howard
A new analysis by the United Kingdom’s Health Security Agency (UKHSA) adds to the growing evidence that the risk of being admitted to the hospital for Covid-19 due to the Omicron variant appears lower than the risk because of Delta.
But even though preliminary data suggests the risk of hospitalization due to the Omicron coronavirus variant appears to be reduced, the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant still could lead to large numbers of people being admitted to the hospital, according to the UKHSA’s latest technical brief on coronavirus variants, released Thursday.
The report includes real-world data on Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations as of Dec. 20. Based on an assessment of the data, the report finds that the risk of hospital admission alone with Omicron infection was approximately two-fifths of that for Delta infection, and the risk of needing emergency or hospital admission was approximately three-fifths of that for Delta.
These findings are consistent with a separate paper released Wednesday by the Imperial College Covid-19 Response Team, which estimates the risk of being hospitalized for a day or longer due to the Omicron variant to be 40% to 45% lower than for the Delta variant.
The UKHSA report also examines vaccine effectiveness against Omicron – especially among people who received booster shots.
The report finds that among people who received two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, effectiveness against symptomatic disease was around 60% two to four weeks after either a Pfizer or Moderna booster, then dropped to 35% with a Pfizer booster and 45% with a Moderna booster by 10 weeks after the booster. Among people who received two doses of Pfizer, effectiveness averaged around 70% after a Pfizer booster, dropping to 45% after more than 10 weeks. After a Moderna booster, effectiveness stayed around 70% to 75% for up to nine weeks.
“There are insufficient severe cases of Omicron as yet to analyse vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation, but this is expected to be better sustained, for both primary and booster doses,” according to the report. “This analysis will be iterated next week, although numbers may still restrict a robust analysis of protection against more severe outcomes.”
The brief notes that Omicron has continued to increase sharply as a proportion of cases in England, and relative to Delta, Omicron is currently more concentrated among young adults in their 20s and is less prevalent in children.
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New Jersey reports more than 15,000 new Covid-19 cases, a 59% increase in one day
From CNN’s Evan Simko-Bednarski
New Jersey reported a massive spike in Covid-19 cases on Thursday, reporting a record-setting 15,482 positive cases in one day.
The surge shatters the previous record, 9,711 positive cases, set on Wednesday — marking a 59% increase in just one day.
The state’s reported hospitalization numbers lag behind new reported Covid-19 cases by one day, but they remain relatively steady. Covid-19 hospitalizations on Thursday stood at 2,241 in the Garden State, compared to Wednesday’s 2,100 and Tuesday’s 1,900.
At a Monday press conference, Gov. Phil Murphy attributed the lower hospitalization rates during the Omicron surge to the state’s high vaccination rate. More than 6.3 million people in New Jersey have received a full initial dose of Covid-19 vaccine, with just over two million people boosted, according to New Jersey Department of Health data.
Roughly 9.3 million people live in the state, per the US Census Bureau.
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France reports record 88,000 new Covid-19 infections amid Omicron wave
From CNN’s Xiaofei Xu in Paris
A medical staff member holds up a sample from a Covid-19 test in Paris on December 23.
(Stephane De Sakutin/AFP/Getty Images)
France reported 88,000 new Covid-19 infections on Thursday, an all-time high since the beginning of the pandemic, French Health Minister Olivier Véran told reporters, warning that much higher numbers will emerge in the coming days.
France also recorded a further 179 deaths from Covid-19 in hospitals on Thursday.
Even though early reports from countries like the UK and South Africa show that Omicron is less dangerous that Delta, Véran noted that if France has “three times as many or four times as many patients,” the Omicron wave will still pose significant challenge to the health system just like the Delta wave.
The health minister reiterated the government’s calls for people to get vaccinated, including children between the ages of 5 and 11, who became eligible for vaccinations on Wednesday. Almost 15,000 appointments were booked that day, according to Véran.
He also announced that the government will look into loosening the isolation rules for Omicron contact cases without symptoms to avoid “standstill in the country.”
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Omicron will "affect the whole globe," says South African doctor, but cases seem to be less severe
Two early studies that suggest the fast-spreading Omicron coronavirus variant causes less severe disease is in line with what Dr. Angelique Coetzee, chair of the South African Medical Association, has seen with the virus.
Coetzee said that out of 106 Covid-19 patients, she only admitted one with pneumonia two days ago.
The Omicron variant was first identified by scientists in South Africa.
Omicron is associated with a two-thirds reduction in the risk of Covid-19 hospitalization compared with Delta, suggests one study, released online Wednesday as a working paper by researchers at the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom. The other paper, posted Tuesday to the online server medrxiv.org, suggests that people with Omicron infections have had 80% lower odds of being admitted to the hospital compared with Delta infections.
Both studies include preliminary data and have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.
She said that testing is key to stopping the spread.
“This is a fast-spreading virus. Yes, it’s going to go everywhere. It will affect the whole globe, and the more you get your people to test, the more you can control,” she said.
CNN’s Jacqueline Howard contributed to this post.
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UK reports highest daily number of new daily Covid-19 cases since start of pandemic
From CNN’s Allegra Goodwin
A nurse puts on full PPE on a ward for Covid patients at King's College Hospital, in south east London. Picture date: Tuesday December 21, 2021.
(Victoria Jones/PA/Getty Images)
The United Kingdom reported 119,789 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, the highest daily number since start of the pandemic, according to government data.
That is up from 106,122 cases on Wednesday, when the country crossed the 100,000 case threshold for the first time since the pandemic began, according to government figures.
The UK Health Security Agency reported that 16,817 new cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant were recorded across the UK on Thursday, with the country’s confirmed Omicron cases now totaling 90,906.
A further 147 Covid-19 deaths within 28 days of a positive test were also reported by the government on Thursday.
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Another US Senator tests positive for Covid-19
From CNN's Manu Raju and Lauren Fox
Senator Chris Coons, a Democrat from Delaware, speaks during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, June 8, 2021.
(Al Drago/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
US Sen. Chris Coons, a Democrat from Delaware, announced he has tested positive for Covid-19 and said he has minimal symptoms so far.
“As we deal with the sharp rise in Omicron cases here in Delaware and across the country, I urge you to get tested regularly, and get vaccinated and boosted if you haven’t already. We all must continue to do our part to fight this pandemic and keep each other healthy,” he added.
Coons is one of several lawmakers to test positive in recent days, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Cory Booker of New Jersey as well as Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado shared that they had tested positive for Covid-19 via tweets from their official accounts.
CNN’s Greg Clary contributed reporting to this post.
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Study: Covid-19 testing in colleges linked to lower case numbers, but relationship is "complex"
From CNN’s Virginia Langmaid
Higher Covid-19 testing rates on residential university and college campuses may be linked to lower case numbers but the relationship is complicated, a new study published Thursday in the open-access medical journal JAMA Network Open found.
In the schools studied, researchers found both high and low levels of testing correlated to lowered case numbers, while moderate testing rates produced higher case numbers.
To do this research, study authors examined data from 18 colleges and universities in Connecticut that had students living on campus in the 2020-2021 school year. All schools had some form of Covid-19 testing requirement for residential students, ranging from testing between 5-10% of the population each week to requiring each student living on campus to get tested each week.
The study authors defined low testing as less than 0.5 tests per student per week, moderate testing as between 0.5 and 1.5 tests per student per week, and high testing as more than 1.5 tests per students per week. The researchers found what they described as a “complex” relationship between testing rates and case rates on campus.
Schools with low testing numbers also saw low case rates, which the researchers said meant schools likely detected fewer asymptomatic infections which may have fueled asymptomatic spread but kept case numbers low. Schools with higher testing also saw low case rates. The study authors said those schools likely caught the most cases and students were quickly isolated, which lowered case rates.
Schools with “moderate” testing rates saw the highest student case counts.
“Moderate testing rates are sufficiently frequent to detect many prevalent infections but not frequent enough to stop most forward transmission and outbreaks,” the study authors wrote.
“In fall 2020, each additional test per student per week was associated with a decrease of 0.0014 cases per student per week,” they added.
The researchers tracked contact between students using mobile device proximity data.
The authors also found a connection between higher student case rates and higher case rates in the surrounding community.
“However, it is not possible to determine whether on-campus infections were transmitted to the broader community or vice versa,” they wrote.
More on the study: Researchers noted several limitations to the study including that they used diagnosed Covid-19 cases, so “cases may be a poor proxy for infections in institutions where testing rates were low or where asymptomatic testing was infrequent.”
Another limitation was the introduction of vaccines.
“Connecticut residents 16 years or older became eligible for vaccination on April 1, 2021, but we do not have information on vaccination rates on Connecticut campuses. It is likely that rising vaccination rates on campus mitigated transmission during the remaining weeks of spring 2021,” the authors said.
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Lebanon's restaurants and tourist facilities will require proof of vaccination or a negative test
From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq
Lebanon ordered restaurants and tourist facilities to require a Covid-19 vaccination certificate or a 48-hour negative PCR test for all visitors between Dec. 17 until Jan. 9, according to a statement released by Lebanon’s Tourism Ministry on Thursday.
Lebanon has recorded a total of 705,477 cases of the virus and 8,980 deaths since the pandemic began, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU) data on Wednesday.
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1.4 million people in the UK estimated to have contracted Covid-19 last week
From CNN’s Livvy Doherty
Shoppers, some wearing face coverings to combat the spread of Covid-19, walk along Oxford Street in London on December 23, 2021.
(Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images)
Around 1.4 million people in the United Kingdom were estimated to have contracted Covid-19 in the week ending Dec. 16, the Office for National Statistics said Thursday.
It is the highest number on record since comparable figures started being tracked in October 2020.
In England, 1.2 million people were estimated to have had the virus, which equates to around 1 in 45 people, compared to 1 in 60 the previous week.
In Wales, researchers estimated that 1 in 55 people had Covid-19 the week ending Dec. 16.
In Northern Ireland, that estimate was around 1 in 50 people.
In Scotland, it was around 1 in 70 people.
On Wednesday, the UK saw a record number of new daily infections, with 106,122 new cases reported.
Despite the surge in infections, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ruled out bringing in any new restrictions for England before Christmas.
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US FDA authorizes second pill to treat Covid-19
From CNN’s Amanda Sealy and Ben Tinker
The US Food and Drug Administration has now authorized two new antiviral pills to treat Covid-19.
The FDA on Thursday authorized Merck’s antiviral pill, molnupiravir, to treat Covid-19 “for the treatment of mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in adults with positive results of direct SARS-CoV-2 viral testing, and who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death, and for whom alternative COVID-19 treatment options authorized by the FDA are not accessible or clinically appropriate.”
This is the second Covid-19 antiviral pill authorized for ill people to take at home, before they get sick enough to be hospitalized. Merck has an agreement with the US government for the company to supply 3.1 million courses of molnupiravir upon this authorization.
Molnupiravir was narrowly recommended by the FDA’s advisers in a 13-10 vote at the end of November after data showed it cut the risk of hospitalization or death by 30% among high-risk adults. This was lower than an earlier analysis suggesting that number could be about 50%.
Dr. Eliav Barr, senior vice president of global medical affairs at Merck, told CNN this month that he was optimistic this treatment would work against the Omicron variant.
The FDA authorized Pfizer’s antiviral pill, Paxlovid, on Wednesday.
Remdesivir, sold under the brand name Veklury, is the only antiviral approved by the FDA for treatment of Covid-19. It’s given intravenously, not as a pill that can be taken at home.
Watch Merck manufacture Molnupiravir:
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Kuwait makes Covid-19 booster mandatory for travel abroad
From CNN's Kareem Khadder
A Kuwaiti medical worker walks at a Covid-19 vaccination centre in Kuwait City on October 25, 2021.
(Yasser Al-Zayyat/AFP/Getty Images)
Kuwait has made the Covid-19 booster shot mandatory for citizens wishing to travel abroad starting Jan. 2.
“The Directorate General of Civil Aviation declared on Thursday that taking the third booster jab of the anti-coronavirus vaccination has become a condition for allowing citizens who had been vaccinated nine months ago to travel, effective January 2nd,” Kuwait state-run KUNA news said in a report.
Travelers arriving in Kuwait must present a PCR negative test result taken within 48 hours and will be quarantined for 10 days. However, travelers can leave isolation if they show a negative PCR test taken at least 72 hours after coming to the country.
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Germany records first Omicron-related death
From CNN's Nadine Schmidt
The first person in Germany has died with the Omicron coronavirus variant, the country’s public health agency, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), said Thursday. Data from the RKI shows that the person was between the age of 60 and 79.
There were 810 new Omicron cases reported from Tuesday to Wednesday – an increase of 25% from the previous day – bringing the total number of Omicron cases to 3,198, the data showed. Of these, 48 people are being treated in hospital, the RKI said.
The RKI data also showed that Omicron infections are most frequently detected in the 15 to 34 year-old age group, with nearly 1,500 cases. For the age group of 34 to 59 year-olds, 1,050 infections have been recorded.
The RKI said the only cases counted are those that are detected by whole-genome sequencing or a variant-specific PCR test.
Earlier this week, the head of the RKI said that the Omicron variant could be dominant in Germany in two to three weeks’ time.
On Thursday, Germany recorded 44,927 new cases within 24 hours and 425 deaths related to Covid-19. Overall, 109,749 people have died from coronavirus since the pandemic began, the RKI said.
