National News - Page 151

J&J Booster Shows Strong Protection Against Omicron

By Maggie Fox, Two reports released Thursday show that people who get booster doses of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine are well protected against severe disease and hospitalization from the Omicron variant of coronavirus, the company said. Researchers said the findings indicate that most of the Covid-19 vaccines will protect people against the worst outcomes from infection — and show some of the emphasis on how the various vaccines affect immune system components called antibodies may be misleading. One real-life study from South Africa showed vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization from Covid-19 rose to 85% after a booster dose of the J&J vaccine,

Omicron Surge Prompts Shift in Biden’s COVID-19 Strategy

By Stephen Collinson, America is plunging into a fast-worsening and frightening winter bout with Covid-19 that will leave few citizens and communities untouched. But as the highly transmissible Omicron variant roars across the country, the Biden administration is revealing the most tangible signs of a shifting pandemic strategy several weeks in the making. It is preparing a nation exhausted by two years of battling the invisible enemy to live more feasibly alongside it. The new strain of a virus that had already killed more than 800,000 Americans is forcing quick government course alterations. President Joe Biden’s White House faces a dilemma rooted in increasing evidence that Omicron causes more mild

Pandemic-Proof Your 2022: Health Resolutions That Last

By Dr. Sanjay Gupta, It’s almost the new year and along with it comes the admittedly aspirational tradition of setting New Year’s resolutions — ones that we hopefully can stick to and not abandon after Week 3, or even Day 3, of 2022. At the same time, we’re sliding into our third year of battling a novel coronavirus that continues to keep the world in pandemic mode. That’s why it is more important now than ever — as the Delta variant gets squeezed out by Omicron in this country and around the globe, and as Covid-19 haltingly evolves from pandemic to

Global New Year’s Eve 2022 Plans Amid Omicron Surge

By Forrest Brown, For awhile there, it appeared we might be able to ring in New Year’s Eve in major cities across the planet with something resembling the huge celebrations of yore. Another Covid-19 surge and the rapid spread of the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus have dashed those hopes — at least in some part of the world. In New York City, the New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square will be “scaled back,” with fewer revelers and everyone required to wear a mask, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office said last week. But some major cities in Europe, where the

CDC Cuts COVID Isolation, Quarantine to 5 Days

By Maggie Fox, The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday shortened the recommended times that people should isolate when they’ve tested positive for Covid-19 from 10 days to five days if they don’t have symptoms — and if they wear a mask around others for at least five more days. The CDC also shortened the recommended time for people to quarantine if they are exposed to the virus to a similar five days if they are vaccinated. People who are fully vaccinated and boosted may not need to quarantine at all, the CDC said. “Given what we currently know about COVID-19 and the

Supreme Court Weighs Biden’s Federal Vaccine Mandates

By Tierney Sneed, A Supreme Court that has declined to block several types of vaccine mandates is now considering whether to allow the Biden administration to require millions of Americans to get Covid-19 vaccines. While the court has been tolerant so far of vaccine mandates that have come before it — refusing to halt requirements imposed by local and state entities — those implemented by the federal government pose new legal questions that could draw hostility from the conservative majority. How the 6-3 Supreme Court resolves those cases could have implications for the executive branch’s power to act unilaterally not just on

US Sets New Covid-19 Record as Omicron Drives Surge

By Holly Yan and Amir Vera, The US hit a seven-day average of 265,427 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, blowing past the country’s previous record of about 252,000 daily cases, reported nearly a year ago on January 11. The new peak, according to Johns Hopkins University data, comes amid a rapid acceleration of infections in the United States — and across the world — since last month. And experts predict the Omicron variant — the most contagious strain of coronavirus yet — is going to make the start of 2022 very difficult. “January is going to be a really, really hard month.

Biden Admits COVID Testing Shortfall Amid Omicron Surge

By Stephen Collinson, President Joe Biden and his team repeatedly promised more Covid-19 testing, including at-home kits that deliver rapid results, but they are now admitting a virus that is more adaptable than the politicians who fight it has outpaced them again. For many Americans, this holiday season may be remembered for hours spent in long testing lines, or fruitlessly searching pharmacy shelves for antigen tests as the Omicron variant took over the previous Delta wave. Already patchy testing has been exposed by the latest highly transmissible variant, and the US is being compared unfavorably to other developed nations where citizens have easy access to rapid tests for

Biggest Cultural and Fashion Moments of 2021

By Marianna Cerini, Year two of the pandemic was, in many ways, just as challenging and weird as the first. That said, in-person events made a tentative comeback, as did socializing outside our homes — albeit with masks on our faces and hand sanitizer in our pockets. More so than in 2020, we adapted to living with the virus. So, too, did the creative industries. Art fairs returned, as did the Met Gala, fashion shows, concerts and red carpet events. Likewise, galleries, cinemas and theaters slowly reopened their doors, reminding us of how valuable IRL culture can be. Below are some of the most

Omicron Surge Drives Record US Covid Cases and Disruptions

By Holly Yan and Aya Elamroussi, Covid-19 numbers keep soaring as travelers scatter back across the country after Christmas and Americans prepare for another holiday weekend. The US is now averaging 198,404 new Covid-19 cases each day, according to Sunday data from Johns Hopkins University. That’s 47% higher than a week ago and the highest such number since January 19. “I think we’re going to see half a million cases a day — easy — sometime over the next week to 10 days,” CNN medical analyst Dr. Jonathan Reiner told CNN on Sunday. About 71,000 Americans were hospitalized with Covid-19

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