By HANNAH RECHT <a href="https://dailymontanan.com/2022/12/12/paxlovid-has-been-free-now-comes-the-sticker-shock/">Kaiser Health News, courtesy Daily Montanan</a>

Nearly 6 million Americans have taken Paxlovid for free, courtesy of 
the federal government. The Pfizer pill has helped prevent many people 
infected with COVID-19 from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7148e2.htm">being hospitalized</a> or dying, and it may even <a target="_blank" href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.03.22281783v1">reduce the risk</a>
 of developing long COVID. But the government plans to stop footing the 
bill within months, and millions of people who are at the highest risk 
of severe illness and are least able to afford the drug — the uninsured 
and seniors — may have to pay the full price.

And that means fewer people will get the potentially lifesaving treatments, experts said.

“I think the numbers will go way down,” said Jill Rosenthal, director
 of public health policy at the Center for American Progress, a 
left-leaning think tank. A bill for several hundred dollars or more 
would lead many people to decide the medication isn’t worth the price, 
she said.

In response to the unprecedented public health crisis caused by 
COVID, the federal government spent billions of dollars on developing 
new vaccines and treatments, to swift success: Less than a year after 
the pandemic was declared, medical workers got their first vaccines. But
 as many people have refused the shots and stopped wearing masks, the 
virus still rages and mutates. In 2022 alone, 250,000 Americans <a target="_blank" href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_totaldeaths_select_00">have died</a> from COVID, <a target="_blank" href="https://data.cdc.gov/NCHS/Monthly-Provisional-Counts-of-Deaths-by-Select-Cau/9dzk-mvmi/data">more than</a> from strokes or diabetes.

But soon the Department of Health and Human Services will stop 
supplying COVID treatments, and pharmacies will purchase and bill for 
them the same way they do for antibiotic pills or asthma inhalers. 
Paxlovid is expected to hit the private market in mid-2023, according to
 HHS plans shared in an October meeting with state health officials and 
clinicians. Merck’s Lagevrio, a less-effective COVID treatment pill, and
 AstraZeneca’s Evusheld, a preventive therapy for the immunocompromised,
 are on track to be commercialized sooner, sometime in the winter.

The U.S. government has so far purchased <a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/04/26/fact-sheet-biden-administration-increases-access-to-covid-19-treatments-and-boosts-patient-and-provider-awareness/">20 million courses</a>
 of Paxlovid, priced at about $530 each, a discount for buying in bulk 
that Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla called “really very attractive” to the 
federal government in a July earnings call. The drug will cost far more 
on the private market, although in a statement to KHN, Pfizer declined 
to share the planned price. The government will also stop paying for the
 company’s COVID vaccine next year — those shots will <a target="_blank" href="https://khn.org/news/article/pfizer-covid-cash-marketing-drugs/">quadruple in price</a>, from the discount rate the government pays of $30 to about $120.

Bourla told investors in November that he expects the move will make 
Paxlovid and its COVID vaccine “a multibillion-dollars franchise.”

Nearly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/11/28/covid-who-is-dying/">9 in 10 people</a> dying from the virus now are 65 or older. Yet federal law restricts Medicare Part D — the prescription drug program that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/medicare-beneficiaries-enrolled-in-part-d-coverage/?currentTimeframe=0&amp;sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D">covers nearly 50 million seniors</a>
 — from covering the COVID treatment pills. The medications are meant 
for those most at risk of serious illness, including seniors.

Paxlovid and the other treatments are currently available under an 
emergency use authorization from the FDA, a fast-track review used in 
extraordinary situations. Although Pfizer <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-announces-submission-new-drug-application-us-fda">applied for full approval</a>
 in June, the process can take anywhere from several months to years. 
And Medicare Part D can’t cover any medications without that full stamp 
of approval.

Paying out-of-pocket would be “a substantial barrier” for seniors on 
Medicare — the very people who would benefit most from the drug, wrote <a target="_blank" href="https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1072f5093254224ac902ca395387085c/coverage-considerations-covid-19.pdf">federal health experts</a>.

“From a public health perspective, and even from a health care 
capacity and cost perspective, it would just defy reason to not continue
 to make these drugs readily available,” said Dr. Larry Madoff, medical 
director of Massachusetts’ Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory 
Sciences. He’s hopeful that the federal health agency will find a way to
 set aside unused doses for seniors and people without insurance.

In mid-November, the White House requested that Congress approve an 
additional $2.5 billion for COVID therapeutics and vaccines to make sure
 people can afford the medications when they’re no longer free. But 
there’s little hope it will be approved — the Senate <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/senate-votes-to-end-covid-19-emergency-declaration-11668559887">voted that same day to end</a> the public health emergency and denied similar requests in recent months.

Many Americans have already faced hurdles just <a target="_blank" href="https://khn.org/news/article/test-to-treat-biden-covid-failing-patients-pharmacies-cvs/">getting a prescription</a> for COVID treatment. Although the federal government <a target="_blank" href="https://khn.org/news/article/paxlovid-covid-pill-antiviral-access-data/">doesn’t track</a> who’s gotten the drug, a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7143a2.htm">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study</a>
 using data from 30 medical centers found that Black and Hispanic 
patients with COVID were much less likely to receive Paxlovid than white
 patients. (Hispanic people can be of any race or combination of races.)
 And when the government is no longer picking up the tab, experts 
predict that these gaps by race, income, and geography will widen.

People in Northeastern states used the drug far more often than those
 in the rest of the country, according to a Kaiser Health News analysis 
of Paxlovid use in September and October. But it wasn’t because people 
in the region were getting sick from COVID at much higher rates — 
instead, many of those states offered better <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/hus/report.htm">access to health care</a> to begin with and created special programs to get Paxlovid to their residents.

About 10 mostly Democratic states and several large counties in the 
Northeast and elsewhere created free “test-to-treat” programs that allow
 their residents to get an immediate doctor visit and prescription for 
treatment after testing positive for COVID. In Massachusetts, more than 
20,000 residents have used the state’s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mass.gov/info-details/free-telehealth-for-covid-19-treatment-with-paxlovid">video and phone hotline</a>,
 which is available seven days a week in 13 languages. Massachusetts, 
which has the highest insurance rate in the country and relatively low 
travel times to pharmacies, had the second-highest Paxlovid usage rate 
among states this fall.

States with higher COVID death rates, like Florida and Kentucky, 
where residents must travel farther for health care and are more likely 
to be uninsured, used the drug less often. Without no-cost test-to-treat
 options, <a target="_blank" href="https://khn.org/news/article/test-to-treat-biden-covid-failing-patients-pharmacies-cvs/">residents have struggled</a> to get prescriptions even though the drug itself is still free.

“If you look at access to medications for people who are uninsured, I
 think that there’s no question that will widen those disparities,” 
Rosenthal said.

People who get insurance through their jobs could face high copays at
 the register, too, just as they do for insulin and other expensive or 
brand-name drugs.

Most private insurance companies will end up covering COVID 
therapeutics to some extent, said Sabrina Corlette, a research professor
 at Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms. After 
all, the pills are cheaper than a hospital stay. But for most people who
 get insurance through their jobs, there are “really no rules at all,” 
she said. Some insurers could take months to add the drugs to their 
plans or decide not to pay for them.

And the additional cost means many people will go without the medication.

“We know from lots of research that when people face cost sharing for
 these drugs that they need to take, they will often forgo or cut back,”
 Corlette said.

One group doesn’t need to worry about sticker shock. Medicaid, the 
public insurance program for low-income adults and children, will cover 
the treatments in full until at least early 2024.

HHS officials could set aside any leftover taxpayer-funded medication
 for people who can’t afford to pay the full cost, but they haven’t 
shared any concrete plans to do so. The government purchased 20 million 
courses of Paxlovid and 3 million of Lagevrio. Fewer than a third have 
been used, and usage has fallen in recent months, according to KHN’s 
analysis of the data from HHS.

Sixty percent of the government’s supply of Evusheld is also still available, although the COVID prevention therapy is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-releases-important-information-about-risk-covid-19-due-certain-variants-not-neutralized-evusheld">less effective</a> against new strains of the virus. The health department in one state, <a target="_blank" href="https://files.constantcontact.com/8088728e101/558b11b0-e00f-47d7-8ec1-645904ec1905.pdf">New Mexico</a>, has recommended against using it.

HHS did not make officials available for an interview or answer written questions about the commercialization plans.

The government created a potential workaround when they moved 
bebtelovimab, another COVID treatment, to the private market this 
summer. It now retails for $2,100 per patient. The agency set aside the 
remaining 60,000 government-purchased doses that hospitals could use to 
treat uninsured patients in a convoluted <a target="_blank" href="https://aspr.hhs.gov/COVID-19/Therapeutics/Products/Bebtelovimab/Pages/default.aspx">dose-replacement process</a>. But it’s hard to tell how well that setup would work for Paxlovid: Bebtelovimab was already much less popular, and the FDA <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-announces-bebtelovimab-not-currently-authorized-any-us-region">halted its use</a> on Nov. 30 because it’s less effective against current strains of the virus.

Federal officials and insurance companies would have good reason to 
make sure patients can continue to afford covid drugs: They’re far 
cheaper than if patients land in the emergency room.

“The medications are so worthwhile,” said Madoff, the Massachusetts 
health official. “They’re not expensive in the grand scheme of health 
care costs.”

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.khn.org/about-us">KHN</a> 
(Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth 
journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and 
Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/about-us">KFF</a> (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670875530434.png" alt="CDC image" />
 <figcaption>CDC image</figcaption>
 </figure>By HANNAH RECHT <a href="https://dailymontanan.com/2022/12/12/paxlovid-has-been-free-now-comes-the-sticker-shock/">Kaiser Health News, courtesy Daily Montanan</a>Nearly 6 million Americans have taken Paxlovid for free, courtesy of 
the federal government. The Pfizer pill has helped prevent many people 
infected with COVID-19 from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7148e2.htm">being hospitalized</a> or dying, and it may even <a target="_blank" href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.03.22281783v1">reduce the risk</a>
 of developing long COVID. But the government plans to stop footing the 
bill within months, and millions of people who are at the highest risk 
of severe illness and are least able to afford the drug — the uninsured 
and seniors — may have to pay the full price.And that means fewer people will get the potentially lifesaving treatments, experts said.“I think the numbers will go way down,” said Jill Rosenthal, director
 of public health policy at the Center for American Progress, a 
left-leaning think tank. A bill for several hundred dollars or more 
would lead many people to decide the medication isn’t worth the price, 
she said.In response to the unprecedented public health crisis caused by 
COVID, the federal government spent billions of dollars on developing 
new vaccines and treatments, to swift success: Less than a year after 
the pandemic was declared, medical workers got their first vaccines. But
 as many people have refused the shots and stopped wearing masks, the 
virus still rages and mutates. In 2022 alone, 250,000 Americans <a target="_blank" href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_totaldeaths_select_00">have died</a> from COVID, <a target="_blank" href="https://data.cdc.gov/NCHS/Monthly-Provisional-Counts-of-Deaths-by-Select-Cau/9dzk-mvmi/data">more than</a> from strokes or diabetes.But soon the Department of Health and Human Services will stop 
supplying COVID treatments, and pharmacies will purchase and bill for 
them the same way they do for antibiotic pills or asthma inhalers. 
Paxlovid is expected to hit the private market in mid-2023, according to
 HHS plans shared in an October meeting with state health officials and 
clinicians. Merck’s Lagevrio, a less-effective COVID treatment pill, and
 AstraZeneca’s Evusheld, a preventive therapy for the immunocompromised,
 are on track to be commercialized sooner, sometime in the winter.The U.S. government has so far purchased <a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/04/26/fact-sheet-biden-administration-increases-access-to-covid-19-treatments-and-boosts-patient-and-provider-awareness/">20 million courses</a>
 of Paxlovid, priced at about $530 each, a discount for buying in bulk 
that Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla called “really very attractive” to the 
federal government in a July earnings call. The drug will cost far more 
on the private market, although in a statement to KHN, Pfizer declined 
to share the planned price. The government will also stop paying for the
 company’s COVID vaccine next year — those shots will <a target="_blank" href="https://khn.org/news/article/pfizer-covid-cash-marketing-drugs/">quadruple in price</a>, from the discount rate the government pays of $30 to about $120.Bourla told investors in November that he expects the move will make 
Paxlovid and its COVID vaccine “a multibillion-dollars franchise.”Nearly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/11/28/covid-who-is-dying/">9 in 10 people</a> dying from the virus now are 65 or older. Yet federal law restricts Medicare Part D — the prescription drug program that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/medicare-beneficiaries-enrolled-in-part-d-coverage/?currentTimeframe=0&amp;sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D">covers nearly 50 million seniors</a>
 — from covering the COVID treatment pills. The medications are meant 
for those most at risk of serious illness, including seniors.Paxlovid and the other treatments are currently available under an 
emergency use authorization from the FDA, a fast-track review used in 
extraordinary situations. Although Pfizer <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-announces-submission-new-drug-application-us-fda">applied for full approval</a>
 in June, the process can take anywhere from several months to years. 
And Medicare Part D can’t cover any medications without that full stamp 
of approval.Paying out-of-pocket would be “a substantial barrier” for seniors on 
Medicare — the very people who would benefit most from the drug, wrote <a target="_blank" href="https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1072f5093254224ac902ca395387085c/coverage-considerations-covid-19.pdf">federal health experts</a>.“From a public health perspective, and even from a health care 
capacity and cost perspective, it would just defy reason to not continue
 to make these drugs readily available,” said Dr. Larry Madoff, medical 
director of Massachusetts’ Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory 
Sciences. He’s hopeful that the federal health agency will find a way to
 set aside unused doses for seniors and people without insurance.In mid-November, the White House requested that Congress approve an 
additional $2.5 billion for COVID therapeutics and vaccines to make sure
 people can afford the medications when they’re no longer free. But 
there’s little hope it will be approved — the Senate <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/senate-votes-to-end-covid-19-emergency-declaration-11668559887">voted that same day to end</a> the public health emergency and denied similar requests in recent months.Many Americans have already faced hurdles just <a target="_blank" href="https://khn.org/news/article/test-to-treat-biden-covid-failing-patients-pharmacies-cvs/">getting a prescription</a> for COVID treatment. Although the federal government <a target="_blank" href="https://khn.org/news/article/paxlovid-covid-pill-antiviral-access-data/">doesn’t track</a> who’s gotten the drug, a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7143a2.htm">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study</a>
 using data from 30 medical centers found that Black and Hispanic 
patients with COVID were much less likely to receive Paxlovid than white
 patients. (Hispanic people can be of any race or combination of races.)
 And when the government is no longer picking up the tab, experts 
predict that these gaps by race, income, and geography will widen.People in Northeastern states used the drug far more often than those
 in the rest of the country, according to a Kaiser Health News analysis 
of Paxlovid use in September and October. But it wasn’t because people 
in the region were getting sick from COVID at much higher rates — 
instead, many of those states offered better <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/hus/report.htm">access to health care</a> to begin with and created special programs to get Paxlovid to their residents.About 10 mostly Democratic states and several large counties in the 
Northeast and elsewhere created free “test-to-treat” programs that allow
 their residents to get an immediate doctor visit and prescription for 
treatment after testing positive for COVID. In Massachusetts, more than 
20,000 residents have used the state’s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mass.gov/info-details/free-telehealth-for-covid-19-treatment-with-paxlovid">video and phone hotline</a>,
 which is available seven days a week in 13 languages. Massachusetts, 
which has the highest insurance rate in the country and relatively low 
travel times to pharmacies, had the second-highest Paxlovid usage rate 
among states this fall.States with higher COVID death rates, like Florida and Kentucky, 
where residents must travel farther for health care and are more likely 
to be uninsured, used the drug less often. Without no-cost test-to-treat
 options, <a target="_blank" href="https://khn.org/news/article/test-to-treat-biden-covid-failing-patients-pharmacies-cvs/">residents have struggled</a> to get prescriptions even though the drug itself is still free.“If you look at access to medications for people who are uninsured, I
 think that there’s no question that will widen those disparities,” 
Rosenthal said.People who get insurance through their jobs could face high copays at
 the register, too, just as they do for insulin and other expensive or 
brand-name drugs.Most private insurance companies will end up covering COVID 
therapeutics to some extent, said Sabrina Corlette, a research professor
 at Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms. After 
all, the pills are cheaper than a hospital stay. But for most people who
 get insurance through their jobs, there are “really no rules at all,” 
she said. Some insurers could take months to add the drugs to their 
plans or decide not to pay for them.And the additional cost means many people will go without the medication.“We know from lots of research that when people face cost sharing for
 these drugs that they need to take, they will often forgo or cut back,”
 Corlette said.One group doesn’t need to worry about sticker shock. Medicaid, the 
public insurance program for low-income adults and children, will cover 
the treatments in full until at least early 2024.HHS officials could set aside any leftover taxpayer-funded medication
 for people who can’t afford to pay the full cost, but they haven’t 
shared any concrete plans to do so. The government purchased 20 million 
courses of Paxlovid and 3 million of Lagevrio. Fewer than a third have 
been used, and usage has fallen in recent months, according to KHN’s 
analysis of the data from HHS.Sixty percent of the government’s supply of Evusheld is also still available, although the COVID prevention therapy is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-releases-important-information-about-risk-covid-19-due-certain-variants-not-neutralized-evusheld">less effective</a> against new strains of the virus. The health department in one state, <a target="_blank" href="https://files.constantcontact.com/8088728e101/558b11b0-e00f-47d7-8ec1-645904ec1905.pdf">New Mexico</a>, has recommended against using it.HHS did not make officials available for an interview or answer written questions about the commercialization plans.The government created a potential workaround when they moved 
bebtelovimab, another COVID treatment, to the private market this 
summer. It now retails for $2,100 per patient. The agency set aside the 
remaining 60,000 government-purchased doses that hospitals could use to 
treat uninsured patients in a convoluted <a target="_blank" href="https://aspr.hhs.gov/COVID-19/Therapeutics/Products/Bebtelovimab/Pages/default.aspx">dose-replacement process</a>. But it’s hard to tell how well that setup would work for Paxlovid: Bebtelovimab was already much less popular, and the FDA <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-announces-bebtelovimab-not-currently-authorized-any-us-region">halted its use</a> on Nov. 30 because it’s less effective against current strains of the virus.Federal officials and insurance companies would have good reason to 
make sure patients can continue to afford covid drugs: They’re far 
cheaper than if patients land in the emergency room.“The medications are so worthwhile,” said Madoff, the Massachusetts 
health official. “They’re not expensive in the grand scheme of health 
care costs.”<a target="_blank" href="https://www.khn.org/about-us">KHN</a> 
(Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth 
journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and 
Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/about-us">KFF</a> (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

COVID treatment Paxlovid has been free; now comes the sticker shock

With coronavirus cases rising in parts of Europe and Asia, scientists worry that an extra-contagious version of the omicron variant may soon push cases up in the United States too.

Experts are also keeping their eyes on another mutant: a rare delta-omicron hybrid that they say doesn’t pose much of a threat right now but shows how wily the coronavirus can be.

The U.S. will likely see an uptick in cases caused by the omicron descendant BA.2 starting in the next few weeks, according to Dr. Eric Topol, head of Scripps Research Translational Institute.

“It’s inevitable we will see a BA.2 wave here,” he said.

One reason? After about two months of falling COVID-19 cases, pandemic restrictions have been lifted across the U.S. Many people are taking off their masks and returning to indoor spaces like restaurants and theaters.

And the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions" target="_blank">the share caused by BA.2 is up significantly.</a>&nbsp;The CDC reported Tuesday that the variant accounted for about 35% of new infections last week. In the Northeast, it was about half.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert, told ABC’s “This Week” over the weekend that he also thinks the U.S. will likely face an “uptick” similar to what’s happening in Europe, particularly the United Kingdom, where BA.2 is the dominant strain. He said he doesn’t think it will be a “surge.”

The U.K. has “had the same situation as we’ve had now,” Fauci said. “They have BA.2. They have a relaxation of some restrictions such as indoor masking and there’s a waning of immunity” from vaccines and past infections.

Keri Althoff, a researcher at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, cautioned that CDC case counts underestimate the true numbers because some people are no longer getting tested and others are testing at home and not reporting the results. Also, she said, not every specimen is genetically sequenced to determine the variant.

It’s clear, she said, “BA.2 is coming onto the scene.”

One reason the variant has gained ground, scientists say,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-world-health-organization-public-health-7e4cd2f5f6cd2ec87393b3cc9ce41c9c">is that it’s about 30% more contagious than the original omicron</a>. In rare cases, research shows it can sicken people even if they’ve already had an omicron infection — although it doesn’t seem to cause more severe disease.

Vaccines appear just as effective against both types of omicron, but breakthrough infections are possible. And experts point out that vaccination rates are lower in the U.S. than the U.K. About 74% of those 12 and older are fully vaccinated in the U.S, compared with 86% in the U.K.

”We need to emphasize that we’re not protected in this country compared to peer countries,” Topol said.

Still, not all experts are equally concerned about a BA.2-related rise in U.S. cases. Dr. James Musser, head of genomic medicine and infectious diseases at Houston Methodist, said the variant has so far only caused about 1% to 3% of cases in his medical system. Cases there have usually tracked closely with what’s happening in the U.K.

He called BA.2 “something we’re keeping an eye on,” but said, “I’m not losing sleep” over it.

That’s how many scientists view the other variant that some in the public are calling “deltacron,” a hybrid containing genetic information from both delta and omicron.

Earlier this month, Maria Van Kerkhove of the World Health Organization said the hybrid has been detected at “very low levels” in France, the Netherlands and Denmark. And two recent studies, which have not yet been peer-reviewed, point to a tiny number of cases in the U.S.

Much remains unknown about the hybrid. There’s no evidence it causes more severe disease, and it doesn’t look like it’s infecting many people. CDC researchers identified 9 samples, seven from the mid-Atlantic region in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.19.484981v1.full.pdf+html" target="_blank">study released Monday</a>&nbsp;that hasn’t yet been peer-reviewed. Topol, who was not involved in the research, said there’s no evidence it has the potential to spread.

It’s common for coronaviruses to shuffle gene segments, said Dr. Stuart Campbell Ray, an infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins University. With two variants circulating at the same time, people may get double infections, and a “progeny virus” could emerge.

Given the virus’&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-pandemics-dc99bc9f769dd6d7cb669e3d185c6261">ability to spawn new mutants</a>&nbsp;— and the rise of BA.2 — experts say people should get vaccinated if they’re not and keep their masks handy.

“Keep your guard up,” Topol said. “This is not over.”

By LAURA UNGAR, Associated PressWith coronavirus cases rising in parts of Europe and Asia, scientists worry that an extra-contagious version of the omicron variant may soon push cases up in the United States too.Experts are also keeping their eyes on another mutant: a rare delta-omicron hybrid that they say doesn’t pose much of a threat right now but shows how wily the coronavirus can be.The U.S. will likely see an uptick in cases caused by the omicron descendant BA.2 starting in the next few weeks, according to Dr. Eric Topol, head of Scripps Research Translational Institute.“It’s inevitable we will see a BA.2 wave here,” he said.One reason? After about two months of falling COVID-19 cases, pandemic restrictions have been lifted across the U.S. Many people are taking off their masks and returning to indoor spaces like restaurants and theaters.And the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions" target="_blank">the share caused by BA.2 is up significantly.</a>&nbsp;The CDC reported Tuesday that the variant accounted for about 35% of new infections last week. In the Northeast, it was about half.Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert, told ABC’s “This Week” over the weekend that he also thinks the U.S. will likely face an “uptick” similar to what’s happening in Europe, particularly the United Kingdom, where BA.2 is the dominant strain. He said he doesn’t think it will be a “surge.”The U.K. has “had the same situation as we’ve had now,” Fauci said. “They have BA.2. They have a relaxation of some restrictions such as indoor masking and there’s a waning of immunity” from vaccines and past infections.Keri Althoff, a researcher at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, cautioned that CDC case counts underestimate the true numbers because some people are no longer getting tested and others are testing at home and not reporting the results. Also, she said, not every specimen is genetically sequenced to determine the variant.It’s clear, she said, “BA.2 is coming onto the scene.”One reason the variant has gained ground, scientists say,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-world-health-organization-public-health-7e4cd2f5f6cd2ec87393b3cc9ce41c9c">is that it’s about 30% more contagious than the original omicron</a>. In rare cases, research shows it can sicken people even if they’ve already had an omicron infection — although it doesn’t seem to cause more severe disease.Vaccines appear just as effective against both types of omicron, but breakthrough infections are possible. And experts point out that vaccination rates are lower in the U.S. than the U.K. About 74% of those 12 and older are fully vaccinated in the U.S, compared with 86% in the U.K.”We need to emphasize that we’re not protected in this country compared to peer countries,” Topol said.Still, not all experts are equally concerned about a BA.2-related rise in U.S. cases. Dr. James Musser, head of genomic medicine and infectious diseases at Houston Methodist, said the variant has so far only caused about 1% to 3% of cases in his medical system. Cases there have usually tracked closely with what’s happening in the U.K.He called BA.2 “something we’re keeping an eye on,” but said, “I’m not losing sleep” over it.That’s how many scientists view the other variant that some in the public are calling “deltacron,” a hybrid containing genetic information from both delta and omicron.Earlier this month, Maria Van Kerkhove of the World Health Organization said the hybrid has been detected at “very low levels” in France, the Netherlands and Denmark. And two recent studies, which have not yet been peer-reviewed, point to a tiny number of cases in the U.S.Much remains unknown about the hybrid. There’s no evidence it causes more severe disease, and it doesn’t look like it’s infecting many people. CDC researchers identified 9 samples, seven from the mid-Atlantic region in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.19.484981v1.full.pdf+html" target="_blank">study released Monday</a>&nbsp;that hasn’t yet been peer-reviewed. Topol, who was not involved in the research, said there’s no evidence it has the potential to spread.It’s common for coronaviruses to shuffle gene segments, said Dr. Stuart Campbell Ray, an infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins University. With two variants circulating at the same time, people may get double infections, and a “progeny virus” could emerge.Given the virus’&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-pandemics-dc99bc9f769dd6d7cb669e3d185c6261">ability to spawn new mutants</a>&nbsp;— and the rise of BA.2 — experts say people should get vaccinated if they’re not and keep their masks handy.“Keep your guard up,” Topol said. “This is not over.”___

Scientists worry virus variant may push up COVID cases in US

LINCOLN –&nbsp;Governor Pete Ricketts signed LB 906e into law. &nbsp;LB 906e allows Nebraskans to claim medical or religious exemption from coronavirus vaccination requirements in most workplaces.&nbsp; The bill has an emergency clause and will take effect at 12:01 AM on March 1, 2022.

“Sweeping COVID vaccine mandates fail to account for individuals’ medical conditions and religious convictions,” said Gov. Ricketts.&nbsp; “Unlike the Federal government, the Nebraska Legislature recognizes that.&nbsp; Thanks to Senator Ben Hansen for taking action to give Nebraskans an avenue to claim this exemption.”

LB 906e directs the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to create a&nbsp;<a href="https://dhhs.ne.gov/Documents/COVID-19-Vaccine-Exemption-Form.pdf" target="_blank">COVID-19 vaccine exemption form</a>.&nbsp; Nebraskans can use the form to indicate that coronavirus vaccination conflicts with their religious beliefs or practices.&nbsp; They may also use the form for medical exemption, provided a healthcare practitioner has signed a statement that coronavirus vaccination is inadvisable or ought to be delayed given the individual’s medical condition.

The vaccine exemption applies to employers of one or more persons, including State agencies and political subdivisions.&nbsp;

It does not apply to the federal government, tribal governments, or workers covered by the federal Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services (CMS) vaccine mandate.&nbsp;

For more information about the bill, or to download a COVID-19 vaccine exemption form,&nbsp;<a href="https://dhhs.ne.gov/licensure/Pages/Licensing-Home-Page.aspx" target="_blank">click here</a>.

LB 906e pertains to coronavirus vaccination only and does not apply to workplace requirements for COVID-19 testing or the usage of personal protective equipment (PPE).

By Office of Gov. Pete RickettsLINCOLN –&nbsp;Governor Pete Ricketts signed LB 906e into law. &nbsp;LB 906e allows Nebraskans to claim medical or religious exemption from coronavirus vaccination requirements in most workplaces.&nbsp; The bill has an emergency clause and will take effect at 12:01 AM on March 1, 2022.“Sweeping COVID vaccine mandates fail to account for individuals’ medical conditions and religious convictions,” said Gov. Ricketts.&nbsp; “Unlike the Federal government, the Nebraska Legislature recognizes that.&nbsp; Thanks to Senator Ben Hansen for taking action to give Nebraskans an avenue to claim this exemption.”LB 906e directs the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to create a&nbsp;<a href="https://dhhs.ne.gov/Documents/COVID-19-Vaccine-Exemption-Form.pdf" target="_blank">COVID-19 vaccine exemption form</a>.&nbsp; Nebraskans can use the form to indicate that coronavirus vaccination conflicts with their religious beliefs or practices.&nbsp; They may also use the form for medical exemption, provided a healthcare practitioner has signed a statement that coronavirus vaccination is inadvisable or ought to be delayed given the individual’s medical condition.The vaccine exemption applies to employers of one or more persons, including State agencies and political subdivisions.&nbsp;It does not apply to the federal government, tribal governments, or workers covered by the federal Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services (CMS) vaccine mandate.&nbsp;For more information about the bill, or to download a COVID-19 vaccine exemption form,&nbsp;<a href="https://dhhs.ne.gov/licensure/Pages/Licensing-Home-Page.aspx" target="_blank">click here</a>.LB 906e pertains to coronavirus vaccination only and does not apply to workplace requirements for COVID-19 testing or the usage of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Gov. Ricketts signs coronavirus vaccine exemption legislation

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — COVID-19 hospitalizations and cases continue to plummet in Nebraska following last month’s peak, and state health officials are optimistic they will improve yet more into the summer. 

Nebraska's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Gary Anthone said Monday that people can start thinking about “getting back to normal." 

The improving numbers are a relief for the state’s hospitals that were pushed to the limit when hospitalizations rose as high as 767 on Jan. 28. 

That number has fallen steadily since then, hitting 279 on Sunday and Anthone says he's optimistic hospitalization numbers will continue to drop.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642111232069.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — COVID-19 hospitalizations and cases continue to plummet in Nebraska following last month’s peak, and state health officials are optimistic they will improve yet more into the summer. Nebraska's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Gary Anthone said Monday that people can start thinking about “getting back to normal." The improving numbers are a relief for the state’s hospitals that were pushed to the limit when hospitalizations rose as high as 767 on Jan. 28. That number has fallen steadily since then, hitting 279 on Sunday and Anthone says he's optimistic hospitalization numbers will continue to drop.

Nebraska officials optimistic virus numbers will keep improving

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations and cases continues falling across Nebraska in the wake of last month's spike in cases. 

The state said 387 people were hospitalized with the virus Sunday, which is up slightly over the past couple of days, but generally, that number has fallen steadily since peaking at 767 on Jan. 28. 

The number of virus cases the state reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also fell again last week. The state reported 1,940 cases, down from 4,868 cases the previous week. 

The number of cases has been falling since the state set a record of 29,141 cases in the week that began Jan. 16.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642111232069.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>From the Associated PressOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations and cases continues falling across Nebraska in the wake of last month's spike in cases. The state said 387 people were hospitalized with the virus Sunday, which is up slightly over the past couple of days, but generally, that number has fallen steadily since peaking at 767 on Jan. 28. The number of virus cases the state reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also fell again last week. The state reported 1,940 cases, down from 4,868 cases the previous week. The number of cases has been falling since the state set a record of 29,141 cases in the week that began Jan. 16.

Nebraska virus cases and hospitalizations continue falling

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Gov. Pete Ricketts said Thursday that Nebraskans should be allowed to “return to normal” as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to fall in the state. 

Ricketts’ comments came a day after local health officials eliminated a temporary mask mandate in Omaha. 

The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Nebraska continued to fall sharply over the past two weeks, going from 2,027.86 new cases per day on Feb. 1 to 364.43 new cases per day on Feb. 15. 

That number was consistently above 4,000 from mid-January until Jan. 26 during the peak of the surge of the omicron variant of the virus.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1582725655069.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>From the Associated PressLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Gov. Pete Ricketts said Thursday that Nebraskans should be allowed to “return to normal” as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to fall in the state. Ricketts’ comments came a day after local health officials eliminated a temporary mask mandate in Omaha. The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Nebraska continued to fall sharply over the past two weeks, going from 2,027.86 new cases per day on Feb. 1 to 364.43 new cases per day on Feb. 15. That number was consistently above 4,000 from mid-January until Jan. 26 during the peak of the surge of the omicron variant of the virus.

Gov. Ricketts urges fewer restrictions as COVID cases fall

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The number of virus cases and hospitalizations have improved enough in Nebraska that Omaha is eliminating its mask mandate Wednesday and some of the state's largest hospitals are easing some of their restrictions. 

The number of people hospitalized with the virus statewide has fallen steadily since peaking Jan. 28 at 767.

 State health officials said 436 people were hospitalized Tuesday, which is the lowest level since early November. The CEO of Bryan Health in Lincoln, John Woodrich, said his hospitals are planning to lift all visitor restrictions for non-COVID patients next month, and all their remote workers will return to the office starting Feb. 27.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1643166827968.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>From the Associated PressOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The number of virus cases and hospitalizations have improved enough in Nebraska that Omaha is eliminating its mask mandate Wednesday and some of the state's largest hospitals are easing some of their restrictions. The number of people hospitalized with the virus statewide has fallen steadily since peaking Jan. 28 at 767. State health officials said 436 people were hospitalized Tuesday, which is the lowest level since early November. The CEO of Bryan Health in Lincoln, John Woodrich, said his hospitals are planning to lift all visitor restrictions for non-COVID patients next month, and all their remote workers will return to the office starting Feb. 27.

Omaha lifts mask mandate and hospitals easing restrictions

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The number of virus hospitalizations and cases continues to decline sharply across Nebraska giving hospitals some relief. 

But hospital officials said Monday that their facilities remain busy with non-COVID-19 patients, and they are dealing with ongoing staff shortages and a backlog of procedures that were delayed during last month’s surge driven by the highly contagious omicron variant. 

The state said 496 people were hospitalized with the virus in Nebraska Sunday. That number has declined steadily since hitting a peak of 767 on Jan. 28 after climbing dramatically from the Dec. 25 low of 445.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The number of virus hospitalizations and cases continues to decline sharply across Nebraska giving hospitals some relief. But hospital officials said Monday that their facilities remain busy with non-COVID-19 patients, and they are dealing with ongoing staff shortages and a backlog of procedures that were delayed during last month’s surge driven by the highly contagious omicron variant. The state said 496 people were hospitalized with the virus in Nebraska Sunday. That number has declined steadily since hitting a peak of 767 on Jan. 28 after climbing dramatically from the Dec. 25 low of 445.

Nebraska virus hospitalizations still falling

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers gave initial approval to a bill that would let workers claim religious or health exemptions to employer vaccine mandates.

The measure by Sen. Ben Hansen, of Blair, closely resembles a policy that’s already in place at the federal level. Lawmakers advanced it, 33-0, through the first of three required votes. 

It was watered down from an earlier proposal that would have let employees claim vaccine exemptions due to “strong moral, ethical, or philosophical” beliefs or convictions. 

Changes were made to address concerns of medical professionals.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1643166827968.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers gave initial approval to a bill that would let workers claim religious or health exemptions to employer vaccine mandates.The measure by Sen. Ben Hansen, of Blair, closely resembles a policy that’s already in place at the federal level. Lawmakers advanced it, 33-0, through the first of three required votes. It was watered down from an earlier proposal that would have let employees claim vaccine exemptions due to “strong moral, ethical, or philosophical” beliefs or convictions. Changes were made to address concerns of medical professionals.

Nebraska advances vaccine mandate exemption for workers

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska hospital system has announced it will begin resuming non-emergency surgeries and procedures that had been postponed last month due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. 

Nebraska Medicine said in a statement Friday that beginning Monday, the system will move out of its "crisis standard of care” plan enacted on Jan. 13. 

That move was made as the omicron variant of the coronavirus saw a spike in demand for hospital beds and led to staff shortages as medical personnel themselves became infected or had to care for family members who were ill.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska hospital system has announced it will begin resuming non-emergency surgeries and procedures that had been postponed last month due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. Nebraska Medicine said in a statement Friday that beginning Monday, the system will move out of its "crisis standard of care” plan enacted on Jan. 13. That move was made as the omicron variant of the coronavirus saw a spike in demand for hospital beds and led to staff shortages as medical personnel themselves became infected or had to care for family members who were ill.

Nebraska hospital system to resume delayed surgeries

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The number of virus hospitalizations in Nebraska exceeds the level that was supposed to trigger new restrictions from the state, but Gov. Pete Ricketts said those aren’t needed because hospitals are already limiting surgeries to preserve capacity. 

State health officials had said they would issue new Directed Health Measures restricting surgeries when COVID-19 cases filled more that 15% of Nebraska’s hospital beds on average. 

At the start of this week, that seven-day average stood at 17.3%. State health officials said 741 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 Wednesday. That is up significantly since late December when 445 people were hospitalized.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642111232069.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The number of virus hospitalizations in Nebraska exceeds the level that was supposed to trigger new restrictions from the state, but Gov. Pete Ricketts said those aren’t needed because hospitals are already limiting surgeries to preserve capacity. State health officials had said they would issue new Directed Health Measures restricting surgeries when COVID-19 cases filled more that 15% of Nebraska’s hospital beds on average. At the start of this week, that seven-day average stood at 17.3%. State health officials said 741 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 Wednesday. That is up significantly since late December when 445 people were hospitalized.

State declines new virus rules despite high hospitalizations

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations across Nebraska has jumped above 700 for the first time since December 2020 bringing the state closer to imposing additional restrictions on surgeries at hospitals.

 Nebraska health officials said Wednesday that 714 people were hospitalized with the virus Tuesday, up from 643 the day before. 

The total remains below the all-time peak of 987 set in November 2020, but it has been increasing steadily since last month and hospital officials expect the number to continue growing.

 State officials have said they will impose additional restrictions to protect hospital capacity when COVID-19 cases averaged over 15% of the total hospitalizations in Nebraska but the cases haven't quite reached that level.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642640602897.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations across Nebraska has jumped above 700 for the first time since December 2020 bringing the state closer to imposing additional restrictions on surgeries at hospitals. Nebraska health officials said Wednesday that 714 people were hospitalized with the virus Tuesday, up from 643 the day before. The total remains below the all-time peak of 987 set in November 2020, but it has been increasing steadily since last month and hospital officials expect the number to continue growing. State officials have said they will impose additional restrictions to protect hospital capacity when COVID-19 cases averaged over 15% of the total hospitalizations in Nebraska but the cases haven't quite reached that level.

Nebraska virus hospitalizations jump over 700 this week

WASHINGTON (AP) —The fast-moving omicron variant may cause less severe disease on average, but COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. are climbing and modelers forecast 50,000 to 300,000 more Americans could die by the time the wave subsides in mid-March.

The seven-day rolling average for daily new COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. has been trending upward since mid-November, reaching nearly 1,700 on Jan. 17 — still below the peak of 3,300 in January 2021. COVID-19 deaths among nursing home residents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-pandemics-nursing-homes-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-31685a926b0ee4e97e1b314a52b1f41c">started rising slightly two weeks ago</a>, although still at a rate 10 times less than last year before most residents were vaccinated.

Despite signs omicron causes milder disease on average, the unprecedented level of infection spreading through the country, with cases still soaring in many states, means many vulnerable people will become severely sick. If the higher end of projections comes to pass, that would push total U.S. deaths from COVID-19 over 1 million by early spring.

“A lot of people are still going to die because of how transmissible omicron has been,” said University of South Florida epidemiologist Jason Salemi. “It unfortunately is going to get worse before it gets better.”

Morgues are starting to run out of space in Johnson County, Kansas, said Dr. Sanmi Areola, director of the health department. More than 30 residents have died in the county this year, the vast majority of them unvaccinated.

But the notion that a generally less severe variant could still take the lives of thousands of people has been difficult for health experts to convey. The math of it — that a small percentage of a very high number of infections can yield a very high number of deaths — is difficult to visualize.

“Overall, you’re going to see more sick people even if you as an individual have a lower chance of being sick,” said Katriona Shea of Pennsylvania State University, who co-leads a team that pulls together&nbsp;<a href="https://covid19scenariomodelinghub.org/" target="_blank">several pandemic models</a>&nbsp;and shares the combined projections with the White House.

The wave of deaths heading for the United States will crest in late January or early February, Shea said. In early February, weekly deaths could equal or exceed the delta peak, and possibly even surpass the previous U.S. peak in deaths last year.

Some unknown portion of these deaths are among people infected with the delta variant, but experts say omicron is also claiming lives.

“This is omicron driven,” Shea said of the coming wave of deaths. The combined models project 1.5 million Americans will be hospitalized and 191,000 will die from mid-December through mid-March. Taking into account the uncertainty in the models, U.S. deaths during the omicron wave could range from 58,000 to 305,000.

Yet, it’s become increasingly clear that the risk from omicron is lower than from previous variants. New evidence from nearly 70,000 patients in Southern California suggests omicron is causing milder illness than delta.

A study, posted online and cited during a recent White House briefing, found patients with omicron had a 53% lower risk of hospitalization with respiratory symptoms, a 74% lower risk of ICU admission, and a 91% lower risk of death. The study, which has not yet been peer reviewed, comes from researchers at Kaiser Permanente and University of California, Berkeley.

“It’s hard for me to say straight out it’s good news,” said study co-author Sara Y. Tartof, a Kaiser Permanente research scientist. “Maybe there’s good news in the sense that if you are infected your chance of becoming severely ill are decreased, but from a societal perspective it’s a very heavy burden for us. It remains a serious situation, and we need to maintain practices and behaviors we know protect us.”

Overburdened hospitals could also contribute to more deaths, said Marc Lipsitch of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and scientific director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s forecasting center.

“In places with extremely short staffing and overloads of patients, as the medical professionals have been telling us, the quality of care begins to suffer,” Lipsitch said. “That may also lead to higher death rates, but that’s not in any of the models that I’m aware of.”

WASHINGTON (AP) —The fast-moving omicron variant may cause less severe disease on average, but COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. are climbing and modelers forecast 50,000 to 300,000 more Americans could die by the time the wave subsides in mid-March.The seven-day rolling average for daily new COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. has been trending upward since mid-November, reaching nearly 1,700 on Jan. 17 — still below the peak of 3,300 in January 2021. COVID-19 deaths among nursing home residents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-pandemics-nursing-homes-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-31685a926b0ee4e97e1b314a52b1f41c">started rising slightly two weeks ago</a>, although still at a rate 10 times less than last year before most residents were vaccinated.Despite signs omicron causes milder disease on average, the unprecedented level of infection spreading through the country, with cases still soaring in many states, means many vulnerable people will become severely sick. If the higher end of projections comes to pass, that would push total U.S. deaths from COVID-19 over 1 million by early spring.“A lot of people are still going to die because of how transmissible omicron has been,” said University of South Florida epidemiologist Jason Salemi. “It unfortunately is going to get worse before it gets better.”Morgues are starting to run out of space in Johnson County, Kansas, said Dr. Sanmi Areola, director of the health department. More than 30 residents have died in the county this year, the vast majority of them unvaccinated.But the notion that a generally less severe variant could still take the lives of thousands of people has been difficult for health experts to convey. The math of it — that a small percentage of a very high number of infections can yield a very high number of deaths — is difficult to visualize.“Overall, you’re going to see more sick people even if you as an individual have a lower chance of being sick,” said Katriona Shea of Pennsylvania State University, who co-leads a team that pulls together&nbsp;<a href="https://covid19scenariomodelinghub.org/" target="_blank">several pandemic models</a>&nbsp;and shares the combined projections with the White House.The wave of deaths heading for the United States will crest in late January or early February, Shea said. In early February, weekly deaths could equal or exceed the delta peak, and possibly even surpass the previous U.S. peak in deaths last year.Some unknown portion of these deaths are among people infected with the delta variant, but experts say omicron is also claiming lives.“This is omicron driven,” Shea said of the coming wave of deaths. The combined models project 1.5 million Americans will be hospitalized and 191,000 will die from mid-December through mid-March. Taking into account the uncertainty in the models, U.S. deaths during the omicron wave could range from 58,000 to 305,000.Yet, it’s become increasingly clear that the risk from omicron is lower than from previous variants. New evidence from nearly 70,000 patients in Southern California suggests omicron is causing milder illness than delta.A study, posted online and cited during a recent White House briefing, found patients with omicron had a 53% lower risk of hospitalization with respiratory symptoms, a 74% lower risk of ICU admission, and a 91% lower risk of death. The study, which has not yet been peer reviewed, comes from researchers at Kaiser Permanente and University of California, Berkeley.“It’s hard for me to say straight out it’s good news,” said study co-author Sara Y. Tartof, a Kaiser Permanente research scientist. “Maybe there’s good news in the sense that if you are infected your chance of becoming severely ill are decreased, but from a societal perspective it’s a very heavy burden for us. It remains a serious situation, and we need to maintain practices and behaviors we know protect us.”Overburdened hospitals could also contribute to more deaths, said Marc Lipsitch of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and scientific director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s forecasting center.“In places with extremely short staffing and overloads of patients, as the medical professionals have been telling us, the quality of care begins to suffer,” Lipsitch said. “That may also lead to higher death rates, but that’s not in any of the models that I’m aware of.”___

Report: US faces wave of omicron deaths in coming weeks

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska hospital officials are concerned about how they will handle the current surge in virus hospitalizations along with all their other patients as COVID-19 cases continue to increase dramatically across the state. 

Nebraska Hospital Association President Jeremy Nordquist says the state is clearly “in one of the darkest times of the pandemic.” 

The total number of hospitalizations hit 643 on Monday, which was down slightly from Friday’s peak of 675 but well above last month’s low of 445 set on Dec. 25. 

Virus hospitalizations across Nebraska are expected to grow significantly over the next couple weeks because the number of virus cases reported last week jumped 85%.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642555528405.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska hospital officials are concerned about how they will handle the current surge in virus hospitalizations along with all their other patients as COVID-19 cases continue to increase dramatically across the state. Nebraska Hospital Association President Jeremy Nordquist says the state is clearly “in one of the darkest times of the pandemic.” The total number of hospitalizations hit 643 on Monday, which was down slightly from Friday’s peak of 675 but well above last month’s low of 445 set on Dec. 25. Virus hospitalizations across Nebraska are expected to grow significantly over the next couple weeks because the number of virus cases reported last week jumped 85%.

Nebraska hospital officials worry about surge in patients

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden announced Thursday that the government will double to 1 billion the rapid, at-home COVID-19 tests to be distributed free to Americans, along with the most protective N95 masks, as he highlighted his efforts to “surge” resources to help the country weather the spike in coronavirus cases.

Biden also announced that starting next week 1,000 military medical personnel will begin deploying across the country to help overwhelmed medical facilities ease&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-b6d58e41b209dd67ed0954f28b542baf">staff shortages</a>&nbsp;due to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-europe-london-england-eddf1657a9462547826881562b71f3b7">the highly transmissible omicron variant</a>.

Many facilities are struggling because their workers are in at-home quarantines due to the virus at the same time as a nationwide spike in COVID-19 cases. The new deployments will be on top of other federal medical personnel who have already been sent to states to help with acute shortages.

Speaking at the White House Thursday, Biden acknowledged that, “I know we’re all frustrated as we enter this new year” as virus cases reach new heights. But he insisted that it remains “a pandemic of the unvaccinated.”

Both vaccinated and unvaccinated people test positive for the virus, but Biden noted medical figures showing that people are far less likely to suffer serious illness and death if they’ve received a shot: “What happens after that could not be more different.”

Biden’s comments come as his administration’s focus is shifting to easing disruptions from the spike in cases that is also contributing to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/grocery-store-supply-chain-issues-166cc40b0ff095af9d0bf4041fa1b5fc">grocery shortages</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-travel-flight-cancellations-bed3b491ef8dfd778ac612e35add75fb">flight cancellations,&nbsp;</a>rather than preventing the transmission of the virus.

On Tuesday, Janet Woodcock, the acting head of the Food and Drug Administration, told Congress that the highly transmissible strain will infect “most people” and that the focus should turn to ensuring critical services can continue uninterrupted.

“I think it’s hard to process what’s actually happening right now, which is: Most people are going to get COVID, all right?” she said. “What we need to do is make sure the hospitals can still function — transportation, other essential services are not disrupted while this happens.”

Biden said that he is directing his team to double its procurement of rapid COVID-19 tests to be delivered for free to Americans through a forthcoming federal website, as he seeks to respond to criticism over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-science-travel-health-196255dcfe3e928b6f9f5779cd47be4e">shortages and long lines for tests</a>. The initial order was for 500 million tests, and now the federal government will purchase 1 billion at-home testing kits. Biden said the website will launch next week.

Biden also announced that for the first time his administration was planning to make high-quality N95 masks, which are most effective at preventing transmission of the virus, available for free. He said his administration would announce details next week.

The federal government has a stockpile of more than 750 million N95 masks, the White House said this week. And though research has shown those masks to be better protection, they are often more uncomfortable, and health officials are not altering their guidance to recommend against less-protective cloth masks.

The best mask “is the one that you will wear and the one you can keep on all day long, that you can tolerate in public indoor settings,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Wednesday.

Biden encouraged Americans to wear masks when indoors to slow the spread of the virus, even as he acknowledged they’re a “pain in the neck”

During Thursday’s remarks Biden was joined by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-biden-cabinet-lloyd-austin-john-cornyn-army-4d8848273e4e1fe6e4ad2dc8cee7313c">Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin</a>, who recently recovered from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-health-lloyd-austin-alejandro-mayorkas-d06d9606206265e8fae110cf7a549fd4">his own case of COVID-19</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-politics-new-york-coronavirus-pandemic-emergency-management-49cff31bd6d423da5379523f99835eef">FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell</a>. They were hearing about the work of the more than 800 military personnel who have been helping civilian hospitals since Thanksgiving and the more than 14,000&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-new-hampshire-dover-7352b829ecb9ca54d89df03fa6fd9191">National Guard members</a>&nbsp;whose work supporting vaccinations, testing and caring for patients is being covered by the federal government.

The White House said the they spoke with federal personnel who are already on the ground in Arizona, Michigan and New York to hear about their experiences.

Biden also announced that six additional military medical teams will be deployed to Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio and Rhode Island.

The White House said the teams will support Henry Ford Hospital just outside Detroit, University Hospital in Newark, the University of New Mexico hospital in Albuquerque, Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn, Cleveland Clinic and Rhode Island Hospital in Providence.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden announced Thursday that the government will double to 1 billion the rapid, at-home COVID-19 tests to be distributed free to Americans, along with the most protective N95 masks, as he highlighted his efforts to “surge” resources to help the country weather the spike in coronavirus cases.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F627100008618297%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=17" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Biden also announced that starting next week 1,000 military medical personnel will begin deploying across the country to help overwhelmed medical facilities ease&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-b6d58e41b209dd67ed0954f28b542baf">staff shortages</a>&nbsp;due to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-europe-london-england-eddf1657a9462547826881562b71f3b7">the highly transmissible omicron variant</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden just announced that our administration will purchase an additional 500 million COVID-19 at home tests, bringing the total number of tests that will be distributed for free to 1 billion. <a href="https://t.co/Ze8NSyKaf9">pic.twitter.com/Ze8NSyKaf9</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1481654833199259649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Many facilities are struggling because their workers are in at-home quarantines due to the virus at the same time as a nationwide spike in COVID-19 cases. The new deployments will be on top of other federal medical personnel who have already been sent to states to help with acute shortages.Speaking at the White House Thursday, Biden acknowledged that, “I know we’re all frustrated as we enter this new year” as virus cases reach new heights. But he insisted that it remains “a pandemic of the unvaccinated.”Both vaccinated and unvaccinated people test positive for the virus, but Biden noted medical figures showing that people are far less likely to suffer serious illness and death if they’ve received a shot: “What happens after that could not be more different.”Biden’s comments come as his administration’s focus is shifting to easing disruptions from the spike in cases that is also contributing to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/grocery-store-supply-chain-issues-166cc40b0ff095af9d0bf4041fa1b5fc">grocery shortages</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-travel-flight-cancellations-bed3b491ef8dfd778ac612e35add75fb">flight cancellations,&nbsp;</a>rather than preventing the transmission of the virus.On Tuesday, Janet Woodcock, the acting head of the Food and Drug Administration, told Congress that the highly transmissible strain will infect “most people” and that the focus should turn to ensuring critical services can continue uninterrupted.“I think it’s hard to process what’s actually happening right now, which is: Most people are going to get COVID, all right?” she said. “What we need to do is make sure the hospitals can still function — transportation, other essential services are not disrupted while this happens.”Biden said that he is directing his team to double its procurement of rapid COVID-19 tests to be delivered for free to Americans through a forthcoming federal website, as he seeks to respond to criticism over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-science-travel-health-196255dcfe3e928b6f9f5779cd47be4e">shortages and long lines for tests</a>. The initial order was for 500 million tests, and now the federal government will purchase 1 billion at-home testing kits. Biden said the website will launch next week.Biden also announced that for the first time his administration was planning to make high-quality N95 masks, which are most effective at preventing transmission of the virus, available for free. He said his administration would announce details next week.The federal government has a stockpile of more than 750 million N95 masks, the White House said this week. And though research has shown those masks to be better protection, they are often more uncomfortable, and health officials are not altering their guidance to recommend against less-protective cloth masks.The best mask “is the one that you will wear and the one you can keep on all day long, that you can tolerate in public indoor settings,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Wednesday.Biden encouraged Americans to wear masks when indoors to slow the spread of the virus, even as he acknowledged they’re a “pain in the neck”During Thursday’s remarks Biden was joined by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-biden-cabinet-lloyd-austin-john-cornyn-army-4d8848273e4e1fe6e4ad2dc8cee7313c">Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin</a>, who recently recovered from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-health-lloyd-austin-alejandro-mayorkas-d06d9606206265e8fae110cf7a549fd4">his own case of COVID-19</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-politics-new-york-coronavirus-pandemic-emergency-management-49cff31bd6d423da5379523f99835eef">FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell</a>. They were hearing about the work of the more than 800 military personnel who have been helping civilian hospitals since Thanksgiving and the more than 14,000&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-new-hampshire-dover-7352b829ecb9ca54d89df03fa6fd9191">National Guard members</a>&nbsp;whose work supporting vaccinations, testing and caring for patients is being covered by the federal government.The White House said the they spoke with federal personnel who are already on the ground in Arizona, Michigan and New York to hear about their experiences.Biden also announced that six additional military medical teams will be deployed to Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio and Rhode Island.The White House said the teams will support Henry Ford Hospital just outside Detroit, University Hospital in Newark, the University of New Mexico hospital in Albuquerque, Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn, Cleveland Clinic and Rhode Island Hospital in Providence.

🎥 Biden now offering 1 billion free COVID tests to fight omicron

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska hospitals are stretched thin because of the current surge in coronavirus cases combined with the large number of health care workers who are out sick. 

Nebraska Medicine infectious disease specialist Dr. Angela Hewlett says hospital workers are tired and overwhelmed. 

The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 statewide grew to 649 on Tuesday. Hospital officials have said they are close to their limits because they are also treating non-COVID patients, and the number of virus hospitalizations may double over the next couple weeks. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the state reported its highest one-day total of virus cases during the pandemic Monday with 7,557 new cases.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska hospitals are stretched thin because of the current surge in coronavirus cases combined with the large number of health care workers who are out sick. Nebraska Medicine infectious disease specialist Dr. Angela Hewlett says hospital workers are tired and overwhelmed. The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 statewide grew to 649 on Tuesday. Hospital officials have said they are close to their limits because they are also treating non-COVID patients, and the number of virus hospitalizations may double over the next couple weeks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the state reported its highest one-day total of virus cases during the pandemic Monday with 7,557 new cases.

Nebraska hospitals stretched thin as virus surge continues

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The current surge in virus cases in Nebraska continues to send more people to the hospital and put stress on the state's health care system. 

Health officials said Thursday that they are already concerned about hospital capacity and the spread of the new omicron variant of the virus could make the situation worse. 

Nebraska confirmed six cases of the omicron variant earlier this month and state epidemiologist Dr. Matthew Donahue said one new possible case was being investigated Thursday. 

Infectious disease expert Dr. Angela Hewlett said hospitals are close to having to ration care. 

The number of people hospitalized with the virus remains near the highest level since before vaccines became available last December at 602.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The current surge in virus cases in Nebraska continues to send more people to the hospital and put stress on the state's health care system. Health officials said Thursday that they are already concerned about hospital capacity and the spread of the new omicron variant of the virus could make the situation worse. Nebraska confirmed six cases of the omicron variant earlier this month and state epidemiologist Dr. Matthew Donahue said one new possible case was being investigated Thursday. Infectious disease expert Dr. Angela Hewlett said hospitals are close to having to ration care. The number of people hospitalized with the virus remains near the highest level since before vaccines became available last December at 602.

Nebraska hospitals spread thin as virus continues to surge

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska health officials say that many of the sickest COVID-19 patients who are filling up the state’s hospitals are now unvaccinated younger adults instead of older individuals. 

The number of people hospitalized in Nebraska with the virus continues to climb this fall, and it hit 555 on Tuesday, which is the highest it has been since last winter. 

Although the number of hospitalizations remains well below last fall’s peak of 987, hospital capacity remains strained. 

The state said just 13% of the adult intensive care beds and 20% of the pediatric ICU beds were available Tuesday. 

The Nebraska Hospital Association says unvaccinated patients in the state’s hospitals outnumber vaccinated patients by a ratio of 11:1.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638388884031.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska health officials say that many of the sickest COVID-19 patients who are filling up the state’s hospitals are now unvaccinated younger adults instead of older individuals. The number of people hospitalized in Nebraska with the virus continues to climb this fall, and it hit 555 on Tuesday, which is the highest it has been since last winter. Although the number of hospitalizations remains well below last fall’s peak of 987, hospital capacity remains strained. The state said just 13% of the adult intensive care beds and 20% of the pediatric ICU beds were available Tuesday. The Nebraska Hospital Association says unvaccinated patients in the state’s hospitals outnumber vaccinated patients by a ratio of 11:1.

Many of Nebraska's COVID hospitalizations are young adults


Creighton
University medical experts are counseling patience but also vigilance
in the face of reports of a new COVID variant emerging from South
Africa.


Dubbed
“omicron” and identified as a “variant of concern” by the
World Health Organization, the variant has caused the United States
and other nations to suspend travel from multiple African nations,
even as medical authorities there insist that omicron, while
unusually transmissible, engenders only mild symptoms.


“I
would like to stress that very little is known at this time beyond
the fact that omicron is a new variant with a significant number of
genetic changes compared to delta, which is the predominant variant
worldwide,” says Michael Belshan, PhD, professor of medical
microbiology and immunology at the Creighton University School of
Medicine. “I recommend patience. Everything is speculative at this
time.”


Belshan
leads Creighton’s work monitoring COVID-19 variants circulating in
Nebraska. Conducted under an ongoing contract with the Nebraska
Department of Health and Human Services, the project enables the
state to conduct extensive surveillance of COVID to detect new
variants within days of their appearance.


Maureen
Tierney, MD, MSc., FIDSA, assistant dean of public health at the
Creighton School of Medicine and chair of the Department of Clinical
Research, urged COVID vigilance while medical authorities at
Creighton and around the world gather data on the omicron variant.


“Although
we agree that there is much not known, what we are recommending is
vaccination of the unvaccinated, booster shots, and
non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as masking and social
distancing,” Tierney said. “If this turns out to be a more
transmissible and/or a more virulent strain, then we are better
prepared. These steps will also help reduce the rising number of
cases of delta.”


Tierney
and Renuga Vivekanandan, MD, associate professor of medicine at
Creighton and chief of infectious diseases at CHI Health Creighton
University Medical Center-Bergan Mercy, said a new COVID strain is
not the only viral challenge facing Americans this winter. The other
key component is the flu.


“The
U.S. Centers for Disease Control put out a Health Alert Network last
week describing clusters of cases of influenza, especially among
younger adults and on college campuses,” Tierney said. “Many
states, including Nebraska, have detected flu activity, predominantly
H3N2 which is usually more virulent and is associated with an
increased rate of concomitant bacterial pneumonia.” 



The
CDC health alert noted that the flu strain was included in this
year’s vaccine but that it is already beginning to mutate.


Tierney
and Vivekanandan call for a renewed commitment to battling
respiratory viral infections. They offer the following
recommendations:

News Release Creighton University
Creighton
University medical experts are counseling patience but also vigilance
in the face of reports of a new COVID variant emerging from South
Africa.
Dubbed
“omicron” and identified as a “variant of concern” by the
World Health Organization, the variant has caused the United States
and other nations to suspend travel from multiple African nations,
even as medical authorities there insist that omicron, while
unusually transmissible, engenders only mild symptoms.
“I
would like to stress that very little is known at this time beyond
the fact that omicron is a new variant with a significant number of
genetic changes compared to delta, which is the predominant variant
worldwide,” says Michael Belshan, PhD, professor of medical
microbiology and immunology at the Creighton University School of
Medicine. “I recommend patience. Everything is speculative at this
time.”
Belshan
leads Creighton’s work monitoring COVID-19 variants circulating in
Nebraska. Conducted under an ongoing contract with the Nebraska
Department of Health and Human Services, the project enables the
state to conduct extensive surveillance of COVID to detect new
variants within days of their appearance.
Maureen
Tierney, MD, MSc., FIDSA, assistant dean of public health at the
Creighton School of Medicine and chair of the Department of Clinical
Research, urged COVID vigilance while medical authorities at
Creighton and around the world gather data on the omicron variant.
“Although
we agree that there is much not known, what we are recommending is
vaccination of the unvaccinated, booster shots, and
non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as masking and social
distancing,” Tierney said. “If this turns out to be a more
transmissible and/or a more virulent strain, then we are better
prepared. These steps will also help reduce the rising number of
cases of delta.”
Tierney
and Renuga Vivekanandan, MD, associate professor of medicine at
Creighton and chief of infectious diseases at CHI Health Creighton
University Medical Center-Bergan Mercy, said a new COVID strain is
not the only viral challenge facing Americans this winter. The other
key component is the flu.
“The
U.S. Centers for Disease Control put out a Health Alert Network last
week describing clusters of cases of influenza, especially among
younger adults and on college campuses,” Tierney said. “Many
states, including Nebraska, have detected flu activity, predominantly
H3N2 which is usually more virulent and is associated with an
increased rate of concomitant bacterial pneumonia.” 

The
CDC health alert noted that the flu strain was included in this
year’s vaccine but that it is already beginning to mutate.
Tierney
and Vivekanandan call for a renewed commitment to battling
respiratory viral infections. They offer the following
recommendations:<ul>
 <li>
	Encourage
	friends, relatives and colleagues to get vaccinated against
	COVID-19.
	</li><li>
	Encourage
	everyone over 6 months old to get a flu shot.
	</li><li>
	Emphasize
	the importance of COVID-19 booster shots for all those six months
	past their second mRNA (Pfizer and Moderna) shot and two months
	after a Johnson &amp; Johnson shot.
	</li><li>
	Mask
	when indoors and in crowded outdoor spaces in areas of high or
	sustained community transmission (almost all of Nebraska, including
	Douglas County).
	</li><li>
	Remind
	everyone that masking and social distancing also help reduce flu
	transmission.
	</li><li>
	If
	sick with respiratory symptoms, get tested for flu and COVID and
	stay home. 
	
	</li><li>
	Ask
	your doctor if you should be treated for the flu and/or bacterial
	pneumonia while awaiting test results. 
	
	</li><li>
	If
	you test positive for COVID-19, ask your health care provider if you
	are someone who should receive monoclonal antibodies.
</li>
 </ul>

Creighton experts urge patience, vigilance in face of 'omicron' variant

ATLANTA (AP) —U.S. health officials on Tuesday gave the final signoff to Pfizer’s kid-size COVID-19 shot, a major expansion of the nation’s vaccination campaign.

The Food and Drug Administration already authorized the shots for children ages 5 to 11 — doses just a third of the amount given to teens and adults. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends who should receive FDA-cleared vaccines.

The announcement by CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky came only hours after an advisory panel unanimously decided Pfizer’s shots should be opened to the 28 million youngsters in that age group.

Millions of shots made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech have already been shipped to states, doctors’ offices and pharmacies, to be ready for CDC’s decision.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1635890433225.png" alt="CDC Director Rochelle Walensky" />
 <figcaption>CDC Director Rochelle Walensky</figcaption>
 </figure>ATLANTA (AP) —U.S. health officials on Tuesday gave the final signoff to Pfizer’s kid-size COVID-19 shot, a major expansion of the nation’s vaccination campaign.The Food and Drug Administration already authorized the shots for children ages 5 to 11 — doses just a third of the amount given to teens and adults. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends who should receive FDA-cleared vaccines.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635537216378.png" alt="The vaccine for children has an orange cap-Photo courtesy Pfizer" />
 <figcaption>The vaccine for children has an orange cap-Photo courtesy Pfizer</figcaption>
 </figure>The announcement by CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky came only hours after an advisory panel unanimously decided Pfizer’s shots should be opened to the 28 million youngsters in that age group.Millions of shots made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech have already been shipped to states, doctors’ offices and pharmacies, to be ready for CDC’s decision.___

US gives final clearance to COVID-19 shots for kids 5 to 11

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-five-million-dead-memorials-acd5a25aabb50f203c8ee059803a1bec">global death toll</a>&nbsp;from COVID-19 topped 5 million on Monday, less than two years into a crisis that has not only devastated poor countries but also humbled wealthy ones with first-rate health care systems.

Together, the United States, the European Union, Britain and Brazil — all upper-middle- or high-income countries — account for one-eighth of the world’s population but nearly half of all reported deaths. The U.S. alone has recorded over 740,000 lives lost, more than any other nation.

“This is a defining moment in our lifetime,” said Dr. Albert Ko, an infectious disease specialist at the Yale School of Public Health. “What do we have to do to protect ourselves so we don’t get to another 5 million?”

The death toll, as tallied by Johns Hopkins University, is about equal to the populations of Los Angeles and San Francisco combined. It rivals the number of people killed in battles among nations since 1950, according to estimates from the Peace Research Institute Oslo. Globally, COVID-19 is now the third leading cause of death, after heart disease and stroke.

The staggering figure is almost certainly an undercount because of limited testing and people dying at home without medical attention, especially in poor parts of the world, such as India.

Hot spots have shifted over the 22 months since the outbreak began, turning different places on the world map red. Now,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-europe-pandemics-moscow-b844be49c2811a454440d4e84d5e5338">the virus is pummeling Russia</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-religion-europe-eastern-europe-2c9668cdc75b37ed140345405fcc3f54">Ukraine and other parts of Eastern Europe</a>, especially where rumors, misinformation and distrust in government have hobbled vaccination efforts. In Ukraine, only 17% of the adult population is fully vaccinated; in Armenia, only 7%.

“What’s uniquely different about this pandemic is it hit hardest the high-resource countries,” said Dr. Wafaa El-Sadr, director of ICAP, a global health center at Columbia University. “That’s the irony of COVID-19.”

By CARLA K. JOHNSON, Associated PressThe&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-five-million-dead-memorials-acd5a25aabb50f203c8ee059803a1bec">global death toll</a>&nbsp;from COVID-19 topped 5 million on Monday, less than two years into a crisis that has not only devastated poor countries but also humbled wealthy ones with first-rate health care systems.Together, the United States, the European Union, Britain and Brazil — all upper-middle- or high-income countries — account for one-eighth of the world’s population but nearly half of all reported deaths. The U.S. alone has recorded over 740,000 lives lost, more than any other nation.“This is a defining moment in our lifetime,” said Dr. Albert Ko, an infectious disease specialist at the Yale School of Public Health. “What do we have to do to protect ourselves so we don’t get to another 5 million?”The death toll, as tallied by Johns Hopkins University, is about equal to the populations of Los Angeles and San Francisco combined. It rivals the number of people killed in battles among nations since 1950, according to estimates from the Peace Research Institute Oslo. Globally, COVID-19 is now the third leading cause of death, after heart disease and stroke.The staggering figure is almost certainly an undercount because of limited testing and people dying at home without medical attention, especially in poor parts of the world, such as India.Hot spots have shifted over the 22 months since the outbreak began, turning different places on the world map red. Now,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-europe-pandemics-moscow-b844be49c2811a454440d4e84d5e5338">the virus is pummeling Russia</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-religion-europe-eastern-europe-2c9668cdc75b37ed140345405fcc3f54">Ukraine and other parts of Eastern Europe</a>, especially where rumors, misinformation and distrust in government have hobbled vaccination efforts. In Ukraine, only 17% of the adult population is fully vaccinated; in Armenia, only 7%.“What’s uniquely different about this pandemic is it hit hardest the high-resource countries,” said Dr. Wafaa El-Sadr, director of ICAP, a global health center at Columbia University. “That’s the irony of COVID-19.”Wealthier nations with longer life expectancies have larger proportions of older people, cancer survivors and nursing home residents, all of whom are especially vulnerable to COVID-19, El-Sadr noted. Poorer countries tend to have larger shares of children, teens and young adults, who are less likely to fall seriously ill from the coronavirus.India, despite its terrifying delta surge that peaked in early May, now has a much lower reported daily death rate than wealthier Russia, the U.S. or Britain, though there is uncertainty around its figures.The seeming disconnect between wealth and health is a paradox that disease experts will be pondering for years. But the pattern that is seen on the grand scale, when nations are compared, is different when examined at closer range. Within each wealthy country, when deaths and infections are mapped, poorer neighborhoods are hit hardest.In the U.S., for example, COVID-19 has taken an outsize toll on Black and Hispanic people, who are more likely than white people to live in poverty and have less access to health care.“When we get out our microscopes, we see that within countries, the most vulnerable have suffered most,” Ko said.Wealth has also played a role in the global vaccination drive, with rich countries accused of locking up supplies. The U.S. and others are already dispensing booster shots at a time when millions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-technology-business-cape-town-health-48046e5255cc3e4fa27455fc12ab5e52">across Africa haven’t received a single dose</a>, though the rich countries are also shipping hundreds of millions of shots to the rest of the world.Africa remains the world’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-lifestyle-europe-philanthropy-31fd688936caec29ff082412ef23e30a">least vaccinated region</a>, with just 5% of the population of 1.3 billion people fully covered.In Kampala, Uganda, Cissy Kagaba lost her 62-year-old mother on Christmas Day and her 76-year-old father days later.“Christmas will never be the same for me,” said Kagaba, an anti-corruption activist in the East African country that has been through multiple lockdowns against the virus and where a curfew remains in place.The pandemic has united the globe in grief and pushed survivors to the breaking point.“Who else is there now? The responsibility is on me. COVID has changed my life,” said 32-year-old Reena Kesarwani, a mother of two boys, who was left to manage her late husband’s modest hardware store in a village in India.Her husband, Anand Babu Kesarwani, died at 38 during India’s crushing coronavirus surge earlier this year. It overwhelmed one of the most chronically underfunded public health systems in the world and killed tens of thousands as hospitals ran out of oxygen and medicine.In Bergamo, Italy, once the site of the West’s first deadly wave, 51-year-old Fabrizio Fidanza was deprived of a final farewell as his 86-year-old father lay dying in the hospital. He is still trying to come to terms with the loss more than a year later.“For the last month, I never saw him,” Fidanza said during a visit to his father’s grave. “It was the worst moment. But coming here every week, helps me.”Today, 92% of Bergamo’s eligible population have had at least one shot, the highest vaccination rate in Italy. The chief of medicine at Pope John XXIII Hospital, Dr. Stefano Fagiuoli, said he believes that’s a clear result of the city’s collective trauma, when the wail of ambulances was constant.In Lake City, Florida, LaTasha Graham, 38, still gets mail almost daily for her 17-year-old daughter, Jo’Keria, who died of COVID-19 in August, days before starting her senior year of high school. The teen, who was buried in her cap and gown, wanted to be a trauma surgeon.“I know that she would have made it. I know that she would have been where she wanted to go,” her mother said.In Rio de Janeiro, Erika Machado scanned the list of names engraved on a long, undulating sculpture of oxidized steel that stands in Penitencia cemetery as an homage to some of Brazil’s COVID-19 victims. Then she found him: Wagner Machado, her father.“My dad was the love of my life, my best friend,” said Machado, 40, a saleswoman who traveled from Sao Paulo to see her father’s name. “He was everything to me.”___

Coronavirus Update