Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Omicron Patients 80% Less Likely To Be Hospitalized, New Study Finds
Bloomberg: New Omicron Severity Study Shows Hospitalization Rate 80% Lower Than Delta
South Africans contracting Covid-19 in the current fourth wave of infections are 80% less likely to be hospitalized if they catch the omicron variant, compared with other strains, according to a study released by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases. Once admitted to the hospital, the risk of severe disease doesn’t differ from other variants, the authors led by scientists Nicole Walter and Cheryl Cohen said. (Kew, 12/22)
In related news about the spread of omicron —
Stat: Omicron By The Numbers: Where Things Stand Now
For the last four days, New York has posted all-time record case numbers of Covid-19. On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a new forecast that estimates that the Omicron variant is already the dominant variant in the U.S. Meanwhile, cases have been climbing in the Northeast and Midwest for the last several weeks. The nation’s Delta wave isn’t over and an Omicron wave has just begun. Here’s where things stand. (Parker, 12/21)
The Boston Globe: These 5 Charts Show How Fast Omicron Is Spreading
Here’s a look at charts that show just how quickly and widely Omicron has spread. The variant has now been detected in all but three states in the country: Montana, South Dakota, and Oklahoma, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Huddle, Fujiwara and Kaufman, 12/21)
AP: South Africa's Case Drop May Show Omicron Peak Has Passed
South Africa’s noticeable drop in new COVID-19 cases in recent days may signal that the country’s dramatic omicron-driven surge has passed its peak, medical experts say. Daily virus case counts are notoriously unreliable, as they can be affected by uneven testing, reporting delays and other fluctuations. But they are offering one tantalizing hint — far from conclusive yet — that omicron infections may recede quickly after a ferocious spike. ... After hitting a high of nearly 27,000 new cases nationwide on Thursday, the numbers dropped to about 15,424 on Tuesday. (Meldrum, 12/22)
Also —
The New York Times: Hospitals Scramble As Antibody Treatments Fail Against Omicron
Hospitals, drug companies and Biden administration officials are racing to address one of the Omicron variant’s biggest threats: Two of the three monoclonal antibody treatments that doctors have depended on to keep Covid-19 patients from becoming seriously ill do not appear to thwart the latest version of the coronavirus. The one such treatment that is still likely to work against Omicron is now so scarce that many doctors and hospitals have already run through their supplies. (Jewett, Zimmer and Robbins, 12/21)
The Washington Post: Possible Weapon Against Omicron: Early Use Of Convalescent Plasma Reduced Hospitalizations
Convalescent plasma may be another tool to help prevent coronavirus infections sparked by the omicron variant from turning severe if patients receive it soon after developing symptoms, according to data presented Tuesday. ... Scientists from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine published findings showing that giving plasma early during the course of illness reduced hospitalization by half in a clinical trial that spanned from June 2020 to October 2021. (Shepherd and McGinley, 12/21)
North Carolina Health News: Omicron Variant Q&A With UNC Virologist Lisa Gralinski
Lisa Gralinski is a virologist who studies human coronaviruses. She’s an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She’s been studying human coronaviruses for close to 13 years and has published dozens of papers, including 29 papers in the past two years. Gralinski was willing to take a few minutes as she prepared for the holidays to talk to NC Health News about what’s happening with Delta, what we can expect in coming weeks and to explain how Omicron has spread so quickly. (Hoban, 12/22)
NBC News: Omicron Delays Quarter Of Companies’ Reopening Plans, Survey Says
The omicron variant of the coronavirus is forcing many companies to once again change their back-to-the-office plans, upending expectations for whiplashed workers. According to a recent Gartner survey, 44 percent of companies have pushed back or altered their reopening plans because of the omicron variant. (White, 12/21)
