Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Subvariant BA.2 Found To Be More Contagious Than Original Omicron
CNBC: The Omicron Subvariant Is More Contagious, But Vaccinated People Are Less Likely To Spread It, Study Finds
The omicron BA.2 subvariant is inherently more contagious and better at evading vaccines than any other Covid strain, but vaccinated people don’t transmit it as easily as the unvaccinated, according to a Danish study published Sunday. The new subvariant, which has rapidly become dominant in Denmark, spread more easily across all groups regardless of sex, age, household size and vaccination status, the study found. (Kimball, 1/31)
CIDRAP: Study Suggests BA.2 COVID-19 Subvariant More Contagious
Frederik Plesner Lyngse, PhD, the study's first author who is with the University of Copenhagen and Denmark's Statens Serum Institute, said on Twitter that it's important to sort out the difference between the two Omicron variants, because BA.2 is very different than BA.1, differing by about 40 mutations. (Schnirring, 1/31)
In related news about omicron's spread —
Bloomberg: Fast-Spreading Omicron Variant Less Likely To Stop Reinfection
New studies are emerging that suggest the latest version of the highly-infectious omicron variant is transmitting even faster than the original, and mild cases of the first may not offer much protection against future infections. The findings cast doubt on hopes that the wave of omicron that’s sweeping the world may help hasten the end of the pandemic. Calls for governments to treat Covid-19 as endemic like influenza are rising globally as people grow tired of pandemic restrictions, vaccines become more accessible and deaths remain relatively low. (Matsuyama, 2/1)
In news about ivermectin —
Newsweek: Reuters Corrects Report That Ivermectin Has Anti-Viral Effect Against Omicron In Humans
On Monday, Reuters reported that Ivermectin had been shown to have an "antiviral effect" against the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in phase III trials—which are conducted in humans—citing a press release by Japanese pharmaceutical company Kowa. However, Reuters later published a correction to this claim explaining that this statement was not true, and that what Kowa had actually found was that ivermectin had an antiviral effect against COVID-19 in non-clinical research. (Browne, 2/1)
Reuters: Fact Check: Mexico No Longer Including Ivermectin In Home COVID-19 Care Kits, Contrary To Claims On Social Media
Social media users have recently circulated an image allegedly showing a home COVID-19 care kit delivered by the Mexican government that contains ivermectin. “This is the Ivermectin Kit the Mexican Government is giving its Citizens for Free,” reads a tweet from Jan. 17 that has garnered more than 20,700 retweets. Starting Jan. 4, 2022, the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) stopped including ivermectin in their home COVID-19 care kits for ambulatory patients, the IMSS Directorate of Medical Benefits told Reuters. (1/26)
