Covid-19 news: Omicron is dangerous despite lower hospitalisation risk

By Michael Le Page, Clare Wilson, Jessica Hamzelou, Sam Wong, Graham Lawton, Adam Vaughan, Conrad Quilty-Harper, Jason Arunn Murugesu and Layal Liverpool Oxford Street, London, UK, on 21 December, 2021 TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images Latest coronavirus news as of 12pm on 23 December Omicron’s high transmissibility means it’s still a severe threat despite its … Read more

Milder or Not, Omicron Could Still Overwhelm Hospitals

When news of the novel coronavirus’s Omicron variant first broke over the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S., the sense of dread and fatigue was palpable. Just when the COVID pandemic’s outlook had started to improve, we were faced with a new arrival that was clearly more transmissible than previous variants—and likely able to significantly evade … Read more

Covid-19: Coronavirus was the third leading cause of death in the US in 2020

In the first year of the pandemic, covid-19 became one of the leading causes of death in the US. The country also had the biggest drop in life expectancy than any other Health 22 December 2021 By Jason Arunn Murugesu In America: Remember, an art installation in Washington, DC, memorialising those who have died in … Read more

Covid-19 news: Isolation rules for covid cases changed in England

By Michael Le Page, Clare Wilson, Jessica Hamzelou, Sam Wong, Graham Lawton, Adam Vaughan, Conrad Quilty-Harper, Jason Arunn Murugesu and Layal Liverpool The NHS covid-19 app counts down the days left of isolation after a positive test Sara Sadler/Alamy Latest coronavirus news as of 11am on 22 December Officials say isolating for 10 days avoids … Read more

Covid-19 news: WHO calls for holiday festivities to be postponed

By Michael Le Page, Clare Wilson, Jessica Hamzelou, Sam Wong, Graham Lawton, Adam Vaughan, Conrad Quilty-Harper, Jason Arunn Murugesu and Layal Liverpool Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization SALVATORE DI NOLFI/EPA-EFE/Shuttersto​ck Latest coronavirus news as of 12pm on 21 December Omicron variant could overwhelm health systems, says WHO chief The head of … Read more

Covid-19 news: Moderna booster stimulates antibodies against omicron

By Michael Le Page, Clare Wilson, Jessica Hamzelou, Sam Wong, Graham Lawton, Adam Vaughan, Conrad Quilty-Harper, Jason Arunn Murugesu and Layal Liverpool A Swiss soldier closes the curtain of a booth prior to the administration of a Moderna covid-19 booster jab in Switzerland. FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images Latest coronavirus news as of 1pm on … Read more

How Severe Are Omicron Infections?

It has been less than four weeks since the announcement that a mutation-laden coronavirus variant had been discovered in southern Africa. Since then, dozens of countries around the world have reported Omicron cases—including a worrying number of infections in people who have either been vaccinated or experienced previous SARS-CoV-2 infections. But as political leaders and public-health officials try to … Read more

Omicron: England must act before Christmas to limit hospitalisations and deaths

By Michael Le Page and Graham Lawton People queue for vaccinations at St Thomas’ Hospital in London Dan Kitwood/Getty Images The world is facing a surge in hospitalisations and deaths from the omicron variant of the coronavirus that could be as bad as in previous waves, even if omicron is only a third as severe … Read more

Lateral flow tests: Do LFTs detect the omicron coronavirus variant?

By Clare Wilson Positive and negative rapid lateral flow tests Anna Mente/Shutterstock With the omicron variant of the coronavirus on the rise, regular testing has become even more important, particularly as people decide whether to socialise during the Christmas period. Here’s everything you need to know about testing. What is the difference between a lateral … Read more

Omicron: How did the coronavirus variant evolve to be so dangerous?

Omicron has become a global threat to public health thanks to a particularly dangerous set of mutations, but where did it come from? Health 17 December 2021 By Michael Le Page A technician at the Nelson Mandela School of Medicine in Durban, South Africa New York Times / Redux / eyevine We do not know … Read more