Top U.S. health officials on Tuesday defended the government’s response to the Omicron variant as they faced accusations from lawmakers about scarce coronavirus tests and confusing guidance.
“We’re doing the best we possibly can,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said. https://t.co/afakdDCfOr pic.twitter.com/TKwMGGN84N
— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 12, 2022
COVID-19 hospitalizations in the United States reached a record high on Monday, according to a @Reuters tally, as a surge in infections caused by the highly contagious Omicron variant strains health systems in several states https://t.co/MopLuw3hKU pic.twitter.com/J5LepDrE3x
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 11, 2022
Biden wants U.S. agencies to mandate COVID-19 testing for unvaccinated employees by Feb 15 https://t.co/DWtcpSs9oL pic.twitter.com/iIxuwwmmoz
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 12, 2022
The definition, though, of a full dose is shifting. The CDC now uses the phrase "up to date," meaning boosters once eligible.
And the share of boosted people really lags the share of fully vaccinated. That's why officials are begging people to get boosted.https://t.co/SzXV4zzLgV pic.twitter.com/yf1wfLOygA— Josh Wingrove (@josh_wingrove) January 11, 2022
The #omicron wave in New York is worse than in England. Overall, the U.S. recorded 4.9M new coronavirus infections in the week ending January 9. It was nearly 3x the previous record set in January 2021 ↓ https://t.co/FpKELlUrzz pic.twitter.com/x4sqSPXkNQ
— delthia ricks
(@DelthiaRicks) January 12, 2022
America generates a quarter of world's daily Omicron infections and a quarter of global deaths – and both are rising. This really shouldn't be happening. pic.twitter.com/48yND5Prqe
— Edward Luce (@EdwardGLuce) January 11, 2022
======
The northern Chinese city of Tianjin orders a second round of COVID-19 testing on all 14 million residents after multiple cases of the omicron strain were found during initial screenings. Tianjin is only about an hour from where the Olympics will be held. https://t.co/WVXhCBFSyO
— The Associated Press (@AP) January 12, 2022
What is China's Covid policy and does it work? https://t.co/OQzYhQrPMi
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) January 12, 2022
Hong Kong warns COVID-19 curbs on air cargo to hit goods supply https://t.co/ha3lkiqTJs pic.twitter.com/dmnE19PNot
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 12, 2022
South Korea authorizes use of Novavax COVID-19 vaccine and prepares to distribute the first of Pfizer's antiviral pills as it looks to pre-empt a surge of Omicron infections https://t.co/WoyujzCLsE pic.twitter.com/l5q56wrt3s
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 12, 2022
More than 30 officials from major South Korean companies who attended the giant CES tech trade show in Las Vegas last week tested positive for COVID-19 while in the United States, industry sources and one company said https://t.co/4YsyYDsYmV pic.twitter.com/0iQK1kSik9
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 12, 2022
Tokyo, Osaka expect jump in COVID-19 cases to 4-month highs – media https://t.co/R5dFnr5LM3 pic.twitter.com/4ENUd8CfEb
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 12, 2022
Indonesia rolls out booster shots, amid fears of Omicron spread https://t.co/GcArN5uWKn pic.twitter.com/ArE35L037u
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 12, 2022
Australia's most populous state, New South Wales, suffered its deadliest day of the COVID-19 pandemic, with surging Omicron infections leading to staff shortages that have disrupted supply chains and hampered the economy's recovery https://t.co/LSVQW2OdlG pic.twitter.com/ioZMA1RWN4
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 12, 2022
… Australian businesses are grappling with the growing toll of workers out sick or ordered to isolate for being close contacts. But the virus is also scaring customers away from airlines, entertainment and hospitality sectors, already battered by several lockdowns over the past two years.
“Essentially (small businesses) are in a lockdown … there is little support out there to help them keep their doors open,” Alexi Boyd, head of the Council of Small Business Organisations, told broadcaster ABC on Wednesday.
Australia’s daily infections on Wednesday lingered near records with around 100,000 reported so far. Forty-two new deaths were registered, with New South Wales suffering its worst day of the pandemic with 21 deaths…
Russia, which already has Europe's worst virus death toll, could see daily infections soar into six figures due to the omicron variant, authorities say. https://t.co/BouTsdkZcW
— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) January 11, 2022
An excuse for a little… radical honesty about the actual statistics?
Russia's top officials have told the country to brace for a potentially devastating new wave of the coronavirushttps://t.co/5bXRMwNLyC
— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) January 12, 2022
Russia exported 80 million doses of its Sputnik V and Sputnik Light vaccines in 2021, according to UN data. The country was originally targeting global sales of 500 million, but faced production delays and is still awaiting WHO approval.https://t.co/Jcfj4PoSOd
— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) January 12, 2022
'Half of Europe' to be infected with Omicron within weeks, World Health Organization says https://t.co/DGrBut8lUK
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) January 11, 2022
Germany's COVID-19 cases hit daily record of more than 80,000 https://t.co/9HFEvM0mJI pic.twitter.com/lLRSsSt7Rs
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 12, 2022
In vaccine-shy Poland, COVID deaths top 100,000 https://t.co/zqNMW3vEam pic.twitter.com/EDlboeKAMi
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 11, 2022
Austria's daily COVID-19 infections hit record, newspaper says https://t.co/kiOYrVkRxL pic.twitter.com/fDKECcoVHc
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 12, 2022
The beginning of the descent of Omicron hospital admissions in England
https://t.co/ilM1t942le by @mroliverbarnes @jburnmurdoch pic.twitter.com/cPlBq5BLKm
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) January 11, 2022
Is the worst of Omicron really over? https://t.co/qDRuebuMrs
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) January 12, 2022
Chile starts fourth vaccine dose amid rise in Covid cases https://t.co/fC7cMd43Kq
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) January 11, 2022
Freedumb ain’t free…
Canada’s second most populous province, Quebec, is working on a plan to require adults refusing to get vaccinated for COVID-19 to pay a ‘health contribution’ in a move likely to spur a debate about individual rights and social responsibility https://t.co/J5c2qWrELm pic.twitter.com/E9SJ4AUa7l
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 12, 2022
======
Reasons you should not deliberately catch #Omicron to "get it over with".
•It's more than a bad cold
•You could get #LongCovid
•You would spread disease to children
•You could stress healthcare systemhttps://t.co/sBYubSmHlX #COVID19— MicrobesInfect (@MicrobesInfect) January 11, 2022
Here's where (and how) you are most likely to catch COVID – new study @trishgreenhalgh https://t.co/VPB6x6C0iu pic.twitter.com/E83Wy1StCR
— Global Health Observ (@GlobalPHObserv) January 11, 2022
From #delta to #omicron: How scientists know which variants are circulating in the US. The most accurate is genomic surveillance, an early warning for SARSCoV2 variants. Basically, it works the way a smoke alarm helps you know where fire is breaking out https://t.co/OeDxlSjpdD pic.twitter.com/Ef40Hez07w
— delthia ricks
(@DelthiaRicks) January 11, 2022
======
Wow. This letter is an incredible testament to vaccines and vaccine mandates. Out of 3000 cases at United, zero hospitalized. Before, one employee a week dying. Post-mandate: Eight weeks, zero deaths. https://t.co/7nAZtTTzfi
— Garrett M. Graff (@vermontgmg) January 11, 2022
In California, hospitals are reporting that #omicron is causing fewer hospitalizations and shorter stays. Out of 52,000 patients infected with omicron, not one went on a ventilator, a new study has found https://t.co/EhYacZIUMZ
— delthia ricks
(@DelthiaRicks) January 12, 2022
— Atul Gawande (@Atul_Gawande) January 11, 2022
solutions that do not deal with the willfully unvaccinated are not real solutions, they are an indefinite tax on responsible people to allow the irresponsible to ride for free
— kilgore trout, cryptopolice chief (@KT_So_It_Goes) January 10, 2022
i don’t want to ruin your day or anything but when half the country ignores the health requirements you kinda need someone to enforce them to make them effective and that someone has to have an awful lot of power https://t.co/ffD4Osfq5l
— kilgore trout, cryptopolice chief (@KT_So_It_Goes) January 10, 2022
The post COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Tuesday / Wednesday, Jan. 11-12 appeared first on Balloon Juice.