World, now up to 226 confirmed cases in 20 countries

Moderna, a material drop in efficacy

Pfizer applied to FDA to boost 16 and 17 year olds

Pfizer's chief scientific officer, Mikael Dolsten

https://www.statnews.com/2021/11/30/p...

Enough experimental vaccine to begin a clinical trial within about two months

Very high commercial scale, by early March

cautiously optimistic, especially for the boosted

Pathogenicity

https://www.dw.com/en/covid-how-dange...

Preliminary data suggests that there are increasing rates of hospitalization in South Africa,

but this may be due to increasing overall numbers of people becoming infected, rather than a result of a specific infection with omicron

Professor Salim Abdool Karim, South Africa

The vaccine should hold well in terms of preventing hospitalizations

The European Union

44 confirmed cases in EU countries

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-new...

Dr. Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission’s President

Must consider mandatory vaccination

highly contagious omicron variant

150 million not vaccinated

This is an enormous health cost coming along

77 % of adults

66% of whole population

Greece and Austria already mandating


Netherlands

13 cases

US

Sewage surveillance

FDA

Narrow vote (14 to 10) approve Merck molnupiravir

Only high-risk patients

Not in pregnancy


UK

22 cases

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/...

New self-isolation rules now law

10 days after contact with omicron

Even if fully vaccinated

Fine up to £10,000

Until March 24

? new pingdemic

Scientific advisory group for emergencies, leak

30 scientists, Patrick Vallance, Chris Whitty

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-he...

Stringent response measures may be needed for omicron

highly likely that omicron, after infection or vaccination to some extent there will be immune escape

Expects booster jabs to provide protection for now

Future remains highly uncertain

potentially very significant wave of infections

Covid symptom tracker data

https://covid.joinzoe.com/data#levels...

WHO advice for international traffic in relation to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (B.1.1.529)

https://www.who.int/news-room/article...

Preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant as compared to other VOCs

Current SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostics continue to be effective

Blanket travel bans will not prevent the international spread

People not fully vaccinated, sick or at increased risk,

should be advised to postpone travel to areas with community transmission