Healthcare

UPDATED: UK study finds mRNA COVID-19 vaccines provide biggest booster impact

LONDON, Dec 3 (Reuters) - COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna that use mRNA technology provide the biggest boost to antibody levels when given 10-12 weeks after the second…

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Omicron may become dominant in Europe in months -EU

The European Union's public health agency said that the Omicron variant could be responsible for more than half of all COVID-19 infections in Europe within a few months, but no…

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Australia records first Omicron community case

SYDNEY, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Australia on Friday reported its first community transmission of the new Omicron coronavirus variant, but authorities held steady on a plan to reopen the economy…

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To fight Omicron, Biden sets new travel rules and adds free COVID tests

President Joe Biden laid out his strategy to fight the Omicron and Delta coronavirus variants over the winter, including free and insurer-funded at-home COVID-19 testing and new requirements for international…

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Canadian airports warn of ‘chaos’ amid new COVID-19 testing rules

TORONTO, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Canada's plan to require novel coronavirus tests for all but U.S. arrivals on international flights risks causing "chaos" and long lines if all passengers are…

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EXPLAINER-Does Omicron pose higher risks for infants than other variants?

Data from an area in South Africa hard-hit by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus has shown a high number of hospital admissions of infants under 2 years old, raising…

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U.S. to require private health insurance companies cover at-home COVID-19 tests

WASHINGTON, Dec 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. government will require private health insurance companies to reimburse customers for the cost of over-the-counter at-home COVID-19 tests under new measures to combat…

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UPDATED: Germany approves new national COVID-19 restrictions, Berlin reports first Omicron case

Germany on Thursday imposed restrictions on the unvaccinated as it sought to break a dramatic surge in daily coronavirus infections exacerbated by the discovery of the Omicron strain. Outgoing Chancellor…

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South African data suggests Omicron gets around some, not all immunity

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - The Omicron variant appears able to get around some immunity, but vaccines should still offer protection against severe disease, according to the latest data from South Africa…

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Croatia unveils heavy fines for failure to apply COVID certificates

Croatia's government on Thursday proposed heavy fines for heads of public institutions or municipalities who fail to enforce digital certificates for their employees or visitors designed to help curb a…

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Outbreak of Omicron virus variant confirmed in Oslo

OSLO, Dec 2 (Reuters) - An outbreak of the Omicron coronavirus variant has been confirmed in Oslo, Norwegian media reported on Thursday, citing a statement by the Oslo municipality. One…

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EU regulator begins real-time review of Valneva’s COVID-19 shot

Dec 2 (Reuters) - The European Union's (EU) drug regulator said on Thursday it had started a rolling review of the protein-based COVID-19 vaccine from French biotech firm Valneva ,…

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Australia Omicron count edges higher, health authorities on edge

SYDNEY, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Australia's tally of people with the new Omicron variant of COVID-19 edged higher on Thursday, prompting state governments to bolster domestic border controls as health…

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Greece’s first case of Omicron variant detected on Crete, Romania investigating two suspected Omicron cases

ATHENS, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Greece has detected its first case of the Omicron coronavirus variant, in a Greek citizen on the island of Crete who had returned from South…

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UPDATED- Dutch say pre-flight tests needed as most COVID passengers from S.Africa were vaccinated

AMSTERDAM, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Dutch health authorities called for pre-flight COVID-19 tests regardless of vaccination status for travel from outside the European Union, revealing that about 90% of the…

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UPDATED: South Africa scientists expect milder reinfection, post-vaccination symptoms with Omicron

NAIROBI, Dec 2 (Reuters) - South Africa is seeing an increase in COVID-19 reinfections in patients contracting Omicron in a way that it did not experience with previous variants, a…

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Chinese border city restricts activities for cargos by highway as COVID-19 infections grow

BEIJING, Dec 2 (Reuters) - A Chinese city adjacent to Russia said that starting Friday, it would suspend certain activities for goods transported via highway, its latest move to tighten…

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UPDATED: First two cases of Omicron variant case found in mainland France

France on Thursday reported its first two cases of the new Omicron coronavirus variant, as the government's top scientific adviser said it could become dominant in the country by the…

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German ICUs expect COVID peak to hit hospitals at Christmas

Germany is likely to reach a peak of its fourth wave of COVID-19 infections by mid-December and this could mean 6,000 intensive care beds occupied by Christmas, the country's association…

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Spanish region of Catalonia detects potential signs of Omicron in sewage

Health authorities in the Spanish region of Catalonia said they had detected potential traces of the Omicron coronavirus variant in sewage samples from late November. If confirmed, it would mean…

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China suspends Lufthansa flights to Shenyang, Shanghai due to COVID-19 cases

BEIJING, Dec 2 (Reuters) - China's aviation authority said on Thursday it would suspend Lufthansa flights from Frankfurt to the cities of Shenyang and Shanghai due to COVID-19 cases. The…

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Scientists find trigger of rare blood clots with AstraZeneca vaccine

Scientists believe they have found "the trigger" that leads to extremely rare blood clots after the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine. The team - in Cardiff and the US - have shown…

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UPDATED: GSK says tests show Vir antibody drug works against Omicron

Dec 2 (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline on Thursday said that a lab analysis of the antibody-based COVID-19 therapy it is developing with U.S. partner Vir has shown the drug is effective…

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Denmark reports record daily COVID-19 infection numbers, Passengers from Doha or Dubai must take mandatory COVID-19 test

Denmark reported a record number of new daily coronavirus infections on Wednesday, data from the country's Serum Institute showed. The Nordic country, which has already confirmed some cases of the…

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U.N. chief slams COVID-19 ‘travel apartheid’ as unacceptable

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that travel restrictions imposed over COVID-19 that isolate any one country or region as "not only deeply unfair and punitive - they are ineffective."…

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First Omicron case in U.S. adds to global alarm over virus variant

TOKYO/WASHINGTON, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Fears over the impact of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus rose on Thursday after the first case was reported in the United States and…

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Global airlines prepare for Omicron-induced volatility

SYDNEY/CHICAGO Dec 1 (Reuters) - Global airlines are bracing for more volatility due to the Omicron variant of COVID-19 that could force them to juggle schedules and destinations at short…

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COVID-19 took toll on AIDS fight, UNAIDS chief says

CHICAGO, Dec 1 (Reuters) - New infections and deaths from HIV/AIDS may increase as the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted prevention measures, said UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima in an interview…

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WHO agrees to launch talks on pact to tackle pandemics

GENEVA, Dec 1 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) agreed on Wednesday to launch negotiations on an international pact to prevent and control future pandemics at a time when…

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Danish concert-goer confirmed infected with Omicron variant

COPENHAGEN, Dec 1 (Reuters) - A person infected with the new Omicron coronavirus variant participated in a large concert on Saturday, the Danish Patient Safety Authority said on Wednesday. The…

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Sydney braces for more Omicron cases but no lockdowns for now

SYDNEY, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Australian authorities on Wednesday flagged another probable case of the Omicron variant in Sydney as they braced for more infections after at least two international…

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Italy’s Diasorin says its COVID-19 tests can detect Omicron variant

MILAN, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Italian diagnostics group Diasorin said on Wednesday its COVID-19 test can accurately detect the new coronavirus variant Omicron. The World Health Organization (WHO) said this…

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French government: all travellers from outside EU will need negative COVID test

PARIS, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Travellers reaching France from outside the European Union will be subject to the obligation of a negative COVID-19 test, regardless their vaccination status, French government…

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Sweden expands traveler COVID-19 testing over Omicron worries

The Swedish health agency recommended that all travellers above the age of 6 entering Sweden from outside the Nordic region take a COVID-19 test within seven days due to the…

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Portugal will re-tighten COVID curbs at Christmas if needed

LISBON, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Portugal's government will not hesitate to increase restrictions during the festive Christmas period if they are needed to control a recent surge in COVID-19 cases,…

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UPDATED: EU pushes for daily travel reviews, mass booster shots over Omicron

The European Union needs daily reviews of its travel restrictions and rapid deployment of vaccine booster doses to limit entry and protect its citizens from the Omicron variant of the…

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UPDATED: Germany reports highest daily COVID-19 death toll for 9 months

BERLIN, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Germany reported the highest number of deaths from coronavirus since mid-February on Wednesday as hospitals warned that the country could have 6,000 people in intensive…

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Italian government considering making masks obligatory outdoors

Italian Health Undersecretary Andrea Costa said that the government was considering making facemasks obligatory outdoors as part of the effort to combat COVID-19 contagion, something Italy's mayors have called for…

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UPDATED: Norway detects its first 2 cases of Omicron variant, municipality says

Norway has identified its first two cases of the new Omicron coronavirus variant, the west coast municipality of Oeygarden said on Wednesday. The two people who were infected had been…

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UPDATED: EU launch of Pfizer/BioNTech COVID shot for younger children brought forward to Dec 13

he European Union-wide rollout of Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine version for five- to 11-year-old children will begin Dec 13, one week earlier than previously planned, Germany's health ministry said…

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Lisbon hospital shuts children services due to Omicron COVID-19 case

A large hospital near Lisbon, the Portuguese capital, said it has temporarily shut two of its paediatric departments after a health worker, who is also the doctor for a COVID-hit…

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Saudi confirms first case of Omicron coming from a north African country

Saudi Arabia confirmed its first case of the Omicron COVID-19 variant coming from a north African country, the state news agency said on Wednesday. Omicron, first reported in southern Africa…

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German state reports four fully vaccinated people infected with Omicron

BERLIN, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Four people in southern Germany have tested positive for the Omicron COVID-19 variant even though they were fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, the public health…

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Brazil reports first Latin American cases of Omicron variant

Brazilian health regulator Anvisa said that two Brazilians had tested positive for the Omicron COVID-19 variant, the first reported cases in Latin America. Anvisa said a traveler arriving in Sao…

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UPDATED: UK has 22 cases of UK has 22 cases of Omicron, health secretary says

British Health Secretary Sajid Javid urged people to book a COVID-19 booster shot on Wednesday as he said there were 22 confirmed cases of the Omicron virus variant in the…

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UPDATED: Nigeria says found Omicron variant from October samples

ABUJA, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Nigeria said on Wednesday it had confirmed its first cases of the Omicron COVID-19 variant, among them a sample from travellers who came to Nigeria…

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Forty-two cases of COVID-19 Omicron variant confirmed in 10 EU states

Forty-two cases of the COVID-19 Omicron variant have been confirmed in 10 European Union countries, the head of the EU's public health agency said. Authorities in the 27-nation EU were…

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Upbeat Johnson brings Christmas market to Downing Street

Prime Minister Boris Johnson appears to have begun his Christmas celebrations early as he put his faith in a ramped-up booster programme to save the festive season for everyone. Mr…

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Austria extends COVID-19 lockdown by 10 days

An Austrian parliamentary committee, as widely expected, approved a decree extending the country's COVID-19 lockdown by 10 days, bringing its total duration to 20 days, which the government has said…

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China local COVID-19 cases jump to most in nearly a month

BEIJING, Dec 1 (Reuters) - China detected 91 domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases with confirmed symptoms for Tuesday, marking the highest daily count since Nov. 2 and a significant jump from…

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U.S. tightens COVID-19 travel rules as countries race to quell Omicron threat

SYDNEY/TOKYO, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Air travellers to the United States will face tougher COVID-19 testing rules as several countries moved to seal-off their borders amid growing uncertainty around the…

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Canada to ask air arrivals to take COVID tests except on U.S. flights

Canada, seeking to halt the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant, will require people arriving by air from all nations except the United States to take a COVID-19 test, Health…

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German and Austrian COVID-19 incidence rate falls, stable in Netherlands

The COVID-19 incidence rate has dropped slightly in Germany and Austria and stabilised in the Netherlands since the three countries introduced new measures to curb the spread of the virus, new data showed. After becoming hot spots…

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Avoid Christmas parties and other social events, Britons warned

Christmas parties and other festive social events should not go ahead if they are not necessary and working from home could be key in order to help slow the spread…

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Mask mandates to tackle Omicron come into force in England

New mask mandates and other measures aimed at curbing the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant came into force in England on Tuesday, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson eyes an…

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Moderna CEO warns COVID-19 shots less effective against Omicron, spooks markets

Drugmaker Moderna's CEO (MRNA.O) set off fresh alarm bells in financial markets on Tuesday after he warned that COVID-19 vaccines were unlikely to be as effective against the Omicron variant…

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France registers biggest jump in COVID-19 hospital patients since spring

France registered its biggest jump in coronavirus-related hospital admissions since the spring, health ministry data showed on Monday. The number of patients in intensive care units with COVID-19 jumped by 117 to 1,749…

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