Omicron

EXPLAINER: What do we know about the XBB.1.5 Omicron subvariant?

By Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber and Jennifer Rigby GENEVA (Reuters) - The Omicron subvariant, XBB.1.5, is causing concern among scientists after its rapid spread in the United States in December. Here is…

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Pfizer/BioNTech Omicron booster shows strong response after a month

Nov 4 (Reuters) - U.S. drugmaker Pfizer Inc and its German partner BioNTech said on Friday their Omicron-tailored shot targeting the BA.4/5 subvariants produced a strong antibody response in humans…

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Boost high-risk people with Omicron-tailored shots first – EU officials

LONDON (Reuters) - EU officials recommended that the two Omicron- tailored vaccines recently endorsed by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) be first deployed in high-risk individuals. Developed by Moderna and…

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Europe to get Omicron-adapted vaccines within days of EU approval -MEP Liese

LONDON, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Omicron-adapted vaccines will be delivered to the European Union within days of regulatory approval, European member of parliament Peter Liese said on Wednesday. The European Medicines Agency…

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Earlier Omicron infection may protect against BA.4/BA.5

Young and middle-aged adults who were infected with earlier versions of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus are likely to have "strong" protection against reinfection with the currently dominant Omicron…

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COVID cases down in Americas but Omicron subvariants driving new infections -PAHO

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) warned of the growing number of COVID-19 cases caused by the highly infectious BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants of the coronavirus even as overall…

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Shanghai identifies new COVID Omicron subvariant

The city of Shanghai has discovered a COVID-19 case involving a new subvariant Omicron BA.5.2.1, an official told a briefing over the weekend, signalling the complications China faces to keep…

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New wave of Omicron mutations spreading across Europe, EU Medicines Agency warns

A new wave of Covid-19 is sweeping across Europe driven by Omicron mutations, an EU Medicines Agency official has warned. Head of vaccines at the agency, Marco Cavaleri, has said…

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Omicron sub-variants BA.4, BA.5 make up 70% of COVID variants in U.S. – CDC

(Reuters) - The fast-spreading BA.4 and BA.5 sub-lineages of Omicron are estimated to make up a combined 70.1% of the coronavirus variants in the United States as of July 2, the U.S.…

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Early Omicron infection unlikely to protect against current variants

NEW YORK, June 17 (Reuters) - People infected with the earliest version of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, first identified in South Africa in November, may be vulnerable to reinfection with…

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UK study shows Omicron less likely to cause long COVID

LONDON, (Reuters) - The Omicron variant of coronavirus is less likely to cause long COVID than previous variants, according to the first peer-reviewed study of its kind from the United Kingdom. Researchers…

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Catching omicron ‘does not protect you against future infection’

Catching omicron does not protect people from a future infection from the variant, Imperial College has found, as scientists said it explained why cases remain stubbornly high. Throughout the pandemic,…

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Omicron as severe as previous COVID variants, large study finds

May 5 (Reuters) - The Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV2 virus is intrinsically as severe as previous variants, unlike assumptions made in previous studies that it was more transmissible but less severe,…

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Booster after infection adds little extra benefit vs Omicron

Among people who were previously infected with the coronavirus, a third dose of an mRNA vaccine may not boost their protection against the Omicron variant of the virus, according to…

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COVID’s new Omicron sub-lineages can dodge immunity from past infection – study

JOHANNESBURG, May 1 (Reuters) - Two new sublineages of the Omicron coronavirus variant can dodge antibodies from earlier infection well enough to trigger a new wave, but are far less able to…

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Omicron infects more small children, but less harmfully

Among children under age 5 who were ineligible for coronavirus vaccines, the Omicron variant caused 6- to 8-times more infections than the Delta variant, but severe COVID-19 was less common…

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BioNTech to expand trial programme for more anti-Omicron vaccine options

FRANKFURT, March 30 (Reuters) - BioNTech expanded an ongoing clinical trial programme to develop new vaccines and patterns of administration for better protection against the dominant Omicron coronavirus variant. The enlargement of its trial programme with…

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COVID cases in Asia surpass 100 million – Reuters tally

March 30 (Reuters) - Coronavirus infections in Asia passed 100 million on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally, as the region records a resurgence in cases, dominated by the BA.2 Omicron sub-variant.…

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Previous COVID-19 less protective against Omicron variant

The immune response to COVID-19 helps protect against reinfection, but that protection is weaker against Omicron than it was against earlier variants of the coronavirus, according to new data. A…

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13

Feb

Omicron’s route into cells helps explain symptom profile

The Omicron variant's method of infecting cells is different from the mechanism most often used by earlier SARS-CoV-2 variants, which could help explain Omicron's milder symptom profile, a study published…

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Omicron hit to UK economy less sharp than feared in December

LONDON, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Britain's economy shrank by a less-than-expected 0.2% in December when the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 prompted many Britons to work from…

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Discovery of Omicron in New York deer raises concern over possible new variants

The discovery of the Omicron variant in white-tailed deer in New York has raised concerns that the species, numbering 30 million in the United States, could become hosts of a…

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COVID cases surpass 400 million as Omicron grips world

Feb 9 (Reuters) - Global COVID-19 cases surpassed 400 million on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally, as the highly contagious Omicron variant dominates the outbreak, pushing health systems in…

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U.S. study finds Omicron-specific booster may not be needed

A study in monkeys pitting the current Moderna Inc COVID-19 booster against an Omicron-specific booster showed no significant differences in protection, suggesting an Omicron-specific booster may not be needed, U.S.…

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Scientists on alert over rising cases caused by Omicron cousin

The highly transmissible Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus - the most common form of which is known as BA.1 - now accounts for nearly all of the coronavirus infections…

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Boosters increase protection against death from Omicron in over-50s to 95% – UKHSA

LONDON (Reuters) -COVID-19 boosters increase protection against death from the Omicron variant to 95% in people aged 50 or over, the UK Health Security Agency said. The UKHSA said that…

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Omicron subvariant appears more contagious, but not more severe, Denmark says

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - The BA.2 subvariant of the Omicron coronavirus variant, which is dominant in Denmark, appears more contagious than the more common BA.1 sub-lineage, Danish Health Minister Magnus Heunicke…

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African scientists say ‘mild omicron’ could end pandemic

African scientists are optimistic that the variant could mark the end of the pandemic and the beginning of an endemic. South African virologist Wolfgang Preiser told DW that the behavior…

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With Omicron, global economy spots chance to push past COVID

With Omicron, global economy spots chance to push past COVIDGovernments worldwide are easing quarantine rules, reviewing coronavirus curbs and dialling back pandemic-era emergency support as they bid to launch their…

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Irish hospitalisations see first week-on-week fall in Omicron wave

The number of coronavirus patients in Irish hospitals fell week-on-week for the first time since the Omicron variant drove cases to record highs last month, adding to confidence that restrictions…

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UK study finds more Omicron hospitalisations in youngest children, but cases mild

Young children and babies are proportionally more likely to be hospitalised with Omicron compared to older children than with previous variants but the cases are still mild, British researchers said,…

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Peak Omicron? Experts wary of calling time on variant wave in Europe

A surge in coronavirus cases caused by the Omicron variant may have peaked in some parts of Europe but medics say the impact will continue to be felt across the…

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S.African study suggests Omicron less severe even for unvaccinated

JOHANNESBURG, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Unvaccinated people infected with the Omicron variant of coronavirus may be less prone to severe illness and requiring hospital care or dying than was the…

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Another Chinese city detects Omicron case as Tianjin outbreak expands

BEIJING, Jan 13 (Reuters) - The Chinese port city of Tianjin reported an increase in COVID-19 infections on Thursday as it stepped up efforts to rein in an outbreak that…

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Omicron less severe than Delta but still poses danger for unvaccinated: WHO

The highly infectious Omicron coronavirus variant causes less severe disease than the Delta strain but it remains a "dangerous virus", particularly for those who are unvaccinated, the head of the…

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Too soon to treat COVID-19 like flu as Omicron spreads – WHO

The Omicron variant of COVID-19 is on track to infect more than half of Europeans, but it should not yet be seen as a flu-like endemic illness, the World Health…

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Chinese cities tighten COVID-19 curbs as Tianjin battles Omicron outbreak

Cities across China are imposing tougher restrictions to try to control new outbreaks of COVID-19, with Tianjin battling the highly contagious Omicron variant which has been detected to have been transmitted locally in two…

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South African studies suggest Omicron has higher ‘asymptomatic carriage’

South African studies suggest Omicron has higher 'asymptomatic carriage' Preliminary findings from two South African clinical trials suggest the Omicron coronavirus variant has a much higher rate of "asymptomatic carriage"…

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Omicron will cost Israel $640 mln every three weeks, central bank chief says

JERUSALEM, Jan 10 (Reuters) - The Omicron coronavirus variant sweeping Israel will cost the economy around two billion shekels ($641.81 million) every 20 days, central bank governor Amir Yaron said…

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China’s Tianjin tightens control over travel after Omicron cases

BEIJING, Jan 10 (Reuters) - The northern Chinese city of Tianjin tightened exit controls and is requiring residents to obtain approval from employers or community authorities before leaving town in…

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Omicron surge pushes U.S. COVID hospitalizations toward record high

NEW YORK, Jan 7 (Reuters) - COVID-19 hospitalizations in the United States are poised to hit a new high as early as Friday, according to a Reuters tally, surpassing the…

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Rapid nose swab tests for COVID may not detect Omicron quickly enough – expert says

(Reuters) - Swabbing the nose with a rapid antigen test will not reliably detect the Omicron variant in the first few days of an infection, so manufacturers should seek U.S.…

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Germany to shorten quarantine period in face of Omicron spread

Germany is to relax its quarantine rules while bringing in additional restrictions for restaurants and bars, federal and state leaders agreed on Friday, in response to fears of a surge…

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South African hospital sees less serious disease, coming end of Omicron surge

The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by…

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Omicron may be less severe in young and old, but not ‘mild’ – WHO

The more infectious Omicron variant of COVID-19 appears to produce less severe disease than the globally dominant Delta strain, but should not be categorised as "mild", World Health Organization (WHO)…

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Omicron evades immunity better than Delta, Danish study finds

COPENHAGEN, Jan 3 (Reuters) - The Omicron coronavirus variant is better at circumventing vaccinated peoples' immunity than the Delta variant, according to a Danish study published last week, helping explain…

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Omicron could lead Israel to herd immunity, health official says

Israel could reach herd immunity amid surging Omicron infections, its top health official said on Sunday, as the country approved the use of Merck & Co's molnupiravir anti-viral pill for…

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Omicron cannot escape body’s second-line defense

A key part of the immune system's second-line defense - its T cells - are highly effective at recognizing and attacking the Omicron variant, thereby preventing most infections from progressing…

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Demand for COVID-19 self-test kits skyrocket in Europe amid Omicron surge

The first COVID-19 self-test kits have arrived on the shelves of supermarkets in France. In a bid to tackle the surge of the highly contagious Omicron variant, French supermarkets are…

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Omicron, unruly passengers deter U.S. airline staff from holiday overtime

U.S. airline cabin crew, pilots and support staff are reluctant to work overtime during the holiday travel season despite being lured with hefty financial incentives because of the growing fear…

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Boosters reduce risk of Omicron household transmission

The odds that vaccinated people will catch the virus if a household member becomes infected are nearly three to four times higher with Omicron than with Delta, but booster doses…

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Hong Kong says Omicron has spread despite COVID restrictions

HONG KONG, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's health officials said on Friday the Omicron variant of the coronavirus has made its way past some of the world's toughest COVID…

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Australia relaxes testing rules amid Omicron surge

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia sought to relieve pressure on overrun COVID-19 testing facilities on Thursday by narrowing its definition of close contacts of infected people and relaxing requirements for tests, as…

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Omicron on verge of becoming dominant variant in Amsterdam

Nearly half of coronavirus infections in Amsterdam are now caused by the Omicron variant – a twelvefold increase in the last eight days. A random sample of 95 cases by…

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‘Significant increase’ in protection vs Omicron from mRNA boosters, study says

Getting a third dose of either Pfizer-BioNTech's or Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine offers a "significant increase" in protection against the Omicron variant in elderly people, according to a Danish study published…

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Lower risk of hospital admission from Omicron, UK says

LONDON (Reuters) - There is a lower risk of hospitalisation for people with the Omicron coronavirus variant compared to Delta, but the higher transmissibility of Omicron could still lead to…

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Britain reports record 119,789 new COVID-19 cases

LONDON, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Britain recorded a record number of new coronavirus cases on Thursday as the Omicron variant swept across the country, with the daily tally reaching 119,789…

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