Although the number of people who test positive for Omicron in the United States is still small, the total number of COVID-19 cases continues to grow and some hospitals are under pressure to increase the number of cases. Hospitals and health authorities remain vigilant.
Forty-three people in 19 states tested positive for Omicron, according to statements made. To the Associated Press According to Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 75% of these cases are fully vaccinated and one is hospitalized. One-third of those individuals have traveled abroad. One-third received boosters. So far, she said the incident was “mild.”
U.S. reported First case of Omicron In a fully vaccinated individual who recently traveled to South Africa last week.
The first new variant detected in South Africa is believed to be more infectious. However, it is unclear whether it causes a more serious illness. NS Study in japan The Omicron variant was shown to be 4.2 times more contagious than the Delta strain. Bloomberg Report On thursday.
Meanwhile, as the overall number of cases increases, some hospitals in the United States are already struggling to meet the demand from COVID-19 patients.
Geisinger, a large hospital system in Pennsylvania, said: I ran out of beds According to Newsweek, patients wait 10 to 20 hours in the emergency room for treatment.Ann Arbor Hospital, Michigan Medicine Cancellation of elective surgery The hospital bed is filled with COVID-19 patients.Hospitalization in Vermont Record high..
However, some new regulatory changes are underway.
Wednesday FDA approved It is the first treatment available for pre-exposure prophylaxis and may be used for some people who may not be able to obtain protective antibodies with COVID-19 vaccination.AstraZeneca
AZN,
COVID-19 monoclonal antibodies can be prescribed to people with immunodeficiency or a history of serious side effects to the COVID-19 vaccine.
Regulators are also expected to approve BioNTech SE
BNTX,
And of Pfizer
PFE,
After telling, COVID-19 booster for 16 and 17 years old Bloomberg There are no plans to hold an advisory board to discuss the approval of boosters for this age group.
Here’s what else you need to know about COVID-19:
According to the virus, it clearly attacks adipose tissue in addition to the immune cells inside the fat cells. Preprint Reported by The New York Times. “This can contribute to a serious illness,” Dr. Catherine Blish, one of the authors of the report, told the Times.
Health experts say they have doubts about the CDC data that 99.9% of older people in the United States have been vaccinated with at least one COVID-19 vaccine. Report Kaiser Health News.. They say the data don’t match what some states say or report in polls.
Latest COVID-19 number
According to the report, the average daily number of cases in the United States increased to 121,311 on Wednesday, the highest since September 24, an increase of 27% from two weeks ago. New York Times Tracker.. The average daily death toll decreased by 1,275 from 1,298 on Tuesday, but increased by 12% from a week ago and hospitalizations increased by 20% to a maximum of 61,936 in eight weeks.
Currently, more than 200 million people are fully vaccinated in the United States. According to the CDC.. That is 60.4% of the population. About 48.9 million people, one-quarter of the US population, are boosted.
who Said Weekly COVID-19 cases remain flat worldwide, but are increasing in Africa (79%) and the Americas (21%).
