As Omicron spreads, officials ponder what it means to be ‘fully vaccinated.’

By BY EMILY ANTHES AND NOAH WEILAND from NYT Health https://ift.tt/3eA7XZG

The C.D.C. significantly lowers its estimate of Omicron’s prevalence nationwide.

By BY SABRINA IMBLER AND EMILY ANTHES from NYT Health Delta, not Omicron, was the dominant variant in the United States in the week ending Dec. 18, the C.D.C. said. https://ift.tt/32K6zRd

National Guard members take on new roles at nursing homes.

By BY ANDREW JACOBS from NYT Health https://ift.tt/3EpxgI0

Omicron infections do not seem as severe, leading less often to hospitalization, U.K. researchers report.

By BY CARL ZIMMER from NYT Health https://ift.tt/3enGJFb

F.D.A. Clears Pfizer’s Covid Pill for High-Risk Patients 12 and Older

By BY REBECCA ROBBINS AND CARL ZIMMER from NYT Health The first-of-its-kind treatment, Paxlovid, has been found to be highly protective against severe illness. It could be available within a few days. https://ift.tt/3ejwB0u

A forecast of 3 billion new, mostly mild infections by March draws skepticism.

By BY EMILY ANTHES from NYT Health https://ift.tt/3qieei3

They Lost Three Daughters to Sickle Cell. Can They Save a Fourth?

By BY JOHN ELIGON, ISMAIL ALFA AND KC NWAKALOR from NYT Health About 150,000 babies are born each year in Nigeria with sickle cell, a deadly disease. Tens of thousands of them die annually before their fifth birthdays. https://ift.tt/3mishD1

Parents Grapple With How Long to Wait for Their Children’s Second Shots

By BY CASSANDRA WILLYARD from NYT Health Waiting eight weeks or more between doses may boost immunity. But as Omicron slams the United States, waiting also comes with risks. https://ift.tt/3FiIRdw

A Popular Test Claims to Boost I.V.F. Success. The Science Is Unclear.

By BY AMY KLEIN from NYT Health I.V.F. patients are faced with a growing list of costly “add-ons.” For one such test, some say more robust research is needed to support its effectiveness. https://ift.tt/3Fg177e

In 50 Words, Tell Us Your Best Pandemic Story

By BY THE NEW YORK TIMES from NYT Health We want to hear about your Covid memories. https://ift.tt/30AX2eM

New Studies Raise Hopes That Vaccines Prevent Severe Disease From Omicron

By BY CARL ZIMMER AND SHERYL STOLBERG from NYT Health In the lab, immune cells put up a strong fight against Omicron, suggesting that vaccines will be able to prevent the worst outcomes of the virus variant. https://ift.tt/3EZdtjZ

The C.D.C.’s first coronavirus tests were contaminated and poorly designed, the agency says.

By BY EMILY ANTHES from NYT Health https://ift.tt/3FbHxZy

C.D.C. Virus Tests Were Contaminated and Poorly Designed, Agency Says

By BY EMILY ANTHES from NYT Health An internal review documented two serious flaws in the test kits, which were distributed to public health laboratories in early 2020. https://ift.tt/321FUzx

Vaccines will likely protect against severe disease from Omicron, new lab studies suggest.

By BY CARL ZIMMER from NYT Health https://ift.tt/3m6NXSm

Big Hospital Chains Drop Vaccine Mandates for Health Workers

By BY REED ABELSON from NYT Health With the federal requirement in limbo because of legal challenges, some major multistate hospital systems have stopped enforcing their own policies. https://ift.tt/3GK3TBX

Denmark and Norway Predict Drastic Spike in Omicron Cases

By BY CARL ZIMMER AND EMILY ANTHES from NYT Health Health authorities in Europe are warning of a sharp increase in Omicron cases, adding to an existing surge from the Delta variant. https://ift.tt/30mpOj4

Merck’s Covid Pill Might Pose Risks for Pregnant Women

By BY BENJAMIN MUELLER from NYT Health Some laboratory studies suggest that molnupiravir can insert errors in DNA, which could in theory harm a developing fetus, sperm cells or children. https://ift.tt/3INHaqi

I Got Caught in a Pandemic Panic 2 Years into Covid. It Felt Like Day 1.

By BY STEPHANIE NOLEN from NYT Health The Omicron variant turned my trip home from South Africa into a nightmare episode of conflicting public health orders that often seemed to have little connection to science. https://ift.tt/3s660vN

British studies warn of Omicron’s speed, and one notes the need for boosters.

By BY BENJAMIN MUELLER from NYT Health https://ift.tt/3dKZwtY

Fauci says ‘we have the tools to protect ourselves.’

By BY RONI CARYN RABIN from NYT Health Vaccination could “go a long way to getting us through this cold winter season,” he said, urging for people to get boosted if they’re eligible. https://ift.tt/3DNRB9Q

C.D.C. vaccination data may overestimate first doses and underestimate boosters.

By BY MAGGIE ASTOR from NYT Health The main reason for the discrepancies is that state and county data does not always properly link the record of people’s booster shots to their initial vaccinations. https://ift.tt/3EQozHT

Hesitancy, Apathy and Unused Doses: Zambia’s Vaccination Challenges

By BY STEPHANIE NOLEN from NYT Health Vaccinating Africa is critical to protecting the continent and the world against dangerous variants, but supply isn’t the only obstacle countries face. https://ift.tt/3DKweX4

Telehealth Became a Lifeline for Older Americans. But It Still Has Glitches.

By BY PAULA SPAN from NYT Health Medicare has extended coverage of remote health care. While telehealth removed barriers to care for many during the pandemic, some say there is more to be done. https://ift.tt/3EO0Tnp

How Philadelphia Achieved High Vaccination Rate for Health Workers

By BY REED ABELSON from NYT Health Federal officials point to the city’s mandate as a success story and a shield against new Covid outbreaks at hospitals and nursing homes. https://ift.tt/3rWPBd4

The C.D.C. found 43 Omicron cases, almost all of them mild, in the first week of December.

By BY RONI CARYN RABIN from NYT Health https://ift.tt/3pMel55

Pfizer’s vaccine provides some protection against Omicron, a lab study suggests.

By BY CARL ZIMMER AND BENJAMIN MUELLER from NYT Health A South African study found that Omicron may dull the power of coronavirus vaccines, but hinted that booster shots might help. https://ift.tt/3pvCLzE

The U.S. surgeon general warns of a mental health crisis among young people, worsened by the pandemic.

By BY MATT RICHTEL from NYT Health The message came as part of a rare public advisory from the nation’s top physician, Dr. Vivek H. Murthy. https://ift.tt/3lIFN2r

In Chicago, a New Approach to Gay and Bisexual Men With Prostate Cancer

By BY STEVE KENNY from NYT Health A new clinic focuses on patients left grappling with the aftermath of treatment in ways that are rarely appreciated by doctors. https://ift.tt/3EzTEPS

Women Earn $2 Million Less Than Men in Their Careers as Doctors

By BY AZEEN GHORAYSHI from NYT Health A survey of more than 80,000 physicians estimated that women make 25 percent less than men over a 40-year career. https://ift.tt/31rpTTl

The Pandemic Has Your Blood Pressure Rising? You’re Not Alone.

By BY RONI CARYN RABIN from NYT Health Average blood pressure readings increased as the coronavirus spread, new research suggests. The finding portends medical repercussions far beyond Covid-19. https://ift.tt/3Gl2Xnc

J.&J. booster works well for people who had Pfizer originally, study finds.

By BY CARL ZIMMER from NYT Health A small study in Boston looked at mixing and matching with the third shot. https://ift.tt/3GdCzMf

As uncertainties linger about the new variant, officials say U.S. Omicron cases are likely to rise.

By BY EMILY ANTHES from NYT Health Many states have detected cases, including in some people who have no known history of recent travel abroad, which experts have said suggests community spread of the variant in the United States. https://ift.tt/31zytyJ

The Variant Hunters: Inside South Africa’s Effort to Stanch Dangerous Mutations

By BY STEPHANIE NOLEN from NYT Health Scientists in a cutting-edge laboratory do part of the work. Local health workers on foot do the rest. https://ift.tt/3ry3e2f

Omicron Variant Spreading Twice as Quickly as Delta in South Africa

By BY APOORVA MANDAVILLI from NYT Health A new mathematical analysis strengthens concerns about the effects of the new variant on the pandemic’s course. https://ift.tt/3EnmXoZ

Omicron and Vaccine Protection

By BY ANDREW JACOBS from NYT Health The newly identified Omicron variant has raised concerns about whether the existing vaccines will still be effective. Here’s what to know for now. https://ift.tt/3rtIicG

Cognitive Rehab: One Patient’s Painstaking Path Through Long Covid Therapy

By BY PAM BELLUCK AND ALEX WROBLEWSKI from NYT Health Samantha Lewis is relearning some basic aspects of her daily life after struggling with brain fog and other lingering symptoms for more than a year since being infected by the virus. https://ift.tt/3IfeUg9

Most Covid Vaccines Will Work as Boosters, Study Suggests

By BY CARL ZIMMER from NYT Health In a comparison of seven different brands, researchers found that most shots give a strong boost, even in mix-and-match combinations. https://ift.tt/3rwEgjJ

Why Didn’t the U.S. Detect Omicron Cases Sooner?

By BY EMILY ANTHES from NYT Health Genomic surveillance has improved enormously in recent months, but the system has built-in delays, and blind spots remain. https://ift.tt/3oieAWb

Why Hasn’t the U.S. Found More Omicron Cases?

By BY EMILY ANTHES from NYT Health Genomic surveillance has improved enormously in recent months, but the system has built-in delays, and blind spots remain. https://ift.tt/3dgIJyy

What Can One Life Tell Us About the Battle Against H.I.V.?

By BY SARIKA BANSAL from NYT Health In 2001, U.N. estimates suggested 150 million people would be infected with H.I.V. by 2021. That preceded an ambitious global campaign to curb the virus. How well did it work? https://ift.tt/3Ift1SM

Omicron Prompts Swift Reconsideration of Boosters Among Scientists

By BY APOORVA MANDAVILLI from NYT Health Many public health experts were opposed to a boosters-for-all approach. The new variant is changing some minds. https://ift.tt/3lrU4R8

Omicron Prompts Swift Reconsideration of Boosters Among Scientists

By BY APOORVA MANDAVILLI from NYT Health Many public health experts were opposed to a boosters-for-all approach. The new variant is changing some minds. https://ift.tt/3rsjHEZ

The first Omicron case has been detected in the U.S.

By BY RONI CARYN RABIN, SHAWN HUBLER AND SHERYL GAY STOLBERG from NYT Health Much remains unknown about the new variant of the coronavirus. But with cases being detected in more countries, experts had said it was only a matter of time before the variant showed up in the United States. https://ift.tt/3Ib5iDb

The C.D.C. tells airlines to identify passengers who had recently been in southern Africa.

By BY RONI CARYN RABIN AND NIRAJ CHOKSHI from NYT Health The agency said it was “issuing this directive to prevent the importation and spread of a communicable disease of public health importance,” an apparent reference to the new Omicron variant. https://ift.tt/3xFDlP2