Category: Corona Virus

More than half, 55%, say the risk of coronavirus remains high enough that they think it is still necessary to take extra precautions in their everyday lives. Thirty-eight percent anticipate they'll continue taking these extra precautions going forward, with just 17% believing they'll eventually feel safe enough to return to their pre-pandemic habits. Another 45% say they already feel safe enough to carry out everyday life largely the way it was before the pandemic, up from 36% in a survey conducted in August and early September.

This divide in Americans' approaches to Covid mirrors a broader rift in views of how the nation should be handling the pandemic, the poll finds. Those still taking precautions also largely favor mitigation policies put in place by the government or other institutions: 72% believe the government has a role to play in limiting the spread of Covid-19, 70% consider vaccination requirements an acceptable way of raising vaccination rates and 74% favor mask requirements in public indoor spaces.

Among the smaller share who've returned to their pre-pandemic normal, 66% consider vaccination requirements an infringement on personal rights, 82% believe mask-wearing should be optional and 65% believe that the government cannot effectively limit the spread of the virus.

The dwindling minority who remain unvaccinated are the least likely to say they're factoring the pandemic into their lives in other ways. Two-thirds of unvaccinated adults say that they're not currently taking any precautions against coronavirus, compared with 39% of those who've been vaccinated.

The results come amid widespread but ebbing concerns about the virus. A 62% majority of Americans still say they're at least somewhat worried about the coronavirus pandemic in their communities -- 22% say they're very worried, down from 41% in a poll taken in August and early September. Roughly 62% of Americans say the pandemic was a factor for them in making holiday plans this year, but only 30% call it a major factor. Even among those who say they're currently taking Covid precautions, fewer than half say that the pandemic was a major factor in their plans.

Overall, a 55% majority of Americans say they believe the government can take effective action to limit the spread of coronavirus, while 44% say the government cannot effectively limit the spread of coronavirus. About 4 in 10 say the US government is doing the right amount to control the spread of coronavirus in the country, standing in contrast to wide majorities who say they want further government action on some economic issues and violent crime. A quarter say the government is doing too much, and another 34% that it's doing too little.

President Joe Biden currently holds a 54% approval rating for his handling of the pandemic, higher than his overall approval rating and well above his numbers on other issues including the economy. About half of Americans, 49%, say they're somewhat or very confident that Biden will make the right decisions about handling new variants of the coronavirus, with a similar 51% expressing confidence in their states' governments. More have confidence in the people living in their communities (58%) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (68%) to handle variants, while fewer have confidence in Congress (35%). Just 31% of Americans say they're very confident in the CDC, with even fewer expressing high confidence in any of the other people or institutions listed. Only 21% are very confident in Biden, 14% in their states' governments, 11% in their communities and just 6% in Congress.

Slightly more than half of the public, 54%, says that requiring proof of Covid-19 vaccination for everyday activities outside of the home is an acceptable way to increase the vaccination rate, rather than an unacceptable infringement on personal rights. In September, a similar 51% found such mandates acceptable.

A larger majority of the public favors the efforts by the federal government to impose new workplace vaccine rules that include an alternate testing option. Six in 10 say they'd support mandating businesses with 100 or more employees to require their workers either to be vaccinated against coronavirus or to get tested for the virus at least once a week.

Half of those interviewed in the survey were asked how effective Covid-19 vaccines are generally, while the other half were asked how effective they are against severe disease and hospitalization, and the poll suggests little difference in perceptions of the vaccines' effectiveness either way. An 80% majority of Americans say that based on what they've heard, read and seen, the vaccines in use in the US are somewhat or very effective, with a similar 76% saying they believe them to be effective against severe disease and hospitalization, specifically.

An 82% majority of all those surveyed believe that the shots are safe. Only 34% of unvaccinated adults say they consider the vaccines even somewhat safe and an average of just 31% in the combined results of the two questions on effectiveness think they're even somewhat effective, reflecting the challenging level of resistance among remaining holdouts. By contrast, 95% of those who've been vaccinated think the vaccines are safe and 91% see them as effective.

Americans are roughly split on their preferences for mask requirements in public, indoor spaces like stores, workplaces, movie theaters and restaurants. About half, 49%, say everyone should be required to wear a mask in these settings, while 51% say people should be able to choose whether they wear masks.

Polling, however, has consistently found divides along partisan lines. In the CNN poll, three-quarters of Democrats believe the government can take effective action against the pandemic, compared with only one-third of Republicans who say the same. An 82% majority of Democrats, compared with 48% of independents and 26% of Republicans, say they consider vaccine mandates acceptable.

There are also divides within each party, the CNN survey finds. Democrats 45 and older are 10 percentage points likelier than younger Democrats to say that mandates for everyday activities are an acceptable way to increase vaccination rates, with a similar 11-point split between younger and older independents. Republicans 45 and older are 13 points likelier than younger Republicans to say the same. On the GOP side, self-described moderate or liberal Republicans are 31 points likelier to find mandates acceptable than are conservative members of the party.

Those who have been vaccinated and not yet boosted seem less than eager to get an additional boost. About a third of adults say they haven't even tried to schedule booster shots, while 6% report having appointments to get them and another 4% have tried but have been unable to schedule them.

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CNN Poll: Nearly 4 in 10 Americans think Covid-19 precautions are here to stay, but others have already returned to their pre-pandemic normal - CNN

NEW YORK (AP) U.S. officials intensified calls Friday for unvaccinated Americans to get inoculated in the face of the new omicron variant that contributed to a record number of infections in New York and threatened to wipe out a second holiday season in Europe.

Though the calendar is about to change, Friday had a distinctly 2020 feel: NFL games were postponed because of COVID-19 infections. The Rockettes Christmas show was canceled for the season. European governments imposed a spate of restrictions that ground travel to a halt and saw travelers lying low.

Much remains unknown about omicron, but officials warn that it appears more transmissible than the delta variant, which has already put pressure on hospitals worldwide. The uncertainty alone was enough for many people to change their plans.

In the United States, President Joe Bidens administration resisted tightening any restrictions, but also sketched out dire scenarios for the unvaccinated in a plea for hesitant Americans to get the shot.

For the unvaccinated, youre looking at a winter of severe illness and death, for yourselves, your families, and the hospitals you may soon overwhelm, White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients said Friday, echoing the presidents own comments earlier this week.

The new variant is already in full force in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio said, with new cases hitting a one-day record of more than 8,300 on Thursday. But new hospitalizations and deaths so far are well below their spring 2020 peak and even where they were this time last year, city data shows.

The coronavirus also interrupted sports in the U.S. again. The NFL announced Friday that three games would be pushed from the weekend to next week because of outbreaks. The league has not specified whether the cases came from the omicron variant.

The Radio City Rockettes called off four performances scheduled for Friday because of breakthrough COVID-19 cases in the production, and plans for upcoming shows were still being assessed. The popular holiday program generally has four shows per day in December at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan.

Dr. Stanley Weiss, a Rutgers University epidemiology professor, said officials need to react faster, citing a willingness to redefine fully vaccinated to include booster shots, for example.

Everyone wants us to be through with this pandemic, but in order to get us through it, we cant ignore the realities of whats going on and what is needed, Weiss said.

Denmark decided to close theaters, concert halls, amusement parks and museums in response to virus cases. In Spain, friends and classmates canceled traditional year-end dinners.

Scotland and Wales on Friday pledged millions of pounds for businesses hurt in Britains latest infection surge, a move that heaped pressure on Prime Minister Boris Johnsons government to do the same in England.

Treasury chief Rishi Sunak held talks with business representatives who have demanded more support, decrying a lockdown by stealth in which government officials recommend people cut back on socializing as much as possible without officially imposing the strict rules of past shutdowns.

Britain reported record numbers of infections three days in a row this week, the latest on Friday with more than 93,000 cases tallied.

Businesses ranging from vacation providers to pubs and theaters saw a wave of cancellations as customers decided to skip merrymaking for now rather than risk being infected and missing family celebrations later.

Even Britains Christmas pantos beloved and raucous holiday performances are under threat. The Belgrade Theatre in Coventry in western England had to refund 180,000 pounds ($240,000) in ticket sales after customers decided not to go to shows. It was also forced to cancel 12 performances of Beauty and the Beast because half the cast tested positive.

Theres been a real dent of confidence, Executive Director Joanna Reid told the BBC.

Scotlands first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said Friday that financial assistance for business must come from the central government because it has the borrowing power to finance the scale of aid that is needed.

Business is already bleeding, every 24 hours counts, Sturgeon said during a briefing in Edinburgh, Scotlands capital. There is no time to waste.

The already beleaguered travel and tourism industry is being particularly hammered.

Eurostar, which operates trains across the English Channel, sold out of tickets to France on Friday before new rules restricting travel to and from Britain took effect. Long lines snaked around the parking lot at the Eurotunnel, which runs the tunnel that drivers use to cross the water.

Ryanair originally expected to carry about 11 million passengers in December, but that figure dropped to 10 million, chief executive Michael OLeary told the Guardian. Europes biggest airline will also cut about 10% of its capacity in January.

Amanda Wheelock, 29, a graduate student at the University of Michigan, canceled a trip to France with her partner as cases spiked there. Even though the surge isnt necessarily due to omicron, the uncertainty about the new variant, and a new requirement that all U.S. travelers have to test negative before flying back to the U.S., made her worry that the trip would be more stressful than fun.

Instead, shes traveling to the Anchorage, Alaska, area to see friends.

A vacation with a lot of stress is probably not a great vacation, said Wheelock, who is from Arvada, Colorado.

The Advantage Travel Group, which represents about 350 U.K. travel agents, said business fell by 40% in mid-December from a month earlier. Those numbers, including flights, cruise bookings and package holidays, add to the travel industrys existing slump, which had already seen business fall by two-thirds since the pandemic began, CEO Julia Lo Bue-Said.

Our members are dealing with customers who are really nervous about traveling now, she said Theyre really nervous about bookings for the New Year because they fear that theres a risk that the government will make more knee-jerk reactions.

Many in the travel and hospitality trades hoped they had put the worst behind them, nearly two years into a pandemic that has devastated those industries. They saw this holiday season as a chance to claw back some of what was lost until omicron cast a pall reminiscent of the early days of the crisis.

Richard Stevens estimates he has lost out on 4,000 pounds ($5,300) worth of bookings at his rental ski chalet in the French Alps after the new, stricter travel rules for people coming from Britain were announced.

He lost his first reservation when a guest called to say that the restrictions wont allow anybody to come to France without a compelling reason, Stevens said. And the compelling reason doesnt include going on holiday.

Celebrity chef Michel Roux and other restaurateurs have invested heavily to remake their venues to address safety concerns and hoped to reap some of the benefits.

To return to a state of huge uncertainty for a second consecutive Christmas is like a kick in the stomach, said Roux, who has a destination restaurant in London.

Jorge Riera, who manages a traditional Spanish diner in central Madrid, said it doesnt matter that authorities have not imposed specific restrictions and, at most, have only issued recommendations.

Most of our customers prioritize the well-being of their relatives over going out for a fun night with colleagues, Riera said.

In the past week alone, cancellations rolled in for about half of the booked space, sometimes on the same day of the event, the manager said.

People are once again afraid of the virus, he said.

___

Associated Press writers Kelvin Chan and Danica Kirka in London; Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar in Washington, Mae Anderson in New York, Aritz Parra in Madrid, Barry Hatton in Lisbon and Sylvia Hui in London contributed to this report.

___

Follow APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic.

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Surging COVID-19 cases bring a 2020 feel to the end of 2021 - Associated Press

A look at some of the top headlines trending online today around the world including the latest on the Omicron variant and other coronavirus updates, President Biden and much more.

Biden signs debt ceiling increase, preventing first-ever U.S. default (CNBC)

Biden concedes BBB bill wont get passed this year (Politico)

Student loan payments set to resume for millions, while child tax credit extension stalls in Senate (Yahoo)

FDA allows for abortion pills to be sent by mail (CBS)

Judge rejects Purdue Pharmas sweeping opioid settlement (AP)

Biden says unvaccinated face winter of severe illness and death, encourages Americans to get booster (Washington Post)

CDC recommends Pfizer and Moderna vaccines over Johnson & Johnson due to rare blood clotting issue (Fox)

A Covid-19 viral blizzard is about to hit the US, expert says (CNN)

COVID-19 fears dash hopes for the holiday season again (AP)

Full vaccination against COVID-19 and a breakthrough infection builds super immunity, study finds (USA Today)

NFLs new COVID-19 rules include changes to return-to-play protocols, return of intensive restrictions (ESPN)

Spacecraft discovers hidden water in Mars Grand Canyon (CNET)

Peloton scrubs viral ads starring Chris Noth after the Mr. Big actor is accused of sexual assault (The Verge)

Flu vaccines dont match the main circulating flu virus strain, researchers find (CNN)

Betty Whites 100th Birthday Celebration Is Coming to Theaters (Variety)

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Biden, coronavirus & more: Whats trending today - cleveland.com

This year, health experts around the world revised their views about how the coronavirus spreads. Aerosol scientists, virologists and other researchers had determined in 2020 that the virus spreads through the air, but it took until 2021 for prominent public health agencies to acknowledge the fact. The admission could have wide-ranging consequences for everything from public health recommendations and building codes to marching band practices (SN: 8/14/21, p. 24).

For decades, doctors and many researchers have thought that respiratory viruses such as cold and flu viruses spread mainly by people touching surfaces contaminated by mucus droplets and then touching their faces. Thats why, in the early days of the pandemic, disinfectant wipes flew off store shelves.

Surface-to-face transfer is still a probable route of infection for some cold-causing viruses, such as respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. But it turns out that the coronavirus spreads mainly through fine aerosol particles that may hang in the air for hours, particularly indoors.

People spread such aerosols when coughing or sneezing, but also when talking, singing, shouting and even quietly breathing, allowing infected people to spread the disease even before they know theyre sick. Some evidence suggests that the coronavirus may be evolving to spread more easily through the air (SN: 9/25/21, p. 6).

It took collecting reams of data and more than 200 scientists pushing the World Health Organization and other public health agencies to acknowledge airborne spread of the coronavirus. In April 2021, both the WHO and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated their recommendations to note that airborne spread is a major route of infection (SN Online: 5/18/21).

That recognition was vital to public understanding of why wearing well-fitting masks is necessary in public indoor places (SN: 3/13/21, p. 14; SN Online: 7/27/21). Masking, social distancing and other measures to guard against the coronavirus are also credited with nearly wiping out flu last winter (SN Online: 2/2/21). Experts fear a resurgence of cold and flu this winter if those measures arent continued (SN Online: 8/12/21).

Knowledge that COVID-19 is an airborne disease has led to such measures as rearranging seating in orchestras (SN Online: 6/23/21) and updating recommendations for proper ventilation and filtration in buildings. Some scientists and activists have also suggested that the safety of indoor air should be regulated to reduce the spread of diseases, much like safety standards for food and drinking water.

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Why it matters that health agencies finally said the coronavirus is airborne - Science News Magazine

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff on Thursday commented on the latest data on the COVID-19 pandemic in Ohio, which shows a worsening situation in the state as cases and hospitalizations rise to very high levels.

Ohios top doctor said the latest analysis of hospitalization data shows 22% of people hospitalized for COVID-19 in Ohio over the past two weeks are under 50 years old and 13% are under 40.

The number of patients currently in intensive care 1,177 is also almost as bad as its ever been during the nearly two-year-long pandemic, which was 1,318 ICU patients at one time about a year ago.

Our data continues to show that most hospitalizations and deaths are actually among individuals who are not fully vaccinated, Vanderhoff said, with about 95% of all hospitalizations having occurred among the unvaccinated.

Vanderhoff also reminded Ohioans of the powerful tool available to them to fight the coronavirus: vaccination.

Ive heard too many stories from physicians and nurses treating patients who have then begged for the vaccine when fighting the virus in the hospital, he said, but by then its too late. Making the choice to be vaccinated right now can keep you out of the hospital, and more importantly, out of the obituary pages.

Vanderhoff encouraged fully vaccinated Ohioans to get their booster dose of the vaccine, since immunity can wane over time. Boosters are available for people aged 16 and up.

Receiving a timely booster dose now if youre eligible has been shown to restore those antibody levels and will provide significant protection, he said.

Vanderhoff was joined in his Thursday press conference by Worthington pharmacistAimee OReilly and Dr.Steven Gordon of theCleveland Clinic Department of Infectious Disease.

As of Wednesday, Dec. 15, a total of 1,807,539 (+10,588) coronavirus cases have been reported in Ohio, leading to 91,409 (+486) hospitalizations and 11,289 (+50) admissions into the ICU. A total of 6,884,418 people 58.9% of the states population have at least started the vaccination process, an increase of 8,967 from the previous day.

ODH announced daily case numbers Tuesday through Thursday will be artificially inflated as a result of a laboratory reporting backlog. A backlog of 7,699 positive COVID-19 cases will be added to the 24-hour daily case change as the files are processed.

ODH reported 223 deaths on Tuesday, bringing the total to 27,594. The state is updating the number only after death certificates have been processed, usually twice a week.

Including the backlog, the 21-day case average was sitting at more than 7,000. The rate hadnt been over 6,000 since Oct. 6.

On Saturday, the state reported thefirst two cases of the omicronvariant had been detected in Ohio. The variant was found in two men in central Ohio who tested positive for COVID-19 with PCR tests on Dec. 7.

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Coronavirus in Ohio Thursday update: Very high cases, hospitalizations, says Vanderhoff - NBC4 WCMH-TV

The state on Wednesday reported 907 new known cases of COVID-19 as it passed another threshold in the fight against the disease: More than 3 million Oregonians have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, officials said.

Thats 70% of the population at least partially inoculated since the state began administering the first shots one year ago. But state officials noted that much more work needs to be done, with about 64% of residents fully vaccinated and 21% vaccinated with a booster or extra dose.

Boosters are now more important than ever, with data showing two shots of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are 33% effective against infection from the fast-spreading omicron variant, compared to about 80% against delta. But epidemiologists believe boosters dramatically increase the bodys defenses against omicron.

Health experts also were urging parents to vaccinate their young children, ages 5 to 11, who became eligible for shots about six weeks ago. Only 27% of kids in this age group have received at least one dose.

I am a huge proponent of vaccinations for kids and adults, said Dr. Katie Sharff, Infectious Disease Specialist with Kaiser Permanente, in a written statement. Recent studies have demonstrated that children who receive the pediatric-size vaccine are much less likely to have symptomatic infection or become seriously ill with COVID-19.

Where the new cases are by county: Baker (3), Benton (8), Clackamas (63), Clatsop (25), Columbia (5), Coos (23), Crook (12), Curry (7), Deschutes (39), Douglas (51), Gilliam (3), Grant (12), Harney (3), Hood River (5), Jackson (63), Jefferson (5), Josephine (36), Klamath (18), Lake (2), Lane (68), Lincoln (8), Linn (45), Malheur (4), Marion (90), Morrow (3), Multnomah (128), Polk (28), Tillamook (13), Umatilla (16), Union (2), Wasco (2), Washington (87) and Yamhill (30).

Deaths: The state reported 39 new COVID-19 deaths, but no information about ages or locations of those who died. The state said itll release that information later.

Hospitalizations: 380 people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 are hospitalized, two fewer than Tuesday. That number includes 94 people in intensive care units, three fewer than the previous day.

Vaccines: The state reported 3,851 people receiving first shots since Tuesday.

Since it began: Oregon has reported 403,329 confirmed or presumed infections and 5,508 deaths, among the lowest per capita numbers in the nation. To date, the state has reported 6,446,469 vaccine doses administered, fully vaccinating 2,731,603 people and partially vaccinating 270,999 people.

-- Aimee Green; agreen@oregonian.com; @o_aimee

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Coronavirus in Oregon: 907 new cases, as more than 3 million residents have been vaccinated - OregonLive

The rising wave of Omicron infections could lead to daily hospitalisations from Covid exceeding the peak of last winter, when more than 4,500 people in the UK were admitted on a single day, Englands chief medical officer has said.

The staggering speed at which Omicron is spreading means large numbers of vulnerable people may need hospital care over a very short space of time, Prof Chris Whitty told MPs on Thursday, with daily admissions potentially peaking above that seen last winter at the start of the vaccine programme.

On Thursday, the UK set another grim record for the Covid epidemic with 88,376 new cases reported, a 31.4% rise on the week. The number of confirmed Omicron cases rose to 11,708, up 1,691 on Wednesday.

The highest number of Covid hospitalisations in a day in the UK was 4,583 on 12 January, when the Alpha variant first spotted in Kent was dominant. Omicron is now the dominant variant in London and is expected to become the most common in England within days or weeks.

Even if it is milder, because it is concentrated over a short period of time you could end up with a higher number than that going into hospital on a single day. That is entirely possible, Whitty told the health and social care committee. The whole point about this is its going to be really concentrated in a very short period of time, very possibly.

Dr Susan Hopkins, the chief medical adviser for the UK Health Security Agency, said the UK was experiencing two Covid epidemics, with cases of Delta largely flat and Omicron doubling every two days. She said the R number the number of people an infected person typically passes the virus on to for Omicron was estimated at between three and five.

Whitty said many people failed to appreciate that the NHS was likely to face a sudden influx of Covid patients at a time when it would be struggling for staff because of infections and illness. The broader economy was also at risk as the variant swept across the country, he added.

The numbers in hospital over a short period could be very high indeed. This will be happening at a time when a very significant number of staff are going to be off ill, isolating or caring. So youre going to have both a reduction in supply and an increase in demand in the health service over a very short time period, and that really is the reason why were all taking this extremely seriously, Whitty said.

One risk that is going to happen irrespective is, because of the steepness of this, even if this ended up in a situation where boosters do hold this to a large degree for a lots of people a lot of people will simultaneously fall ill and be unwell, isolating or caring for others at the same time across the whole economy.

Covid cases are rising most steeply among those aged 20-29, followed by people in their 30s, although children aged five to nine, and 10- 19-year-olds still have the highest rates of infection, according to the UKHSAs Covid surveillance report released on Thursday. On 12 December, 67.9% of the UK population had received at least one dose of vaccine and 62.2% had received two shots. More than 80% of the over-70s have received a booster.

Some early reports from South Africa raised concerns that the Omicron variant might be slightly more severe than Delta in children, but Whitty said this was not being seen in the UK and the assumption was that it was still far more serious for older people than those who were young and healthy.

Before the vaccination programme in the Alpha wave, more than a fifth of people over the age of 65 who caught Covid were hospitalised. This fell to 6% as the vaccine rollout protected the oldest and most vulnerable people. Whitty said at worst the UK may go back to the hospital admission rate seen in January, but a booster may protect more people against severe disease from Omicron than two shots did against severe disease caused by Delta.

He urged people to get vaccinated or boosted as soon as they became eligible and emphasised that vaccine coverage among pregnant women was still depressingly low. Almost all pregnant women with Covid in hospital and intensive care are unvaccinated.

Significant numbers of women have come to serious harm as a result of this, he said, blaming myths about vaccine safety in the group for the low uptake. What is true is that Covid and pregnancy is a dangerous combination and we absolutely should be encouraging everybody who is pregnant to get vaccinated.

The most difficult decision now, Whitty said, was how to balance family visits to people in care homes with safety. What we dont want is a situation where over the Christmas period people are left completely alone, but nor do we want to have outbreaks we can avoid. Were trying to navigate a route between those two very clear needs. That is probably the most difficult decision at this point, he said.

Early estimates from South Africa have suggested that Omicron may cause milder disease than previous waves of Covid. That would be expected, since people catching Omicron, which was discovered only last month, have more immunity to Covid because of previous infection or vaccination. Hopkins said the UKHSA would be able to assess Omicron severity and vaccine protection in Britain once about 250 people had been hospitalised with the variant. The earliest we will have reliable data is the week between Christmas and New Year, and probably early January, she told MPs.

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UK reports 88,376 new Covid cases amid warning over Omicron hospitalisations - The Guardian

The faulty coronavirus testing kits developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the early weeks of the pandemic were not only contaminated but had a basic design flaw, according to an internal review by the agency.

Health officials had already acknowledged that the test kits were contaminated, but the internal report, whose findings were published in PLOS ONE on Wednesday, also documented a design error that caused false positives.

The distribution of faulty test kits, at a time when no other tests were authorized, set back health officials efforts to detect and track the virus.

It delayed the availability of more widespread testing, said Dr. Benjamin Pinsky, the director of clinical virology for Stanford Health Care. He added, I think its important that they got to the bottom of what went wrong.

In January 2020, the C.D.C. developed a polymerase chain reaction, or P.C.R., test for the virus. P.C.R. tests, which are performed in laboratories, can detect the virus at very low levels and have been considered the gold standard for diagnosing a coronavirus infection.

Problems emerged soon after the C.D.C. had begun shipping its test kits out to public health laboratories in early February. Within days, many labs were reporting that the tests were generating inconclusive results.

In mid-February, the agency acknowledged that the kits were flawed, and in April, officials at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said that poor manufacturing practices had resulted in contamination of the test kits.

The new paper presents the results of the C.D.C.s own internal investigation into the problems with the tests.

The C.D.C.s test was designed to detect three distinct regions, or target sequences, of the viruss genetic material. The test kits contain a set of what are known as primers, which bind to and make copies of the target sequences, and probes, which produce a fluorescent signal when these copies are made, indicating that genetic material from the virus is present.

The primers and probes need to be carefully designed so that they bind to the target sequences and not to each other. In this case, that did not happen. One of the probes in the kit sometimes bound to one of the primers, producing the fluorescent signal and generating a false positive.

Dec. 16, 2021, 11:32 a.m. ET

Its something that should have been caught in the design phase, said Susan Butler-Wu, a clinical microbiologist at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. Thats one thing that you check for.

The investigation also confirmed that the test kits had been contaminated with synthetic fragments of the viruss genetic material. These synthetic sequences, which are often used to ensure that the tests are working properly, were manufactured at the same C.D.C. lab where the test kits were undergoing a quality analysis. It is likely that the test kits were contaminated there, the agency concluded.

The contamination suggests that the agency violated standard manufacturing protocols, officials have said.

U.S. surpasses 800,000 deaths. Covid deaths in the United States surpassed 800,000 the highest known number of any country. About 75 percent of the 800,000 deaths have involved people 65 or older. One in 100 older Americans has died from the virus.

Pfizers Covid pill. A study of Pfizers oral Covid treatmentconfirmed that it helps stave off severe disease, even from the Omicron variant, the company announced. Pfizer said the treatment reduced the risk of hospitalization and death by 89 percent if given within three days of the onset of symptoms.

The problems may also have been a sign of an agency in a rush, experts said.

Im not entirely surprised that they ran into some glitches right out of the gate, said Dr. Emily Volk, president of the College of American Pathologists, who also praised the agency for its transparency. They were asked to ramp up production in a way that Im not sure that they had ever been asked to before.

The problems with the early tests prompted the C.D.C. to implement a more comprehensive and rigorous review process in developing a new test that can detect both the coronavirus and the flu, the authors reported. The new test was also piloted in three public health laboratories to ensure that it worked, they noted.

Since the rollout of the initial Covid-19 test, C.D.C. has implemented corrective measures and remains dedicated to the highest quality laboratory science and safety, the agency said in a statement.

The bigger lesson, Dr. Butler-Wu said, is that the responsibility for developing diagnostic tests should be distributed more widely during a public health emergency. Rather than relying on the C.D.C. to be the sole test developer, officials could also enlist clinical and commercial labs to create and deploy tests.

Its great that theres all these additional checks in place, but what are you going to do when theres a new emerging pathogen and we need to respond quickly? she said. I dont think thats a viable model for responding to a pandemic.

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C.D.C. Virus Tests Were Contaminated and Poorly Designed, Agency Says - The New York Times

Canceling random performances can only hurt it just puts the whole confidence that a performance will happen up in the air, said Ted Chapin, a longtime industry leader and the former president of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization. It would be nice if Covid could calm down, but it does seem as if during this time when people are not being as diligent as they should be, we may be in this longer than we would like.

But thus far, patrons still seem to be flocking to shows. The cancellations are still a small number of performances relative to the whole, said Victoria Bailey, executive director of the nonprofit Theater Development Fund, which runs the TKTS booth in Times Square. Were hyper-aware of it because within the industry we all have this underlying anxiety: We need this to last. We need this to last. We need this to keep going. But the average consumer: not so much.

Understudies are helping some shows keep going. But in some instances, particularly for new shows, there are not enough replacements ready to go on.

It may be that certain shows have to think about how much coverage they have, and economically whether we can afford to expand coverage, said Tom Kirdahy, a lead producer of Little Shop. It cant be that if one person tests positive, an entire production shuts down that model is unsustainable.

One unresolved question: compensation. Thus far, most shows have paid company members even when performances have been canceled, but it is not clear whether that practice will continue.

The cancellations are happening elsewhere as well. Canceled performances are now widespread in London, where theaters have had less stringent safety rules. In Paris, a performance of the ballet Don Quixote was canceled this week at the Opra Bastille because of positive cases in its company. And in Washington on Wednesday, the Kennedy Center announced that it was delaying the start of a touring production of Aint Too Proud for 13 days, citing breakthrough cases.

Melissa Castor, a 31-year-old graphic designer, was still at home on Long Island on Saturday when she saw on Twitter that the performance of Freestyle Love Supreme she was planning to attend that night had been canceled. I was upset, but its not like I had to buy a plane ticket or get a hotel, and I know going in that a show could be canceled, she said. This is the age we live in.

The reversal of fortune was particularly abrupt for Ben Ratner, a 29-year-old digital producer, who on Sunday morning scored a rush ticket to that days Mrs. Doubtfire matinee, but 90 minutes later got an email saying the performance was canceled. I was a little annoyed, but also understanding, he said. I will never blame a production for doing the right thing for safety.

Original post:

Broadway Is Canceling Shows Due to Positive Covid Tests - The New York Times

Newby is a retired research biologist of The Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla. He was the director of The Bronowski Art & Science Forum from 1999 to 2012. He lives in Del Mar.

Humanity is now faced with a new coronavirus variant, B.1.1.529, commonly called Omicron. The common ancestor for all the coronaviruses had a long co-evolution with bat and avian species stretching far back 55 million years or more. At some time, the coronavirus jumped from bats to humans. The first of five recognized worldwide pandemics was the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. The December 2019 COVID 19 outbreak was followed by the Delta variant and other less reported variants. There are now several variants of interest.

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Data suggest that the Omicron variant is spreading more quickly and may be more contagious than Delta. It is too early to determine the severity of an Omicron infection compared to the earlier versions of the COVID virus. It has been speculated that Omicron originated possibly in an immuno-compromised person, perhaps somewhere in Southern Africa. The evolution and spreading of these coronaviruses are aided by the lack of global vaccination efforts and disdain of vaccinations and masks by too many politicians and their followers. Additionally, there are many conspirators with alternative nonscientific theories and solutions.

The climate crisis is a threat to humanity with negative consequences far greater than these virus pandemics. Coverage of our warming planet has been extensively reported. New reports of climate research appear nearly daily. One of the latest is the Atlantification of the Arctic Ocean.

The larger salty, warmer Atlantic Ocean has begun flowing faster north toward and into the Arctic Ocean, a sea with sea ice on top, cool freshwater in the middle and warm, salty water at the bottom. This Atlantic invasion is causing a disruption between these layers and transforming Arctic waters into something closer to the Atlantic. As a consequence, the Arctic is warming faster than any other ocean. This is just one more indication that we are in the sixth mass extinction, the Anthropocene. Opposing taking action to slow our warming planet are the doubters, belittling not only the science but directing ridicule toward climate change advocates. Both the pandemic and global warming have become politicized and polarized.

How is humanity handling these threats? If our past behavior is an indication, the future for humanity is indeed gloomy. Why are humans such a muddled species, unable to rationally deal with these threats with compassion for all of humanity?

One approach for understanding our disorganized approach to these two impending disasters is to consider that humans were and remain a tribal species. Our species lineage has a 6-million-year evolutionary history. Likely you may have some familiarity with some of our ancestors: Homo hablis, H. naledi, H. egaster, H. erectus. H. antecessor, H. heidelbergensis, H. neanderthalensis and H. denisova. Of all these hominin species, only Homo sapiens, us, have survived. What happened to the several dozen other hominin species? We became the lone survivor because we had a well-developed brain to deal with predators, other competing hominin species and the environment. We formed cohesive tribes with compassion for tribal members, and we eliminated resource competitors, likely with ruthless precision. Our tribal skills and knowledge ensured our place in evolutionary history.

It is not surprising these genetic survival behavioral traits of our ancestors remain vibrant in modern humans. Some of these traits while beneficial for our early ancestors may hinder modern relations. Two of the many genetic survival behavior traits that ensured H. sapiens survival were selfishness and compassion.

The genetic aspect of selfishness involves vasopressin. Vasopressin is a hormone involved in altruism and pro-social behavior. The gene AVPR1A is involved in the vasopressin pathway. This gene has two versions, a long and short version, either one inherited from our parents. Individuals with the long version of AVPR1A tend to be more generous. Those with the short version of this gene are likely to be more selfish and greedy.

Humanitarians are compassionate. Oxytocin functions as a hormone and a neurotransmitter.

Normal levels of oxytocin are associated with romantic love, parent-child bonding, empathy and generosity, traits that one may expect in a humanitarian. Small genetic differences in the oxytocin pathway can influence the level of oxytocin produced. Low levels of oxytocin are associated with stress, depression, lower compassion and empathy. Variant levels of oxytocin plays a role in whether one is compassionate or one lack empathy.

Decisions we make are influenced by our own experiences and education as well as our inherited behavioral genome. To mitigate both pandemics and global warming, humans will need to exhibit less selfishness and greater compassion and empathy for all humanity.

Most all our genetic behavioral traits anger, aggression, hate, greed and selfishness and compassion can be modulated. Moral guidance, laws and the threat of punishment, as well as peer pressure, can affect ones behavior.

Being unvaccinated and avoiding masks in gatherings is a selfish act of defiance. The selfish act of not acknowledging or adopting green values ultimately impedes efforts to curb global warming. At this time in human history, unfortunately, there is little unity in our approach to solving the viral pandemic or global warming. Polarizing political rhetoric with some leaders having only self-interest and little compassion or empathy has accelerated humans into the sixth mass extinction, the Anthropocene.

Defiance of common sense and science will certainly lead to cataclysmic events. A worldview which embraces compassion for all of humanity is certainly our only solution.

Read more:

Opinion: To survive coronavirus and the climate crisis, humans must have empathy - The San Diego Union-Tribune