Tag: Omicron

The new omicron coronavirus mutant speeding around the world may bring another wave of chaos, threatening to further stretch hospital workers already struggling with a surge of delta cases and upend holiday plans for the second year in a row.

Pfizer said Tuesday that its experimental pill to treat COVID-19 appears effective against the omicron variant. The company also said full results of its 2,250-person study confirmed the pill’s promising early results against the virus: The drug reduced combined hospitalizations and deaths by about 89% among high-risk adults when taken shortly after initial COVID-19 symptoms.

“World, meet omicron,” writes Rachel Gutman in The Atlantic. “Omicron, meet a lot of people who are very, very anxious to know more about you.” 

A person in California who had been vaccinated against COVID-19 became the first in the U.S. to have an identified case of the omicron variant, the White House announced Wednesday as scientists continue to study the risks posed by the new virus strain.

Nearly two years after the emergence of the virus that causes COVID-19, a variant of the virus called Omicron is raising concerns around the world. Transmission checked in with some of Columbia Mailman School’s top experts in virology, emerging infectious diseases, epidemiology, and the global response to pandemics to answer questions about the variant, including its potential risks and what we can do to protect ourselves.