SARS-CoV-2 Iota variant – Wikipedia
I'm just disappointed that iota didn't turn out to be a strain of concern. Then people could have said, I don't give one iota.
Coronavirus
Across the World, Covid Anxiety and Depression Take Hold – The New York Times
It is still unclear how much of a threat the fast-spreading Omicron variant poses, but fear and a sudden revival of restrictions have added to an epidemic of loneliness.
Coronavirus Updates : NPR
If you're worried about the new omicron coronavirus variant, you're far from alone: The World Health Organization is warning that omicron is spreading like no other strain of COVID-19 has before.
"Omicron is spreading at a rate we have not seen with any previous variant," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a news briefing.
Omicron has been found in 77 countries less than a month after it was officially reported. As it announced that figure, the WHO added, "the reality is that omicron is probably in most countries, even if it hasn't been detected yet."
Double dipper
I am a double dipper. Got TDAP in my right arm, covid booster in my left. Walked two miles back home from the pharmacy and drunk four full glasses of water. Got to hydrate!
Daily COVID-19 deaths in Capital Region Counties
A quick look at COVID-19 deaths per day in Capital Region Counties …
| County | Albany | Greene | Saratoga | Schoharie | Schenectady | Rensselaer | Washington |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report Date | |||||||
| Oct 28 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 29 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Oct 31 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Nov 02 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Nov 03 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Nov 04 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 05 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Nov 06 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Nov 07 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Nov 08 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Nov 09 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Nov 10 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Nov 11 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Nov 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Nov 13 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 15 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Nov 16 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Nov 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Nov 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Nov 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 20 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 21 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Nov 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 23 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| Nov 24 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Nov 26 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Nov 27 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Coronavirus Updates : NPR
The World Health Organization is warning that the new omicron variant of the coronavirus poses a "very high" global risk because of the possibility that it spreads more easily and might resist vaccines and immunity in people who were infected with previous strains.
In a technical brief issued Sunday, the WHO warned its 194 member states that the new variant's numerous mutations "may confer immune escape potential and possibly transmissibility advantage," and as a result "the likelihood of potential further spread of omicron at the global level is high."
NPR
Vaccine makers are already pivoting their efforts to combat the new variant: testing higher doses of booster shots, designing new boosters that anticipate strain mutations, and developing omicron-specific boosters.
In a statement sent to NPR, Moderna said it has been working on a comprehensive strategy to predict variants of concern since the beginning of 2021. One approach is to double the current booster from 50 to 100 micrograms. Secondly, the vaccine maker has been studying two booster vaccines that are designed to anticipate mutations like those found in the omicron variant. The company also said it will ramp up efforts to make a booster candidate that specifically targets omicron.