Omicron News and Research

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COVID-19 mortality gap between men and women narrowed sharply as the pandemic progressed

Men experienced higher absolute excess mortality than women across many high-income countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly during pre-vaccine mortality peaks. Relative differences were much smaller, showing that sex disparities depended strongly on baseline mortality, age, country, and pandemic phase.

19 Aug 2026

Airplane wastewater pilot shows how airports could track pathogens across borders

Researchers showed that airplane wastewater from a shared US-UK transatlantic route could be collected and analyzed to detect respiratory and enteric pathogen genetic material. The pilot also captured SARS-CoV-2 lineage patterns, including earlier detection of XEC on UK-origin flights, while showing the need for harmonized assays and broader sampling.

4 Aug 2026

Remdesivir protects kidney and heart health in transplant recipients

Adults with kidney transplants who were treated for COVID-19 with the antiviral remdesivir within a week of COVID-19 diagnosis and who received at least three consecutive days of therapy were less likely than kidney transplant recipients who did not receive the antiviral to experience cardiovascular or kidney problems up to a year later, according to findings from a target trial emulation study that published in JAMA Network Open.

28 Jul 2026

Study tracks long-term recovery patterns of COVID-19 patients

Six years after the world first learned of COVID-19, the pandemic has faded into an unpleasant memory for many. For others, however, it never fully ended.

2 Jul 2026

COVID-19 vaccine boosters may protect against future animal coronavirus outbreaks

COVID-19 vaccine boosters not only protect against SARS‑CoV‑2 – the virus behind the most recent pandemic – but may also help protect against some future coronaviruses that risk spreading from animals to humans, Cambridge researchers have shown.

1 Jul 2026

Review highlights strong safety and effectiveness of mRNA vaccines

A comprehensive new review published in The Lancet affirms that currently approved mRNA vaccines are safe and highly effective at preventing infectious diseases, including COVID-19.

30 Jun 2026

COVID-19 vaccine boosters may help protect against future animal coronaviruses

30 Jun 2026

Antibody profiles offer insights into long Covid cognitive symptoms

Persistent symptoms after COVID-19 infection continue to affect millions of people worldwide, even as the number of acute infections has declined.

12 Jun 2026

Why Andes hantavirus is not the next COVID-19

Research highlights fundamental differences between Andes hantavirus and SARS-CoV-2, emphasizing distinct transmission routes and public health implications.

10 Jun 2026

Boston Children's scientists create new booster-free mRNA vaccine strategy

In a new study published in Nature Immunology, researchers at Boston Children's Hospital demonstrated that pairing the original COVID-19 mRNA vaccine with an immune system enhancer, known as an adjuvant, extended the duration of the vaccine's protection in mice from a few months up to two years.

22 May 2026

Ensitrelvir cuts household COVID-19 risk when given after exposure

Ensitrelvir, an oral SARS-CoV-2 3C-like protease inhibitor, reduced symptomatic RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 among household contacts when given within 72 hours after symptom onset in the infected index patient. In the phase 3 SCORPIO-PEP trial, COVID-19 occurred in 2.9% of ensitrelvir recipients versus 9.0% of placebo recipients, with similar overall adverse-event rates.

20 May 2026

Emerging SARS-CoV-2 variant BA.3.2 shows no signs of greater danger

The Global Virus Network (GVN), representing eminent human and animal virologists from more than 90 Centers of Excellence and Affiliates in over 40 countries dedicated to advancing research, collaboration, and pandemic preparedness, is monitoring the SARS-CoV-2 variant BA.3.2, sometimes informally referred to in media reports as the "cicada" variant, and emphasizes that current evidence does not indicate cause for alarm or heightened public concern.

3 Apr 2026

Long COVID taste loss tied to reduced expression of key taste genes

The study identifies molecular changes in taste receptor cells as a potential cause of persistent taste dysfunction in long COVID-19, impacting quality of life.

5 Mar 2026

Nasal COVID vaccine boost increases IgA responses linked to variant neutralisation

Intranasal boosting after prior intramuscular COVID vaccination induced strong mucosal IgA responses in a small human cohort. These antibodies showed markedly enhanced neutralising activity against Omicron variants and evidence of immune memory reprogramming toward mucosal protection.

15 Feb 2026

Immunocompromised individuals require multiple Covid booster doses

Vaccinations alone may not be enough to protect people with compromised immune systems from infection, even if the vaccine has generated the production of antibodies, new research from the University of Cambridge has shown.

13 Feb 2026

A common diabetes drug may prevent long COVID when taken early

Research supports metformin's efficacy in reducing long COVID symptoms, suggesting its use in acute COVID-19 cases could alleviate long-term health impacts.

3 Feb 2026

Long-term study reveals shifting patterns in COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy

Most COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is rooted in concerns that can be addressed and effectively reduced over time, according to a new study following more than 1.1 million people in England between January 2021 and March 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic, published in The Lancet.

13 Jan 2026