Omicron News and Research

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The emergence and limited spread of the Mu SARS-CoV-2 variant

A recent report provides insights into the restricted worldwide spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Mu (B.1.621) variant.

4 Apr 2022

SARS-CoV-2 prevalence during the initial period of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant emergence in Finland

A recent study presented the rapid spike in COVID-19 seroprevalence during the emergence of the Omicron variant in Finland.

4 Apr 2022

Association between natural immunity and risk of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection and COVID-19 hospitalization

A new Swedish study examines the protective effect of immunity engendered by natural infection in contrast to hybrid immunity.

4 Apr 2022

How well does the BNT162b2 vaccine protect children and teens against Omicron?

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine investigated the vaccine efficiency of the Pfizer BioNTech (BNT162b2) vaccine against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant in children and adolescents.

4 Apr 2022

Clinical health outcomes of omicron ‘less severe’ than delta for pediatric patients

New research from the Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) School of Medicine suggests that the children younger than age 5 who are infected with the COVID-19 Omicron variant have less risk of severe health outcomes than those infected with the Delta variant.

2 Apr 2022

Study investigates messenger ribonucleic acid-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccine efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron in Denmark

A new study assessed the efficacy of two SARS-CoV-2 vaccines against Omicron infections and disease-related hospitalization in the Denmark population.

1 Apr 2022

Researchers explore a novel method to isolate monoclonal antibodies from COVID-19 convalescents infected with SARS-CoV-2 variants

Researchers developed a novel high-throughput method to obtain monoclonal antibodies from COVID-19 individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 ancestral strain Wuhan-Hu-1 and the Beta or Gamma variants.

1 Apr 2022

Study identifies a new class of monoclonal antibodies that neutralize both alpha and beta coronaviruses

A team of international scientists has recently isolated and characterized pan-coronavirus neutralizing antibodies from individuals with pre-existing immunity against SARS-CoV-2.

1 Apr 2022

NIH program provides a real-time risk assessment of variants of SARS-CoV-2

Faculty from the Departments of Microbiology, Medicine Genetics and Genomic Sciences, and Pathology and Molecular Cell-Based Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai play key roles in a National Institutes of Health (NIH) program set up to provide a real-time risk assessment of variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The program, called SARS-CoV-2 Assessment of Viral Evolution (SAVE) and described in a paper published March 31 in Nature, assesses how the variants might affect transmission, virulence, and resistance to both disease-induced (convalescent) and vaccine-induced immunity.

31 Mar 2022

The longest duration of SARS-CoV-2 positivity after initial diagnosis

An immunocompetent individual with prolonged SARS-CoV-2 shedding 221 days after their initial COVID-19 diagnosis.

31 Mar 2022

The evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

Researchers discuss the evolution and mechanisms of mutations that have occurred in the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2.

31 Mar 2022

Convalescent plasma treatment for newly diagnosed COVID-19 patients may reduce hospitalization risk

Early treatment of newly diagnosed COVID-19 patients with plasma extracted from individuals who have recovered from the disease reduces the need for hospitalization by more than 50%, according to a new nationwide clinical trial.

31 Mar 2022

Novaplex real-time PCR assays can reliably, rapidly detect SARS-CoV-2 in patient samples

A new study has found that the Novaplex SARS-CoV-2 Variant I, II, and IV real-time PCR assays (from Seegene Technology) can reliably detect SARS-CoV-2 in patient samples and identify known variants of interest and concern.

31 Mar 2022

Additional boosters recommended for certain individuals at higher risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes

Data continue to show the importance of vaccination and booster doses to protect individuals both from infection and severe outcomes of COVID-19.

31 Mar 2022

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Funding for the next pandemic

President Joe Biden released his budget proposal for 2023 this week, and it calls for a nearly 27% increase in funding for the Department of Health and Human Services.

31 Mar 2022

NIH-sponsored trial of second COVID-19 booster shots begins enrolling adult participants

A Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating various additional COVID-19 booster shots has begun enrolling adult participants in the United States.

31 Mar 2022

Risk of breakthrough infections by SARS-CoV-2 Omicron and Delta variants in fully vaccinated adults

In a new study, researchers determined the risk of breakthrough infections by SARS-CoV-2 Omicron and Delta variants in fully vaccinated individuals.

31 Mar 2022

MERS-CoV-related viruses invade host cells via bat angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptors

A recent study discovered that near relatives of MERS-CoV utilize ACE2 as functional receptors.

31 Mar 2022

Messenger ribonucleic acid boosters shown to be effective against Omicron infections in mice

Researchers evaluated the protection conferred by booster doses of the preclinical version of the Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine and a SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant-matched vaccine against Omicron infections in mice.

31 Mar 2022

‘The danger is still there’ ― As omicron lurks, Native Americans are wary of boosters

When covid-19 vaccines first became available, Native Americans acted swiftly and with determination to get their shots — as though they had everything to lose.

31 Mar 2022

Omicron News and Research

The emergence and limited spread of the Mu SARS-CoV-2 variant

SARS-CoV-2 prevalence during the initial period of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant emergence in Finland

Association between natural immunity and risk of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection and COVID-19 hospitalization

How well does the BNT162b2 vaccine protect children and teens against Omicron?

Clinical health outcomes of omicron ‘less severe’ than delta for pediatric patients

Study investigates messenger ribonucleic acid-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccine efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron in Denmark

Researchers explore a novel method to isolate monoclonal antibodies from COVID-19 convalescents infected with SARS-CoV-2 variants

Study identifies a new class of monoclonal antibodies that neutralize both alpha and beta coronaviruses

NIH program provides a real-time risk assessment of variants of SARS-CoV-2

The longest duration of SARS-CoV-2 positivity after initial diagnosis

The evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

Convalescent plasma treatment for newly diagnosed COVID-19 patients may reduce hospitalization risk

Novaplex real-time PCR assays can reliably, rapidly detect SARS-CoV-2 in patient samples

Additional boosters recommended for certain individuals at higher risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Funding for the next pandemic

NIH-sponsored trial of second COVID-19 booster shots begins enrolling adult participants

Risk of breakthrough infections by SARS-CoV-2 Omicron and Delta variants in fully vaccinated adults

MERS-CoV-related viruses invade host cells via bat angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptors

Messenger ribonucleic acid boosters shown to be effective against Omicron infections in mice

‘The danger is still there’ ― As omicron lurks, Native Americans are wary of boosters

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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