The biggest counties across America, especially those with tightly packed populations, are reporting far fewer COVID-19 cases and deaths due to widespread vaccination rates, according to data analyzed from the The Washington Post.
Why it matters: Vaccination data shows that even at the county and city level in the most densely populated areas, the most-vaccinated counties are less vulnerable to outbreaks.
IV drips — the kind you might get if you're rushed to the hospital — are trending as a spa treatment, thanks in part to endorsements by celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Madonna.
Why it matters: Like other "wellness" trends with a whiff of medical imprimatur, IV nutrient drips can be harmless or mildly restorative — or go awry, particularly in the wrong hands.
New data from South Africa suggests the Omicron variant spreads more than twice as quickly as the Delta variant, and that immunity from prior infection doesn't appear to protect a person very well against Omicron variant.
Why it matters: The findings are extremely preliminary, and there are still many open questions about how well vaccines work against the variant. But these initial breadcrumbs of data are helping the world begin to understand what it's up against.
Pfizer could have data on COVID-19 vaccine efficacy for children under five by the end of the year, CEO Albert Bourla said on Friday in an interview with NBC News.
Why it matters: Omicron has raised concerns that young children are becoming more vulnerable to the virus. Tshwane, the epicenter of South Africa's Omicron outbreak, has seen a high number of hospital admissions for children under two in the last few weeks, though scientists have not confirmed a link to the variant, Reuters reports.
If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, abortions could be harder to access even in states where they remain legal, because those clinics could be flooded with patients from states that have cracked down.
The big picture: This has happened before, and clinics fear the crush of demand would be a major problem in the immediate wake of a decision that would allow states to ban abortion.
Some states are much more likely to catch cases of the Omicron variant early on — including California and Minnesota, which did, in fact, find the first two confirmed U.S. cases.
The big picture: Omicron has thrust the U.S.'s genetic surveillance capabilities back into the spotlight. And the more cases sequenced, the better the chances of finding the variant before it takes off.
The Biden administration's decision to require health insurance companies to cover the cost of at-home COVID-19 tests is part of a national effort to more easily identify infected people and stunt the spread of the virus this winter.
Reality check: Millions of people who are uninsured or are covered by Medicare and Medicaid weren't included in the announcement, and the redemption of a "free" test still requires insured people to pay upfront.
Health measures taken to combat COVID-19 before the emergence of Omicron would also help against the new variant of concern, World Health Organization officials said Friday.
What they're saying: Takeshi Kasai, WHO regional director for the Western Pacific, said during a virtual briefing broadcast from Manila, Philippines, that border controls imposed by the U.S. and other nations can "buy time" to deal with the variant, but warned "every country and every community must prepare for new surges in cases."
Nevada's Public Employees' Benefits Program Board voted Thursday to charge workers enrolled in public employee health insurance plans a surcharge of up to $55 a month if they're not vaccinated against COVID-19, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.
Why it matters: Nevada is the first state to announce such a move, per AP.
Several Republican New Jersey Assembly lawmakers on Thursday broke a new rule requiring they show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test to enter the chamber and were temporarily blocked by state troopers, per NJ.com.
Why it matters: The move is part of a wider push by Republicans in several states and nationally against vaccine mandates. The N.J. GOP has filed a lawsuit against the rule by a panel appointed by Gov. Phil Murphy's (D) administration, and was granted a short stay by a state appellate court late Thursday, AP notes.
The state of Oklahoma filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration on Thursday in an attempt to block the enforcement of its vaccine mandate for federal employees.
Why it matters: The move comes one day after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin denied Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt's (R) request to exempt the state's National Guard from the mandate.
Hawaii became on Thursday the fifth state to confirm the newly discovered Omicron variant after New York announced five new cases earlier in the day.
The latest: In Hawaii, the variant was found in an unvaccinated O'ahu resident with moderate symptoms who had previously been infected with COVID-19, per a state health department statement. The variant has also been confirmed in California, Colorado and Minnesota.
South Africa alerted the world to the Omicron variant. Now data out of South Africa may serve as a warning of what we're facing.
Driving the news: South Africa recorded 11,535 new cases Thursday with 22.4% of tests coming back positive — up from an average of about 300 new cases, with a 2% test positivity rate 10 days earlier. The country's top public health officials expect that exponential rise to continue as Omicron rapidly becomes the dominant variant.
