In New York City,85,476 people tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday. In Xi’an, which has a larger population, that number was 122. But it’s the central Chinese city that’s currently living under the world’s strictest lockdown.
Why it matters: The Chinese government is going to drastic lengths to maintain its “zero COVID” policy even with more contagious variants like Omicron emerging and the rest of the world largely learning to live with the virus — including countries like Australia and New Zealand that had previously tried to keep all cases out.
The Food and Drug Administrationexpanded COVID-19 vaccine booster eligibility on Monday to allow 12- to 15-year-olds to receive a third shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
Why it matters: The expansion comes as coronavirus cases soar to record numbers due to the highly contagious Omicron variant, raising concerns over hospitals' ability to respond to the anticipated deluge of patients.
Novo Holdings has won the auction for Medical Knowledge Group, which provides marketing services to drug companies, at a $1.15 billion enterprise value, four sources tell Axios.
Why it matters: Drug therapies being developed today are increasingly aimed at smaller patient populations, which can complicate commercialization. If you have a true data analytics business like MKG, or a tech-enabled strategy, investors have no problem paying a premium.
Months after Delta threatened the fall back-to-school ritual, COVID-19 is again complicating kids' return to the classroom.
Why it matters: While government officials worked to convince school administrators and parents over the last several days that kids could safely get back to in-person learning after the holidays, the reality on the ground amid the spread of Omicron is much more complicated.
NIAID director Anthony Fauci on Sunday said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is gauging whether to include a negative COVID test as part of its updated guidance after receiving criticism for not doing so initially.
Why it matters: Fauci's remarks on CNN's "State of the Union" come just a week after the CDC shortened its recommended isolation time for people who test positive for COVID-19 from 10 days to five days if they're asymptomatic.
