Unvaccinated adults age 65 or older who contracted the coronavirus were 49 times more likely to require hospitalization than seniors who had received booster vaccine doses, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Unimmunized adults in that age group were also 17 times more likely to be admitted to a hospital than those who had received either two shots of an mRNA vaccine or one Johnson & Johnson dose. Meanwhile, unvaccinated people between 50 and 64 years old were 44 times more likely to need hospitalization compared with their boosted counterparts.
The CDC figures on boosters, drawn from between October and December 2021, provide a real-world snapshot of the efficacy of commonly used vaccines in the United States. The European drug regulator also said Friday it was becoming “increasingly clear that a booster dose is needed to extend vaccine protection,” particularly against the omicron variant.
Here’s what to know
- Free rapid tests are about to roll out in the United States. In other countries, they’re already part of daily life.
- The omicron surge has forced non-covid patients to forgo surgeries and has left them in pain.
- Getting vaccinated has no impact on fertility, according to a new peer-reviewed study, which also found that contracting the coronavirus may led to a temporary decrease in male fertility.
MORE ON THE OMICRON VARIANT
California bill could allow teens to get vaccinated without parental consent
California lawmakers introduced a bill Thursday that would allow teenagers to consent to receiving vaccines, including the coronavirus vaccine, without a parent’s permission.
Democratic state Sens. Scott Wiener and Richard Pan introduced Senate Bill 866, which would allow children age 12 and older to get vaccines that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and recommended for their age group by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced last year that children would be required to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus to attend public school once the vaccine is fully approved for their age group by the FDA, although parents would be able to seek personal and medical exemptions.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is fully approved for people age 16 and older, but for younger adolescents the vaccine is currently allowed under only an emergency use authorization.
The California bill is likely to stoke significant backlash, even in a state where more than 68 percent of the eligible population has been fully vaccinated and more than 10.7 million people have received a booster dose. California has reported more than 7 million cases of coronavirus and 77,521 deaths since the start of the pandemic. Hospitalizations in the state increased as cases spiked this winter, but they remain lower than the national average.
Booster shots in U.S. have strongly protected against severe disease from omicron variant, CDC studies show
Vaccine boosters provide robust protection against severe disease from the omicron variant in the United States, according to three reports released Friday that offer the first real-world data in this country showing the utility of the additional shots in keeping vaccinated people out of the hospital.
But the reports by scientists the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are arriving late to the winter surge in coronavirus cases that have choked the corridors of hospitals across much of the country.
When omicron was first identified in late November and began spreading rapidly in the United States, millions of vaccinated people lined up for the extra shots. But that uptake has slowed. To date, only 39 percent of fully vaccinated people have gotten the additional doses, according to the CDC.
Some governments have launched plans to fine the unvaccinated. Experts caution against the approach.
A growing number of governments are offering people a stark choice: Get vaccinated or pay up.
Austria’s lower house of parliament on Thursday approved a coronavirus vaccine mandate for all adults starting Feb. 1, with violators facing up to 3,600 euros ($4,000) in fines.
In Greece, starting this week, people over age 60 who decline the vaccine can be fined 100 euros ($113) per month. Italians who are older than 50 must also get vaccinated or face fines and suspensions from work, beginning next month.
In Canada, meanwhile, the hard-hit province of Quebec said last week that it was considering a plan to impose a “significant” financial penalty on adults who have not received at least a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine.
Airlines bet on a travel rebound after omicron fades
Executives at two of the nation’s biggest airlines said Thursday that the omicron variant of the coronavirus will delay their return to profitability but that pent-up demand for air travel this spring and summer will set the stage for a rebound this year.
Airlines entered the final quarter of 2021 with optimism. With holiday bookings nearing pre-pandemic levels, there was confidence the industry had moved past the worst of the delta variant that sapped demand in late summer and early fall. But the arrival of omicron upended plans for a strong finish to the year.
Both United Airlines and American Airlines posted losses for the final quarter of 2021, largely due to the effects of omicron on operations, they said Thursday. The carriers said they expect those losses to extend through the first quarter this year as customers delay travel.
Omicron was ‘likely’ in U.S. before first case was identified, wastewater data suggests
U.S. wastewater samples suggest the omicron variant of the coronavirus was probably present in the country more than a week before its first case was detected, a new CDC report said on Friday.
The sewage samples indicate the variant may have been spreading in New York City as early as Nov. 21, shortly before researchers announced omicron cases in the southern African region late last year, and 10 days before the United States identified its first case, according to the report.
Scientists also reported finding signs of omicron in samples from later in November in California and Texas.
“The detection of omicron-associated mutations in community wastewater provides strong early evidence that the omicron variant was likely present or more widely distributed in these communities than originally indicated by clinical testing alone,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report said.
While the evidence is not conclusive, it supports an approach of looking at wastewater tracking along with testing to help detect emerging variants early on. This can “help guide decisions about allocation of clinical and public health resources, testing strategies, and public health messaging,” the report added.
Some parts of the United States and other countries such as Canada and the Netherlands have used wastewater surveillance to detect genetic material associated with the coronavirus as an alternate measure of the virus’s prevalence in a community.
Across the United States, scientists have analyzed sewage water to determine how intense outbreaks might be, given limits on testing, or to predict where the next one might hit. The data cannot identify individual cases but can help some communities, such as universities, respond to outbreaks.
Can I use an at-home test on a baby? Your parenting pandemic questions answered.
With the omicron variant exploding throughout the United States, many of the questions that have bedeviled caregivers for the length of the pandemic are taking on a new urgency. If we want our children to stay healthy, and not infect other friends, families and strangers, what should we be doing right now? What shouldn’t we be doing? Because omicron appears to cause less severe illness, does it even matter if a healthy kid catches covid?
Absolute answers are in short supply. With that in mind, we asked experts of different backgrounds to weigh in questions gathered from two dozen parents.
DeSantis suggests vaccines hurt fertility. A study indicates otherwise — but says catching coronavirus might.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), a foe of vaccine mandates, appeared to suggest Thursday that getting a shot to protect against the coronavirus could cause infertility.
“Think about how ridiculous it is what they’re doing by trying to force the nurses” to get immunized, he said in a speech announcing funding for nursing certification programs. “A lot of these nurses have had covid. A lot of them are younger. Some of them are trying to have families.”
But there is no evidence that getting vaccinated against the coronavirus makes it harder to conceive, according to a study released Thursday of heterosexual couples trying for pregnancy. DeSantis could not be immediately reached for a comment on his remarks.
By contrast, men infected with the coronavirus showed signs of a short-term decline in fertility, according to the research, which was led by an epidemiologist at Boston University and published in the peer-reviewed American Journal of Epidemiology. It was funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Hong Kong warns against trying to stop hamster cull
Authorities in Hong Kong warned pet lovers on Friday against trying to save hamsters from a cull of nearly 2,000 of the small rodents, which the government says it ordered to prevent suspected coronavirus transmission.
In announcing its plan, the government said the animals could carry the coronavirus and give it to humans, after several imported from the Netherlands tested positive at a Hong Kong pet shop.
The decision outraged many pet owners and drew criticism from some who described it as knee-jerk panic. Hundreds volunteered to house the affected animals. People have tried to stop owners from handing over their hamsters at the agriculture department, offering to take the animals into their care instead.
On Friday, the department warned that if the “people concerned continue with such action,” officials would report them to the police.
There are so far no criminal consequences facing owners who do not give up their pets. Earlier this week, however, one lawmaker suggested a mandate to round up hamsters as long as there was a risk to the city — which, like mainland China, has maintained a “zero covid” policy.
Adele postpones Las Vegas residency in tears, citing coronavirus
A tearful Adele announced Thursday that she was postponing her upcoming Las Vegas residency — just 24 hours before opening night — blaming coronavirus infections within her team and other production delays.
The show, “Weekends with Adele,” was due to open Friday at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
“I’m so sorry but my show ain’t ready,” she said in a video posted on social media.
“We’ve tried absolutely everything that we can to put it together in time and for it to be good enough for you, but we’ve been absolutely destroyed by delivery delays and covid. Half my crew, half my team are down with covid. They still are.”
After a six-year break, the 33-year-old British musician released an emotive album in November, titled “30,” with the first song shattering records on both Spotify and Amazon Music just a day after its release.
The concerts, which were set to run twice a week until April, will be rescheduled. “I’m gutted and I’m sorry it’s so last minute,” she added, apologizing to fans who were traveling to watch her in Las Vegas. “I’m really embarrassed.”
Some fans complained on social media that they were disappointed at the last-minute announcement after spending hundreds of dollars on travel to watch the singer perform.
Key coronavirus updates from around the world
By News Services and Staff Reports5:45 a.m.
Here’s what to know about the top coronavirus stories around the globe.
- Pakistan recorded its highest daily infection toll since the start of the pandemic. More than 7,600 coronavirus cases were reported in the South Asian country, which has introduced new restrictions to contain the omicron variant.
- Hong Kong authorities warned animal lovers against trying to save hamsters from a cull of nearly 2,000 of the small rodents, which the government says it ordered to prevent suspected animal-to-human coronavirus transmission.
- In Antarctica, nine staff members at an Argentine research base were evacuated after testing positive for the coronavirus. About half of the 43 scientists and military personnel at the base on the icy continent reportedly have been infected.
- New coronavirus cases in Africa have “dropped significantly” for the first time since the omicron surge began, with deaths also decreasing, the World Health Organization said.
- France announced the gradual lifting of some rules, such as outdoor masks, as it reported some of the world’s highest daily caseloads. Nightclubs will also reopen, but, pending final approval, unvaccinated people will no longer be able to access bars, restaurants and other spaces.
Experts answer your questions about the future of covid
As coronavirus experts around the world share their predictions that we will have to learn to live with covid-19, they are highlighting one of the less-familiar terms in the pandemic glossary: endemic.
“We have seen now that this is likely to become an endemic disease here in the United States and really around the world,” Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during an appearance on MSNBC in December. “We have many diseases that are endemic, influenza being one of them, that cause us minor challenges year after year that we can handle and tackle, and that may very well be what happens with covid.”
This doesn’t mean that the pandemic is close to being over — many parts of the world, including much of the United States, are still experiencing elevated case counts, hospitalizations and deaths driven by the highly contagious omicron variant. And, experts said, even if and when covid-19 becomes endemic, we won’t likely be able to return to our carefree, pre-pandemic lives.
Analysis: Why most of us should be wearing N95 masks
N95 respirators have long been the best disposable face coverings for protection against airborne viruses, but until recently, they were scarce.
When worn properly, N95s can filter out at least 95 percent of particles in the air, including the virus that causes covid-19. Only pricey air-purifying respirators or hazmat suits offer better protection.
You asked: I got covid on vacation. Where should I report my case?
Traveling has always come with complications, but the coronavirus pandemic has made it more challenging than ever. Our By The Way Concierge column will take your travel dilemmas to the experts to help you navigate the new normal. Want to see your question answered? Submit it here.
“I just got home from a cruise. I’m not sure how to go about telling the cruise line and airlines that ALL 7 of my group are now positive. Any suggestions?” — Heidi W.
Now that you’re back, what’s the move? I took your situation to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Their advice was short and sweet.
Mortgage rates are nearly back to pre-pandemic highs
You have to go back to the start of the coronavirus pandemic to find mortgage rates as high as they are this week.
According to the latest data released Thursday by Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate average climbed for the fourth week in a row to 3.56 percent with an average 0.7 point. (A point is a fee paid to a lender equal to 1 percent of the loan amount. It is in addition to the interest rate.) It was 3.45 percent a week ago and 2.77 percent a year ago. The 30-year fixed average is at its highest level since March 2020, when it was 3.65 percent.
Freddie Mac, the federally chartered mortgage investor, aggregates rates from about 80 lenders across the country to come up with weekly national averages. The survey is based on home purchase mortgages. Rates for refinances may be different. It uses rates for high-quality borrowers with strong credit scores and large down payments. Because of the criteria, these rates are not available to every borrower.
