As omicron appears to produce less severe illness than delta, its overall effect might end up having a positive side
FDA Says Rapid At-Home COVID-19 Tests Not as Sensitive to Omicron
Agency says that antigen tests ‘do detect the omicron variant, but may have reduced sensitivity’
No Effect on Ovarian Reserve Seen After mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination
Mean levels of anti-Müllerian hormone unchanged from baseline to three months after vaccination among reproductive-aged women
Weight Loss Via Surgery Linked to Improved COVID-19 Outcomes
Adults who underwent weight loss surgery between 2004 and 2017 had a reduced risk for severe outcomes
Vaccinated Kidney Transplant Recipients Vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 Variants
After two-dose vaccination, only 64 and 67 percent of kidney transplant recipients showed neutralization against B.1.351 (β) and B.1.617.2 (δ)
CDC Reduces Recommended Isolation Time for People With COVID-19
Agency also released updated emergency guidance for health care facilities, decreasing isolation time after infection with COVID-19
Depressive Symptoms Increased Among Seniors During COVID-19
Increase seen in prevalence of clinically significant depressive symptoms accompanied by increased loneliness, worse QoL
Breakthrough COVID-19 Infection Risk Higher With Immune Dysfunction
Risk for breakthrough infection higher for those with immunocompromising conditions, such as HIV, rheumatoid arthritis, solid organ transplant
As Omicron Spreads, Child Hospitalizations Climb 30 Percent in Past Week
By Dec. 28, country had an average of 260 pediatric COVID-19 hospitalizations each day
Identified Gene May Double Severe COVID-19 Risk
Oxford University issued a media statement saying, ‘Scientists have identified the gene responsible for doubling the risk of respiratory failure from COVID-19.’
Genome-wide association studies identified the 3p21.31 region of the human DNA as conferring a two-fold increased risk of respiratory failure.
And about 60% of people with South Asian ancestry carry the high-risk genetic signal, compared to 15% of those with European ancestry.