Researchers in South Africa have found that people infected with omicron, on average, are less likely to end up in the hospital. But the variant may act differently here in the U.S.
He and his team were stunned by the number of mutations. They felt they'd made a contribution by alerting the world to a dangerous variant. Then came the travel bans for residents of southern Africa.
Data from 78,000 South Africans with COVID show the Pfizer vaccine is far less effective in preventing infection by the omicron variant. But there is still significant protection from severe illness.
The variant has spread through South Africa with remarkable speed — and been detected in at least 60 other countries. Specialists are trying to figure out the next stage for this unwelcome variant.
In small studies in South Africa and in Germany, the results indicate a marked decrease in the ability of vaccines to neutralize this variant. But there are other findings that are encouraging.
The variant is bringing out the worst in some Western governments and global media outlets, says Dr. Ifeanyi Nsofor, a global health advocate in Nigeria.
How did this new strain of the coronavirus evolve? Researchers are investigating various possibilities. One leading theory involves ... just one person.
African nations are bristling at the restrictions imposed on them by rich countries — and say they are harmful to local economies and discriminate against countries in the region.
Public health experts warn that the rush to impose travel bans on southern African countries after the omicron variant was identified can work against scientific transparency.
The World Health Organization deemed it a variant of concern, and the U.S. is banning travel from parts of Africa where it's spreading. Here's what scientists know and what they're trying to learn.
Stock markets around the world tumbled on concerns about the new variant. While it's too soon to tell exactly how the variant functions, virologists are rushing to learn more.
De Klerk shared a Nobel Peace Prize with Nelson Mandela, and ceded the presidency to him in 1994 after Black South Africans were allowed to vote. But he's remained a controversial figure there.
After years of progress in reducing the number of annual deaths from tuberculosis, the number of cases of the infectious respiratory disease went up in 2020.
For millions, the pandemic has meant a loss of income even as food prices are rising. The challenge for parents and grandparents is how to feed the youngsters in the family — and themselves as well.
