Omicron variant has now been detected in 30 U.S. states, with over 150 confirmed cases. 

The Omicron variant is continuing its spread across the U.S., now being confirmed over 150 times in 30 U.S. states.

Over the weekend, five U.S. states - Idaho, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island and Tennessee - joined the growing list of states to detect the variant within its borders.

Texas also took over as the nation's leader in sequenced cases, overtaking New York, with 36 cases sequenced.

In total, 159 cases of Omicron have been confirmed by U.S. health officials, though the total number of cases nationwide is much higher, including 43 cases reported by the CDC on Saturday.

In the wake of this new threat, health officials are urging Americans to receive COVID-19 booster shots, as initial data is showing the new variant has the ability to evade protection provided by the vaccines.

The nation also approaches another dark milestone in the pandemic, as it will likely eclipse 800,000 deaths caused by the virus at some point this week.

An analysis by the New York Times finds that Americans over the age of 65 have been struck especially hard by the virus, with one of every 100 people in the age group succumbing to Covid. 

Across the pond, the UK has recorded its first death caused by the strain, as the nation suffers a massive outbreak of the new strain.

The UK leads the world in confirmed cases of the variant, approaching the 5,000 mark on Monday morning. 

More at source: Daily Mail ... 

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When will the COVID pandemic end? CDC Director Rochelle Walensky shares her prediction

ATLANTA -- When Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, takes stock of the coronavirus pandemic, she knows it's far from over. But she also believes it won't last forever.

For Walensky, one of the key signs the United States is exiting the pandemic will be when hospitals are no longer filled to the brim with COVID-19 patients. And when the number of daily deaths starts to plummet.

"We've gotten pretty cavalier about 1,100 deaths a day," Walensky told ABC News Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton in a rare in-person interview from CDC headquarters in Atlanta.

"That's an extraordinary amount of deaths in a single day from this disease," Walensky said. "We can't -- I can't -- be in a position where that is OK."

For the nation's public health experts, deaths and hospitalizations have become a more reliable benchmark for progress than overall cases.

More at source: ABC

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66% of employees want better office cleaning practices before returning to work

Omicron paired with the tight labor market has put pressure on business owners to do whatever it takes to retain their employees and instill a sense of workplace safety. However, a new study from the Cleaning Coalition of America (CCA), an organization that supports and celebrates America’s cleaning professionals, shows that nearly half of survey participants – 43% – are still worried about returning to the office. CNBC Make It spoke with Josh Feinberg, President of the CCA, to discuss what workers expect to feel more comfortable in the office.

According to the survey, which included 1,600 U.S. workers, when asked to rank their greatest impediment to returning to the office, respondents point to Covid infection rates first (35.2%) and vaccination rates second (17.4%). While cleaning practices weren’t a major priority for employees pre-Covid, 66% of U.S. workers find it extremely important now. For 62% of employees, simply seeing sanitation professionals regularly at their workplace would make them feel safer.

More at source: CNBC

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Janitorial Company Ordered To Pay Penalty And Refunds On Cleaning System Claiming To Mitigate COVID On Surfaces

A Des Moines commercial custodial company has been ordered to pay a $75,000 penalty and provide refunds for making false COVID-19 cleaning claims. Iowa Attorney General, Tom Miller, reports the settlement with Heritage Group, Heritage Microbial Control, LLC, SPMC and Joseph Johnson must comply with those terms of the agreement and also refrain from claiming that their antimicrobial cleaning process provides long-term protection to surfaces from the coronavirus, unless such claims are approved by the appropriate federal and state authorities.

“As the pandemic began, we shared concerns that companies would try to sell cleaning services based on unfounded claims to prevent the coronavirus, wasting Iowans’ money and potentially harming their health,” Miller says. “We are pleased to come to a resolution with Heritage Building Maintenance and to finalize the agreement that refunds customers and puts an end to these claims.” In the summer of 2020, Miller’s Consumer Protection Division opened an investigation into the company’s claims that Test-Treat-Track, their three-step antimicrobial cleaning process, would provide long-lasting prevention or mitigated transmission...

More at source: CBC

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The US is averaging more than 100,000 new Covid-19 cases a day, the highest level in two months

For the first time in two months, the US is averaging more than 100,000 new Covid-19 cases each day, shortly after millions of Americans traveled for the Thanksgiving holiday.

The seven-day moving average of new cases was 121,437 as of Saturday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University (JHU). Prior to this week, the US last topped the 100,000-cases-a-day mark in early October.

Also on the rise is the number of Covid-19 deaths, with a seven-day average of 1,651 people dying from the virus each day as of Saturday, the JHU data showed. Average daily deaths haven't been this high in more than a month.

More at source: CNN

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Omicron Covid variant detected in 5 U.S. states as scientists investigate heavily mutated strain

At least five U.S. states have now confirmed cases of the omicron variant of the virus that causes Covid-19, as scientists investigate whether the heavily mutated strain is more infectious and virulent.

At least 9 cases were confirmed on Thursday in Minnesota, Colorado, New York, Hawaii and California. California confirmed the first U.S. case of omicron on Wednesday, bringing the total number of reported cases so far to 10.

Minnesota public health authorities confirmed Thursday morning the second U.S. case of omicron, in a resident who recently returned from New York City, the state’s department of health said.

The man, who was fully vaccinated and has since recovered, traveled to New York City to attend the Anime NYC 2021 convention at the Javits Center Nov. 19-21, the department said in a statement. He developed symptoms shortly after returning and tested positive on Nov. 22.

More at source: CNBC

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The COVID-19 omicron variant has an "unprecedented number of spike mutations" and poses a "very high" global risk, the World Health Organization said Monday.

Because of fears that the new variant has the potential to be more resistant to the protection offered by vaccines, there are growing concerns around the world that the pandemic and associated lockdown restrictions will persist for far longer than hoped.

"The overall global risk related to the new variant of concern omicron is assessed as very high," the WHO said, according to Reuters. The health body said countries should make sure that there are "mitigation plans in place" to deal with an increase in new cases. Scientists are working to determine how effective vaccines are in preventing infections with the new variant.

More at source: FOX

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Concern about a new, heavily mutated variant of coronavirus first detected in southern Africa, has led the UK to restrict travelled to six African countries - South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini.

The variant, known as B.1.1.529, is the most heavily mutated version discovered so far - and it has such a long list of mutations that it was described by one scientist as "horrific". South Africa, Hong Kong and Botswana have identified just 59 cases of the variant, so far, while Israeli media also reports one case has been identified from a traveller. UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps paid tribute to South Africa's fast and transparent response, and said of the UK's decision to restrict travel: "This is a safety-first approach."

More at source: BBC

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