Note: A BIG trend this week is to talk about how "this may be how it all ends" which STILL seems wildly premature. Fingers crossed though.

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Why you should upgrade your mask as the Omicron variant spreads
https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/24/health/cloth-mask-omicron-variant-wellness/index.html

"Cloth masks are little more than facial decorations. There's no place for them in light of Omicron," said CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and visiting professor of health policy and management at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, on CNN Newsroom Tuesday.

"This is what scientists and public health officials have been saying for months, many months, in fact," Wen added in a separate phone interview.

"We need to be wearing at least a three-ply surgical mask," she said, which is also known as a disposable mask and can be found at most drugstores and some grocery and retail stores. "You can wear a cloth mask on top of that, but do not just wear a cloth mask alone."

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Fully Vaccinated Individuals at Risk for COVID Infection With Omicron Variant – Columbia Study
https://scitechdaily.com/fully-vaccinated-individuals-at-risk-for-covid-infection-with-omicron-variant-columbia-study/

In neutralization studies with monoclonal antibodies, only one (Brii198 approved in China) maintained notable activity against omicron. A minor form of omicron is completely resistant to all antibodies in clinical use today. The authors note that omicron is now the most complete “escapee” from neutralization that scientists have seen.
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Omicron and children: Pediatric hospitals in parts of U.S. filling fast
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/12/24/omicron-children-hospitalizations-us/

About 800 kids have been admitted nearly every day this week, with those in Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvania and New York hit particularly hard by the juggernaut variant.


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White House lifting omicron travel ban on southern African countries amid spread in US
Travel can resume from South Africa, 7 other countries, on Dec. 31

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/white-house-lifting-omicron-covid-travel-ban-southern-african-countries

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Booster shots protect against symptomatic Omicron infection for about 10 weeks, study finds — which could mean more doses for some in 2022

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-long-does-booster-protection-omicron-covid-last-study-2021-12

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said protection against symptomatic COVID-19 caused by the variant dropped from 70% to 45% after a Pfizer booster for those initially vaccinated with the shot developed by Pfizer with BioNTech.

In the same analysis published Thursday, the agency found the effectiveness of Moderna's booster paired with two doses of the Pfizer vaccine held at 70 to 75% for up to 9 weeks, though not many people in the study received this regimen, which could affect the accuracy of the finding.