900,000 DEATHS REPORTED IN THE U.S.

Sign up for this newsletter Read online Important developments in the pandemic.       By Derek Hawkins  Email  The Post's coronavirus coverage linked in this newsletter is free to access from this email.   The latest With omicron variant cases trending downward, a growing number of Americans say they're ready to live with the coronavirus and move on. Polls indicate Americans are comfortable taking more risks as the virus continues to circulate, accepting the possibility that they may eventually get covid-19 and that, if they're vaccinated and boosted, it probably won't be too bad. They are reviving plans they canceled earlier in the pandemic, resuming the activities they put on hold.  We’ve been here before, of course. And we know that we're one variant away from going through the same cycle again. But prior experience tells us that the more people move on, the harder it will be to reverse course if cases resurge. As more Americans adapt to a new normal, some states are moving to lift their school mask mandates. The Democratic governors of New Jersey and Delaware say they intend to phase out school masking requirements next month. Others may follow, with the governors of New York and Connecticut saying they would address the issue soon. But infections are still running extremely high relative to previous waves, andnot everyone is on board. In Virginia, some students aren’t ready for such a change, worrying that a future without vaccine or mask requirements could upend hard-won pandemic protections.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is updating its booster guidance for people with weakened immune systems. The change would shorten the period between the initial vaccine series and the booster dose from five to three months for organ transplant patients and others whose medical conditions blunt their immune response. The move came as the United States marked 900,000 coronavirus deaths. “They were beloved mothers and fathers, grandparents, children, brothers and sisters, neighbors, and friends," President Biden said in a statement. He called on all Americans to get the vaccines and boosters.  Businesses laid off employees in droves in the pandemic’s early waves. This time, companies are struggling to hire and retain workers. Analysts predicted omicron would wreak havoc on the labor market, but January's strong job numbers showed how this part of the economy has become surprisingly variant-proof. “Employers did not yank job postings and run for the hills," one economist told The Washington Post. "Hiring remained robust and in the end, the economy barely sneezed.”    Other important news Do coronavirus tests work if shipped in freezing weather? Probably. Protests against public health mandates in Canada have intensified. Canadian police have made arrests, issued tickets, and seized fuel and vehicles. Australia plans to reopen to vaccinated tourists next month. The country had one of the world's strictest and longest-lasting border closures.  “Air rage” incidents surged on flights during the pandemic. Delta Air Lines has asked the Justice Department to help set up a “no-fly” list of unruly passengers.  Get breaking news alerts, offline reading lists and more. Download the app     Guide to the pandemic Track confirmed cases, hospitalizations and deaths in the U.S.and the spread around the world. U.S. vaccine distribution and delivery, tracked by state. Guides: Booster shots | Finding vaccine appointments | Vaccines | Variants | Masks Follow live updates about the pandemic from Post reporters across the globe. Submit a question and we may answer it in a future story or newsletter.    Your questions, answered "Can vaccines and boosters protect someone from developing long covid if they end up getting infected?" — Kim in Virginia Research suggests that vaccines and boosters do protect you from long covid in two important ways: first, by preventing you from getting sick in the first place; and second, by reducing the incidence in those who get breakthrough infections.  Long covid has flummoxed researchers and doctors since the early days of the pandemic. Millions of people around the world have reported fatigue, shortness of breath, difficulty concentrating, and other problems that last long after infection. There's no firm definition for this condition, and no definitive diagnosis, but it's generally described as symptoms persisting for several weeks or more. A recent non-peer-reviewed study out of Israel found that people who'd gotten two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine were far less likely to report common long covid symptoms than unvaccinated people. Researchers spoke with more than 3,000 people who had tested positive. According to the results, vaccinated patients were 54 percent less likely to report headaches, 64 less likely to report fatigue, and 68 less likely to report muscle pain than those who weren't vaccinated. Another study released in September produced similar findings. Researchers looked at data from more than 1 million users of a covid-19 symptom tracker app in the United Kingdom and found the risk of long covid was slashed by half in those with two vaccine doses.  "The reasons for vaccination beyond the most pressing need to avert severe disease and deaths are manifold, but foremost it is to prevent long COVID,” Anthony De Soyza, an expert in respiratory medicine at the British National Institute of Health Research, said of the study in the Lancet medical journal. It's not clear why vaccines may ward off long covid in infected people — in large part because scientists don't know what causes this condition to begin with. One possibility, as described by the journal Nature in November, is that the immune protection generated by vaccines stops the virus before it can establish viral “reservoirs” in the body that may be linked to long covid. Whatever the case, the research isn't conclusive, and the data was collected before omicron peaked. Like so much related to long covid, vaccines and boosters, scientists need more time to observe the real-world effects of the disease and prevention efforts before we get a firmer answer. The unfortunate reality about long covid is that anyone can get it, regardless of their vaccination status or even the severity of their illness. Many cases resolve on their own after a few weeks or months, while some people experience debilitating symptoms that last much longer.  But the latest data is encouraging — as is the fact that two separate studies independently reached similar results.    Today’s top reads Find more stories, analysis and op-eds about the pandemic on our coronavirus page. I’m disgusted by Joe Rogan’s weak apology. My former colleague’s death at 47 makes it worse.  Perspective ●  By Margaret Sullivan ●  Read more »   Vincent Zhou out of men’s figure skating event after positive test clouds U.S. team’s silver By Les Carpenter ●  Read more »   England’s oldest pub, possibly 1,229 years old, shuts doors due to coronavirus hardships By Annabelle Timsit ●  Read more »   GOP rivals seize on Stacey Abrams’s maskless classroom photo as her campaign calls criticism ‘silly’ By Reis Thebault ●  Read more »        We think you’ll like this newsletter Check out A Better Week for a 7-day email course that will help you conquer your calendar, get more done and find time for the things you care about. Sign up »

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	Gandalf lived, suffered, and was killed in a laboratory—we must spare other monkeys a similar fate. We need 1,000 donors by April 30 to help stop animal testing—will you be the next one?   Dear Joseph, Gandalf—a monkey confined to a laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt)—was so desperate for affection that he presented his back to passersby and gestured desperately to try to get them to groom it. But he received no affection or warmth—only torment. After a severely stressed monkey caged nearby bit Gandalf's hand down to the tendons, the veterinarian on call refused to examine his injury. Instead, she just prescribed ibuprofen—a woefully inadequate treatment for such a serious wound. He was then forced to undergo an experimental surgery. Three weeks later, he was euthanized and sealed in a biohazard bag after experimenters took tissue samples from his corpse. Today, there are hundreds more monkeys trapped in cages at Pitt, while tens of thousands more languish in other laboratories, experiencing pain and fear as Gandalf did. If you and I don't help them, who will? Please, be one of the 1,000 donors we need to pitch in just $5 or more by April 30 to help support PETA's vital work to end cruel, deadly experiments on animals. PETA's eyewitness observed other monkeys in the laboratory slowly losing their minds: pacing, rocking, and displaying other repetitive behavior often seen in stressed animals held in captivity. Since our investigation, news reports broke that a monkey who may have been infected with a dangerous pathogen escaped from a cage at the same university and that staff allegedly attempted to cover it up—potentially putting animals and humans alike at risk. Powered by committed PETA supporters like you, our work to end experimentation on animals has helped reduce the number of monkeys, rabbits, and other animals suffering each year: We recently persuaded food giant General Mills to ban experiments on animals for the purpose of making health claims about its products. It now joins Coca-Cola, Lipton, and many of the world's largest food companies that have stopped cruel tests after hearing from PETA. Not long afterward, the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed that it had ended the use of animals in cruel trauma training drills. It took years of aggressive campaigning by PETA to stop the service branch from shooting, stabbing, and dismembering goats, pigs, and other animals. But as long as even a single animal is suffering in a laboratory, we must push forward to end the neglect and abuse—and we can't do it without your support. Our goal is for 1,000 generous supporters to make a donation by midnight on April 30. We're making good progress, but we need you with us, too. Give your gift of $5 or more now and help prevent more animals from suffering in laboratories and cruel experiments! As always, thank you so much for all that you do for animals—every step we take toward a kinder world is only possible with your dedication and compassion. Kind regards, Ingrid E. Newkirk President
This e-mail was sent to human4usbillions@gmail.com. Please let us know if you'd prefer that we use a different e-mail address. Want to get more active for animals? Sign up to receive additional updates about PETA's work through our subscription page. You can also choose to receive fewer e-mails or unsubscribe if you're absolutely certain that you want to become less involved in our work for animals.

They deliberately infected volunteers with Covid.

The Download Your daily dose of what's up in emerging technology Infectiousness insights 02.03.22

Hello! Today: insights have started trickling in from the first study to deliberately infect people with covid—we break down the most significant findings. Get your friends to sign up here to get The Download every day. What researchers learned from deliberately giving people covid   The news: People who’ve caught covid become infectious far more quickly than previously believed, according to the world’s first “human challenge trial” study in which healthy young volunteers were deliberately infected with the virus. The study, carried out by a team led by researchers at Imperial College London, is the first to watch what happens from the moment someone is infected with SARS-CoV-2. The findings: The 36 volunteers, all aged 18-30, were exposed to a low dose of the original SARS-CoV-2 virus in the nose. Half of the participants developed covid symptoms, and became infectious within just two days, with levels of infectious virus peaking at five days. It has previously been estimated that it took about five days from exposure to first symptoms. Participants in the study remained infectious for an average of nine days. What it all means: The findings come with the caveat that they’ve been derived from a small pool of volunteers. However, they provide useful insights nonetheless. The fact that people become infectious so quickly and stay infectious for so long suggests that recommended isolation periods should be kept at around ten days. Although the virus was detected in the throat first, it was eventually present at much greater levels in the nose, highlighting the need to wear face masks properly. The research also supports the regular, widespread use of lateral flow testing. And the fact that the challenge trial was carried out safely also suggests that this approach could help test future vaccines, variants or treatments.

Nelson,

Last week, we asked you to call on Canada and other global governments to finalize a strong Global Ocean Treaty at the UN this March.    We’re going to be releasing lots of crucial updates about this campaign in the lead-up to the UN meeting set to begin on March 8th—the best way to make sure you’re receiving them is by following Greenpeace on social media. (Also, following us on socials is the best way to guarantee a regular dose of quality penguin content to your timeline.)

What if TIPS can be converted to work against SARS-CoV-2 and the Omicron variant?

TIPs: Therapeutic Interfering Particles

A New Paradigm for HIV Treatment and Prevention

Therapeutic Interfering Particles, or TIPs, could represent a fundamentally new approach to stopping HIV and other infectious diseases. The theory behind TIPs is this: Since viruses are dynamic—that is, they mutate and spread—our approach to controlling them must also be dynamic. But until now our approach has been static—we develop drugs that do not mutate or spread. As a result, HIV continues to evolve and outwit us, rendering our treatment strategies limited at best—and, at worst, ineffective.

TIPS, however, are designed to both spread and evolve alongside the viruses they attack, including HIV. As a result, TIPs have the potential to dramatically reduce the lethality of HIV and slow its spread, or stop it completely, on a global scale. There is more research to be done, but the promise of TIPs is being diligently pursed as a part of Gladstone’s broader goals to better prevent and treat—and ultimately cure—HIV/AIDS.

What are TIPs?

TIPs are genetically engineered HIV particles that have been stripped of all their harmful material. What’s left is an empty “outer envelope” that has no infectious qualities but is able to piggyback onto HIV, allowing it evolve to and spread with HIV. This empty envelope (or therapeutic particle) interferes with HIV by disrupting the way the virus replicates, thereby eliminating its power to destroy cells.

How do TIPs work?

To understand TIPs, we must understand what makes HIV so effective and so lethal. And that is, HIV inserts itself into the very DNA of our cells—specifically, the white blood cells in our immune system. In doing so, it turns these cells into mini “HIV factories” that busily produce more and more HIV particles. Eventually, the cells die, releasing HIV into the bloodstream where the virus infects and kills yet more cells. This process repeats millions of times, eventually destroying our immune system.

TIPs beat HIV at its own strategy by hijacking the virus. In other words, once inside a cell, TIPs piggyback onto HIV and transform the cell from an “HIV factory” into a “TIPs factory.” Instead of producing HIV, the cell produces more and more interfering particles. Like HIV, these TIPs then spread into other HIV-infected cells, hijacking those factories.

And because TIPs are essentially empty envelopes, they reproduce and spread more quickly than HIV, which is laden with genetic material. Think of a race car zipping alongside an overloaded 18-wheeler truck. Eventually, the roadster (TIPs) overtakes the more sizable HIV and speeds ahead, producing more and more TIPs—and causing HIV production to plummet.

How do TIPs help someone who already has HIV?

Because TIPs interrupt the way HIV reproduces, the amount of HIV virus in an individual person—that is, their viral load—drops considerably. This allows the immune system to remain robust, helping the person stay strong and healthy. This also makes it much more difficult for the virus to spread from person to person, because lower viral loads mean lower transmission rates.

So TIPs serve two absolutely essential functions: they reduce the amount of HIV in an infected individual and make it harder transmit the virus to others.

 

How could TIPs stop HIV on a global scale?

Remember, TIPs piggyback onto HIV and spread with it. So if an HIV-infected person with TIPs spreads the virus, he or she is also spreading a treatment. In this way, TIPs can spread throughout a population and gradually reduce both the prevalence and virulence of HIV.

Gladstone researchers expect that this approach can reduce the global spread of HIV—including the world’s hardest hit areas, such as sub-Saharan Africa, where HIV infection rates range from 15–30% of the population. For any strategy to work on this scale, it must overcome what epidemiologists call the “universal barriers” to stopping infectious diseases:

• Access—getting the drugs and vaccines to the target populations;

• Adherence—getting people to stick to the regimen and take their meds;

• Resistance—treating viruses that mutate and can become treatment-resistant; and

• “Superspreaders”—reaching small groups of individuals who engage in behaviors that are likely to transmit the virus and have a disproportionate impact on the spread of the disease.

  Unlike current treatment-and-prevention strategies—including lifesaving antiretroviral medications—TIPs leap over each of these barriers:

• Access—TIPs are a single-dose treatment that spread the same way HIV spreads.

• Adherence—TIPs’ one-time exposure eliminates the need to adhere to lifelong

  drug-treatment regimens.

• Resistance—TIPs piggyback onto HIV and evolve with it, undermining HIV’s ability to become treatment-resistant.

• “Superspreaders”—Because TIPs spread alongside HIV (i.e., by those sharing needles and/or having unprotected sex with someone who has HIV), they will reach this otherwise difficult-to-identify and treat population, thereby dramatically reducing HIV prevalence.

  What is the potential impact of TIPs?

  Gladstone scientists project that if just 1% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa were to receive TIPs, the prevalence of HIV in 10 years would drop to less than 10% of the population. In 50 years, the prevalence rate would drop to less than 2% of the population. In short, these game-changing results are vast improvements over even the most optimistic projections for reducing HIV prevalence through antiretroviral medications or an effective vaccine.

  What is next for TIPs at Gladstone?

  Our researchers are poised to take TIPs from the petri dish, where it so successfully interrupts HIV, into lab animals, the essential next-step in researching both its safety and efficacy. Gladstone investigators are actively seeking funding to advance this research as quickly as possible.

  We invite you to get in touch with Gladstone to discuss how you can help support our TIPs research, as part of our goal to improve HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention—and to ultimately cure this disease.

  Contact Leor Weinberger, PhD, Director and Bowes Distinguished Professor, at leor.weinberger@gladstone.ucsf.edu.

 GENTLE PEOPLE:   

AS OF THIS DATE, MONDAY JANUARY 17,  2022, THE OMICRON VARIANT OF THE SARS-COV- 2 VIRUS IS NOT UNDER CONTROL AND IT CONTINUES TO MAKE PEOPLE SICK! IT ALSO KILLS!

 WE NEED ANOTHER VACCINE AIMED SPECIFICALLY AT THE OMICRON VIRUS AND TO WAIT IS TO RISK THE CHANCE OF OMICRON DOING MORE DAMAGE THAN THE ORIGINAL SARS VIRUS. WE KNOW IT SPREADS FASTER AND NOW CANADIAN MEDICAL STATISTICS ARE PROVING  IT KILLS!

 ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES BECAUSE WE NEED ANOTHER VACCINE AND WE NEEDED IT YESTERDAY! THE FIRST THREE VACCINES DO CREATE SOME PROTECTION AS THEY WERE CREATED FOR THE SPIKE PROTEINS OF THE ORIGINAL VIRUS. THE PROBLEM IS THE OMICRON VARIANT MAY BE ABLE TO SIDE STEP THE VACCINES. IT IS NOT THE SAME VIRUS AND IT IS EVASIVE AND DANGEROUS AND IT HAS DEVELOPED MANY MORE SPIKES.

-------------------------------------------------

OTTAWA -- Health Canada's chief medical adviser says variant-specific vaccines can be approved faster than the general ones first issued to combat COVID-19, but one targeting the Omicron strain still likely won't be ready in time to help with the latest wave.

Dr. Supriya Sharma said what is really needed are vaccines that can possibly stop more than one variant at a time, including those yet to come.

Omicron became the dominant variant in Canada in just over two weeks, and the Public Health Agency of Canada said Friday it's now believed to be responsible for more than 90 per cent of all COVID-19 cases.

How is the omicron variant different from the delta variant and others?

It has a lot of mutations in its genome. Compared to the original coronavirus, the delta variant has fewer than 20 genetic changes to the gene for the spike protein. The omicron variant has more than 30 genetic changes. It’s almost double.

The more changes there are in the spike protein gene, the more likely the vaccines and the therapeutic drugs could lose their efficacy. It’s not good news, especially for those who have not been vaccinated.

It’s no surprise that we’re seeing this at the starting point of the winter. The outbreak really intensifies during the holiday season because places become more crowded due to travel and shopping. It’s the perfect time for omicron to start emerging and it has the potential to become another big variant.

Is the omicron variant more dangerous or more contagious than delta?

There are not enough data or cases reported to know yet.  

The danger is that we are always two steps behind the virus. First of all, the variant is already circulating in the population by the time we detect it. The second reason we are behind is because we have to then characterize the virus’ behavior. We’re trying to assess how infectious it is and that takes a longer time. By the time we figure these answers out, the virus is already widespread.

The good thing is we learned a lot from delta, so we’ve had a more proactive response to the omicron variant. But to put a stop to other variants emerging, people have to get vaccinated and reduce transmission, which is what enables the mutations.

Do our current vaccines protect against it (including the booster)?

Most likely, yes, and here’s why. The vaccine creates two “arms” of immunity: the humoral arm and the cellular arm. The humoral immune response triggers the creation of antibodies to neutralize the virus. But changes to the virus can impact the effectiveness of the antibodies, which means that the vaccinated can still get COVID-19 and spread it.

Now, cellular immunity is different. It’s more important when it comes to preventing severe disease. Our cells are trained to recognize the virus, and they help keep the virus from causing severe damage to our bodies. Those who are vaccinated will likely not get that sick if they contract the variant.

The problem is we have a vaccine that was created almost two years ago for a virus that appeared two years ago. Once we have a vaccine that is based on the current variant, we can catch up with the virus.

Should we prepare for states and cities to shut down again?

I think it is highly unlikely, being that people are so tired of being locked down. Also, we have other preventive measures. We can have people get vaccinated and get the boosters, and we can have people wear masks. We know those measures work beautifully.

Why are countries from Australia to Israel closing their borders so quickly?

It’s more political than anything. Closing borders can only slow down the virus for a few weeks or a couple of months. The problem is once you’ve identified the virus, it’s already too late. It’s already widespread. So, closing the borders is not effective. The virus is already there.

Can we expect to have COVID variants from now on?

Yes, until we are able to get the entire human population vaccinated. It’s not just about the United States. We’re talking about the entire human population. A lot of the new variants come from areas where there are not a lot of vaccines available.

Hypothetically speaking, if the whole world got vaccinated, would that keep other variants from forming?

I believe it will most likely go away or it will become a very mild virus. It will not cause severe disease anymore. It will become like the common cold.

I feel like the latter is more of a possibility, considering that the virus has already widened its spread and has already adapted to humans. I think it will likely be here to stay even if you vaccinate the entire population, but it will not cause severe sickness or death anymore.

What are the symptoms of omicron?

It’s not much different than those of the other variants: cough, loss of smell, diarrhea, fever, runny nose and headache. The symptoms may vary, but we don’t have enough data yet to know how.

What is the most sensible thing for people to do at this point?

We should continue doing what we have been doing. We should continue to wear masks and get vaccinated. Those who have already been vaccinated should make sure they get their booster. Make sure your kids are vaccinated and continue to protect our loved ones and ourselves. We just can’t let down our guard at this point.

Tags: health | COVID-19 | public health | faculty news

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COVID-19 daily epidemiology update - Canada.ca

Gentle People:

 The Omicron is dangerous and deadly and we need a vaccine specifically aimed at this variant.

Forget One Two and Three. We need to start over as quickly as possible with a new and

more powerful vaccine.           N.J.R.

COVID-19 daily epidemiology update - 

On this page

• Key updates
• Current situation
• National overview
• Variants of concern
• Epidemic curve
• Demographics
• How people were exposed
• Cases following vaccination New
• Severe illness and outcomes
• Provincial/territorial and international reporting
• Additional COVID-19 data resources

Key updates as of January 14, 2022, 7 am EST

Cases today

31,367

Total cases

2,688,751

Active cases

386,033

Total resolved

2,271,528

Deaths today

108

Total deaths

31,190

Total tests performed

54,722,072

Daily percent positive (last 7 days)

26.5%

Daily tests per 100,000 population (last 7 days)

384

Heartless Bastards!!

 Sky-Scraper buildings

are warm at night...

With empty floors and Neon Lights

and solid doors locked tight

against helpless poor who's desperate plight 

are ignored on sight...

And outside...

Another homeless person dies

in the freezing cold of a

Winter's night...

---------------------------------------

N.J.R.

 Hello Gentle People:

 Apparently the Omicron variant of Sars-CoV2 is more dangerous than even the Delta variant. 

Why? Because it spreads faster and sadly it also kills people. Even Three vaccines are not enough to protect us against this vicious virus!

Once again we must do everything to block the damn thing and once again we may need another vaccine. Yes, another vaccine because the Three predecessors were all aimed at the original Covid 19 and the Omicron is a two step variation away from the original.

 The deadly Omicron variant spreads faster and even with Three vaccines, you are not protected.

A fourth vaccine and maybe more is needed. Don't let down your guard or your masks until the Hospitals finally give us the all clear signal. Do not be blasé about this virus or you may end up in a body bag. 

N.J.R

On 26 November 2021, the World Health Organization ( W.H.O.) designated the

 variant B.1.1.529 a variant of concern (VOC), on the basis of advice from WHO’s 

Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution. 

The variant has been given the name Omicron. 

Omicron variant is a highly divergent variant with a high number of mutations, including 

26-32 in the spike protein, some of which are concerning and may be associated with

 immune escape potential and higher transmissibility.

 However, there are still considerable uncertainties.

 As of 9 December 2021, cases of human infections with this variant have been identified

 in 63 countries across all six WHO regions.

 Current understanding of the Omicron variant from recent data are likely to evolve as 

more data becomes available.

The overall threat posed by Omicron largely depends on three key questions,

 including: (1) how transmissible the variant is; 

(2) how well vaccines and prior infection protect against infection, transmission, 

clinical disease and death; and (3) how virulent the variant is compared to other variants.                                                      Public health advice is based on current information and will be tailored as more evidence

 emerges around those key questions.

Based on current limited evidence Omicron appears to have a growth advantage over 

Delta. It is spreading faster than the Delta variant in South Africa where Delta circulation 

was low, but also appears to spread more quickly than the Delta variant in other countries

 where the incidence of Delta is high, such as in the United Kingdom. 

Whether Omicron’s observed rapid growth rate in countries with high levels of population 

immunity is related to immune evasion, intrinsic increased transmissibility, 

or a combination of both remains uncertain. However, given the current available data,

 it is likely that Omicron will outpace the Delta variant where community transmission occurs.

There are still limited data on the clinical severity of Omicron. 

While preliminary findings from South Africa suggest it may be less severe than Delta,

 and all cases reported in the EU/EEA to date have been mild or asymptomatic, 

it remains unclear to what extent Omicron may be inherently less virulent.

 More data are needed to understand the severity profile.

There are limited available data, and no peer-reviewed evidence, on vaccine efficacy or

 effectiveness to date for Omicron. Preliminary evidence, and the considerably altered 

antigenic profile of the Omicron spike protein, suggests a reduction in vaccine efficacy

 against infection and transmission associated with Omicron. 

There is some preliminary evidence that the incidence of reinfection has increased 

in South Africa, which may be associated with humoral (antibody-mediated) immune

 evasion. In addition, preliminary evidence from a few studies of limited sample size 

have shown that sera obtained from vaccinated and previously infected individuals had 

lower neutralization activity (the size of the reduction ranges considerably) than with

 any other circulating VOCs of SARS-CoV-2 and the ancestral strain.

The diagnostic accuracy of routinely used PCR and antigen-based rapid diagnostic test

 (Ag-RDT) assays does not appear to be influenced by Omicron. 

Most Omicron variant sequences reported include a deletion in the S gene, causing 

some S gene targeting PCR assays to appear negative. 

Although some publicly shared sequences lack this deletion, this remains a minority of 

currently available sequences, and S gene target failure (SGTF) can therefore be used

 as a useful proxy marker of Omicron, for surveillance purposes. 

However, confirmation should be obtained by sequencing, as this

 deletion can also be found in other VOCs (e.g., Alpha and subsets of Gamma and Delta).

Therapeutic interventions for the management of patients with severe or critical

 COVID-19 associated with the Omicron variant that target host responses

 (such as corticosteroids, and interleukin 6 receptor blockers and prophylaxis with

 anticoagulation) are expected to remain effective.  

However, monoclonal antibodies will need to be tested individually, for their 

antigen binding and virus neutralization and these studies should be prioritized.

Correct me if I am wrong but this is my THEORY FOR GRAVITY.

  What can be said about our Sun?

 1.  It is a large Hydrogen fusion reactor so hot it creates a giant ball of plasma.

 2.  Plasma is so intense it breaks apart Atoms into their component sub-atomic particles.

 3.  When Atoms split they create an explosive chain reaction which releases tremendous amounts of energy but when Atoms are fused together by pressure and heat, they become Plasma and this also releases tremendous amounts of energy.

 4.  Sub Atomic particles in the form of radiation and Photons blast out into space but much of that energy is sucked back into the Sun by gravity. The gigantic mass of the Sun creates gravity which sucks in any and all elements unlucky enough to be passing near. One of the most abundant elements in the universe is Hydrogen and that is the main fuel for the Hydrogen fusion reaction within the Sun.

5.   The explosive force of our Sun is so strong it sends radiation and Photons millions of miles out into space. On Earth we feel the heat and we see the light from our Sun.

6,   For every action there is a reaction and so for our Sun the force of drag of an Atom is proportional to the square of the velocity times the mass of the Sun. This force of drag is gravity.      

7. Plasma smashing apart Atoms at tremendous speed creates a force of drag reaction. The "drag" is created when newly created sub atomic vacuum holes are quickly filled in with new Atoms. 

8. Vacuum holes are created when Atoms are smashed by the heat and pressure of Plasma and then exploded into the Universe. We can assume that the force of drag of sub-atomic particles are also proportional to the square of their velocity multiplied by the mass of the Sun. This creates a force of drag so powerful energy drops or is sucked into it in order to replace lost Atomic particles blasted out into space. We call this force Gravity.

9. Without mass and heat and pressure uniting Atoms or smashing them apart, there is very little gravity created.   

10. When an element, such as Hydrogen, falls into the sun it becomes fuel for the Hydrogen fusion reaction which creates Plasma which in turn smashes more Atoms into particles. The particles leave so fast they create sub atomic vacuums that when multiplied by the mass of the sun, becomes gravity and gravity then drags in more Hydrogen Atoms which maintains the fusion reaction. 

CONCLUSION: Heat and pressure creates fusion which in turn creates Plasma which destroys Atoms and blasts their sub- Atomic particles into space in the form of light Photons, Radiation and Heat. The quick destruction of Atoms creates sub-atomic vacuum holes and since nature abhors vacuums, the holes are quickly replaced by new Atoms. Since Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the Universe, Hydrogen falls into the Sun and fuels the Sun's Plasma reaction.

   Our Sun is a large Hydrogen fusion reactor creating a giant ball of Plasma which is so hot it breaks apart Atoms and blasts heat and light Photons into space. When sub-atomic particles are lost into space, vacuum holes are created. New Atoms quickly replace the particles lost and this replacement process times the mass of the Sun, is gravity.  

  New Atoms are mostly Hydrogen and they in turn are pulled apart by heat and pressure and their particles blasted out into space. When destroyed, Atoms leave a space much like a truck on a highway creates a vacuum turbulence. Air quickly fills the vacuum space created behind the truck. With Hydrogen fusion  high energy Plasma smashes together Hydrogen Atoms and energy is released creating tiny spaces or vacuum holes. These holes are quickly filled in with new Elements (mainly Hydrogen Atoms) falling or being sucked into the Sun and this process we know as gravity. The new Atoms then become part of the massive fusion reaction which creates heat and light for all life on Earth.   

Author: @ Nelson Joseph Raglione