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Covid Omicron news latest: Pfizer CEO says fourth shot may be needed as Boris Johnson announces ‘Plan B’ restrictions



Pfizer says 3 shots neutralize omicron variant in early findings

The CEO of Pfizer Inc has said that a fourth vaccine dose may be needed for better protection against the omicron Covid-19 variant, as initial studies show that it could undermine antibody protection with two doses.

Albert Bourla said the company was waiting to see real world data to determine whether additional doses will be required specifically for omicron. “When we see real-world data, [we] will determine if omicron is well covered by the third dose and for how long. And the second point, I think we will need a fourth dose,” Mr Bourla told CNBC, adding that the data could be expected in the next two weeks.

Meanwhile, two more countries, Pakistan and Cuba, have detected cases of the new variant, which has now been reported in at least 57 countries, according to the World Health Organisation.

America’s CDC, however, said the disease has been “mild” in almost all of the 40 cases reported in the country, adding that three-quarters of the infected were vaccinated.

CDC chief Dr Rochelle Walensky added that the data is limited and that the agency was working on a more detailed analysis of what the new form of the coronavirus might hold for the US.

In the UK, Boris Johnson announced ‘plan B’ restrictions will be introduced in England from as early as next week, including guidance to work from home and vaccine passports being made mandatory at nightclubs and larger venues.

During a Downing Street press conference, the PM said: “It has become increasingly clear that omicron is growing much faster than the previous delta variant and is spreading rapidly all around the world.”

In a statement to MPs at the same time, health secretary Sajid Javid told the Commons there are currently 568 confirmed cases of the new variant in the UK, but that the estimated current number is “probably closer to 10,000”. He said the figure could hit one million before the end of the year.

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US omicron cases appear mostly ‘mild’, says CDC chief

More than 40 people in the US have been found to be infected with the omicront variant so far, and more than three-quarters of them had been vaccinated, the chief of the CDC said on Wednesday.

But she said nearly all of them were only mildly ill.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Dr Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the data is very limited and the agency is working on a more detailed analysis of what the new mutant form of the coronavirus might hold for the US.

But “the disease is mild” in almost all of the cases seen so far, she said, with reported symptoms mainly cough, congestion and fatigue. One person was hospitalised, but no deaths have been reported, CDC officials said.

CDC chief: US omicron cases appear mostly mild so far

More than 40 cases of the omicron variant have been reported in the U.S. so far, with most of them people who were vaccinated and nearly all of them suffering only mild illness, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday

Stuti Mishra9 December 2021 06:24

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Pakistan finds first case of omicron

Pakistan has detected its first case of the omicron variant, authorities said on Thursday.

A spokesperson for the southern province of Sindh told Reuters news agency that the infection was found in an unvaccinated patient undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Pakistan’s most populous city of Karachi.

The patient had travelled abroad. Officials refused to disclose the location but confirmed that contact tracing was underway.

Stuti Mishra9 December 2021 06:00

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ICYMI: ‘Plan B’ restrictions to be enforced in England

Boris Johnson has announced the government will implement its “plan B” for England with the introduction of Covid passports for large venues and guidance for the public to work from home from Monday.

The prime minister’s decision to ramp up restrictions — after a meeting of the government’s Covid operations committee — comes in response to concerns over the transmissibility of the omicron variant and spread around the world.

He also announced the mandatory wearing of face masks will be extended to cinemas and theatres after they were reintroduced a fortnight ago for public transport and shops, but exemptions will be included for eating, drinking and exercising.

However, in a move that risked sparking confusion with work from home guidance, Mr Johnson reiterated his previous stance that Christmas parties should not be cancelled and urged everyone to “exercise due caution”, including testing before such events.

Ashley Cowburn, our political correspondent explains the new rules:

Stuti Mishra9 December 2021 05:51

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Pfizer CEO predicts a fourth shot might be needed in light of Omicron variant

The CEO of Pfizer Inc has said that a fourth vaccine dose may be needed for better protection against the omicron Covid-19 variant, as initial studies show that it could undermine antibody protection with two doses. Albert Bourla said the company was waiting to see real world data to determine whether additional doses will be required specifically for omicron. “When we see real-world data, [we] will determine if omicron is well covered by the third dose and for how long. And the second point, I think we will need a fourth dose,” Mr Bourla told CNBC, adding that the data could be expected in the next two weeks.

Stuti Mishra9 December 2021 05:38

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Good Morning!

Welcome to The Independent’s live blog covering the Covid-19 pandemic for Thursday 9 December.

Stuti Mishra9 December 2021 05:20



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