Category Archives: Corona Virus

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced the state is rolling back executive orders put in place for the pandemic.

Newsom said he lifted all but 5% of COVID-19 related executive order provisions but the state will maintain provisions in key components of the states SMARTER Plan.

The state will also keep provisions for testing and vaccination programs. It will also keep provisions for hospitals and health facilities capacity.

As we move the states recovery forward, well continue to focus on scaling back provisions while maintaining essential testing, vaccination and health care system supports that ensure California has the needed tools and flexibility to strategically adapt our response for what lies ahead, Newsom said.

Before Friday, 15% of COVID executive actions remained in place.

Nineteen of the remaining provisions were terminated Friday, 18 will be terminated at the end of March. Newsom said another 15 will expire on June 30.

Seventeen executive actions remain in effect, which Newsom says will help with the states COVID-19 testing and vaccination programs. The executive actions highlighted are listed below:

The executive order can be found here.

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Gov. Newsom scales back COVID-19 executive actions, lifting all but 5% - Action News Now

Some research teams are focusing on the ACE2 receptor, a protein found on the surface of the cells of many species. The coronaviruss spiky protrusions allow it to bind to these receptors, like a key in a lock, and enter cells.

In 2020, a group of scientists compared the ACE2 receptors of hundreds of vertebrates, mostly mammals, with those of humans to determine which species the virus might infect. (The ACE2 receptors of birds, reptiles, fish and amphibians are not similar enough to ours to raise concern.)

The predictions have been very good so far, Harris A. Lewin, a biologist at the University of California, Davis, and an author of the study, said in an email. The scientists predicted, for instance, that white-tailed deer were at high risk for infection.

But some predictions proved entirely wrong: The paper identified farmed mink as a species of very low concern and then in April 2020 the virus raged through mink farms.

Indeed, ACE2 offers only a snapshot of susceptibility. Viral infection and immunity is much more complex than just a virus binding to a cell, Kaitlin Sawatzki, a virologist at Tufts University, said in an email.

And of the worlds nearly 6,000 mammalian species, scientists have sequenced the ACE2 receptors of just a few hundred of them, creating a biased data set. These sequenced species include model organisms used in experiments, species that carry other diseases, and charismatic zoo denizens, not necessarily the animals that people are most likely to encounter.

If a pandemic were to have arisen from a squirrel, we would be like, God, whats wrong with us? We didnt even measure the basic biology of a squirrel, Dr. Han said.

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If You Havent Thought About Coronavirus in Animals, You Should - The New York Times

LONDON The coronavirus forced Christopher Riley, a 53-year-old with blood cancer who lives in London, to strike a balance in the pursuit of normalcy. He would grab flowers from the buckets next to the entrance of a supermarket, but keep it quick. He went to Tate Modern, but on an early weekday morning. He would cook for friends, but only a small group who had all taken Covid tests.

Those accommodations allowed Mr. Riley to maintain something of a normal life as the virus roared through Britain, even though his condition meant that his immune system was compromised.

But now, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Monday that he was scrapping the coronavirus restrictions in England, Mr. Riley and other vulnerable people are afraid that even scaled-back activities will be too risky, leaving them further isolated even as the country opens up for most people.

Now I cant see how we can move forward into a sort of normality, he said, adding that the new approach will push him more into his house. There is nothing there to protect us.

A return to regular life was at the heart of Mr. Johnsons decision to roll back the remainder of Englands legally enforceable coronavirus restrictions, in what has been described as an effort to live with the virus. People who are infected will no longer have to isolate and most testing will no longer be free.

We must chart a course back towards normality as rapidly as possible, Mr. Johnson said during a news conference on Monday.

For Clare Dawson, that path had just been interrupted.

If there was someone walking around the streets whom you knew might kill you, would you go out? said Ms. Dawson, 41, who lives in London and has a chronic lung disease that puts her at greater risk of severe consequences from Covid-19.

Gemma Peters, the chief executive of Blood Cancer U.K., a charity that funds research into blood cancer, said that after the prime ministers announcement, its hotline was overwhelmed with calls from cancer patients asking what the new rules meant for them and whether it would be safe for them to go out.

We cant answer all the calls, Ms. Peters said. People use language like, Society doesnt care if I die, and I think that is the feeling that they are kind of collateral damage.

The British government said in a news conference that it would continue to protect the most vulnerable with targeted vaccinations and treatments, and that free tests would still be available for vulnerable people, but it acknowledged that lifting the remaining legal curbs would most likely cause a rise in cases.

Keeping free testing for the vulnerable? Thats too late, said Trishna Bharadia, 42, who has multiple sclerosis and has been largely isolating at home in Buckinghamshire, England, for the past two years. The aim should be to prevent the vulnerable from getting Covid in the first place.

Ms. Bharadia said she and her family watched Mr. Johnsons news conference on Monday in the living room from where they have watched virtual weddings, funerals, and birthday parties they havent been able to attend for the past two years.

We can only live with the virus if those protection measures continue, said Ms. Bharadia. Just because I have a health condition it doesnt mean that I matter less.

Still, the trend for fewer restrictions seems clear. On Tuesday, Scotland which is part of Britain but sets its own Covid policies also moved to roll back its legal coronavirus restrictions. Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister there, announced plans to lift mask mandates in March and said the countrys Covid certification scheme, which requires people to show proof of vaccination or a recent negative test in order to attend large events, would end this month.

And the British government has also withdrawn its guidance in England for staff and students at most schools and nurseries to test twice a week, even if they do not have symptoms. Infected children, just like the adults, will also no longer be legally required to self-isolate, but will be advised to do so.

Experts warned that this could lead children who have a weak immune system or live with vulnerable family members to be excluded from school.

Ceinwen Giles, 47, who developed an immune deficiency after her cancer treatment for non-Hodgkins lymphoma, said that her 12-year-old daughter would continue to go to school, but is anxious about the likelihood that she may be sitting next to children who might be infected.

This is how we have to live, said Ms. Giles, who is also joint chief executive of Shine Cancer Support, a charity for young adults with cancer. And no one seems to care.

In England and Wales, only 16.8 percent of people who died of Covid from October to December last year did not have a pre-existing health condition, according to the British government. For people who have a weaker immune system because of a disease or a treatment, Covid-19 can be more deadly, and vaccines often offer less protection.

Whether or not their condition forced them to take health precautions even before the pandemic, in the last two years many clinically vulnerable people have been forced into nearly total isolation, and even more so as mandates and restrictions have dropped around them. In the United States, many immuncompromised and higher-risk people have also felt left behind by the flurry of lifted restrictions.

You feel different again, said Ms. Dawson, adding that the new approach from the government had made her feel more alone in the face of the virus and forced to adopt her own precautions, stripped of the equalizing effect of rules.

Ultimately, people with health conditions understand the desire for life to return to normal, and say they are not asking for draconian restrictions.

Instead, they say that modest restrictions like mask mandates in transportation and supermarkets, and isolation requirements for infected people would make a big difference for the more vulnerable without causing a major disruption to everyone else.

The mask is just such a small thing, said Mr. Riley, 53. I cant wrap my head around how its such an issue for people.

Megan Specia contributed reporting.

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For Some in U.K., End of Covid Restrictions Threatens More Isolation - The New York Times

Oregon health officials reported 1,160 new coronavirus cases Wednesday and 35 deaths connected to COVID-19, along with an 18-bed drop in hospitalizations.

The decline in the number of beds occupied by COVID-19 patients statewide continues the trend of hospitalizations falling faster than anticipated by forecasts the state relies on to set some of its COVID-19 policy.

The Oregon Health Authority, which sets and repeals masking rules, used an older forecast to set March 31 as the cut-off date for lifting the public indoor mask mandate, allowing for an earlier date if hospitalizations fall to pre-omicron levels earlier than anticipated.

The data indicate hospitalizations are on track to fall to the threshold set by the state, 400 occupied beds, far sooner than the end of next month.

Since the omicron peak Jan. 27, hospitalizations have fallen an average of about 20 beds per day. Oregon is now 179 patients away from the 400 threshold.

Where the new cases are by county: Baker (2), Benton (19), Clackamas (78), Clatsop (6), Columbia (23), Coos (17), Crook (13), Curry (24), Deschutes (69), Douglas (42), Gilliam (1), Harney (3), Hood River (5), Jackson (118), Jefferson (24), Josephine (13), Klamath (11), Lake (3), Lane (87), Lincoln (14), Linn (38), Malheur (17), Marion (107), Morrow (4), Multnomah (166), Polk (27), Tillamook (12), Umatilla (22), Union (19), Wallowa (2), Wasco (26), Washington (120) and Yamhill (28).

Who died: The state did not immediately release details about those who died.

Hospitalizations: 579 people with confirmed coronavirus infections are hospitalized, down 18 from Tuesday. That includes 110 people in intensive care, up one from Tuesday.

Since it began: Oregon has reported 690,481 confirmed or presumed infections and 6,519 deaths, among the lowest per capita numbers in the nation. To date, the state has reported 7,352,004 vaccine doses administered, fully vaccinating 2,859,242 people and partially vaccinating 295,130 people.

To see more data and trends, visit https://projects.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/

Fedor Zarkhin

503-294-7674; fzarkhin@oregonian.com

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Coronavirus in Oregon: 1,160 new cases and 35 deaths as hospitalizations keep falling - OregonLive

Researchers showed last year that the elite school inside of lymph nodes where the B cells train, called the germinal center, remains active for at least 15 weeks after the second dose of a Covid vaccine. In an updated study published in the journal Nature, the same team showed that six months after vaccination, memory B cells continue to mature, and the antibodies they produce keep gaining the ability to recognize new variants.

Those antibodies at six months are better binders and more potent neutralizers than the ones that are produced one month after immunization, said Ali Ellebedy, an immunologist at Washington University in St. Louis who led the study.

In the newest study, another team showed that a third shot creates an even richer pool of B cells than the second shot did, and the antibodies they produce recognize a broader range of variants. In laboratory experiments, these antibodies were able to fend off the Beta, Delta and Omicron variants. In fact, more than half of the antibodies seen one month after a third dose were able to neutralize Omicron, even though the vaccine was not designed for that variant, the study found.

If youve had a third dose, youre going to have a rapid response thats going to have quite a bit of specificity for Omicron, which explains why people that have had a third dose do so much better, said Michel Nussenzweig, an immunologist at Rockefeller University who led the study.

Memory cells produced after infection with the coronavirus, rather than by the vaccines, seem less potent against the Omicron variant, according to a study published last month in Nature Medicine. Immunity generated by infection varies quite a lot, while the vaccine response is much more consistently good, said Marcus Buggert, an immunologist at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden who led the study.

Although most people, vaccinated or not, show only a small drop in their T cell response against Omicron, about one in five had significant reductions of their responses of about 60 percent, Dr. Buggert said. The differences are most likely because of their underlying genetic makeup, he said.

Still, the recent studies suggest that in most people, the immunity gained from infection or vaccination will hold up for a long while. Even if mutations in new variants change some of the viral regions that T cells recognize, there would still be enough others to maintain a reasonably strong immune response, experts said.

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Got a Covid Booster? You Probably Wont Need Another for a Long Time - The New York Times

Queen Elizabeth II has been infected with the coronavirus, Buckingham Palace said on Sunday, becoming one of the worlds most prominent figures to battle the virus and deeply rattling the country she has led for seven decades.

The palace issued few details about the condition of the queen, who turns 96 in April. She is one of several people at Windsor Castle who are infected, a palace official said, suggesting an outbreak at the royal residence, west of London, where the queen has spent most of her time since the pandemic engulfed Britain in March 2020.

Buckingham Palace confirm that the queen has today tested positive for Covid, the palace said in a statement. Her Majesty is experiencing mild coldlike symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week. She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines.

Elizabeth met earlier this month with her eldest son and heir, Prince Charles, who was later reported to be reinfected with the coronavirus and went into isolation. He last contracted a mild case of the virus in March 2020. The palace on Sunday did not address whether Charles was the source, but officials pointed to the number of cases at Windsor Castle, suggesting she could have been infected by others in the royal household.

The news of the queens illness came as Prime Minister Boris Johnson was poised to relax the remainder of coronavirus restrictions in England, including a requirement to isolate for five days after receiving a positive test. Mr. Johnson will introduce plans on Monday to lift the regulations by the end of February, prompting some members of the opposition Labour Party to warn that he was acting rashly.

Britain reported 25,696 new cases on Sunday, accelerating a decline since the latest wave of the virus peaked in early January with more than 200,000 cases a day. Nearly 1,300 people were admitted to hospitals and 74 people died statistics that are also on the decline, but at a more moderate pace than cases.

Now is the moment for everybody to get their confidence back, Mr. Johnson told the BBCs Sunday Morning show, before the queens condition was made public. Hours later, on Twitter, the prime minister said he wished Her Majesty The Queen a swift recovery from Covid and a rapid return to vibrant good health one of a flood of well wishes from across Britain and around the world.

Britons have no shortage of experience with prominent public figures contracting Covid. In addition to Charles, 73, his wife, Camilla, tested positive four days after he did. His elder son, Prince William, had the virus in early 2020, disclosing it only months later. Mr. Johnson suffered a severe bout of Covid around the same time and ended up in an intensive care unit.

Still, even that alarming episode paled next to news that the queen, who recently marked her 70th anniversary on the throne and has reigned for longer than most Britons have been alive, had contracted a potentially deadly disease.

It comes on top of other health concerns about Elizabeth. In October, she canceled multiple public appearances, including a solemn anniversary to honor Britains wartime dead. She also has stiffness in her legs and has begun using a walking stick.

Last Wednesday, she appeared fragile at an audience with two senior military officers at Windsor Castle. When they asked how she was, the queen, smiling and clutching the stick, gestured to her legs, and said, Well, as you see, I cant move. Neither the queen nor her guests were wearing face masks.

Until recently, Buckingham Palace had gone to extraordinary lengths to protect the queen from exposure to the virus. She retreated to Windsor in early 2020 with her husband, Prince Philip, and lived in virtual quarantine for more than a year. When she addressed the nation during a particularly dark period, in April 2020, she recorded the speech with only a single camera operator in the room.

Elizabeth received a dose of a coronavirus vaccine in January 2021 at Windsor Castle, along with Philip. The palace has not confirmed any subsequent vaccine doses, but she is widely believed to have received two, as well as a booster. Charles and Camilla have confirmed they are fully vaccinated and boosted.

Buckingham Palace has been extremely circumspect with details about the queens health. In October, the palace confirmed that she had been admitted to a hospital for tests only after a London tabloid reported it. It did not say whether she had been tested for the virus after Charles was reinfected this month.

Philip died last April at age 99, and the queen was forced to isolate herself during his funeral service. A photographer captured a poignant image of her, grieving alone and wearing a mask, in a choir stall at St. Georges Chapel at Windsor.

That image has taken on political resonance in recent weeks, as Mr. Johnson has battled a scandal over parties held in Downing Street that violated lockdown restrictions. Two of the gatherings were on the evening before Philips funeral, prompting Mr. Johnson to apologize to the queen.

The circumstances of the queens infection remained wreathed in questions. Charles was at Windsor Castle on Feb. 8 for an investiture ceremony. He got the news that he had tested positive on Feb. 10 and postponed a trip to Winchester, England, at the last minute.

There were similar concerns about the potential exposure of the queen the first time Charles was infected. The princes royal household confirmed his positive test on March 25, 2020. He had met his mother on March 12, only a day before his doctors assessed he could have been infectious. A spokesman for the prince said on Sunday that he did not plan to issue a statement on the queens condition.

Given the transmissibility of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, which is the dominant variant in Britain, public health experts said the queen could have picked it up from anyone. In addition to the military officers, she played host to other visitors, including a group on Feb. 5 that helped mark the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne.

Omicron is incredibly infectious possibly the most infectious disease in recent human history and its therefore unsurprising the queen has also tested positive, said Devi Sridhar, the head of the global public health program at the University of Edinburgh. The queens advanced age, she said, was an added challenge.

Buckingham Palace tried to ease concerns about Elizabeth by issuing a congratulatory message from her to Britains womens curling team, which won a gold medal at the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing.

I know that your local communities and people throughout the United Kingdom will join me in sending our good wishes to you, your coaches, and the friends and family who have supported you in your great success, she said.

A palace official said she had signed off on the statement on Sunday morning, before her condition was made public.

In recent weeks, Elizabeth seemed to be moving on multiple fronts to settle the royal familys business. Last week, her second son, Prince Andrew, reached an out-of-court settlement of a sexual assault case filed against him by Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of raping her when she was a teenager.

The settlement spares the royal family the prospect of Andrew having to testify under oath about his contacts with Ms. Giuffre, which would have cast a long shadow over the queens Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June.

On the weekend she marked her accession, the queen said in a statement that she hoped that when Charles succeeded her, Camilla would be known as queen consort an endorsement that the couple had long sought.

We are deeply conscious of the honor represented by my mothers wish, Charles said in a statement. As we have sought together to serve and support Her Majesty and the people of our communities, my darling wife has been my own steadfast support throughout.

On a blustery, rainy day in London on Sunday, people expressed anxiety about the queen, mixed with hope that she would get first-rate medical care. Above all, it seemed to drive home the reality that the coronavirus spares nobody.

It doesnt have boundaries, said Hussein Ahmed, 34, who was waiting for a bus in North London. It does not give a damn about whether you are the queen or a king or a normal civilian, a person in high power you are getting it.

Stephen Castle and Megan Specia contributed reporting.

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Queen Elizabeth Tests Positive for Covid-19, as England Moves to Relax Rules - The New York Times

The gist: The omicron variant is continuing to subside, but its surge was one of the deadliest waves weve seen in Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, Philadelphias promise of $100 for folks who get vaccinated now isnt drawing big crowds, and Pennsylvania schools have likewise been slow to take up a free testing program offered by the state. Vaccines, meanwhile, remain an important tool in fighting the pandemic and they may also help combat long-haul COVID-19, a study has found.

Tell us: Phillys offering $100 for people who get vaccinated. What do you think could encourage vaccinations? Send us a note, and well share some responses in next weeks newsletter. Please keep it to 35 words.

Sign up for News Alerts: Be the first to know whats happening in Philly with our free service delivering timely emails about developing stories right to your inbox.

Nick Vadala (@njvadala, health@inquirer.com)

Despite it being less likely to cause severe illness and death than previous COVID-19 strains, deaths from the highly transmissible omicron variant were still high due to the sheer number of people infected during the latest surge. As a result, more than 9,000 Pennsylvanians have died from COVID-19 since Dec. 1, giving the state one of the nations highest per-capita death rates in what has been called one of the most deadly waves weve seen.

Hospitals throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey are reporting dramatic drops in COVID-19 patients as the omicron surge continues to subside.

A promise of $100 for people getting vaccinated against COVID-19 hasnt brought big crowds to Philadelphias clinics at least not yet.

Despite spikes in coronavirus infections and low child vaccination rates, schools across Pennsylvania have been slow to enroll in a free testing program.

Long-haul COVID-19, often shortened to long COVID, is less common among people who were vaccinated, a review of multiple studies has found.

Philly-area schools are increasingly ending mask mandates, but how and when theyre deciding to do so is dividing communities.

Delco is the most populous Pennsylvania county without a health department. It is, however, getting one very soon, officials say.

Some Philly restaurant owners are choosing to keep requiring proof of vaccination.

Penn States THON, a 46-hour dance marathon, returned for its 50th year with new safety protocols.

Phillys health department clowned rapper Nicky Minaj over a controversial COVID-19 comment, and a Twitter storm erupted.

Coronavirus cases and hospitalizations are declining in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Track the latest data here.

Last week, we asked what you think about the vaccine mandate for indoor dining ending. Heres what you told us:

Back to cooking at home. Close quarters, everyone unmasked, everyone speaking up because restaurants are loud; Im not going to be comfortable eating out anymore.

To me, this seems like a cheap campaign move and further erodes the public trust in the health department and city council. Such a disappointment.

Youre forcing maskless conscientious people to sit amongst a crowd of irresponsible unvaccinated people. No thank you, I opt for Jersey Mikes takeout subs.

Glad to see the vaccine mandate go! Doubt it did any good but scare off some restaurant goers like myself who chose to eat outside the city during this time. Hope this provides some relief to restaurant owners and workers!

This is a great way for the city to make even more spaces inaccessible for vulnerable people.

Its not over yet. People concerned about the economy always take steps too quickly and that doesnt work. A few more weeks could make a difference in the return back to normal.

This move may placate the unvaccinated, but it will take away the pleasure and possibly the safety of indoor dining for many.

Presales for the Franklin Institutes highly anticipated Harry Potter exhibition eclipsed presales for all other shows at the museum since 2007. But is it, you know, any good? We took a young Harry Potter fan to check it out and get the skinny on this massive, 20,000-square-foot show. From boggarts to Quidditch, heres what you have to look forward to.

Birria tacos are big right now, and Philly has plenty of meaty, crispy options on offer to satiate all your savory cravings but here are the real standouts.

Burned out on your day-to-day corporate grind? Do like this Fishtown woman did and give it all up to make handheld fishing nets prized by fly fishermen around the world.

Philly (understandably) still has James Harden fever, so here are 13 things you need to know about the newest Sixer.

The social isolation the pandemic has caused is tough, but this group of friends has a unique remedy: Dominoes. Spread across Philly, New York City, New Jersey, and Virginia, they meet twice a week nearly every week for two years now on Zoom to catch up and play a game of bones. Their name? The DominOsos, which loosely translates as the dominos playing bears.

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One of the most deadly waves | Coronavirus Updates Newsletter - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Think back to late June 2021, when there was containment of the American COVID-19 pandemic with fewer than 12,000 new cases a day and a total of 15,000 patients in the hospital. There was a declaration of independence from the virus on July 4, just as the Delta variant was starting its exponential growth. A major surge ensued, which was followed by yet another one with the Omicron variant, peaking with nearly 160,000 people hospitalized and almost 2,700 deaths per day the most deaths since vaccinations became widely available.

Even now, as we are descending from the Omicron wave, we still have more than 60,000 patients in the hospital and more than 2,000 deaths per day.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is still with us and is adroit at finding new ways to infect us at scale. As it evolved from the original strain in late 2019, and progressed to the Alpha and Delta variants, it became more virulent and infectious, not less. There is a misconception that the virus is destined to evolve to a more benign form. If weve learned anything from the pandemic, its that the virus has an extraordinary ability to adapt and it is unpredictable.

You can just look at the more than 50 new mutations present in Omicron to know there are seemingly infinite ways for it to further mutate and rearrange the 30,000 base pairs in its genome. Although wed be fortunate for it to morph into a common cold coronavirus cousin, we certainly cant count on that. There are just too many vulnerable hosts out there for more evolution of the virus to take place, including a wide variety of animals, with potential to spill over to humans.

There are more than 7 million Americans who are immunocompromised, who are not only highly vulnerable to infections, but also may provide an opportunity for the virus to evolve inside a person and then infect others. That path may indeed be the way Omicron was created and spread.

Around the world, there are billions of people unvaccinated and likely without any protection from prior infection. In the U.S., there are more than 19 million children under the age 5 for whom there is no vaccine approved, and tens of millions of people have not been vaccinated. We currently rank 67th in the world for being fully vaccinated and 54th for having its population get an all-important booster shot that preserves a high level of protection against hospitalizations and deaths. When the virus is not contained, as is the case in the world now, its spread creates the potential for new variants.

In these new hosts, the virus could possibly evolve to a new, more deleterious version that attaches better and infects other organs, like the heart or gastrointestinal tract, instead of the lungs. We have already seen people with simultaneous co-infections of two different variants, which enables the swapping of RNA between them and generating a hybrid, potentially worse version of the virus. That swap could also be between an animal and human source, akin to human and bird flu recombination.

The result would be much more difficult for humans to recognize, overriding protection from our spike-protein vaccines or infection-induced immunity. While unlikely, full immune escape by a new variant would put us back to square one of the pandemic.

Even if these scenarios dont materialize, lets remember that Omicron, despite being characterized as a milder form of the virus, can still be deadly for people without immunity. The original Omicron known as BA.1 has sister variants, including BA.2 and BA.3, each with many new and different mutations. A recent study in a lab using an animal model suggested that BA.2 is more disease-causing and more immune-evasive than BA.1.

BA.2 has spread rapidly in some countries such as Denmark, South Africa, India and Sweden. However, all the data to date for BA.2 in people do not support any sign of worse disease or lack of protection from vaccines. BA.2 is not gaining legs in the U.S., but the explanations for this and for the rapid decline of Omicron in many countries remain elusive. At this moment, it does not look like BA.2 poses a threat as a major new variant, but it would not be surprising if we see another variant in future months that deserves a separate Greek letter designation.

The good news is that were probably moving to a relatively quiescent phase, with low numbers of cases and limited severe disease, representing containment of the virus. That is not the same as the pandemic being over. Unfortunately, when states or countries proclaim that we just need to live with the virus and end all restrictions, many people interpret that message as meaning the pandemic is actually over for good. That would be a fantasy given the myriad opportunities for the virus to haunt us in the months and years ahead.

We have been extraordinarily lucky to date getting such highly effective vaccines into the arms of billions of people in a time frame that would never have been considered possible before. These vaccines, with boosters, have held up solidly, protecting vaccinated people against severe disease even though they are directed toward the original strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Lets hope our luck does not run out. Getting prepared for worst-case scenarios is our best defense, with better genomic, wastewater and digital tracking of the virus, and bolstering protection with everything from better air filtration to accelerating efforts for a variant-proof, pan-coronavirus vaccine. Better to be smart against this formidable virus than lucky.

Eric J. Topol is a professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research and author of the newsletter Ground Truths.

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Op-Ed: Omicron won't be the last coronavirus variant to haunt us - Los Angeles Times

People in England who test positive for COVID are no longer legally required to self-isolate.

From today, all remaining restrictions have been replaced by the government's "living with COVID plan".

This comes just days after guidance for staff and students in most education and childcare settings to undertake twice weekly asymptomatic testing was scrapped.

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What changes from 24 February?

Read more: What will 'living with COVID' mean now coronavirus restrictions have ended in England?

The prime minister said on lifting the restrictions: "Because of the efforts we have made as a country over the past two years, we can now deal with it in a very different way, moving from government restrictions to personal responsibility, so we protect ourselves without losing our abilities and maintaining our contingent capabilities so we can respond rapidly to any new variant."

On removing self-isolation support payments, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: "These are decisions which will hit the lowest paid and the most insecure workers the hardest."

Meanwhile, Transport for London (TfL) has announced passengers will no longer have to wear face coverings.

The Government scrapped the requirement for people in England to wear face coverings on public transport on 27 January 27 but TfL kept the rule on its services.

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What about the devolved nations?

Scotland's legal COVID-19 restrictions, including the wearing of face coverings, will end on 21 March.

In Wales from 28 February people will no longer need to wear face coverings in all indoor places - including schools.

However, masks will still be required in shops, health and care facilities and public transport. If cases continue to fall, it is hoped all mask rules will be lifted by the end of March.

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Northern Ireland's health minister revoked all remaining restrictions on 15 February.

This means that people will not be punished for not following restrictions, though they are still encouraged to do so.

Individual business can also still ask customers to follow rules.

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COVID-19: All remaining coronavirus restrictions lifted in England - Sky News

With Omicron fading and pressure growing to ease mask rules and other pandemic restrictions, there is growing debate among health officials and experts about if or when a second booster shot will be part of this path toward recovery.

Vaccines and boosters proved highly effective against serious illness from Omicron. But what is also clear, though, is that the defense afforded by vaccines while still robust tends to wane over time, leaving even some vaccinated and boosted individuals more vulnerable than others.

Data released earlier this month by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention examined people who got a booster shot of a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine after completing a two-dose primary vaccination series.

During a time where Omicron was the dominant coronavirus variant, vaccine effectiveness against COVID-related emergency department or urgent care visits for people was 87% during the two months after the booster shot, but that fell to 81% during the third month and dropped to 66% for the fourth month after the booster.

I think thats kind of a word of caution, said Dr. George Rutherford, a epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert at UC San Francisco.

A subsequent booster would seemingly help address the issue of waning immunity. But not everyone is convinced a second booster will be needed anytime soon.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Bidens chief medical advisor, noted last week that a single booster shot still provides high levels of protection against severe disease. During the Omicron surge, vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19-related hospitalization was 91% during the two months after the booster, fell to 88% during the third month and dropped to 78% for the fourth month, according to data published by the CDC.

Nonetheless, the level of 78 is still a good protective area, Fauci said, adding that he and other officials will continue studying the need for a second booster shot. Recommendations, if needed, will be updated according to the data as it evolves.

The CDC has already recommended that those age 12 and older with moderate or severely compromised immune systems who have already received three doses of vaccinations of the Pfizer or Moderna shots get a fourth dose.

For immune compromised people who got the Johnson and Johnson vaccination as their primary inoculation and have already received a second dose of vaccine, officials now recommend an additional shot, for a total of three doses.

But, in terms of universal boosting, I dont think thats where were going to go anytime soon, Rutherford said, although its possible we may eventually get around to it.

Its not just U.S. officials that are weighing the issue. Some other countries, such as Sweden, the United Kingdom and Israel, are making second booster doses available to certain populations such as residents who are older or at higher risk of severe health impacts from COVID-19.

Dr. Robert Wachter, chair of UC San Franciscos Department of Medicine, tweeted Saturday that evidence of efficacy of second booster from Israel is mixed, however, so I doubt well have one soon in U.S.; maybe by the fall, as a prelude to an annual COVID shot.

Personally, second boost would make me more comfy going maskless, but Im OK waiting for additional data, Wachter added.

For most of those living in the U.S., an additional booster dose would mean four shots total an initial two-dose series of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, plus two subsequent boosters. The shots manufactured by Pfizer and Moderna are collectively known as mRNA vaccines.

For those who initially got the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, a second booster would mean a third overall shot.

The potential future [recommendation] for an additional boost or a fourth shot for mRNA or a third shot for J&J is being very carefully monitored in real time. And recommendations, if needed, will be updated according to the data as it evolves, Fauci said last week.

In San Francisco, health officials have moved ahead of federal guidance and are already allowing Johnson & Johnson recipients to get a second booster shot.

Despite ongoing discussions around the wisdom of even further boosting, many officials say their top priority at the moment is getting more residents to avail themselves of the additional shot for which theyre already eligible.

Recipients of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines should get boosted at least five months after completing their initial two-dose series, according to the CDC. The recommended waiting period is two months for those who received the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Statewide, almost 28 million Californians are already fully vaccinated, according to data from the California Department of Public Health. But only about 13.8 million of them have so far gotten a booster.

Significant gaps also persist across age groups. Among Californians who are at least 65 years old, 72.3% of eligible people have already been boosted. The share is lower, 62.1%, for those between the ages of 50 and 64.

However, fewer than half of eligible adults ages 18 to 49 have been boosted so far. And the same is true for only abut 30% of those between the ages of 12 and 17, state data show.

Health officials say dramatically increasing booster coverage as well as getting more people to roll up their sleeves for the first or second time is key to reducing not just an individuals risk of becoming seriously ill with COVID-19, but the dangers posed by potential new surges.

The work that lies ahead will be focused on the kids who have only recently become eligible, or who remain ineligible for vaccines, to get them fully vaccinated, up-to-date on their immunity also on boosters, with a particular focus on our older, disabled, immunocompromised citizens, with a focus on closing yet another emerging equity gap in the current administration of boosters, Dr. Mark Ghaly, Californias health and human services secretary, said during a recent briefing.

According to the latest available state data, unvaccinated Californians remain almost six times more likely to be infected by the coronavirus than those who have been fully vaccinated and boosted. Theyre also nearly 12 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 and 17 times more likely to die from the disease than their fully vaccinated and boosted counterparts.

Being fully vaccinated provides really excellent protection against COVID-19. But because the vaccines protection fades over time, people do need that booster dose to be optimally protected, said Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.

Ongoing concerns about the potential for future surges is one reason why some California elected officials have voiced support for COVID-19 vaccination requirements.

A group of Democratic lawmakers is pushing a bill that would require employees and independent contractors to be vaccinated as a condition of employment unless they have an exemption based on a medical condition, disability or religious beliefs.

And last October, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a plan to require COVID-19 vaccinations for all public and private schoolchildren. That would initially take effect for grades 7 through 12 for the school term following the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations full approval of the vaccine for children ages 12 to 15.

Children of that age can currently receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine under emergency authorization, but it isnt clear when the FDA might give its full approval. The vaccine has been fully approved by the FDA for those 16 and older.

Unlike with other vaccines required for schoolchildren, Newsoms plan because it was not enacted through the Legislature would allow parents to cite personal beliefs in refusing to inoculate their children against COVID-19.

There are efforts underway to strengthen that pending requirement. One legislator, state Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento), has proposed a bill that would add COVID-19 vaccines to Californias list of required inoculations for attending K-12 schools, which can be skipped only if a student receives a rare medical exemption.

If passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor, the measure would supplant Newsoms plan.

In an interview broadcast on MSNBCs The Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart, Newsom touted the states handling of the pandemic as one that has saved lives.

State health officials have published data showing how Californias cumulative per capita COVID-19 death rate is lower than the nations five other most populous states: Texas, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania and Illinois.

Newsom said now is the time to prepare for new surges should they come, such as making sure the state is not caught unprepared yet again with shortages of medical equipment like gowns and N95 masks.

Were realizing that were going to have to live with different variants of this disease for many, many years, Newsom said on the program.

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Will you need a second booster shoot? - Los Angeles Times