Category Archives: Covid-19

MINNEAPOLIS Celtics star Jayson Tatum will miss Mondays game against the Timberwolves because he has entered COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

Tatum joins Dennis Schrder, Josh Richardson, Aaron Nesmith, Bruno Fernando, Enes Freedom, Justin Jackson, and C.J. Miles, who all missed Saturdays game against the Bucks because they are in protocol. Grant Williams, who has missed the last five games while in COVID-19 protocol, has been upgraded to questionable, and Marcus Smart is questionable with a hand laceration.

Tatum was sidelined for nearly three weeks last January after testing positive for COVID-19 and said he dealt with aftereffects for about three months. He used an inhaler before games during that time.

This season, the two-time All-Star is averaging 25.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, but shooting a career-low 41.7 percent from the field and 32.9 percent from the 3-point line. After the 117-113 loss to Milwaukee in which the Celtics remained severely shorthanded, Tatum was asked about these unusual challenges.

Its definitely a unique circumstance, like anything this league or this world has ever seen, he said. I think unfortunately its kind of like the new normal, and its not just us, its everybody in the league.

Every day its kind of like a tossup, trying to figure out whos going to be there, whos available, whos out. Just a lot of uncertainty. But I think at the end of the day. its our job, whoevers available, whoever weve got, weve got to go out there and try to figure it out.

Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @adamhimmelsbach.

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Celtics Jayson Tatum enters COVID-19 protocol, will miss Mondays game at Timberwolves - The Boston Globe

RALEIGH, N.C. (WGHP) NC State is announcing new requirements for students returning to campus in January.

Monday, NC State updated their COVID-19 guidelines. According to their website, all COVID-19 safety measures currently in place will remain in effect through the first few weeks of the spring semester.

Students who live in university housing or in Greek Village are required to provide proof of a negative PCR test within 72 hours of moving back on campus, regardless of vaccination status.

Any faculty, student or staff who have not provided proof of vaccination will also need to provide a negative PCR result within 72 hours of returning to school.

Students who receive a positive test should not return to campus. They should upload their test results in the appropriate portal.

Any NC State student, faculty member or staff member with a valid NC State ID can get tested on campus. All testing is provided free of charge. For the latest updated information on testing locations and hours of operation,click here.

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NC State to require negative COVID-19 test prior to returning to campus for students regardless of vaccination status - WGHP FOX8 Greensboro

MADISON, Wis. Wisconsin health officials are bracing for another wave of COVID-19 cases as the Omicron variant continues to spread. TMJ4 News asked Gov. Tony Evers if the state was preparing to have more home testing kits and get more people vaccinated.

The pandemic has defined a majority of Gov. Evers' first three years in office, and it's looking like that will continue into the new year with a new variant.

Charles Benson: "Is the State prepared for a likely surge with Omicron?"

Gov. Tony Evers: "Well, I think yes, the answer is yes. We've worked with our good folks at the county levels and the municipal levels for the whole time, and I know they're ready and able to take it on."

Gov. Evers says the game plan to take it on continues with getting people vaccinated or boosted.

Right now nearly 58% of the state's population would be considered fully vaccinated and 82% of people 65 and older have the highest vaccination rate. But the pace for first time doses has slowed.

President Trump recently indicated he had gotten the booster shot.

"We need to get people vaccinated," Evers said. "And that will continue to be an issue. Unfortunately [the vaccine] became a political issue across the country. And Wisconsin is no different than that. But we're going to continue to fight for that."

TMJ4

Benson: "Doesn't seem like people who don't have the vaccine right now or want to get the vaccines, even if you see another surge, if you see any incentives or changes in that?"

Evers: "We'll look at incentives. We did a few upfront and I suppose that's a possibility. But at the end of the day, I think we can - I mean we're doing thousands a day already and I wish we're doing 50,000 a day going forward. But as this new variant comes to be, I truly believe that we'll be getting more people shots in arms, that is the main issue. I'm not sure $1,000 a person or whatever is going to make all that difference."

More testing is on the way but will it be enough? As Omicron surged in New York City, testing lines were long and COVID-19 home testing kits were in short supply as people rushed to buy what was on store shelves.

President Biden says 500 million rapid home-testing kits will be available online for free in January.

Benson: "Do you feel the State will be prepared to have home testing kits for people who want them and need them? If we have this likely surge."

Evers: "Yes. Absolutely. That's a great question. Because I think testing is part of the solution. When people are testing they may you know, when they find out that they are COVID positive, they can at least avoid other people and not infect other people or get treatment right away, or hopefully both. So it'll help people kind of own their own health care. I think it's the right step."

More testing for COVID-19 as a third year of COVID-19 tests all of our patience.

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Gov. Evers tells TMJ4 Wisconsin is prepared for future COVID-19 surge - WTMJ-TV

The emergence of the omicron variant has prompted an outbreak of COVID-19 issues across American sportsthat refuses to cease. College basketball has taken on dozens of COVID pauses at programs throughout the country the past two weeks. A complete list of schools on halt can be see below.

The latest significant schools to announce positive cases within their men's basketball programs: Duke, Illinois, Georgetown and Virginia Tech. The ACC has had to call off four intra-league games this week: Duke at Clemson, Florida State at Boston College, Virginia Tech at North Carolina, and Duke at Notre Dame.

Between cancellations and postponements, more than 90 games have been impacted in the first seven weeks this season.

It remains to be seen how damaging the Christmas break (when many players went home to see family), paired with the aggressive trend of rising omicron cases nationwide, impacts college basketball heading into New Year's Eve and early January. For a deeper look on how omicron has impacted college sports, read our deep dive here.

Here is the list of schools affected by COVID-19 protocols, which will be updated as necessary, should more schools need to be added. Last updated: Monday at 12:45 p.m. ET.

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College basketball hit hard by COVID-19 cancellations: Duke, Illinois latest to join the list of paused teams - CBS Sports

The list of symptoms of Covid-19 has grown longer and stranger throughout the pandemic. With so many people now vaccinated, the warning signs of an infection have grown more subtle and vague. Thats becoming especially evident as the omicron variant gallops around the world, squeezing through the nooks and crannies in the wall of immunity thats been built over the past two years.

An international team of researchers has been tracking signs of infection throughout the pandemic with the Covid Symptom Study using a mobile app where users could self-report their symptoms. Data on the omicron variant is still preliminary, but a group of 171 app users in the United Kingdom, most of whom are vaccinated, recently reported that their top symptoms for omicron were a runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing, and a sore throat. These were also the top symptoms for people infected with the delta variant.

Thats a departure from the classic three Covid-19 symptoms of fever, cough, and loss of sense of smell or taste associated with earlier variants, researchers say.

For most people, an omicron positive case will feel much more like the common cold, starting with a sore throat, runny nose, and a headache, Tim Spector, a professor of epidemiology at Kings College London and the lead scientist for the symptom study, told the BBC this week. We need to change public messaging urgently to save lives.

Among the 171 people in the recent symptom data analysis who were suspected or confirmed to be infected with omicron by Britains National Health Service, the symptom study team found only half reported fever, cough, or a loss of taste or smell.

Researchers in Norway recently reported similar findings from an omicron outbreak among fully vaccinated guests of a Christmas party. In 87 confirmed or probable cases, the most common symptoms were cough, runny or stuffy nose, fatigue, sore throat, and headache. Just over half reported a fever, while 23 percent experienced a loss of taste and 12 had a decline in smell.

These cases are further evidence that the omicron variant is the most transmissible version of the virus so far, and it seems to be better able to evade prior immunity. Vaccines in the US still offer strong protection against severe illness, however, especially with a booster shot.

We know we will continue to hear more about people who get infected who are vaccinated, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said at a White House press conference this week. These people may get mild or asymptomatic infections and could unknowingly spread those infections to others.

In South Africa, one of the first places where the omicron variant was detected, widespread vaccinations against the disease combined with some immunity from prior infection may explain why omicron seems to present with milder symptoms.

We believe that it might not necessarily just be that omicron is less virulent, but we believe that this coverage of vaccination, also in addition to natural immunity of people who have already had contact with the virus, is also adding to the protection, South Africas Health Minister Joe Phaahla told reporters last week. Thats why we are seeing mild illness.

In the US, 73 percent of the population has had at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine and more than 50 million people have been infected previously, so a significant portion of the population has some degree of protection against the disease.

Even so, some people with omicron will fall severely ill. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Covid-19 symptoms that demand emergency medical care include sudden confusion; inability to stay awake; persistent chest pain or pressure; trouble breathing; and lips, fingernail beds, and skin turning blue, pale, or gray.

While a smaller percentage of the infected get sick enough to go to the hospital, the overall increase in cases from omicron could result in enough illness to overwhelm the US health care system in the coming months.

In addition, severe illnesses often start out with mild symptoms, and many Covid-19 treatments are most effective in the early stages of the disease. The Food and Drug Administration recently granted emergency authorization to the drug Paxlovid from Pfizer, the first oral antiviral to get a green light from the agency. Its recommended for mild-to-moderate Covid-19 cases in people with risk factors for severe disease.

The emergence of the cold-like symptoms with the omicron variant means that getting tested to confirm whether someone is infected with Covid-19 is more critical than ever to slow the spread of the virus. For people with preexisting health conditions, identifying infections early is key to deploying effective treatments in time.

Frequent rapid testing for Covid-19 can catch omicron cases, though they tend to have lower accuracy compared to more expensive and time-consuming PCR tests. Many local health departments are scaling up their public testing systems, and the FDA has increased the number of rapid rests authorized for use. But in some areas, rapid tests remain scarce and too costly to use regularly.

So its crucial to take mild Covid-19 symptoms seriously and just as important to prevent infections in the first place. That requires getting vaccinated against Covid-19, getting a booster dose if eligible, wearing an effective face mask in public settings, and social distancing. Despite the latest twists in the pandemic, these measures remain the best bets for keeping the virus in check.

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How to recognize Covid-19 symptoms with the omicron variant - Vox.com

A new Covid-19 variant, now named the omicron variant, was detected in South Africa on Wednesday, prompting renewed concern about the pandemic, a major stock market drop, and the imposition of new international travel restrictions to stop the spread.

Though the variants existence was first reported by South Africa, it has also been found in Belgium, Botswana, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, and the United Kingdom, meaning the variant has already spread though how far is unclear, as new cases continue cropping up around the world.

While it will take scientists some weeks to understand the omicron variant, including how quickly it can spread and what the illness from infection with the variant looks like, the World Health Organization has already labeled omicron a variant of concern, which means it could be more transmissible, more virulent, or more able to evade the protection granted by vaccines than the original strain of Covid-19.

More information about the new variant is sure to emerge over the coming days and weeks, but heres what experts are saying so far.

Early evidence suggests that the omicron variant is highly contagious, possibly more so than the delta variant. With more than 30 mutations on the spike protein the part of the virus that binds to a human cell, infecting it omicron could both be more transmissible and have more mechanisms to evade immunity already conferred by vaccines or prior infection.

The mutations would strongly suggest that it would be more transmissible and that it might evade some of the protection of monoclonal antibodies and convalescent plasma, and perhaps even antibodies that are induced by vaccine, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious disease expert, told George Stephanopoulos on ABCs This Week on Sunday.

As Fauci emphasized, however, the vaccines still work, and they are still the best way to protect yourself from the virus.

I dont think theres any possibility that [the omicron variant] could completely evade any protection by vaccine, Fauci said. It may diminish it a bit, but thats the reason why you boost.

So far, cases of the variant have appeared primarily in young people, leaving them exhausted and with body aches and soreness, according to Dr. Angelique Coetzee, head of the South African Medical Association. Were not talking about patients that might go straight to a hospital and be admitted, she told the BBC.

Compared to its pandemic peak, cases in South Africa are relatively low right now. However, the country has still seen a substantial spike in new infections: On Friday, South Africa reported 2,828 new Covid-19 cases, according to the Associated Press, with as many as 90 percent of those cases potentially caused by the omicron variant.

Reinfection is also a concern with the new variant, according to the journal Nature, but at this early stage, its difficult to tell how likely reinfection or breakthrough infections actually are.

The mutation profile gives us concern, but now we need to do the work to understand the significance of this variant and what it means for the response to the pandemic, Dr. Richard Lessells, an infectious disease expert at University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa, said at a South African health ministry press conference on Thursday.

Whether the efficacy of treatments such as monoclonal antibodies and new pill treatments from Pfizer and Merck will be the same against the omicron variant is also unclear, as is the new variants virulence, or how sick it will make those infected, Dr. Leana Wen, a professor of health policy at George Washington University, told CNNs Jim Acosta on Friday.

According to the WHO, the earliest known case of the omicron variant was on November 9, and the mutation was first detected November 24 in South Africa, which has an advanced detection system. While the delta variant is still the dominant strain worldwide and currently accounts for 99.9 percent of cases in the US, the discovery of the omicron variant has coincided with a spike in South African cases a more than 1,400 percent increase over the past two weeks, according to the New York Times.

However, the variant has likely spread far more widely than South Africa, according to Fauci. When you have a virus thats showing this degree of transmissibility & youre having travel-related cases ... it almost invariably is going to go all over, NBC reporter Kaitlan Collins tweeted Saturday, quoting Fauci.

On Friday, President Joe Biden announced new travel restrictions on eight southern African countries, which will take effect on Monday. Travel from Lesotho, South Africa, Eswatini, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, and Botswana will be restricted, though those restrictions wont apply to US citizens or green card holders, among other groups.

As Wen said on Friday, travel bans dont necessarily do much overall to prevent the spread of the virus, but they can buy time for governments to learn more about diseases and variants and better protect their populations.

Ive decided that were going to be cautious, Biden told reporters on Friday. But we dont know a lot about the variant except that it is of great concern; it seems to spread rapidly.

Other nations including the UK, Australia, Israel, France, and Germany are also restricting travel from southern African nations in an effort to contain the new variant, despite criticism from the South African government.

This latest round of travel bans is akin to punishing South Africa for its advanced genomic sequencing and the ability to detect new variants quicker, South Africas foreign ministry said in a Saturday statement. Excellent science should be applauded and not punished.

As of Saturday the US has not imposed any new travel restrictions on the European or Asian nations where the omicron variant has appeared.

In addition to imminent travel restrictions on a number of southern African nations, Biden urged vaccination and boosters for US citizens as a response to the new variant.

To that end, Biden on Friday also called on wealthy countries with the capability to donate vaccines to do so to low- and middle-income countries, as well as to waive intellectual property rights on current vaccines and treatments so that poorer countries can produce generic versions.

Accessibility isnt the only issue when it comes to a global vaccination campaign, however. Vaccine hesitancy has proven to be a global problem, including in South Africa, where last week the government asked drug companies to delay delivery of new vaccine doses in response to declining demand, despite less than 30 percent of its adult population being inoculated. Europe is presently struggling with a new outbreak at least partly due to its uneven vaccine uptake and vaccine resistance.

Omicron is likely already in the US, given the loosened restrictions on international travel earlier in the month and that the variant dates at least as far back as November 9. And even if its not yet, it soon will be, experts say.

Its not going to be possible to keep this infection out of the country, Fauci told the New York Times. The question is: Can you slow it down?

While there are still many unknowns about the omicron variant, experts agree that its a troubling development in the Covid-19 pandemic.

Weve seen variants come and go, and every month or two we hear about one, Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, told PBS on Friday. This one is concerning. This one is different. There are a lot of features here that have me and many of us concerned about this.

Delta, the current dominant strain of the virus, shows heightened transmissibility and an ability to evade antibodies, as Voxs Umair Irfan explained in June. But as with delta, the key to limiting omicrons spread depends upon human behavior and peoples willingness to engage with proven public health responses.

Stopping the spread also means stopping the possibility of harmful mutations to the virus. Mutations changes to the makeup of the virus are bound to happen, and many of them are harmless to people. The more opportunities the virus has to spread, however, the more chance it has to mutate into a variation that spreads faster, is more resistant to antibodies and treatments, or creates worse health outcomes or even all of these negative traits.

Existing tools, however, should still be effective in stopping omicron PCR tests appear to detect the variant, according to the WHO, and Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, told NPR on Friday that there is no data at the present time to indicate that the current vaccines would not work [against omicron].

Additionally, masking and social distancing both are proven strategies to stop the spread of Covid-19, as are getting vaccinated and getting a booster shot.

Those steps are especially crucial as the holiday season and cold weather bring people together indoors, where transmission occurs. According to the New York Timess Covid-19 tracker, cases in the US have increased 10 percent over the past two weeks, with daily averages of new cases over 85,000, hospitalizations over 52,000, and about 1,000 deaths each day. As of November 24, almost 75 percent of vaccine-eligible Americans have received at least one vaccine dose.

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What to know about the omicron variant, a new Covid-19 mutation - Vox

THE HAGUE, Netherlands Cases of the omicron variant of the coronavirus popped up in countries on opposite sides of the world Sunday and many governments rushed to close their borders even as scientists cautioned that its not clear if the new variant is more alarming than other versions of the virus.

The variant was identified days ago by researchers in South Africa, and much is still not known about it, including whether it is more contagious, more likely to cause serious illness or more able to evade the protection of vaccines. But many countries rushed to act, reflecting anxiety about anything that could prolong the pandemic that has killed more than 5 million people.

Israel decided to bar entry to foreigners, and Morocco said it would suspend all incoming flights for two weeks starting Monday among the most drastic of a growing raft of travel curbs being imposed by nations around the world as they scrambled to slow the variants spread. Scientists in several places from Hong Kong to Europe have confirmed its presence. The Netherlands reported 13 omicron cases on Sunday, and both Canada and Australia each found two.

Noting that the variant has already been detected in many countries and that closing borders often has limited effect, the World Health Organization called for frontiers to remain open.

Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health in the United States, meanwhile, emphasized that there is no data yet that suggests the new variant causes more serious illness than previous COVID-19 variants.

I do think its more contagious when you look at how rapidly it spread through multiple districts in South Africa. It has the earmarks therefore of being particularly likely to spread from one person to another. What we dont know is whether it can compete with delta, Collins said on CNNs State of the Union.

Collins echoed several experts in saying the news should make everyone redouble their efforts to use the tools the world already has, including vaccinations, booster shots and measures such as mask-wearing.

I know, America, youre really tired about hearing those things, but the virus is not tired of us, Collins said.

The Dutch public health authority confirmed that 13 people who arrived from South Africa on Friday have so far tested positive for omicron. They were among 61 people who tested positive for the virus after arriving on the last two flights to Amsterdams Schiphol airport before a flight ban was implemented. They were immediately put into isolation, most at a nearby hotel.

Canadas health minister says the countrys first two cases of omicron were found in Ontario after two individuals who had recently traveled from Nigeria tested positive.

Authorities in Australia said two travelers who arrived in Sydney from Africa became the first in the country to test positive for the new variant. Arrivals from nine African countries are now required to quarantine in a hotel upon arrival. Two German states reported a total of three cases in returning travelers over the weekend.

Israel moved to ban entry by foreigners and mandate quarantine for all Israelis arriving from abroad.

Restrictions on the countrys borders is not an easy step, but its a temporary and necessary step, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting.

Moroccos Foreign Ministry tweeted Sunday that all incoming air travel to the North African country would be suspended to preserve the achievements realized by Morocco in the fight against the pandemic, and to protect the health of citizens. Morocco has been at the forefront of vaccinations in Africa, and kept its borders closed for months in 2020 because of the pandemic.

The U.S. plans to ban travel from South Africa and seven other southern African countries starting Monday. Its going to give us a period of time to enhance our preparedness, the United States top infectious diseases expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said of the ban on ABCs This Week.

Many countries are introducing such bans, though they go against the advice of the WHO, which has warned against any overreaction before the variant is thoroughly studied.

Fauci says it will take approximately two more weeks to have more definitive information on the transmissibility, severity and other characteristics of omicron, according to a statement from the White House Sunday evening.

South Africas government responded angrily to the travel bans, which it said are akin to punishing South Africa for its advanced genomic sequencing and the ability to detect new variants quicker. It said it will try to persuade countries that imposed them to reconsider.

The WHO sent out a statement saying it stands with African nations and noting that travel restrictions may play a role in slightly reducing the spread of COVID-19 but place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods. It said if restrictions are put in place, they should be scientifically based and not intrusive.

In Europe, much of which already has been struggling with a sharp increase in cases over recent weeks, officials were on guard.

The U.K. on Saturday tightened rules on mask-wearing and on testing of international arrivals after finding two omicron cases, but British Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the government was nowhere near reinstituting work from home or more severe social-distancing measures.

We know now those types of measures do carry a very heavy price, both economically, socially, in terms of non-COVID health outcomes such as impact on mental health, he told Sky News.

Spain announced it wont admit unvaccinated British visitors starting Dec. 1. Italy was going through lists of airline passengers who arrived in the past two weeks. France is continuing to push vaccinations and booster shots.

David Hui, a respiratory medicine expert and government adviser on the pandemic in Hong Kong, agreed with that strategy.

He said the two people who tested positive for the omicron variant had received the Pfizer vaccine and exhibited very mild symptoms, such as a sore throat.

Vaccines should work but there would be some reduction in effectiveness, he said.

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Omicron COVID-19 variant now reported in Canada, Australia, The Netherlands - oregonlive.com

LONDON South African scientists identified a new version of the coronavirus that they say is behind a recent spike in COVID-19 infections in Gauteng, the countrys most populous province.

Its unclear where the new variant first emerged, but scientists in South Africa alerted the World Health Organization in recent days, and it has now been seen in travelers arriving in several countries, from Australia to Israel to the Netherlands.

On Friday, the WHO designated it as a variant of concern, naming it omicron after a letter in the Greek alphabet.

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT OMICRON?

Health Minister Joe Phaahla said the variant was linked to an exponential rise of cases in the last few days.

From just over 200 new confirmed cases per day in recent weeks, South Africa saw the number of new daily cases rocket to more than 3,200 Saturday, most in Gauteng.

Struggling to explain the sudden rise in cases, scientists studied virus samples and discovered the new variant. Now, as many as 90% of the new cases in Gauteng are caused by it, according to Tulio de Oliveira, director of the KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform.

WHY ARE SCIENTISTS WORRIED ABOUT THIS NEW VARIANT?

After convening a group of experts to assess the data, the WHO said that preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant, as compared to other variants.

That means people who contracted COVID-19 and recovered could be subject to catching it again.

The variant appears to have a high number of mutations about 30 in the coronavirus spike protein, which could affect how easily it spreads to people.

Sharon Peacock, who has led genetic sequencing of COVID-19 in Britain at the University of Cambridge, said the data so far suggest the new variant has mutations consistent with enhanced transmissibility, but said that the significance of many of the mutations is still not known.

Lawrence Young, a virologist at the University of Warwick, described omicron as the most heavily mutated version of the virus we have seen, including potentially worrying changes never before seen all in the same virus.

WHATS KNOWN AND NOT KNOWN ABOUT THE VARIANT?

Scientists know that omicron is genetically distinct from previous variants including the beta and delta variants, but do not know if these genetic changes make it any more transmissible or dangerous. So far, there is no indication the variant causes more severe disease.

It will likely take weeks to sort out if omicron is more infectious and if vaccines are still effective against it.

Peter Openshaw, a professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London said it was extremely unlikely that current vaccines wouldnt work, noting they are effective against numerous other variants.

Even though some of the genetic changes in omicron appear worrying, its still unclear if they will pose a public health threat. Some previous variants, like the beta variant, initially alarmed scientists but didnt end up spreading very far.

We dont know if this new variant could get a toehold in regions where delta is, said Peacock of the University of Cambridge. The jury is out on how well this variant will do where there are other variants circulating.

To date, delta is by far the most predominant form of COVID-19, accounting for more than 99% of sequences submitted to the worlds biggest public database.

HOW DID THIS NEW VARIANT ARISE?

The coronavirus mutates as it spreads and many new variants, including those with worrying genetic changes, often just die out. Scientists monitor COVID-19 sequences for mutations that could make the disease more transmissible or deadly, but they cannot determine that simply by looking at the virus.

Peacock said the variant may have evolved in someone who was infected but could then not clear the virus, giving the virus the chance to genetically evolve, in a scenario similar to how experts think the alpha variant which was first identified in England also emerged, by mutating in an immune-compromised person.

ARE THE TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS BEING IMPOSED BY SOME COUNTRIES JUSTIFIED?

Maybe.

Israel is banning foreigners from entering the country and Morocco has stopped all incoming international air travel.

A number of other countries are restricting flights in from southern Africa.

Given the recent rapid rise in COVID-19 in South Africa, restricting travel from the region is prudent and would buy authorities more time, said Neil Ferguson, an infectious diseases expert at Imperial College London.

But the WHO noted that such restrictions are often limited in their effect and urged countries to keep borders open.

Jeffrey Barrett, director of COVID-19 Genetics at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, thought that the early detection of the new variant could mean restrictions taken now would have a bigger impact than when the delta variant first emerged.

With delta, it took many, many weeks into Indias terrible wave before it became clear what was going on and delta had already seeded itself in many places in the world and it was too late to do anything about it, he said. We may be at an earlier point with this new variant so there may still be time to do something about it.

South Africas government said the country was being treated unfairly because it has advanced genomic sequencing and could detect the variant quicker and asked other countries to reconsider the travel bans.

Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHOs regional director for Africa, commended South Africa and Botswana for quickly informing the world about the new variant.

With the omicron variant now detected in several regions of the world, putting in place travel bans that target Africa attacks global solidarity, Moeti said. COVID-19 constantly exploits our divisions. We will only get the better of the virus if we work together for solutions.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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What we know and don't know on new COVID-19 variant - pressherald.com

The Cowboys roster has been harangued by COVID-19 all season long, with the virus affecting more players in Dallas than any other locker room in the league.

Now its working its way though the coaching staff, too, causing a ripple effect of gameday duties.

The Cowboys have announced that offensive line coach Joe Philbin, assistant offensive line coach Joe Blasko, and coaching assistant Scott Tolzien have entered the leagues COVID-19 protocol and will miss Thursday nights game against the Saints.

Their absences will put several other Cowboys staffers in new roles on a fill-in basis.

We have some different scenarios of exactly how were going to work the week, head coach Mike McCarthy said Sunday in a conference call with media members.

Those scenarios include tight end coach Lunda Wells, quality control coach Chase Haslett, and Ben McAdoo, who has been serving the team in a consultant role, scouting future opponents.

Wellss first coaching job was as an offensive line assistant at LSU for two seasons; he did the same job again with the New York Giants from 2013 to 2017.

Haslett is the son of former NFL coach Jim Haslett. He was hired by Dallas in 2020 after gaining offensive coaching experience at Nebraska, Mississippi State, and Mercer.

McAdoos name is most familiar as the head coach of the Giants in 2016 and most of 2017. Most of his body of work as a coach comes on the offensive side of the ball, working with the offensive line, tight ends, or quarterbacks.

Now all three will pitch in on getting the Cowboys line- without Terence Steele, who has also tested positive for COVID ready for New Orleans.

As for whether McCarthy himself will get personally more involved with that unit for the Week 13 game, the coach had this to say:

I think the biggest thing is just to make sure that the job description and responsibility is always tight. We feel really good about our game plan process. How well do the group meetings, well spend a little more time together as a group. This is something that I think that this an opportunity for young coaches to take advantage of. Definitely, Ill be where I need to be this week.

Philbin tested positive for the virus last week and missed the Thanksgiving Day game versus Las Vegas, as did assistant strength and conditioning coaches Kendall Smith and Cedric Smith.

Blasko handled O-line coaching responsibilities on Thursday; he and Tolzien turned in positive COVID tests since then.

Following the clash with the Saints, the Cowboys will have nine full days off before beginning their final five-game stretch of the regular season, in which theyll play four divisional games and one against the NFCs top seed Arizona Cardinals.

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COVID-19 to have ripple effect on multiple Cowboys coaches for Week 13 - Cowboys Wire

The floor of theNewYorkStockExchange(NYSE) is seen after the close of trading inNewYork, U.S., March 18, 2020. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

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NEW YORK, Nov 26 (Reuters) - COVID-19 has resurfaced as a worry for investors and a potential driver of big market moves after a new variant triggered alarm, long after the threat had receded in Wall Street's eyes.

Worries about a new strain of the virus, named Omicron and classified by the World Health Organization as a variant of concern, slammed markets worldwide and dealt the S&P 500 index its biggest one-day percentage loss in nine months. The moves came a day after the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday when thin volume likely exacerbated the moves.

With little known about the new variant, longer term implications for U.S. assets were unclear. At least, investors said signs that the new strain is spreading and questions over its resistance to vaccines could weigh on the so-called reopening trade that has lifted markets at various times this year.

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The new strain may also complicate the outlook for how aggressively the Federal Reserve normalizes monetary policy to fight inflation.

"Markets were celebrating the end of the pandemic. Slam. It isn't over," said David Kotok, chairman and chief investment officer at Cumberland Advisors. "All policy issues, meaning monetary policy, business trajectories, GDP growth estimates, leisure and hospitality recovery, the list goes on, are on hold."

The S&P 500 fell by a third as pandemic fears mushroomed in early 2020, but has more than doubled in value since then, though the pandemic's ebb and flow has driven sometimes-violent rotations in the types of stocks investors favor. The index is up more than 22% this year.

Before Friday, broader vaccine availability and advances in treatments made markets potentially less sensitive to COVID-19. The virus had dropped to a distant fifth in a list of so-called "tail risks" to the market in a recent survey of fund managers by BofA Global Research, with inflation and central bank hikes taking the top spots.

On Friday, however, technology and growth stocks that had prospered during last year's so-called stay-at-home trade soared, including Zoom Communications (ZM.O), Netflix Inc (NFLX.O) and Peloton (PTON.O).

At the same time, stocks that had rallied this year on bets of economic reopening may suffer if virus fears grow. Energy, financials and other economically sensitive stocks tumbled on Friday, as did those of many travel-related companies such as airlines and hotels.

The new Omicron coronavirus variant spread further around the world on Sunday, with 13 cases found in the Netherlands and two each in Denmark and Australia, even as more countries tried to seal themselves off by imposing travel restrictions.

First discovered in South Africa, the new variant has now also been detected in Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Botswana, Israel, Australia and Hong Kong. read more

Friday's swings also sent the Cboe Volatility Index (.VIX), known as Wall Street's fear gauge, soaring and options investors scrambling to hedge their portfolios against further market swings. read more

Andrew Thrasher, portfolio manager for The Financial Enhancement Group, had been concerned that recent gains in a handful of technology stocks with large weightings in the S&P 500, including Apple Inc (AAPL.O), Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O), Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O), were masking weakness in the broader market.

"This set the kindling for sellers to push markets lower and the latest COVID news appears to have stoked that bearish flame," he said.

Some investors said the latest COVID-19 related weakness could be a chance to buy stocks at comparatively lower levels, expecting the market to continue rapidly recovering from dips, a pattern that has marked its march to record highs this year.

"We've had numerous days when economic optimism collapses. Each of these optimism collapses were a good buying opportunity," wrote Bill Smead, founder of Smead Capital Management, in a note to investors. Among the stocks he recommended were Occidental Petroleum (OXY.N) and Macerich Co (MAC.N), down 7.2% and 5.2% respectively on Friday.

One of several wild cards is whether virus-driven economic uncertainty will slow the Federal Reserve's plans to normalize monetary policy, just as it has started unwinding its $120 billion a month bond buying program.

Futures on the U.S. federal funds rate, which track short-term interest rate expectations, on Friday showed investors rolling back their view of a sooner-than-expected rate increase.

Investors will be watching Fed Chair Jerome Powell and U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's appearance before Congress to discuss the government's COVID response on Nov. 30 as well as U.S. employment numbers, due out next Friday.

Investors held out hope that markets could stabilize. Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at Cresset Capital Management, said moves may have been exaggerated by lack of liquidity on Friday, with many participants out for the Thanksgiving holiday.

"My first reaction is anything we are going to see today is overdone," Ablin said.

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Reporting by Saqib Iqbal Ahmed; Additional reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak, Megan Davies and Lewis Krauskopf; Writing by Ira Iosebashvili; Editing by Megan Davies, Richard Chang and Alexander Smith

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Wall St Week Ahead COVID-19 fears reappear as a threat to market - Reuters