Mutations

Health experts still learning about omicron subvariant, now dominant in Northeast As a version of COVID-19’s omicron variant —the XBB.1.5 subvariant — grows more prevalent in some parts of the U.S., health experts say it likely escapes immune protection better than previous muta… kwadington The Hill

More than 80 percent of coronavirus cases in the Northeast are now due to XBB.1.5.

U.S. FDA proposes shift to annual COVID vaccine strategy The U.S. health regulator on Monday proposed the use of one dose of the latest updated COVID-19 shot annually for most people, similar to the influenza immunization campaign, as it moves to simplify the country's vaccination strategy. Reuters Reuters

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Currently, people in the United States need to first get two doses of the original COVID vaccine spaced a few weeks apart, followed by a booster a few months later. ...

China reports big jump in COVID hospitalisations - WHO China reported a large jump in COVID-19 hospitalisations in the week through to January 15 to the highest since the pandemic began, according to a weekly report published by the World Health Organization on Thursday. Reuters Reuters

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Is it time for a reality check on rapid COVID tests? At-home rapid tests have become a staple of COVID-19 precautions, but some experts worry that people are relying too much on these tests and that's creating a false sense of security. NPR

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