Booster program widened in U.K. to battle variant
Britain is extending its COVID-19 booster vaccine program to millions more people as part of efforts to tackle the spread of the new omicron variant.
The government said Monday that it would accept in full the revised recommendations from the independent body of scientists that has been advising it, chief of which is that everyone between ages 18 and 39 should be offered a booster shot. Up until now, only people over 40 as well as those deemed particularly vulnerable to the virus were eligible.
The change means around 13 million more people will be eligible for the vaccine. So far, the U.K. has given around 17.5 million booster shots.
In addition to extending the rollout down the age range, the panel also said booster doses for all age groups may be given three months after a second dose. That shaves three months off the current wait.
“With this new variant on the offensive, these measures will protect more people more quickly and make us better protected as a nation,” said Health Secretary Sajid Javid.
The major revision of the booster rollout comes after six more cases were reported in Scotland and two in England. That takes the U.K.’s total to 11.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said not all the cases identified in Scotland were linked to travel to countries in southern Africa, suggesting “some community transmission.”
Already, the British government has tightened rules on mask-wearing and testing of arrivals in the country. Prime
Minister Boris Johnson said it was necessary to take “targeted and precautionary measures” in England.
Infected showing mild symptoms
South Africa’s rapid increase in COVID-19 cases attributed to the new omicron variant is so far resulting in mostly mild symptoms, doctors say.
“We’ve seen a sharp increase in cases for the past 10 days. So far they have mostly been very mild cases, with patients having flu-like symptoms: dry coughs, fever, night sweats, a lot of body pains,” said Dr. Unben Pillay, a general practitioner in Gauteng province where 81% of the new cases have been reported.
“Most of these patients have been treated at home,” Pillay told an online press briefing Monday. “Vaccinated people tend to do much better. We have not seen a vast increase in hospitalizations, but this is still early days.”
Most of the new cases in South Africa have been among people in their 20s and 30s, and doctors note that age group generally has milder symptoms of COVID-19 in any case.
They warn that older people infected by the new variant could have more severe symptoms.
South Africa has seen its seven-day average of new cases over the past two weeks surge from about 200 per day to more than 2,000.
Omicron appears to be more transmissible than previous variants and the surge could bring the daily number of new cases to 10,000 by the end of the week, said infectious disease specialist Salim Abdool Karim.
Foreign visitors banned from entry
Japan announced Monday it will suspend entry of all foreign visitors from around the world as a new coronavirus variant spreads. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the measure will take effect Tuesday.
The decision means Japan will restore border controls that it eased earlier this month for short-term business visitors, foreign students and workers.
Many countries have moved to tighten their borders after the new omicron variant was discovered.
Israel decided to bar entry to foreigners, and Morocco said it would suspend all incoming flights for two weeks starting Monday.
Hospitals strained amid rising surge
Michigan reached a record of adults hospitalized with COVID-19 on Monday with 4,181 admitted with confirmed cases of the virus, the most since the pandemic began.
More than 80% of total hospital inpatient beds and 84% of intensive care unit beds are full, according to the state health department. Hospitalizations have been increasing for 19 weeks, and nine hospitals are 100% full, according to state data.
“It’s almost exclusively unvaccinated,” said Dr. Matthew Sims, director of infectious disease research for Beaumont Health. “I’m sure that Thanksgiving is probably going to push it even higher. So we’re concerned.”
In the past 30 days of data, for the period of Oct. 14-Nov. 12, 72% of cases, 71% of hospitalizations and 75% of deaths were among individuals who were not fully vaccinated.
State health department spokeswoman Lynn Sutfin urged all residents to wear masks, socially distance, wash their hands and get tested for COVID-19 — and to stay home if they are feeling ill.