Omicron possibly more infectious because of ties to common cold coronavirus, study says
The omicron variant is likely to have picked up genetic material from another virus that causes the common cold in humans, according to a new preliminary study.
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Health officials say early reports encouraging about omicron
U.S. health officials said while the omicron variant of is rapidly spreading throughout the country, early indications suggest it might be less dangerous than delta, which continues to drive a surge of hospitalizations.
New coronavirus vaccine may eventually be needed for omicron, says BioNTech CEO
CEO Ugur Sahin told Reuters on Friday that he could foresee a scenario where coronavirus vaccine shots became annual, like flu shots.
Omicron coronavirus variant found in multiple U.S. states
The omicron variant of COVID-19, which had been undetected in the United States before the middle of this week, had been discovered in at least five states by late Thursday.
Indiana elder care providers tap lawmakers for hiring help
In an effort to address ongoing staffing woes, industry groups are seeking to ease some training and regulatory requirements.
Statewide hospitalizations from COVID-19 continue to rise
COVID-19 patients now occupy 26.3% of Indiana’s intensive care unit beds.
Legionnaires outbreak reported at central Indiana prison
State correction and health officials are working to determine the source of the outbreak at the Pendleton Correction Facility, with five inmates either testing positive for the bacterial lung infection or with probable cases, officials said.
Justices signal they’ll OK new abortion limits, might toss Roe
The outcome probably won’t be known until June. But after nearly two hours of arguments, all six conservative justices indicated they would uphold a Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
First U.S. case of COVID-19 omicron variant identified
A person in California who had been vaccinated against COVID-19 became the first in the United States to have an identified case of the omicron variant, the White House announced Wednesday.
At historic abortion arguments, conservative justices signal changes
The high court is hearing arguments Wednesday in which the justices are being asked to overrule the court’s historic 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion and its 1992 ruling in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which reaffirmed Roe.
COVID could cost the tourism industry $1.6T this year, and omicron might make it worse
The return of stricter COVID-19 restrictions to fight the latest variant has already left some travelers stranded. For many tourism businesses, it’s also threatening hopes of an upcoming holiday boost this year.
U.S. moving to toughen testing requirement for travelers
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a Tuesday statement that it was working toward requiring that all air travelers to the U.S. be tested for COVID-19 within a day before boarding their flight.
FDA panel backs first-of-a-kind COVID-19 pill from Merck
The Food and Drug Administration panel voted 13-10 that the antiviral drug’s benefits outweigh its risks, including potential birth defects if used during pregnancy.
State reports 117 more COVID-19 deaths, jump in hospitalizations
Indiana’s top medical groups pleaded Tuesday for more people to get COVID-19 vaccine shots as the state is in the midst of a new surge of infections and hospitalizations.
Elanco cuts 380 positions, including about 20% of senior management
Elanco said the cuts, which include three executive vice presidents, were an effort in “streamlining and simplifying organizational structure,” and were intended to increase productivity and reduce organizational complexity.
New info shows omicron spread wider earlier than thought
New findings about the coronavirus’s omicron variant made it clear Tuesday that the emerging threat slipped into countries before their defenses were up.
FDA panel set to review Merck’s COVID-19 pill
If authorized, Merck’s pill would be the first that U.S. patients could take at home to ease symptoms and speed recovery, but new information released last week paints a less compelling picture of the drug than when the Merck first publicized its early results in October.
Powell says COVID variant clouds inflation, economic outlook
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell says that the appearance of a new COVID-19 variant could slow the economy and hiring.
Biden vaccine mandate for health workers blocked in 10 states
A federal judge on Monday blocked President Joe Biden’s administration from enforcing a coronavirus vaccine mandate on thousands of health care workers in 10 states that had brought the first legal challenge against the requirement.
Indiana COVID-19 hospitalizations climb back past 2,000
Statewide hospitalizations due to COVID-19 rose above the 2,000 mark over the weekend for the first time since late September, according to statistics released Monday by the Indiana State Department of Health