Tag Archives: Delta Variant

Ars Technica reports: Among adults vaccinated against COVID-19, the odds of developing long COVID amid the omicron wave were about 20 percent to 50 percent lower than during the delta period, with variability based on age and time since vaccination. The finding comes from a case-control observational study published this week in The Lancet by researchers at Kings College London. …

Reuters reports: Research by South African scientists suggests that Omicron could displace the Delta variant of the coronavirus because infection with the new variant boosts immunity to the older one. The study only covered a small group of people and has not been peer-reviewed, but it found that people who were infected with Omicron, especially those who were vaccinated, developed …

The Associated Press reports: The European Union recommended Monday that its 27 nations reinstate restrictions on tourists from the U.S. because of rising coronavirus infections there. The decision by the European Council to remove the U.S. from a safe list of countries for nonessential travel reverses advice that it gave in June, when the bloc recommended lifting restrictions on U.S. …

Reuters reports: Some U.S. fast-food restaurants are closing indoor seating areas or limiting hours of operation because of the spread of the delta variant of COVID-19, according to franchisees. McDonald’s Corp. had temporarily closed indoor dining at nearly all U.S. locations in early 2020, but it reopened 70% by last month. In Wednesday’s conference call, McDonald’s executives recommended franchisees consider …

The New York Times reports: The daily average for hospitalized Covid-19 patients in the United States is now more than 100,000. That average, calculated over the last seven days, is higher than in any previous surge except last winter’s, before most Americans were eligible to get vaccinated. The influx of patients is straining hospitals and pushing health care workers to …

The Hill reports: Through the first three weeks of August, online customers spent $2.9 billion on U.S. flights, down 33 percent from the same period in 2019, according to an analysis from Adobe Digital Insights. It’s the second straight month of declining flight bookings. Travelers spent around $5.3 billion in July, a 13 percent drop from June, when air travel …

The Daily Beast reports: Despite a resurgence of COVID-19 cases, the National Rifle Association is moving ahead with its massive annual conference in Texas next month—and major gun manufacturers are having second thoughts, with some even asking NRA officials to call off the event entirely. Most of the largest American gun makers have taken steps to drop out, from informing …

The Birmingham News reports: According to the Alabama Hospital Association, there were negative 29 intensive care beds available in the state on Wednesday night as the strain caused by the latest COVID surge continues. Those figures mean there are 29 more patients in need of ICU beds than the total available statewide (1,557). Alabama Hospital Association Deputy Director Danne Howard …

Variety reports: Country superstar Garth Brooks, one of the few reliable stadium-fillers in the business, has canceled his remaining shows for 2021. The performer said refunds will be offered on the approximately 350,000 tickets that were sold for stadium gigs in five cities. Brooks had previously indicated that he was rethinking upcoming dates, in light of spiking COVID rates. He’d …

The Insider reports: National Institutes of Health Director, Dr. Francis Collins, says unvaccinated people are “sitting ducks” as the highly transmissible Delta variant continues to spread in areas across the US. “Fox News Sunday” anchor Chris Wallace asked Collins about how many new COVID-19 cases we can expect to see on a daily basis as the surge continues. “I will …

Gothamist reports: New York City marked a grim milestone on Saturday, reporting its millionth COVID case since the start of the pandemic. Confirmation came after the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s daily update of pandemic data. It shows 1,000,469 confirmed and probable cases through August 14th. The city health department has also recorded more than 117,000 …

NBC News reports: The Food and Drug Administration is poised to amend the emergency use authorizations for the Pfizer and the Moderna Covid-19 vaccines Thursday to allow people with compromised immune systems to get a third dose, according to two sources familiar with the plans. The move would come after a panel of advisers to the Centers for Disease Control …

The Texas Tribune reports: Dozens of Texas hospitals have run out of intensive care unit beds as COVID-19 surges faster than any other time during the pandemic, propelled by the new delta variant. The state is divided into 22 trauma service areas, and half of them reported 10 or fewer available ICU beds on Sunday. As more than 9,400 COVID-19 …

The Associated Press reports: Health care providers in the U.S. have reported more than 900 instances of people getting a third dose of COVID-19 vaccines in a database run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an Associated Press review of the system’s data found. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said at a recent news briefing that he knew of …

NPR reports: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a lot of ways to pick up on COVID-19 outbreaks, but those methods often take awhile to bear fruit. Not so with the Provincetown, Mass., cluster that started around July Fourth weekend. “We triggered the investigation as people were getting symptomatic,” says Demetre Daskalakis, a deputy incident manager for the …

The Washington Post reports: Federal health officials are racing to ensure that millions of Americans with weakened immune systems can get additional shots of coronavirus vaccines to protect them against the highly contagious delta variant. The actions could mean the extra shots would be authorized in days or weeks, according to federal officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity …

CNBC reports: Moderna said its Covid-19 vaccine booster shot produced a “robust” antibody response against the highly contagious delta variant, according to details of a study released Thursday with the company’s second-quarter earnings report. In a phase two trial, Moderna is testing a 50-microgram dose of three vaccine booster candidates in previously vaccinated individuals. The booster shots produced a promising …

The Verge reports: The 2021 New York International Auto Show has been canceled as the delta variant of COVID-19 continues to spread throughout the United States. The show was supposed to run from August 20th to August 29th at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City. The show’s organizers announced the cancellation Wednesday “with great disappointment,” according to …

The New York Times reports:  The party plans had been months in the making and many invitees had already arrived on Martha’s Vineyard when former President Barack Obama belatedly announced he was canceling his huge 60th birthday bash scheduled for Saturday. “Due to the new spread of the Delta variant over the past week, the President and Mrs. Obama have …

Tampa’s NBC News affiliate reports: With a recent record number of cases in Florida, the need for COVID-19 testing has seen a sharp increase as well. As cases continue to rise, urgent care centers are busier than ever, slammed with patients who need a COVID test. Dr. Nicole Frommann tells 8 On Your Side that the numbers are staggering and …