Omicron BA.1

Data from a phase 2/3 trial showed that Moderna’s bivalent COVID-19 booster shot outperformed the company’s original vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 omicron subvariants.

The incidence of omicron breakthrough cases of COVID-19 in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases on immunosuppressants is high, but similar to controls, while disease severity is mild, according to data.

Early data from a phase 2/3 trial suggest that the new Pfizer and BioNTech omicron booster increases protective antibodies against the BA.5 subvariant in adults 7 days after administration.

Rates of severe disease and ICU admissions do not significantly differ among patients with COVID-19 receiving either bebtelovimab or Paxlovid, according to a recent study.

Despite a lower overall mortality rate, lung transplant recipients remain at high risk for severe disease and death from the COVID-19 omicron variant compared with both the general population and other respiratory infections.

Last week, Anthony S. Fauci, MD, announced that he will step down as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in December.

The omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus presents unique challenges for patients with immunodeficiencies and their health care providers, according to a paper published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice.

Vaccinated people who were subsequently infected with SARS-CoV-2 experienced a shorter duration of symptoms if they were infected with the omicron variant vs. the delta variant, mobile-app based data showed.

Young children were more likely to be infected with the omicron variant than the delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 but less likely to experience severe health outcomes, researchers reported in JAMA Pediatrics.

At-home testing for COVID-19 more than tripled during the omicron wave in the United States, but there were disparities in the tests’ use, according to a study published Friday in MMWR.