The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that in the week ending December 25 in the USA, the Omicron variant accounted for 58.6 percent of Corona virus cases.
The first known case of the Omicron variant in the US was recorded on 1 December. It was stated that this person was fully vaccinated and had traveled to South Africa.
The CDC also cut its Omicron rate from 73 percent to 22 percent for the week ended December 18, noting that there is a wide range of forecasts in last week’s chart, partly due to Omicron’s pace of growth.
Again, according to the CDC, by December 25, the Delta variant is thought to account for 41.1 percent of Corona virus cases in the USA.
Scott Gottlieb, the former head of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), noted on Twitter that if the CDC’s new estimate is correct, the effectiveness of Delta infections in current hospitalization rates is still high.
Will Omicron bring the end of Delta?
South African scientists revealed that the Omicron variant enhances immunity to neutralize the Delta variant of the Corona virus.
The study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, found that people who contracted Omicron, and especially those who had been vaccinated, developed immunity to the Delta variant.
The study in South Africa was conducted with 33 vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals infected with the Omicron variant.
The researchers found that within 14 days of the start of the study, the inactivation rate of Omicron increased 14-fold, while there was also a 4.4-fold increase in Delta virus neutralization.
Scientists believe that the increased rate of inactivation of the Delta variant in people who contract Omicron also reduces the likelihood of Delta reinfecting them.
Alex Sigal, a professor at the African Institute for Health Research in South Africa, said on Twitter earlier this week that the South African experience could help eliminate the Delta variant, where Omicron causes less disease.
An early study in South Africa revealed that those with Omicron had a lower risk of hospitalization and serious illness than those with Delta. However, the researchers think that one of the reasons for this may be due to herd immunity.
The Omicron variant, which first appeared in South Africa and Hong Kong in November, has now spread around the world, with hospital concentrations disrupting travel plans during the Christmas holidays.
US airlines had to cancel hundreds of flights for three days in a row during the Christmas holidays. Thousands have changed or canceled their Christmas vacation plans. A total of 656 commercial flights within and outside the US were canceled on Sunday alone. 700 flights were canceled on 24 December, and about a thousand flights on 25 December, which is Christmas Day, and 920 flights were delayed. Officials state that new cancellations may also be on the way.
The CDC has recently increased its travel warning to Malta, Moldova, Sweden and Argentina. The travel warning for Malta, Moldova and Sweden has been raised to the fourth or “very high” level. Argentina, on the other hand, was placed in the third level of “high” risk.
Apple closes 12 stores in New York
Technology giant Apple, on the other hand, closed its 12 stores in New York after the Omicron variant caused an increase in Covid-19 cases. An Apple spokesperson stated that customers can still receive orders placed online from stores.
“We monitor conditions regularly,” Apple said in a statement. “We will change our health measures and store services to protect the well-being of customers and employees,” it said.
Earlier this month, Apple reported that it temporarily closed three of its stores in the US and Canada due to the spread of the disease among employees.
Due to the increasing cases, Apple also imposed masks on all employees and customers.