On this edition of Your Call, we're discussing what you need to know about the new Omicron variant. Scientists still can’t say with certainty where or when the variant originated or how transmissible it is. Yesterday, health officials in the Netherlands say they found the new variant 11 days before it was identified in South Africa, so it's been spreading in Europe for a few weeks now.
While no cases have been confirmed in the US yet, experts say it’s likely the variant is already here. The CDC recommends that all adults get boosted at least six months after they are fully vaccinated. Scientists are still trying to determine if the current vaccines protect against Omicron.
We'll also get get an update on at-home COVID rapid tests and new at-home antiviral drugs. Yesterday, an FDA panel narrowly voted to authorize Merck's new antiviral medication called Molnupiravir. It's the first antiviral pill to reduce hospitalization and death in Covid-19.
What questions do you have? How can we stay safe over the holidays and colder months ahead?
Guests:
Dr. Amy Maxmen, award-winning science writer and senior reporter at Nature. Amy won the Victor Kohn Prize for Excellence in Medical Science Reporting in 2021 for covering COVID-19 and other diseases
Dr. Monica Gandhi, Professor of Medicine and Associate Division Chief of the Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine at UCSF / San Francisco General Hospital
Web Resources:
New Concerning Variant: B.1.1.529 - by Katelyn Jetelina
The New York Times: Covid Live Updates: Omicron News, Vaccines and More
Nature, Amy Maxmen: Why some researchers oppose unrestricted sharing of coronavirus genome data
Nature, Amy Maxmen: COVID boosters for wealthy nations spark outrage
The Washington Post, Eric J. Topol and Michael T. Osterholm: Covid-19 booster shots should have been encouraged by CDC for all adults
The Atlantic, Dr. Monica Gandhi: The New COVID Drugs Are a Bigger Deal Than People Realize
ProPublica, Lydia DePillis and Eric Umansky: Here’s Why Rapid COVID Tests Are So Expensive and Hard to Find
