The COVID-19 omicron variant is now the dominant coronavirus variant in the US.
Saying "it's your patriotic duty, " President Joe Biden on Tuesday called on Americans to get vaccinated and get a booster shot. "You have an obligation to yourself, to your family and quite frankly -- I know I'll get criticized for this -- to your country. Get vaccinated now." In his address to the nation, Biden said he would send military personal to assist hospitals, step up medical supplies for health facilities and send half a billion free at-home tests starting in January to anyone who wants one.
The omicron variant of COVID-19 has quickly become the dominant coronavirus in the US, accounting for 73.2% of COVID-19 cases.
Scientists are working through the growing body of evidence that the mutated virus can easily pass from one person to another and evade protection provided by the primary vaccine doses of Pfizer, Moderna and Johson & Johnson. The New York Times on Sunday reported that COVID-19 vaccines used elsewhere in the world "offer almost no defense against becoming infected by the highly contagious Omicron variant." Only the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna mRNA vaccines appear to be effective in guarding against omicron. And those vaccinated with the Pfizer and Moderna shots need a booster to protect against infection and serious illness.
So far, the COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the US -- especially the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines -- have proven to be highly effective in preventing hospitalization and death, with people who are unvaccinated being over10 times more likely to be hospitalized if infected. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel on Thursday recommended that those looking for a safe and effective vaccineshould choose an mRNA option (Pfizer or Moderna) -- andnot Johnson and Johnson's.
Here are nine important things to know about omicron today. For more on COVID-19 boosters, here's how to get an appointmentand a free ride to your shot. Here's how you'll soon get a COVID-19 test kit for free and details on mixing and matching vaccines.
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In an address to the nation on Tuesday, Biden set out his administration's plans to get the country through the climbing infection rate caused by the highly infectious omicron variant.
Help for hospitals. Biden said he will mobilize an additional 1,000 troops -- including military doctors, nurses, paramedics and other medical personnel to hospitals -- to help those facilities burdened with COVID patients.
Expand hospital beds. Government agencies will work with states to increase hospital bed count.
Create testing sites. The administration will expand government COVID testing sites across the country in those areas.
Distribute free at-home testing kits. Starting in January 2022, the government will send free at-home testing kits to anyone who requests one.
Stressing the need for a booster, Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to Biden, said this weekend, "when you get to omicron, the protection significantly goes down," with two doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. "But the good news is when you boost someone, it goes right back up," Fauci said.
A third booster shot is urged by the CDC, which may eventually affect the definition of "fully vaccinated." Fauci said on Sunday whether the CDC changes the definition, the importance of a booster holds: "As far as I'm concerned -- I make it very clear -- if you want to be optimally protected, get boosted."
A growing collection of data suggests that omicron could be more infectious than the delta variant and is now the dominant strain in the UK.
The World Health Organization said the variant has been reported in 89 countries and the number of cases is doubling in 1.5 to 3 days, including in countries with high levels of immunity.
Some hopeful news on omicron came recently from South Africa. At a press briefing Thursday, Minister of Health Dr. Joe Phaahla noted that hospitalizations are "definitely much lower" than during the country's third wave, in June 2021. Only 1.7% of COVID-19 cases in this fourth wave's second week of infections involved hospitalization, compared with 19% during the second week of the third wave.
Health officials said the numbers may be skewed by breakthrough cases of those who are vaccinated and experiencing asymptomatic or mild illness. Those who are unvaccinated could have more severe illness.
On Thursday, a CDC advisory panel voted to recommend that those looking for a safe vaccine pick either Moderna's or Pfizer's because of the risk of a potentially fatal blood clot issue associated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, is expected to decide as soon as today whether to accept that panel's vote.
Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson have all said they are gearing up to create a vaccine specifically designed to combat omicron if it's needed.
Fauci on Dec. 15 said that there is no need for a variant-specific booster at this point. The current boosters appear to be effective against omicron.
COVID latches onto cells using a spike protein in its structure. Omicron has more mutations than the delta variant, which is considered at least twice as contagious as previous strains. While it isn't clear yet whether omicron is more or less contagious than delta, the presence of those mutations is one cause of concern.
That may be one reason numerous have banned travel from some countries in southern Africa and increased travel restrictions to include a negative COVID-19 test 24 hours before travel, regardless of vaccination status.
Drugmakers are exploring if the current vaccines are effective against the new variant.
Most PCR tests to identify the presence of COVID-19 in the body are free (COVID-19 tests for international travel are the main exception). So it's good news that the existing nasal swab test has been found to detect the omicron variant; a blood test or other procedure is so far unnecessary.
"Fortunately for us, the PCRs that we mostly use would pick up this very unusual variant that has a real large constellation of mutations," Fauci said in a Nov. 29press briefing.
On Dec. 2, Biden announced a plan to help protect the US against the omicron variant this winter. It includes:
For additional COVID-19 guidance, here's what to know about new travel restrictions, how to store your vaccine card on your phone and what to do if you lose your vaccine card.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
Given that the symptoms associated with the original strain of Covid-19 and its first variants were so similar to the common cold, it has been difficult to tell over the last year or so whether the onset of headaches and sniffles meant you had contracted the coronavirus or just a bout of conventional winter flu.
Lateral flow tests provided an answer but the subsequent emergence of the new Omicron variant in late November has complicated the picture still further as its symptoms are slightly different - stuffy nose, sore throat - and because it cannot yet be specifically identified by home test kits, which simply tell us whether someone is Covid-positive or negative, not which strain they have contracted.
Professor Tim Spector, from Britains ZOE Covid app, said it is now more important than ever to get tested - even without symptoms - as we seek to bring the new variant under control against soaring infection rates.
He said that data from the ZOE study app suggests that about half of all cases of Delta are being missed because people are only on the lookout for the classic Covid symptoms of fever, new and persistent cough and a loss or change of smell or taste they have been told to expect by the official guidance, whereas a mild case may not result in all of the conditions on that checklist being experienced.
Omicron is probably much more similar to the mild variants were seeing in people who have been vaccinated [but still subsequently taken ill] with Delta than anything else, he said.
And so it is going to be producing cold-like symptoms that people wont recognise as Covid if they just believe the official government advice.
Christina Marriott, chief executive of the Royal Society for Public Health says: Growing evidence shows that people whove received two doses of the vaccine typically present with less severe symptoms, such as headache, runny nose, sneezing, sore throat and loss of smell.
Its important for people whove been fully vaccinated to stay vigilant for cold-like symptoms and get tested if theyre living or working around people who are at greater risk from the disease.
To find out what others are saying and join the conversation scroll down for the comments section or click here for our most commented on articles
Professor Irene Petersen, a professor of epidemiology and health informatics at University College London, adds: A runny nose and headache are symptoms of many infections, but may also be the first symptoms and only symptoms of Covid. Therefore, if you have these symptoms, Id encourage you to use lateral flow tests for a couple of days.
The ZOE Covid Symptom Study, which is funded by the UK government, has identified the top symptoms associated with Covid and says they differ slightly depending on whether youve been vaccinated or not.
Headache
Although headaches are a less well-known symptom of Covid, they are one of the earliest signs, according to the ZOE study, and are more common than the classic symptoms of cough, fever and loss of smell.
The study found Covid headaches tend to be moderately to severely painful, can be pulsing, pressing or stabbing, occur across both sides of the head rather than in one area, may last for more than three days and tend to be resistant to regular painkillers.
Runny nose
Last winter, the ZOE study found that a runny nose was the second most commonly reported symptom after headaches, with nearly 60 per cent of people who tested positive for Covid with loss of smell also reporting having a runny nose.
But now the data indicates that the prevalence of the disease is the most significant factor. So, when Covid rates are high, the chances of a runny nose being due to the virus are also high.
The study also stresses that when Covid rates are low, a runny nose is less likely to indicate the sufferer has caught the coronavirus and is more likely to be due to a cold or even an allergy.
It concludes that while many people with Covid may report a runny nose, its difficult to call it a definitive symptom as its so common, especially during winter.
Sneezing
The ZOE study found sneezing more than usual can be a sign of Covid in people whove been vaccinated, although it stresses sneezing is much more likely to be a sign of a cold or an allergy.
It says that even though many people with Covid might sneeze, its not a definitive symptom because sneezing is so common.
Sore throat
Many people with Covid have reported via the ZOE Study app that they have a sore throat that feels similar to one you might experience you get when you have a cold or laryngitis.
Covid-related sore throats tend to be mild and last no more than five days so a very painful one that lasts longer is likely to be something else. If it persists, you should contact your GP.
Although it can be a Covid symptom, most people with a sore throat will probably just have a cold. According to ZOEs data, almost half of people who are ill with Covid report having a sore throat, although this is more common in adults aged between 18-65 than the elderly or those under 18.
Loss of smell
This continues to be the strongest indicator of Covid infection, regardless of a persons age, sex or illness severity.
While people who have Covid might not lose their sense of smell completely, it may change, so you may not be able to smell strongly-scented things, and your sense of taste may be affected too, so food may taste different or seem tasteless.
Persistent cough
A persistent cough is widely agreed to be one of the three main symptoms of Covid but, according to the ZOE study, only around four in 10 people who are ill with the virus will experience this.
In this context, persistent means coughing many times a day, for half a day or more.
A Covid cough is usually a dry cough, compared with a chesty one that brings up phlegm or mucus and that may indicate a bacterial infection. A persistent cough tends to arrive around a few days into the illness and usually lasts for around four or five days.
Alan McNally, a professor of microbial evolutionary genomics at the University of Birmingham, who was infectious disease lead at the Milton Keynes Lighthouse Lab the UK governments first flagship Covid testing facility adds: If you have any symptoms of respiratory infection, you should stay at home to prevent transmission and get a test done.
Trying to self-diagnose is a sure fire way to send Covid case rates soaring again.
Boy band BTS is seen at Incheon International Airport on November 17, 2021 in South Korea.
Han Myung-Gu | GC Images | Getty Images
Three members of the K-pop superstar group BTS have been infected with the coronavirus after returning from abroad, their management agency said.
RM and Jin were diagnosed with Covid-19 on Saturday evening, the Big Hit Music agency said in a statement. It earlier said another member, Suga, tested positive for the virus on Friday.
All three took their second jabs in August, the agency said.
BTS is a seven-member boyband. The four other members are J-Hope, Jungkook, V and Jimin.
According to the agency, RM has exhibited no particular symptoms while Jin is showing mild symptoms including light fever and is undergoing self-treatment at home. The agency said Friday that Suga wasn't exhibiting symptoms and was administering self-care at home in accordance with the guidelines of the health authorities.
RM had tested negative after returning from the United States earlier this month following his personal schedule there. But he was later diagnosed with the virus ahead of his scheduled release from self-quarantine, the agency said.
After returning to South Korea this month, Jin underwent PCR tests twice upon arrival and later before his release from self-quarantine and tested negative both times. But he had flu-like symptoms on Saturday afternoon before he took another PCR test that came back positive, the agency said. Media reports said he also had traveled to the U.S.
Suga, who has had a number of personal engagements in the United States during the band's official time off, was diagnosed with Covid-19 during quarantine after returning from the U.S., the agency said.
The agency said it'll continue to provide support for the three members for their speedy recovery. It said it will cooperate with the requests and guidelines of the South Korean health authorities.
Since their debut in 2013, BTS has garnered global recognition for their self-produced music and activism, which includes giving a speech at the United Nations and publicly calling out anti-Asian racism.
BTS was named artist of the year and favorite pop duo or group, and also won the favorite pop song award for "Butter" at the American Music Awards in November. In October, the group's collaboration with British rock band Coldplay, "My Universe," hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was BTS' sixth Hot 100 No. 1.
(CNN) At least four ocean cruise ships were turned away from ports of call or were prohibited from letting passengers disembark in the Americas this week because of Covid-19 cases aboard.
The recent cruise-ship disruptions include:
A "small number of fully vaccinated crew" tested positive and all showed either mild or no symptoms, Holland America Line told CNN.
The Koningsdam.
Alfredo Martinez/Getty Images
Jalisco health authorities initially were going to allow people testing negative to disembark. However, they changed their mind, citing an "exponential growth of confirmed cases in the crew" by Thursday, the department said. Only one crew member had tested positive less than a week earlier, the department said.
The ship, which departed San Diego on December 19 with more than 1,000 passengers and more than 870 crew members, visited Cabo San Lucas and Mazatln before it arrived in Puerto Vallarta. It is due to return to San Diego as scheduled on Sunday.
Holland America Line, like the other cruise companies in this story, requires passengers and crew to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, with some exceptions for children.
However, the company lined up a replacement stop Friday in the Dominican Republic.
The ship will return to Miami as planned on Sunday, the cruise line said.
The Royal Caribbean Odyssey of The Seas.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Curacao health officials decided the percentage of people aboard who tested positive was too high for the nation to allow the ship to dock, the Curacao Chronicle reported.
The ship is due to return to Florida's Fort Lauderdale as planned on Sunday.
According to Royal Caribbean, the ship can accommodate up to 5,550 guests plus 1,600 crew members. It wasn't clear whether the ship was fully occupied.
The Seven Seas Mariner.
Manfred Segerer/ullstein bild/Getty Images
The disruptions so far have affected a small fraction of operating cruise ships
Positive Covid-19 tests aboard cruise ships aren't unique to this month -- they have happened other times since cruises resumed departures from US shores this summer.
In August, for instance, 27 people tested positive aboard a Carnival cruise ship before it called on a port in Belize City.
Now, the spread of the Omicron variant "may shape how some destination authorities view even a small number of cases, even when they are being managed with our vigorous protocols," Carnival spokesperson AnneMarie Mathews told CNN Friday in a prepared statement.
"Some destinations have limited medical resources and are focused on managing their own local response to the variant," Mathews added.
"Should it be necessary to cancel a port, we will do our best to find an alternative destination," Mathews said.
Health and safety protocols
The companies recommend booster shots for their passengers. Holland America Line says its crew members receive boosters as soon as they are eligible.
Cruise companies generally require their passengers to test negative for Covid-19 before starting the trip, and require frequent testing of their crews.
Passengers testing positive during the trip generally are required to isolate
CNN's Francesca Street, Melissa Alonso, Aya Elamroussi, Carma Hassan, Hira Humayun, Stefano Pozzebon, Valentina DiDonato and Sharif Paget contributed to this report.
GLENDALE, Ariz. The first text message that hit Frank Reichs phone on Christmas morning seemed like good news.
A Colts team that had been losing starters for three consecutive days due to positive COVID-19 tests initially had a clear report on game day.
And then all of a sudden, we werent good, Reich said.
The second text message hit hard. Indianapolis was forced to put All-Pro linebacker Darius Leonard, wide receiver Zach Pascal and strong safety Khari Willis on the reserve/COVID-19 list, the same place the Colts put All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson, guard Mark Glowinski, cornerback Rock Ya-Sin, defensive end Kemoko Turay and practice squad tight end Farrod Green earlier this week.
An Indianapolis franchise that had avoided a major COVID-19 outbreak for the better part of two seasons suddenly has one on its hands.
It can be any minute for anybody, Reich said. Well be ready for whatever we have to do, and well hope for the best, but every teams going through it. Every team has the same thing. Thats why nobody was making a big deal about it. Just look around the league. Its going all over the place. Were just going to have to play the hand were dealt and find ways to go win games.
Reich is right that the virus is wreaking havoc on the NFL during the stretch run to the playoffs.
The Colts are now the 15th team, out of 32, to put at least seven players on the reserve/COVID-19 list since Dec. 8, in large part, the NFL believes, because of the presence of the omicron variant. Three games were postponed last week because of roster issues stemming from spread within a team building. In that sense, Indianapolis is facing something the rest of the NFL is facing right now.
Its tough, especially with both sides, the NFC and the AFC, the playoff race is close, Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner said. I just feel like the teams that can handle the COVID-19 situation are going to be the ones that are going to be able to pull out and get into the playoffs. … You saw us today. We had key players out. Its all about your depth.
An outbreak could be more costly to the Colts because the team is one of the least vaccinated teams in the NFL. Under the leagues modified rules, an unvaccinated player who tests positive must sit out 10 days before returning to the team; vaccinated players may return to the team if they post two negative tests 24 hours apart, or if the viral load in their system gets below a certain threshold. Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin tested positive on Monday last week, then was cleared in time to play against the Patriots without missing a game.
Depending on the date of the positive test, unvaccinated players can miss up to two games. Leonard, for example, missed Saturday nights 22-16 win over Arizona and will reportedly miss next weeks game against the Raiders because of his positive test, regardless of symptoms.
When the news came down that the Colts had lost three more starters, Indianapolis had to scramble at all levels, from coaching staffs editing their playing rotations and packages to players trying to get their teammates ready to play a completely different role.
We had seven, eight hours to get guys ready, wide receiver T.Y. Hilton said.
Indianapolis, like all teams, had to make adjustments on the fly, and likely will have to make adjustments on the fly the rest of the way. The three Colts placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list Saturday morning were already in Arizona; Indianapolis must make separate arrangements for them to get home, away from the team.
As many players as the Colts were missing Saturday night, Indianapolis has avoided the toughest task teams have been forced to navigate in recent weeks: An outbreak in the quarterback room.
A handful of teams have already been forced to start their third option or an emergency option, the ultimate task to overcome. Colts starting quarterback Carson Wentz is unvaccinated, and although Indianapolis currently has four quarterbacks in the building, the three backups rookie Sam Ehlinger, veteran journeyman Brett Hundley and practice squad quarterback James Morgan are not established quarterbacks in the NFL.
Whatever happens, the Colts are resolved to deal with absences in one way.
Everyone going out there today has practiced every one of those plays a million times, Reich told his team on Saturday. Theres no excuses, theres no explanations. … Lets just go perform.
The Indianapolis depth held on Christmas night against Arizona, and the Colts now find themselves likely needing to win just one of their two remaining games to lock up a playoff spot. If the teams COVID-19 outbreak continues and depletes the Colts again, Indianapolis will have to lean on its depth to finish what the Colts have started.
Obviously, a special shout-out to Chris Ballard, Reich said. We gave him a game ball in there, because when you get on a day like this, and you need everybody on the roster, you thank the man who put it together.
People wearing face masks walk in Nantes amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in France, December 9, 2021. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
PARIS, Dec 25 (Reuters) - France recorded a record high of 104,611 COVID-19 infections on Saturday, breaking the 100,000 threshold for the first time since the pandemic began as the omicron variant continued its rapid spread.
Health authorities said the number of COVID patients in intensive care went up by 28 to 3,282.
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Reporting by Jean-Michel Belot; Editing by Richard Lough
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) The Buffalo Bills announced on Saturday that left tackle Dion Dawkins had been activated from the Reserve/COVID-19 list. He had been on the list since last Friday, and previously battled the virus prior to the start of the season.
The Bills also announced two other moves along the defensive line. Star Lotulelei will not travel with the Bills to Foxboro due to personal reasons. An additional practice squad elevation will be used on Eli Ankou.
Several other players, including fellow offensive linemen Jon Feliciano and Cody Ford, along with wide receivers Cole Beasley and Gabriel Davis, remain on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
The Bills' upcoming game will be a fight to keep their division title hopes alive. They visit the New England Patriots at 1:00 on Sunday.
WASHINGTON A U.S. Navy warship has paused its deployment to South America because of a coronavirus outbreak, the Navy said Friday.
The USS Milwaukee, a litorral combat ship, is staying in port at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, where it had stopped for a scheduled port visit. It began its deployment from Mayport, Fla., on December 14 and was heading into the U.S. Southern Command region.
The Navy said in a statement that the ships crew is 100% immunized and that all of those who tested positive for COVID-19 have been isolated on the ship away from other crew members. The number of crew testing positive was not disclosed. The ship has a crew of a little more than 100.
The Navy said that a portion of those infected are having mild symptoms, and that the specific variant is not yet known. COVID-19 cases have surged across the country as a result of the highly contagious omicron variant.
The ship is following an aggressive mitigation strategy in accordance with Navy and CDC guidelines, the Navy said.
The first major military outbreak of the virus was early last year on a Navy warship, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, an aircraft carrier that was operating in the Pacific. The Roosevelt was sidelined in Guam for nearly two months, and more than 1,000 of the 4,800 crew members tested positive. One sailor died, and the entire crew went through weeks of quarantine in a rotation that kept enough sailors on the ship to keep it safe and running.
According to the latest data released by the Navy, more than 98 percent of all active duty sailors have been fully vaccinated.
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A staff member cleans medical equipment inside a ward that is set up to treat people infected with the Omicron coronavirus variant at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad, India, December 6, 2021. REUTERS/Amit Dave
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NEW DELHI, Dec 25 (Reuters) - India will start administering COVID-19 booster shots as a precautionary measure to healthcare and frontline workers from Jan. 10, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday, as cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant rose across the country.
In a national address, Modi also said those aged 15-18 would start receiving COVID-19 vaccinations from Jan. 3 and those above 60 with comorbidities would be offered booster shots after recommendation from doctors.
"From the point of view of precaution, the government has decided that healthcare and frontline workers should start getting a precaution dose," Modi said in the speech.
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India has reported a swift rise in Omicron cases, with the number reaching 415 overall across 17 Indian states.
Modi's government has been accelerating its vaccination campaign, administering at least one dose to 88% of the eligible 944 million population, while 61% have taken both doses.
As millions still await second shots, the authorities will now start offering booster shots to healthcare and frontline workers, who suffered from an overwhelming second-wave of the virus in the summer that killed tens of thousands.
Medical experts have said India needs to double down on its vaccination campaign and expand coverage to avert another possible surge in new infections particularly in the vast hinterlands where healthcare facilities are sparse.
Modi urged citizens to continue to wear facemasks and follow other COVID-19 protocols.
The federal government has urged states to impose curbs on overcrowding in the festive season until the new year and a few states have partially banned public celebrations. read more
COVID-19 infections in the nation of 1.3 billion people has fallen by almost half from a month ago. In the past 24 hours, India reported 7,189 new infections, with an overall tally of 34.78 million, the second-highest globally behind only the United States.
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Reporting by Neha Arora, Rupam Jain and Devjyot Ghoshal; Editing by Edmund Blair
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Amid a surge of cases nationwide fueled by the Omicron coronavirus variant before the holiday season, parts of the country are reporting increased hospitalizations and deaths. And people need to be prepared for a heightened risk of infection during travel by taking preventative measures, according to Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the school of tropical medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.
"If you've only gotten two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, even though that officially counts as fully vaccinated, we know that its impact on breakthrough symptomatic illness is close to zero," Hotez told CNN's Amara Walker Saturday.
The initial two-dose regiment will still protect "better for serious illness," he said, "but you still need to get boosted, I think, if you want to travel safely."
Millions of Americans who are immunocompromised should delay future travel plans for a few weeks if possible in the hope that the current surge won't span as long as previous ones, Hotez said.
And due to the infectiousness of Omicron, "even if you're boosted, you have to face the possibility that you could get symptomatic breakthrough illness going through airports and going on Ubers," he said.
Dr. Jeremy Faust, an emergency physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, said while there's always a risk to contract the virus while traveling, there are mitigation efforts available.
"So if someone has been exposed in your orbit or in your circle, or has been infected, you don't have to assume everybody has it. Do continue to do things like wearing masks around people or testing," Faust told CNN's Boris Sanchez Saturday.
And for those traveling, Faust advises to look for "the weak links in the chain."
"It's not necessarily the actual airplane itself. It might be the airport line in the bathroom where you need to be extra careful with masks and other mitigation measures," he said. "And I think depending on your threshold, you have to adjust accordingly."
Treatment options narrow for Omicron
And as for fighting Omicron, currently there is one monoclonal antibody treatment that is still expected to be effective against the strain, the US Food and Drug Administration said Thursday in a statement.
It is "unlikely" that the treatment known as REGEN-COV or the combined use of bamlanivimab and etesevimab "will retain activity" against Omicron, according to the statement. That means sotrovimab is the sole monoclonal antibody treatment currently available to fight the Omicron variant.
The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response has moved to halt allocations of the other monoclonal antibody therapies and that 300,000 additional doses of sotrovimab will be available in January, the agency said.
Minorities are still at higher risk for Covid-19's most severe outcomes
From the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, racial and ethnic minority communities have been bearing the brunt of Covid-19 -- whether through illness, deaths or economic struggles.
Nearly two years on, some of those disparities remain.
The study, which tracked data from more than 14 million hospitalizations in Medicare beneficiaries between January 2019 and February 2021, found a decline in non-Covid-19-related hospitalizations and an increase in Covid-19-related hospitalizations across the board.
But "the average rate of Black and Hispanic Covid-19 hospitalizations exceeded that of White beneficiaries through February 2021," researchers wrote.
"Beneficiaries hospitalized with Covid-19 were more likely to be from racial and ethnic minority groups relative to hospitalized beneficiaries prepandemic," they also noted.
The "persistently widened disparity" in non-Covid-19 mortality may be connected to factors including differences in access to Covid-19 testing, access to care and changes in case mix and care quality related to pandemic factors, the authors wrote.
For Covid-19 hospitalizations, mortality was not "significantly different" for Black patients when compared to White patients, but mortality rose 3.5 percentage points in Hispanic patients.
The researchers suggested that a "spillover effect," which increased Covid-19 hospitalizations, may have shifted the distribution of hospital resources "potentially widening racial and ethnic disparities in outcomes."
For non-Covid-19-related hospitalizations, mortality in Black patients rose nearly 0.5 percentage points more than in White patients, "a 17.5% increase over the prepandemic mortality rate among Black inpatients."
CNN's Virginia Langmaid and Elizabeth Cohen contributed to this report.
