- A CDC study found that children who contracted COVID-19 were more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than those who were previously diagnosed with other respiratory infections.
- The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) warned against assuming the Omicron variant represents the beginning of the end of the pandemic.
- The CDC contacted pharmacies to reinforce that immunocompromised patients are eligible to receive a fourth COVID shot.
- Pfizer and BioNTech are launching a clinical trial of a booster shot targeting the Omicron variant, which Pfizer says will be available in March. More recently, Moderna began testing its own Omicron-matched COVID vaccine.
Congress
- Senators Richard Burr and Patty Murray have introduced a bipartisan bill that would create a task force to examine the initial emergence and response to COVID-19 and help the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) prepare for future pandemics.
White House and Federal Agencies
- Effective Wednesday, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is withdrawing its COVID-19 vaccine mandate after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a challenge to the mandate.
- The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) said it would conduct a nationwide audit to determine whether hospitals that received Provider Relief Fund payments complied with the balance billing requirement for COVID-19 inpatients.
- HHS will release more than $2 billion in Provider Relief Fund payments to provider organizations facing financial difficulties due to the pandemic.
- The CDC contacted pharmacies to reinforce that immunocompromised patients are eligible to receive a fourth COVID shot.
- Today is the deadline for health care workers to receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in states that are complying with the federal healthcare worker vaccine mandate.
- Legal challenges to the mandate delay healthcare workers’ deadlines in some states to mid-February.
- The total number of vaccines donated by the U.S. to COVAX has reached 400 million.
Economy, Vaccines, Testing and Treatment
- 40% of the U.S. population has received booster shots, and 63% of the U.S. is fully vaccinated.
- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) restricted the use of Regeneron and Eli Lilly’s monoclonal antibody treatments due to their ineffectiveness against the Omicron variant.
- Pfizer and BioNTech are launching a clinical trial of a booster shot targeting the Omicron variant, which Pfizer says will be available in March.
- More recently, Moderna began testing its own Omicron-matched COVID vaccine.
- The FDA expanded its authorization for Gilead’s COVID-19 treatment drug Veklury to include people who have not been hospitalized with COVID-19.
- The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) warned against assuming the Omicron variant represents the beginning of the end of the pandemic.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that more than 1.15 million children were diagnosed with COVID-19 during the week ending January 20.
- Of the more than 10.6 million children who have ever tested positive for COVID-19, more than 2 million did so in the past two weeks.
- A CDC study found that children who contracted COVID-19 were more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than those who were previously diagnosed with other respiratory infections.
- A new study found that vaccination against COVID-19 does not affect fertility for people undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF) in terms of fertilization, pregnancy, and early miscarriages.
- CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky urged against relaxing COVID-19 safety protocols citing the strain placed on the health care system by record numbers of deaths and hospitalizations due to the surge in cases brought on by the Delta variant.
- A clinical trial suggests that administration of different COVID-19 vaccines for the primary series and booster produces a similar or greater antibody response than receiving only one version of the vaccine for each dose.
- Dr. Anthony Fauci said that the creation of a COVID-19 booster specifically targeting the Omicron variant may happen, but it is too soon to know if it will be necessary.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Updates
- The CDC published the following reports and website updates:
- Overall U.S. COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution and Administration Update as of Thu, 27 Jan 2022 06:00:00 EST
- Effectiveness of a Third Dose of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Vaccines in Preventing COVID-19 Hospitalization Among Immunocompetent and Immunocompromised Adults — United States, August–December 2021
- Trends in Disease Severity and Health Care Utilization During the Early Omicron Variant Period Compared with Previous SARS-CoV-2 High Transmission Periods — United States, December 2020–January 2022
- Effectiveness of a Third Dose of mRNA Vaccines Against COVID-19–Associated Emergency Department and Urgent Care Encounters and Hospitalizations Among Adults During Periods of Delta and Omicron Variant Predominance — VISION Network, 10 States, August 2021–January 2022
- COVID-19 Incidence and Death Rates Among Unvaccinated and Fully Vaccinated Adults with and Without Booster Doses During Periods of Delta and Omicron Variant Emergence — 25 U.S. Jurisdictions, April 4–December 25, 2021
- EARLY RELEASE: Trends in Disease Severity and Health Care Utilization During the Early Omicron Variant Period Compared with Previous SARS-CoV-2 High Transmission Periods — United States, December 2020–January 2022
- Know What to Expect at Your Child’s K- 12 School or Child Care Program
- COVID-19 Vaccination for People Experiencing Homelessness: Frequently Asked Questions
- Non-U.S. citizen, Non-U.S. immigrants: Air Travel to the United States
- Requirement for Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination for Air Passengers
- International Travel During COVID-19
- Domestic Travel During COVID-19
