What doctors wish patients knew about the BA.2 Omicron subvariant

With the rolling back of mask requirements and physical distancing, many people have been on a search for a new normal. But there is still reason to be cautious. The highly transmissible and contagious BA.2 Omicron subvariant—dubbed “stealth” Omicron—is now the dominant strain in the United States, causing more than 85% of all COVID-19 cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This has led to more questions.

Based on the CDC’s genomic surveillance, the BA.2 or stealth Omicron subvariant is responsible for most new SARS-CoV-2 infections in the U.S. BA.2 is a subvariant of the original SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (B.1.1.529), along with BA.1.1 and BA.3.

Quarter of US COVID-19 deaths could have been prevented by vaccination: analysis A new analysis finds that approximately 234,000 U.S. deaths from COVID-19 since June 2021 could have been prevented if people had been vaccinated.   The analysis from the Peterson Center on He… The Hill The Hill

A new analysis finds that approximately 234,000 U.S. deaths from COVID-19 since June 2021 could have been prevented if people had been vaccinated.  

Some Canadian hospitals face COVID cancellations - again Some hospitals in Canada's most populous provinces are cancelling or postponing medical procedures in the face of another wave of the coronavirus pandemic, increasing backlogs of procedures that health practitioners say will take years to work through and could cost more lives. Anna Mehler Paperny Reuters

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Judge’s Ruling on the CDC Mask Mandate Highlights the Limits of the Agency’s Power A recent court decision that overturns one of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s few pandemic rules — masks required on public transportation — spotlights how little power remains in … khndamond Kaiser Health News

The role that the federal government plays in containing future epidemics will hinge on the outcome of an appeal of this week’s court ruling that overturned the mask mandate for travelers on airlines, trains, and the nation’s mass transit systems.

G20 agrees to set up global pandemic preparedness fund G20 countries have provisionally agreed to set up a global fund for pandemic preparedness, likely to be housed at the World Bank. Reuters Reuters

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