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Laurie Garrett

@Laurie_Garrett

30 Nov

Q&A has started. Fauci says using this time to run antibody tests and see how vaccinated and unvaxxed respond to #Omicron . Also working to improve surveillance internationally to get "a much better picture of what the challenge is before us"

Q about home testing results of which do not get to officials -- surveillance?
Walensky -- we're doing 1.5 M PCR tests/week -- very helpful for surveillance. And sequencing about 1/7th of them.
Fauci -- VAX is against original Wuhan strain. Now variants. But if high enough Ab --

- - levels, you're still in the range of protection against severe disease...
Fauci speaks of "diminution of protection" w/ #Omicron versus "elimination of"
Q - is the variant here?
Walensky --robust US surveillance syst., espec for intl travelers.

Read 8 tweets

Laurie Garrett

@Laurie_Garrett

30 Nov

@WhiteHouse

The @WhiteHouse #Omicron briefing: Zeints is opening it, saying "we have more tools than ever before. We are prepared."
Fauci now

Fauci on #OmicronVariant -- "large number of mutations..and some are predicted to impact transmission and antibody binding"
Confirmed cases 226 in 20 countries

Fauci: The mutations -- "very unusual constellation of changes"
>30 in spike protein, 10 in receptor binding site
"This is not #Delta -- it's something different"

Read 12 tweets

Laurie Garrett

@Laurie_Garrett

30 Nov

@moderna_tx

Extremely unhelpful quip from @moderna_tx CEO.
Stephane Bancel told @FT there won't be data on the effectiveness of current #COVID19 #vaccines for 2 weeks.
OK.
BUT then: "All the scientists I've talked to ...are like 'this is not going to be good'."
france24.com/en/live-news/2… MORE

2/Bancel's warning, based solely on "talks", comes as G7 health ministers hold ER talks on the #OmicronVarient . Stock markets fell on the news.
Implying none of the #vaccines will work against the VIRUS w/out ANY DATA to support your statement is like shouting fire in a theater.

“There is no world, I think, where [the efficacy] is the same level.”
“I think it’s going to be a material drop. I just don’t know how much bcuz we need to wait for the data. But all the scientists I’ve talked to are like, ‘This is not going to be good’.”
ft.com/content/27def1…

Read 4 tweets

Laurie Garrett

@Laurie_Garrett

28 Nov

@WHO

UPDATE from @WHO on #OmicronVariant
1.) not yet clear whether it's more transmissible compared to #DeltaVariant. The number of people testing positive has risen in parts of South Africa but epidemiologic studies are underway to determine why.
MORE

2.) not yet clear whether infection w/#Omicron causes more severe disease...there are increasing rates of hospitalization in South Africa, but this may be due to increasing overall numbers of people becoming infected, rather than a result of specific infection with Omicron.
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@WHO

3.) there may be an increased risk of reinfection w/#Omicron as compared to other variants of concern, but info is limited.
4.) @WHO is working w/partners to understand the potential impact of this variant on our existing countermeasures, including #vaccines.
MORE

Read 4 tweets

Laurie Garrett

@Laurie_Garrett

26 Nov

@POTUS

Statement by @POTUS @JoeBiden on the #Omicron #COVID19 Variant
"This morning I was briefed by my chief medical advisor, #TonyFauci...about the Omicron variant, which is spreading through Southern Africa. As a precautionary measure, I am ordering additional air travel..."
MORE

2/Biden
"...restrictions from SoAfrica & 7 other countries. These new restrictions will take effect on November 29.
For now, I have two important messages for the American people...
First, for those Americans who are fully vaccinated against severe COVID illness --"
MORE

3/Biden
"...the best way to strengthen your protection is to get a booster shot, as soon as you are eligible. Boosters are approved for all adults over 18, six mos past their vaccination and are available at 80,000 locations coast-to-coast. They are safe, free & convenient.
MORE

Read 5 tweets

Laurie Garrett

@Laurie_Garrett

14 Nov

Here are some sources on #COVID19 in zoo & pet animals, including vaccinating animals and human-to-animal transmission.
In response to your request for sources I give you:
It is mainly zoo personnel-to-animals.
phys.org/news/2021-11-l…
nytimes.com/2021/11/07/us/…
MORE