We begin tonight with a major milestone in the fight against Covid. The FDA has authorized the first antiviral pill to treat the virus, though the White House warned it would not be widely available for months. The milestone comes as the cases, hospitalizations and deaths are all rising. And now health officials are warning of a possible tsunami of new infections from the Omicron variant that could overwhelm hospitals. The variant has been found in all fifty states as well as Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. And think about this, it’s only been twenty-two days since the first cases of Omicron was detected in the US. Covid has shut down professional sports events, Broadway shows and concert venues. Now, a major college bowl game is in jeopardy following an outbreak among the players. All this as millions of Americans crowd airports and planned Christmas gatherings, which can cause the next big surge.
Here in New York, average new daily Covid cases up nearly five hundred percent in just three weeks. The demand for testing is so great that City MD, a major health care provider here has temporarily closed nearly twenty locations because of staffing issues. Pfizer’s Covid pills is the first at-home treatment for Coronavirus, and it’s a promising one. It’s aimed for those at-risk and shown to be nearly ninety percent effective in preventing hospitalizations deaths if taken within five days of experiencing symptoms. But there are also snags, as two of the most common monoclonal antibody treatments that doctors have depended on, are unlikely to be effective against Omicron. Israel is now trying to get ahead of the Omicron surge by approving a fourth vaccine dose for those over 60s. But even as the B administration promises to send out five hundred million at-home testing kits, it’s not soon enough, with Walmart and Amazon limiting the amount people can buy. There were long lines today, outside libraries in the nation’s capital for take home tests. Washington D.C is also implementing proof of vaccination requirements for indoor venues like restaurants and bars. California is mandating boosters for all health care workers. This as the Omicron variant continues to rise exponentially. The dramatic increase of Omicron in just the past week is not only taking over as dominant strain, but creating a surge, engulfing the entire Northeast, Midwest and much of the Southwest. It’s also leading to more chaos, Florida’s Gator Bowl is the first major New Year’s bowl game in jeopardy, as Texas A&M dropped out because of a Covid outbreak. Still up in the air, New York City’s ball drop. And the first Federal Emergency Covid testing site open today in New York City. Meantime so good news from overseas. In South Africa, where the variant was first detected about a month ago, cases are now starting to drop very quickly. But it’s still too soon to tell that would happen in New York City.
:::tip skttish
- : easily frightened. 易受惊吓的
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:::tip trepidation
- : a nervous or fearful feeling of uncertain agitation. 恐惧
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