The coronavirus variant made up 8.75% of the positive tests in the week leading to Christmas, according to genomic sequencing by The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor.
Health
Posted inBusiness, Health, Nation & World
FDA allows Pfizer boosters for 12- to 15-year-olds as omicron surges
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now must decide whether to go along with the recommended boosters for the younger teens.
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Experts urge universal mask-wearing to fight omicron, but behavior varies widely
Wildly inconsistent policies and people generally masking less after getting vaccinated present challenges for public health officials.
Posted inHealth, Local & State, Nation & World, New England, News
COVID-19 death rates are three times higher in Maine’s less vaccinated counties
The stark contrast reveals the effectiveness of inoculation in preventing hospitalizations and deaths.
Posted inHealth, Local & State, News
COVID-19 hospitalizations tick up slightly in Maine
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports 338 people hospitalized for COVID-19 throughout the state.
Posted inHealth, Local & State, News
COVID or just a cold? Common symptoms have people hunting for hard-to-find tests
Experts say anyone with a cough or a sore throat who can’t get tested should stay at home.
Posted inBusiness, Health, Nation & World
CDC tells even vaccinated people to avoid cruise ships
Shares of Carnival Corp., Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. tumbled on the news.
Posted inHealth, Nation & World
U.S. children hospitalized with COVID-19 in near-record numbers
The previous peak over the course of the pandemic was in early September, when child hospitalizations averaged 342 per day, the CDC said.
Posted inHealth
It may be time to upgrade from cloth masks to hi-tech ones, experts say
Better masks will better block transmission of the virus, especially omicron, some say.
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U.S. move to shorten COVID-19 isolation stirs confusion, doubt
The decision to shorten the recommended COVID-19 isolation and quarantine period from 10 days to five is drawing criticism from some medical experts.