WHO names Southern African variant Omicron: https://www.who.int/news/item/26-11-2021-classification-of-omicron-(b.1.1.529)-sars-cov-2-variant-of-concern . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/southern-africas-new-covid-19-variant-prompts-wave-of-travel-restrictions-11637920491 . Still more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-we-know-about-the-new-variant-of-covid-19-spreading-in-southern-africa-11637935500 . And: https://www.wsj.com/articles/omicron-coronavirus-variant-raises-questions-among-scientists-11637954249 . Omicron is the 15th of the Greek alphabet’s 24 letters. WHO has designated Omicron a variant of concern. Omicron was first detected in a specimen collected on November 9. Why the very rapid response to Omicron? Omicron exhibits about 50 mutations, more than 30 of which are to the spike protein. As the spike protein is the focus of the mRNA technology, the possibility grows that Omicron could evade those vaccines and also the monoclonal antibody treatments.
Omicron has been detected in multiple countries in Southern African and around the world. Variants with large numbers of mutations often appear in persons with compromised immune systems, where a coronavirus infection can linger. South Africa has the largest population in the world of people with HIV.
Many countries, including the US, have adopted travel restrictions on people departing from Southern Africa: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-travel-business-lifestyle-63c47b79765c697760378789c70ebe81 . More: https://www.pe.com/2021/11/26/world-races-to-contain-new-covid-threat-the-omicron-variant/ . Still more: https://www.aol.com/news/concerned-variant-asian-countries-move-080720052-101237346.html . These restrictions will likely slow but not contain the spread of this variant. The critical question in terms of spread is whether this variant can outcompete Delta on a global basis. It may be weeks before we have a meaningful sense of the answer.
Your correspondent is apoplectic that we have not built out significant contact tracing capabilities. As this newsletter has said repeatedly, contact tracing is a basic tool of public health. It is most useful when the number of cases is small. Contact tracing would give us a much better opportunity to contain this variant. Now we must gamble that Omicron does not evade the vaccines or outcompete Delta. We will take this gamble with every future variant until contact tracing is built out.
US and global markets retreated on Omicron fears: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-asia-stock-markets-7aa5c5acef16621e72d33212e77924f2 . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/thanksgiving-covid-variant-reminds-markets-of-the-important-things-in-life-11637938299 . Still more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/global-stock-markets-dow-update-11-26-2021-11637901748 . And: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-variant-upends-investor-bets-on-rate-increases-11637937935 .
Research on antivirals to interrupt coronavirus replication: https://phys.org/news/2021-11-covid-coronavirus-tangled-strands-rna.html .
WSJ: J&J vaccine recipients shift to mRNA boosters: https://www.wsj.com/articles/johnson-johnson-covid-19-vaccine-recipients-often-shift-to-other-boosters-11637931600 . The Journal is rather late with this news, as is often the case in recent months.
Updated Merck study shows lower efficacy for Molnupiravir: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/11/26/merck-covid-pill-shows-lower-efficacy-in-updated-study . The conservatives who are avoiding the vaccine thinking an antiviral will save them need to rethink. This of course assumes thinking. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/fda-to-disclose-staff-review-of-merck-covid-19-pill-11637922600 .
LA firefighter responds “unprofessionally” to hand-delivered vaccine order: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/los-angeles-firefighter-covid-order-butt-investigation_n_61a02754e4b0ae9a42ac4e2f . Yes, a decidedly unprofessional response, no ifs, ands or butts.
WSJ: Evergrande founder sells $343 million stake in the company: https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-evergrandes-billionaire-founder-sells-343-million-stake-11637929801 . It remains less than obvious that plowing this money back into the company will rescue it. Apparently this move is designed to buy time while the company sells off property.
WSJ: Supply chain woes lead to housing price inflation: https://www.wsj.com/articles/supply-chain-woes-snarl-attempts-to-tame-house-prices-11637929800 . This problem runs a lot deeper than Christmas presents.
Steven Sondheim passes: https://apnews.com/article/stephen-sondheim-musical-theater-a4ef685dd49259648991ebfbcef8bbbd . Sondheim is widely regarded as reinventing and reinvigorating the American musical. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/stephen-sondheim-1930-2021-11637976460 . Still more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/composer-stephen-sondheim-has-died-at-91-11637969888 .
WSJ: A Wisconsin fan confronts Michigan – Ohio State: https://www.wsj.com/articles/michigan-vs-ohio-state-11637895678 . Actually, this game gave me one of my greatest memories of college football. Chris Schenkel was announcing in 1973, when Ohio State (No. 1) spoiled Michigan’s (No. 4) hosting of The Game with a 10-10 tie, knocking Michigan out of the Rose Bowl: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_Ohio_State_vs._Michigan_football_game . I was never fond of sexist behavior or Chris Schenkel. Anyway, Michigan painfully lost the win when a last-minute field goal try missed.
ABC then zoomed in on an attractive Michigan supporter, and Schenkel announces, “Look at that fine young honey!” Well, this young woman couldn’t hear Chris, but she was upset over the loss and did not appreciate a cameraman getting in her face. She looked directly into the camera, outstretched her arm, and flipped off the entire viewing audience.
I kid you not, ABC immediately switched to a long shot of the stadium from the Goodyear blimp flying overhead. They stayed on this silent, slow moving long shot for at least 45 seconds, with absolutely no audio. It is probably the hardest I’ve ever laughed watching a football game.