Coronavirus distributes throughout the body and remains for months: https://www.npr.org/2022/01/02/1069502087/omicron-kids-under-five-when-vaccine-available-pfizer . Blood circulation apparently seeds virus in cells throughout the body.
School closures over Omicron mount: https://news.yahoo.com/fresh-round-of-school-closures-tests-bidens-promise-210817259.html . Reality forces us to follow the science. In this, Biden is no different. More: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-education-pandemics-newark-b5441b86a47e3af9b8a0ce625274ed42 .
Pfizer booster approved for ages 12 to 15: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-vaccine-booster-teens-pfizer-42489d8e45ade4efe74aba5350393549 . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/fda-authorizes-pfizer-biontech-booster-for-12-to-15-year-olds-11641221427 .
COVID pediatric advice on children under 5: https://www.npr.org/2022/01/02/1069502087/omicron-kids-under-five-when-vaccine-available-pfizer .
Flight cancellations continue as Omicron and winter weather disruptions combine: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/flight-cancellations-covid-weather-weekend-2021-01-03/ . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/thousands-of-additional-flights-canceled-as-winter-storm-omicron-surge-hurt-airlines-11641236115 . Meanwhile, Amtrak has cancelled dozens of trains over the same issues: https://www.axios.com/amtrak-cancel-train-covid-c4f4411d-fe3b-4e1d-97f4-bacf6b9440fb.html .
Diagnosing cold, flu or COVID: https://news.yahoo.com/fresh-round-of-school-closures-tests-bidens-promise-210817259.html . The symptoms of each disease bear a lot of similarity. The telltale symptom of COVID initially was loss of sense of taste or smell. With Omicron, the telltale symptom appears to be night sweats.
Starbucks to employees: Vaccinate, test or go: https://www.aol.com/finance/starbucks-u-workers-must-covid-160218619-194619357.html . Starbucks’ 220,000 employees must report their vaccination status by next Monday, January 10.
WSJ: New York closes nursing home COVID probe: https://www.wsj.com/articles/manhattan-da-ends-andrew-cuomo-nursing-home-probe-11641250710 .
US COVID cases continue to surge: https://www.wsj.com/articles/france-relaxes-quarantine-rules-as-europe-adapts-to-omicrons-spread-11641217097 .
COVID cases spike at US Capitol: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/588010-covid-infections-spiking-in-us-capitol . Since they accomplish so little, accomplishing little in isolation probably works just as well.
COVID cases triple in Sacramento in past week: https://www.sacbee.com/news/coronavirus/article257017852.html .
WSJ: Demographics continue to roil China’s future: https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-is-haunted-by-its-one-child-policy-as-it-tries-to-encourage-couples-to-conceive-11641205807 .
WSJ: Inflation destabilizes Turkey: https://www.wsj.com/articles/turkeys-inflation-rate-nears-20-year-high-as-lira-crisis-continues-11641211659 . So interest rate cuts pump more money into the economy. The government’s contrarian policies therefore deepen the crisis.
Updated scoreboard on the Capitol insurrectionist trials: https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-rioters-prison-95bdc863812cab48be3d98ada67bd582 . More than 700 people have been charged, with more than 220 charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. At least 165 have plead guilty to lesser crimes, typically involving sentences of less than 6 months.
WSJ: Telecom companies reverse course, grant new delay of 5G roll-out: https://www.wsj.com/articles/at-t-and-verizon-agree-to-new-delay-of-5g-rollout-11641262858 .
Facebook pulls Marjorie Taylor Greene post: https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-removes-marjorie-taylor-greenes-post-a-day-after-her-twitter-suspension-11641248121 . But Greene has found an easy way to keep her name out there.
Elizabeth Holmes guilty of fraud in blood diagnostics start-up Theranos: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/elizabeth-holmes-theranos-trial-verdict-guilty-fraud-001725594.html . We haven’t been following this case in the newsletter. However, this verdict is a strong warning to the Silicon Valley venture capital community to police what they finance. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-elizabeth-holmes-verdict-theranos-founder-is-guilty-on-four-of-11-charges-in-fraud-trial-11641255705 .