(Reuters) – Here’s what you need to know about the coronavirus right now:
U.S. shatters global record with 1.1 mln cases in a day
The United States reported at least 1.13 million new coronavirus infections on Monday, a Reuters tally showed, the highest daily total of any country, as the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant showed no signs of slowing.
The previous record was 1.03 million cases on Jan. 3. A large number of cases are reported each Monday as many states do not report over the weekend. The seven-day average for new cases has tripled in two weeks to more than 700,000 new daily infections.
U.S. insurers must cover eight at-home tests per person each month
Insurance companies will be required to cover eight over-the-counter at-home coronavirus tests per person each month from Saturday, the government said, expanding access to highly sought-after kits as Americans battle a surge in infections.
The White House also said there was no limit to the number of COVID-19 tests, including at-home tests, that insurers must cover if they are ordered or administered by a health care provider. The measures are part of President Joe Biden’s bid to make testing more widely available to Americans as the highly contagious Omicron variant drives up infections.
Rapid testing for Omicron: is a nose swab enough?
Some scientists have said people can transmit Omicron when it has infected their throat and saliva but before it has reached their noses, so that nostril swabs early in an infection will not pick it up.
Britain is among the nations to have approved rapid antigen tests that swab both the throat and nose, or just the nose, while Germany said it would study how reliable such tests are in detecting Omicron and publish a list of the most accurate.
Experimental Lilly drug neutralises Omicron in test tubes
An experimental monoclonal antibody treatment from Eli Lilly & Co is effective against all known variants of the coronavirus, including Omicron, researchers said on Friday.
The drug, known as LY-CoV1404 or bebtelovimab, “potently” neutralised engineered versions of numerous variants, including Alpha, Beta, Delta, Epsilon, Gamma, Iota, and Omicron, in test tube experiments, they said on bioRxiv ahead of peer review.
That could potentially allow for lower doses and injection under the skin rather than intravenous administration. A spokesperson for Eli Lilly said it was “urgently working” with the FDA to win emergency use authorisation, which it expected during the current quarter.
U.S. CDC may recommend better masks against Omicron
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is considering updating its mask guidance spurred by a rise in the number of Omicron-related cases, the Washington Post said.
The agency is likely to advise use of the highly protective N95 or KN95 masks now worn by healthcare personnel, if it can be done consistently, the paper said, citing an official close to the deliberations.
(Compiled by Karishma Singh; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
