Live updates: Company says drug seems effective with omicron

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WASHINGTON — GlaxoSmithKline says its COVID-19 antibody cause appears to beryllium effectual against the omicron variant based connected archetypal laboratory testing.

The British drugmaker said it hopes to implicit investigating by year’s extremity to corroborate whether the cause is effectual against each the assorted mutations seen with the variant.

The announcement connected Thursday is 1 of the archetypal indications that astatine slightest immoderate of the existent COVID-19 treatments volition clasp their potency against the emerging strain.

On Tuesday, drugmaker Regeneron cautioned that its antibody cocktail appeared to suffer effectiveness against omicron.

Antibody treatments stay 1 of a fistful of therapies that tin blunt the worst effects of COVID-19, and they are the lone enactment disposable to radical with mild-to-moderate cases who aren’t yet successful the hospital.

The drugs are laboratory-made versions of virus-fighting antibodies that the immune strategy uses to support against infections.

The U.S. authorities has purchased millions of doses of the antibody therapies made by Regeneron, Eli Lilly and GlaxoSmithKline and distributed them to states crossed the country.

GlaxoSmithKline’s antibody cause is besides authorized successful the U.K., Canada, Australia and Japan.

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HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC:

— Omicron and delta spell instrumentality of unpopular restrictions

— What's the presumption of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate successful the US?

— Japan retracts caller formation bookings ban aft criticisms

— Biden launching new wintertime COVID-19 booster, investigating campaign

Go to https://APNews.com/coronavirus-pandemic for updates passim the day.

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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING TODAY:

SINGAPORE -- Singapore’s Health Ministry says preliminary tests detected the caller omicron variant of the coronavirus successful 2 passengers who arrived connected a level from Johannesburg, the country’s archetypal suspected cases.

The ministry said the 2 Singaporeans were isolated upon accomplishment connected Wednesday and had not interacted successful the community.

The results of their polymerase concatenation absorption trial connected accomplishment “revealed the beingness of S-gene people nonaccomplishment which whitethorn beryllium associated with the omicron variant,” the ministry said. It said it is conducting further tests to corroborate the results.

The ministry says the 2 passengers were some afloat vaccinated and person mild symptoms of a cough and scratchy throat.

The ministry said 19 different passengers connected the aforesaid formation tested antagonistic for COVID-19 and person been placed nether quarantine.

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COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Officials successful Norway accidental astatine slightest 50 radical successful Oslo person been infected with the omicron variant.

The cases are connected to a company’s caller Christmas enactment successful a edifice successful the capital, officials said Thursday.

The Oslo Municipality said successful a connection that much cases are expected. Officials are trying to hint transmission routes from the party.

Much remains chartless astir the caller variant, including whether it is much contagious, arsenic immoderate wellness authorities suspect, whether it makes radical much earnestly ill, and whether it tin thwart vaccines.

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health said that those affected unrecorded successful Oslo and surrounding municipalities.

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NEW DELHI -- India has confirmed its archetypal cases of the omicron variant, successful 2 radical who traveled abroad.

India’s Health Ministry said Thursday the confirmed cases are 2 men successful confederate Karnataka state. It did not accidental which state they had travel from.

Balram Bhargava, the caput of the Indian Council of Medical Research, India’s apical aesculapian probe body, urged radical not to panic and to get vaccinated.

Some Indian states person issued strict regularisation guidelines for planetary arrivals arsenic precautionary measures, including mandatory COVID-19 tests for those originating from South Africa, Botswana, and Hong Kong.

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WASHINGTON— GlaxoSmithKline says its COVID-19 antibody cause appears to beryllium effectual against the omicron variant, based connected archetypal laboratory testing.

The British drugmaker said Thursday it hopes to implicit investigating by year’s extremity to corroborate whether the cause is effectual against each the assorted mutations seen with the variant.

Earlier this week, rival drugmaker Regeneron cautioned that its antibody cocktail appeared to suffer effectiveness against omicron.

The U.S. authorities has purchased millions of doses of 3 antibody therapies from Regeneron, Eli Lilly and Glaxo.

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ATHENS - Public wellness authorities successful Greece person confirmed the country’s archetypal lawsuit of the caller COVID-19 omicron variant.

Health Minister Thanos Plevris said Thursday the corruption was detected connected the Greek land of Crete and identified the diligent lone arsenic a Greek antheral who had traveled from South Africa.

Greece is facing its highest regular fig of confirmed coronavirus infections since the commencement of the pandemic. Parliament approved and precocious Wednesday mandatory vaccinations for residents implicit 60 years of age.

The punishment for non-compliance is simply a 100 euro ($110) monthly fine. The measurement volition instrumentality effect connected Jan. 16.

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PARIS – French wellness authorities accidental they person detected the archetypal confirmed lawsuit of the caller COVID-19 variant connected the country’s mainland.

The Ile-de-France Regional Health Agency said Thursday a antheral successful his 50s who lives successful the Paris metropolis country tested affirmative for the omicron variant aft returning from a travel to Nigeria.

He showed nary symptoms erstwhile helium and his woman tested affirmative Nov. 25 connected their instrumentality to France. The wife’s trial is being screened for omicron. They person been quarantined astatine their location since the affirmative test.

A 3rd idiosyncratic surviving successful the aforesaid location with the mates was tested connected Thursday to find if they were infected and, if so, if they are carrying the caller variant.

None of the 3 radical are vaccinated, the connection said.

France reported its archetypal omicron lawsuit connected Tuesday successful the land territory of Reunion successful the Indian Ocean. The diligent was identified arsenic a antheral who had returned to Reunion from South Africa and Mozambique connected Nov. 20.

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LISBON, Portugal - Health authorities successful Portugal accidental they person confirmed 5 much cases of the caller omicron variant, making a full of 19, each of them linked to a Lisbon shot club.

The country’s Director-General of Health, Graça Feitas, said different suspected omicron cases are being investigated crossed the country.

Freitas told nationalist broadcaster RTP the fig of caller regular COVID-19 infections successful Portugal could treble by the extremity of the month, to astir 9,000.

Despite having 1 of the highest vaccination rates successful Europe, with astir 87% of its 10.3 cardinal radical inoculated, Portugal is scaling up its pandemic effect amid the emergence of the omicron variant.

It administered immoderate 117,000 COVID-19 tests connected Tuesday - the highest fig successful a azygous time since the pandemic began.

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THE HAGUE, Netherlands — More than fractional of a radical of hose passengers who flew to the Netherlands from South Africa and were ordered into isolation aft investigating affirmative for COVID-19 are being released from quarantine.

The section wellness authorization said Thursday that much than fractional of the remaining 44 radical who are successful isolation astatine a edifice adjacent the airdrome are being allowed retired aft investigating negative.

Local wellness authorization manager Bert van de Velden paid tribute to the travelers who arrived past week astatine Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport for their “good practice successful what was for them a hard concern of isolation.”

More than 600 passengers underwent investigating past week connected the past 2 flights to get successful the Netherlands aft the authorities imposed a formation prohibition prompted by the find of the omicron variant successful confederate Africa.

Those who tested affirmative to the coronavirus had to spell into isolation. Sequencing aboriginal established that astatine slightest 14 of them had the caller variant.

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SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korea has breached its regular grounds for coronavirus infections for a 2nd consecutive day, with much than 5,200 caller cases.

The accelerated delta-driven dispersed comes amid the emergence of the caller omicron variant.

South Korea confirmed its archetypal 5 omicron cases Wednesday nighttime linked to arrivals from Nigeria, prompting the authorities to tighten its borderline controls.

The state volition necessitate each passengers arriving from overseas implicit the adjacent 2 weeks to quarantine for astatine slightest 10 days, careless of their nationality oregon vaccination status.

Health experts person called for the authorities to reimpose strict societal distancing rules that were eased successful November to amended the economy, raising concerns that infirmary systems could go overwhelmed.

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BUDAPEST, Hungary - The fig of regular COVID-19 deaths successful Hungary has reached a precocious not seen since a devastating question past spring, with 218 reported Thursday.

Hungary present has the highest fig of regular deaths per cardinal inhabitants successful the world, according to information from Johns Hopkins University, with 17.7 deaths per cardinal successful the state of less than 10 cardinal people.

Just nether 60% of Hungary’s full colonisation is afloat vaccinated, beneath the European Union mean of 66.2%.

As galore of the Central European country’s neighbors person instituted lockdowns, nighttime curfews and different measures, Hungary’s authorities has opted to support its system open.

Despite a wide vaccination thrust that began past week, a surge successful caller cases has continued and the fig of regular deaths reached the highest since April 16.

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MILAN - Italy’s cause bureau has approved the usage of the Pfizer vaccine for children aged betwixt 5-11.

The determination Thursday came little than a week aft the European Union cause regulator said it was harmless to usage the jab for children.

Italian officials said children volition beryllium administered one-third of the dose authorized for adults and adolescents, successful 2 doses astatine a region of 3 weeks, opening Dec. 15.

In Italy, 77% of the full colonisation is afloat vaccinated and officials are urging the eligible colonisation to get a booster shot.

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LONDON - Britain has ordered a further 114 cardinal doses of coronavirus vaccines arsenic it ramps up a run to springiness each adults a booster shot.

Health officials anticipation the accrued extortion volition assistance support the caller and perchance much transmissible omicron variant astatine bay, adjacent if it proves much resistant to vaccines than different strains.

The authorities says 60 cardinal Moderna doses and 54 cardinal doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine volition beryllium delivered successful 2022 and 2023 -- a motion authorities deliberation further booster shots whitethorn beryllium required.

The World Health Organization has criticized affluent countries for stockpiling vaccines erstwhile galore nations person received fewer oregon none.

Britain says it volition springiness 100 cardinal doses of vaccine to processing nations by mid-2022, but astir of them person not yet been delivered.

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ATHENS, Greece -- Greek lawmakers person approved authorities making vaccination for COVID-19 mandatory for each radical aged implicit 60 surviving successful the state connected symptom of a monthly fine, to woody with an corruption surge and the emergence of the omicron variant.

The draught instrumentality backed Wednesday by the center-right authorities and a center-left absorption enactment — but rejected by each different absorption parties — targets the country’s property radical that is astir susceptible to decease oregon intubation from the coronavirus.

Some 17% of Greeks aged implicit 60 person not yet been vaccinated. They person until Jan. 16 to get their archetypal jabs, oregon volition beryllium fined 100 euros ($113) for each period they stay unvaccinated.

Parties that opposed the measurement said it was excessively harsh connected low-income radical who don’t privation to beryllium inoculated.

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DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa hospitalizations from the coronavirus person reached a precocious for this twelvemonth with 721 radical being treated successful hospitals.

The past clip hospitalizations reached that level was mid-December of 2020 erstwhile the authorities was coming down from the historical highest of COVID-19 enactment successful November.

Hospitalizations peaked astatine much than 1,500 patients successful mid-November 2020. Iowa Department of Public Health information released Wednesday indicates 10 children property 11 oregon younger are successful the hospital. All are unvaccinated.

An further unvaccinated kid betwixt ages 12 and 17 is hospitalized. The authorities besides confirmed 91 further deaths successful the past week, with immoderate dating backmost to mid-September. Iowa officials study a full of 7,445 COVID-19 deaths.

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JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s caller cases of COVID-19 astir doubled successful a day, authorities reported Wednesday, signaling a melodramatic surge successful the state wherever scientists detected the omicron variant past week.

New confirmed cases roseate to 8,561 Wednesday from 4,373 a time earlier, according to authoritative statistics.

Scientists successful South Africa said they are bracing for a accelerated summation successful COVID-19 cases pursuing the find of the caller omicron variant.

“There is simply a anticipation that we are going to spot a immense summation successful fig of cases being identified successful South Africa,” Dr. Nicksy Gumede-Moeletsi, determination virologist for the World Health Organization, told The Associated Press.

The omicron variant has been detected successful 5 of South Africa’s 9 provinces and accounted for 74% of the microorganism genomes sequenced successful November, the country’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases announced Wednesday.

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