Health News Roundup: Omicron-specific booster may not be needed, U.S. monkey study finds; Hong Kong reports record daily high of 351 coronavirus cases and more

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has previously pressed China to be more forthcoming with data and information related to the origin of the virus. S.Korea surpasses 1 million total COVID cases with daily record South Korea on Sunday surpassed one million cumulative COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, as health officials reported a daily record of 38,691 new infections driven by an Omicron variant outbreak.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Omicron-specific booster may not be needed, U.S. monkey study finds

A study in monkeys pitting the current Moderna Inc COVID-19 booster against an Omicron-specific booster showed no significant differences in protection, suggesting an Omicron-specific booster may not be needed, U.S. government researchers reported on Friday. The study involved monkeys vaccinated with two doses of Moderna's vaccine who were dosed nine months later with either the conventional Moderna booster or one specifically targeting the Omicron variant.

Hong Kong reports record daily high of 351 coronavirus cases

Hong Kong reported 351 cases of coronavirus on Saturday, a record daily high since the outbreak of the pandemic, further pressuring the government's "dynamic zero-COVID" strategy as other major cities opt to live with the virus. Health Secretary Sophia Chan said at a news conference she expects cases to rise "exponentially" following the Lunar New Year holiday due to an increase in family and social gatherings and appealed several times for people to stay indoors.

UK reports 259 more COVID deaths, 60,578 cases

Britain reported 60,578 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday and a further 259 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, as numbers drifted lower following a wave of Omicron cases at the turn of the year. The number of new cases in the past seven days was down 4.2% on a week before at 599,229, while the number of deaths was 5.4% down on the previous week at 1,729.

Russia eases COVID restrictions as daily cases hit record

Russia will ease some of its COVID-19 restrictions from Sunday, the consumer health watchdog announced on Saturday, despite reporting a record daily number of cases as the Omicron variant spreads across the country. The number of daily infections has been surging since January. But the highly transmissible Omicron variant has not led to a significant increase in deaths, and the Kremlin has recently dismissed concerns about the risk of new lockdowns.

New Zealand reports record 243 new COVID cases

New Zealand reported a record 243 new COVID-19 community cases on Saturday, as officials warned more cases of the highly transmissible Omicron variant are expected but urged people in the highly vaccinated nation not to panic. The country of five million people has kept its borders closed since early 2020. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Thursday a full reopening https://www.reuters.com/world/new-zealand-reopen-borders-phases-end-feb-2022-02-02 will happen only by October.

WHO chief says discussed collaboration on COVID origins with Chinese premier

The head of the World Health Organization said on Saturday he had discussed with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang the need for stronger collaboration on the origins of COVID-19, a subject of controversy that has strained Beijing's relations with the West. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has previously pressed China to be more forthcoming with data and information related to the origin of the virus.

S.Korea surpasses 1 million total COVID cases with daily record

South Korea on Sunday surpassed one million cumulative COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, as health officials reported a daily record of 38,691 new infections driven by an Omicron variant outbreak. South Korea saw its first confirmed COVID-19 case on January 20, 2020, and soon became the first country outside China to battle a major outbreak.

U.S. coronavirus deaths surpass 900,000, driven in part by Omicron surge

The coronavirus pandemic reached a grim new milestone in the United States on Friday with the nation's cumulative death toll from COVID-19 surpassing 900,000, even as the daily number of lives lost has begun to level off, according to data collected by Reuters. The latest tally marks an increase of more than 100,000 U.S. COVID-19 fatalities since Dec. 12, coinciding with a surge of infections and hospitalizations driven by the highly contagious Omicron variant of the virus.

Malaysia's daily COVID cases hit four-month high

Malaysia reported 9,117 new COVID-19 infections on Saturday, the highest daily figure in four months, due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant. The new cases bring the total number of infections since the start of the pandemic to 2,904,131. Malaysia has also reported over 32,000 deaths.

U.S. considers lengthening gap between first 2 COVID shots to 8 weeks

U.S. health officials on Friday said they are considering lengthening the recommended interval between the first two doses of the most widely used COVID-19 vaccines to eight weeks to lower the risk of heart inflammation and improve their effectiveness. Dr. Sara Oliver, an official at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said the agency was considering making the recommendation for Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech shots during a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a panel of outside advisers to the CDC.

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