This is an excerpt from Second Opinion, a weekly roundup of health and medical science news emailed to subscribers every Saturday morning. If you haven’t subscribed yet, you can do that by clicking here.
Omicron is ramping up the push for widespread boosters in Canada, shifting the conversation away from providing added protection to the most vulnerable and toward giving everyone eligible an additional shot to stave off potential spread of the highly transmissible variant.
Canada has seen dozens of omicron cases emerge in the two weeks since the variant was first identified, and new data from around the world has public health officials on high alert for signs of wider spread here.
But while there is growing concern about the threat of omicron as we learn more about it in real time, there are also early, hopeful signs that it may not cause as severe illness as previous variants and that boosters may be effective at slowing its spread.
A new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that out of the 43 omicron cases identified in 22 states in early December, just one person needed a brief hospital stay, and there were no reported deaths from the variant.
WATCH | Omicron spreading faster than delta but may be milder, early data suggests:
Omicron more transmissible but milder than delta variant, initial research suggests
4 days ago
Duration 1:59
Initial evidence about the omicron variant seems to suggest that the strain is more transmissible but less severe than the delta variant. But scientists studying omicron caution that understanding the full threat of omicron will take more time. 1:59
“We are seeing fewer symptoms so far with omicron, and it almost certainly has a lot to do with the fact that people have some degree of immunity,” said Deepta Bhattacharya, an immunologist at the University of Arizona.
“But I don’t think there’s any doubt that omicron has more immune-evasive properties than delta … so you can imagine that omicron would have more of an advantage spreading in places where people already have some immunity than with delta.”
South Africa reported a near-record high in daily infections this week, but scientists have not yet seen evidence that omicron is causing more serious illness, which could either be a sign of things to come or a delay in the true impact it will have there.
“The severity does not look very high, which is good, but the infected population is skewing young and so would be expected to have milder infections,” said Bill Hanage, an epidemiologist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.
A shopper passes graffiti on a wall in London on Dec. 3. New measures to combat the new omicron COVID-19 variant came into force in the U.K. on Tuesday, with face coverings again mandatory in shops and on public transport. (Kirsty Wigglesworth/The Associated Press)
Yet the report also found booster shots provided an estimated 70 to 75 per cent protection against mild disease from omicron, giving the first real-world glimpse at the benefit offered by third doses in the face of the fast-spreading variant.
“While the data isn’t perfect, and of course there’s still a lot of questions that remain, all the arrows are pointing in the direction that two doses of a vaccine will still be very helpful — but three doses of a vaccine will be better,” said Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious diseases physician and member of Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccine task force.
“There should be a sense of urgency to roll out third doses, especially now as we have a holiday season upon us and we’re going to have a growing number of omicron cases in the country.”
Omicron spreading rapidly in Canada
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) released new modelling data Friday showing COVID-19 levels could spike in the coming weeks amid an ongoing wave of delta infections and the growing threat of omicron as the holidays rapidly approach.
In Quebec, officials are investigating two potential omicron exposures at a gym and community centre in Montreal — with 14 cases of the variant detected in the city so far — but have said there is no evidence yet of wider community transmission.
British Columbia announced plans to expand its booster-shot program this week as officials reported several new cases of omicron, while Saskatchewan recently expanded shots to those 50 and over, as four omicron cases emerged there.
But as new data pours in from Canada and globally on omicron’s ability to rapidly transmit and partially evade immunity from vaccination and prior infections, early signals hint that vaccines will still provide significant protection from hospitalization and death.
WATCH | Pfizer says booster shots effective against omicron variant in early findings:
Pfizer says 3 shots neutralize omicron variant in early findings
3 days ago
Duration 2:30
Pfizer-BioNTech have reported early findings that show three doses of their COVID-19 vaccine are more effective than two when it comes to neutralizing the omicron variant in lab settings. The World Health Organization cautioned against jumping to conclusions, saying the unvaccinated should get their first doses before worrying about third shots. 2:30
But what gained far less attention was the fact that two doses of the vaccine still offered strong protection against severe COVID-19, meaning a surge in omicron cases in highly vaccinated countries, like Canada, may not lead to an overwhelmed health-care system.
“The fact that the two-dose regimen of Pfizer holds up against what really counts — serious disease — that’s really good news,” said Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease physician and a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Baltimore.
“People have gotten very focused on cases and preventing all infections, but I think it’s really important to prevent severe infections.”
Pfizer’s early data analyzed the blood of vaccinated individuals against omicron and found a 40-fold decrease in the level of neutralizing antibodies, which prevent the virus from entering cells. A third dose increased them by a factor of 25.
“When you hear about a 40-fold drop in neutralizing antibodies, that doesn’t mean a 40-fold drop in how well the vaccines are going to work — I would be shocked if that were the case,” said Bhattacharya.
“So will two doses, in all likelihood, substantially reduce the likelihood you will get really sick? Yes. But is there room for improvement? Yes, definitely.”
‘Rapid pivot’ to widespread boosters needed
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) strongly recommended earlier this month that all Canadians over 50 get a booster, while those aged 18 to 49 can be offered one six months out from their second shot.
But while most provinces and territories have expanded the rollout of boosters to more age groups, only a handful have gone below the age of 50 — including Manitoba, the Northwest Territories, Yukon and soon, Ontario.
“A rapid pivot is needed in the context of growing omicron cases in the country and what we’re seeing all the data point to from around the world,” said Bogoch. “We need to roll out third doses faster.”
Canada has an opportunity to get “two steps ahead” of an omicron-driven surge by expanding boosters to all Canadians over 18 who are six months out from their second dose, Bogoch said, which would help “blunt the size of another wave.”
“How bad is it going to be here? I think we should be prepared for another wave — an omicron-driven wave of infection,” said Anne-Claude Gingras, a professor of molecular genetics at the University of Toronto.
“I have no idea if that’s going to be a wave of hospitalization and an increase in the death rate as well — but at least in terms of spread, I think if we let it in, it will.”
A patient receives a dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination centre in London on Dec. 4. The U.K. says it will offer all adults a booster dose of vaccine within two months, to bolster the nation’s immunity as omicron spreads. (Alberto Pezzali/The Associated Press)
Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and co-director of the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, says we’ll no doubt see a rise in omicron cases that could be made worse by delta.
“I think, at least for a while, we will have sort of a twin epidemic of delta and omicron,” he said. “But whether you’re worried about delta or omicron — the approach you take is the same.”
Getting a booster when it’s available to you, not relying on previous COVID-19 infection for protection and getting kids vaccinated will help protect people from the spread of omicron, he said, in addition to masking, increasing ventilation and limiting gatherings.
But experts agree boosters alone won’t spare Canada from the threat of omicron — even if they will likely have some added benefit to stopping spread.
“If you boosted everybody that needed to be boosted, it wouldn’t change the trajectory of the pandemic,” said Adalja. “It’s first and second doses that change the trajectory of the pandemic.”
More than 20 per cent of eligible Canadians still aren’t doubly vaccinated — and that number sits at closer to 40 per cent in the U.S., meaning large swaths of the population remain unprotected if omicron does take off.
“We’re not going to boost our way out of the pandemic,” said Bogoch. “But if you can blunt transmission with a third dose, you’d be doing something very helpful.”
EDMONTON – Jake Allen made 31 saves for his second shutout of the season and 26th of his career as the New Jersey Devils closed out their Western Canadian road trip with a 3-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.
Jesper Bratt had a goal and an assist and Stefan Noesen and Timo Meier also scored for the Devils (8-5-2) who have won three of their last four on the heels on a four-game losing skid.
The Oilers (6-6-1) had their modest two-game winning streak snapped.
Calvin Pickard made 13 stops between the pipes for Edmonton.
TAKEAWAYS
Devils: In addition to his goal, Bratt picked up his 12th assist of the young season to give him nine points in his last eight games and now 15 points overall. Nico Hischier remains in the team lead, picking up an assist of his own to give him 16 points for the campaign. He has a point in all but four games this season.
Oilers: Forward Leon Draisaitl was held pointless after recording six points in his previous two games and nine points in his previous four. Draisaitl usually has strong showings against the Devils, coming into the contest with an eight-game point streak against New Jersey and 11 goals in 17 games.
KEY MOMENT
New Jersey took a 2-0 lead on the power play with 3:26 remaining in the second period as Hischier made a nice feed into the slot to Bratt, who wired his third of the season past Pickard.
KEY RETURN?
Oilers star forward and captain Connor McDavid took part in the optional morning skate for the Oilers, leading to hopes that he may be back sooner rather than later. McDavid has been expected to be out for two to three weeks with an ankle injury suffered during the first shift of last Monday’s loss in Columbus.
OILERS DEAL FOR D-MAN
The Oilers have acquired defenceman Ronnie Attard from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenceman Ben Gleason.
The 6-foot-3 Attard has spent the past three season in the Flyers organization seeing action in 29 career games. The 25-year-old right-shot defender and Western Michigan University grad was originally selected by Philadelphia in the third round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Attard will report to the Oilers’ AHL affiliate in Bakersfield.
UP NEXT
Devils: Host the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
Oilers: Host the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2024.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns, and Kareem Hunt pounded into the end zone from two yards out in overtime to give the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs a 30-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night.
DeAndre Hopkins had two touchdown receptions for the Chiefs (8-0), who drove through the rain for two fourth-quarter scores to take a 24-17 lead with 4:17 left. But then Kansas City watched as Baker Mayfield led the Bucs the other way in the final minute, hitting Ryan Miller in the end zone with 27 seconds to go in regulation time.
Tampa Bay (4-5) elected to kick the extra point and force overtime, rather than go for a two-point conversion and the win. And it cost the Buccaneers when Mayfield called tails and the coin flip was heads. Mahomes and the Chiefs took the ball, he was 5-for-5 passing on their drive in overtime, and Hunt finished his 106-yard rushing day with the deciding TD plunge.
Travis Kelce had 14 catches for 100 yards with girlfriend Taylor Swift watching from a suite, and Hopkins finished with eight catches for 86 yards as the Chiefs ran their winning streak to 14 dating to last season. They became the sixth Super Bowl champion to start 8-0 the following season.
Mayfield finished with 200 yards and two TDs passing for the Bucs, who have lost four of their last five.
It was a memorable first half for two players who had been waiting to play in Arrowhead Stadium.
The Bucs’ Rachaad White grew up about 10 minutes away in a tough part of Kansas City, but his family could never afford a ticket for him to see a game. He wound up on a circuitous path through Division II Nebraska-Kearney and a California junior college to Arizona State, where he eventually became of a third-round pick of Tampa Bay in the 2022 draft.
Two year later, White finally got into Arrowhead — and the end zone. He punctuated his seven-yard scoring run in the second quarter, which gave the Bucs a 7-3 lead, by nearly tossing the football into the second deck.
Then it was Hopkins’ turn in his first home game since arriving in Kansas City from a trade with the Titans.
The three-time All-Pro, who already had caught four passes, reeled in a third-down heave from Mahomes amid triple coverage for a 35-yard gain inside the Tampa Bay five-yard line. Three plays later, Mahomes found him in the back of the end zone, and Hopkins celebrated his first TD with the Chiefs with a dance from “Remember the Titans.”
Tampa Bay tried to seize control with consecutive scoring drives to start the second half. The first ended with a TD pass to Cade Otton, the latest tight end to shred the Chiefs, and Chase McLaughlin’s 47-yard field goal gave the Bucs a 17-10 lead.
The Chiefs answered in the fourth quarter. Mahomes marched them through the rain 70 yards for a tying touchdown pass, which he delivered to Samaje Perine while landing awkwardly and tweaking his left ankle, and then threw a laser to Hopkins on third-and-goal from the Buccaneers’ five-yard line to give Kansas City the lead.
Tampa Bay promptly went three-and-out, but its defence got the ball right back, and this time Mayfield calmly led his team down field. His capped the drive with a touchdown throw to Miller — his first career TD catch — with 27 seconds to go, and Tampa Bay elected to play for overtime.
UP NEXT
Buccaneers: Host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Darcy Kuemper made 16 saves for his first shutout of the season and 32nd overall, helping the Los Angeles Kings beat the Nashville Predators 3-0 on Monday night.
Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist and Anze Kopitar and Kevin Fiala also scored. The Kings have won two of their last three.
Juuse Saros made 24 saves for the Predators. They are 1-2-1 in their last four.
Kopitar opened the scoring with 6:36 remaining in the opening period. Saros denied the Kings captain’s first shot, but Kopitar collected the rebound below the goal line and banked it off the netminder’s skate.
Fiala, a former Predator, made it 2-0 35 seconds into the third.
The Kings held Nashville to just three third-period shots on goal, the first coming with 3:55 remaining and Saros pulled for an extra attacker.
Elsewhere in the NHL on Monday:
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DEVILS 3 OILERS 0
EDMONTON, Alta. (AP) — Jake Allen made 31 saves for his second shutout of the season and 26th of his NHL career, helping the New Jersey Devils close their western Canadian road trip with a 3-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.
Jesper Bratt had a goal and an assist and Stefan Noesen and Timo Meier also scored. The Devils improved to 8-5-2. They have won three of their last four after a four-game skid.
Calvin Pickard made 13 saves for Edmonton. The Oilers had won two straight.
