OASIS Updates (12/09/2021)

More Lives Lost to COVID in 2021 than 2020

The New York Times reports, “More people in the United States have died from COVID-19 this year than died last year, before vaccines were available.”

Preliminary Data: Omicron Causes Milder Disease than Delta but is More Transmissible

The Washington Post reports, “World Health Organization officials said Wednesday morning that preliminary data suggest omicron presents a rapid increase in transmission but the variant causes milder cases of covid-19 than delta, which is still spreading across the globe. Although the emerging data is a cause of relief, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned against drawing ‘firm conclusions,’ as he said it is ‘too early to be sure’ and more data and time is needed to have a ‘complete picture’ on the risks and impact of the variant.”

Another Federal Vaccine Mandate Blocked by Judge

WebMD reports, “A federal judge in Georgia temporarily blocked President Joe Biden's vaccine mandate for federal contractors on Tuesday, setting back the rollout of COVID-19 vaccine requirements.”

No Increased Risk of Heart Attack or Stroke in Older Adults from COVID-19 Vaccine

As reported on the Cardiovascular Business website, "COVID-19 vaccines are not associated with a heightened risk of adverse cardiovascular events among older adults, according to new research out of France. The analysis, published in JAMA, examined data from nearly 3.9 million adults 75 years old or older in France who received at least one dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and 3.2 million who had received both doses."