Research by South African scientists suggests that Omicron could displace the Delta variant of the coronavirus because infection with the new variant boosts immunity to the older one.

President Joe Biden on December 27 pledged to ease a shortage of Covid-19 tests as the Omicron variant threatened to overwhelm hospitals and stifle travel plans as it spreads across the United States during the holiday week.

President Joe Biden said on December 27 he would support an effort to shorten COVID-19 quarantine requirements for those who test positive for the novel coronavirus if U.S. health authorities recommend such a change.

Shares of U.S. airlines and other travel-related companies fell on December 27 as rising Omicron cases and weather-related problems forced the cancellation of hundreds more flights, leaving travelers stranded across the country during the holidays.

Oil fell on December 27 after U.S. airlines called off thousands of flights over the Christmas holidays amid surging Covid-19 infections, and China’s cases edged higher as Xian tightened curbs on travel within the city on the fifth day of a lockdown of its 13 million people.

Many countries are expanding Covid-19 vaccine booster programs or shortening the gap between shots as governments scramble to shore up protection against the new Omicron variant which emerged during November in southern Africa and Hong Kong.

Cyrus Biotechnology announced that the Seattle-based biotechnology firm’s pre-clinical stage COVID therapeutic lead molecule, ACE2.v2.4 strongly binds the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern (VOC) omicron.

U.S. airlines canceled more than 1,300 flights on December 26 as COVID-19 thinned out the number of available crews, while several cruise ships had to cancel stops after outbreaks on board, upending the plans of thousands of Christmas travelers.

U.S. airlines canceled hundreds of flights on Christmas Eve amid a surge in COVID-19 infections driven by the Omicron variant, but millions of wary Americans carried on with travel plans through a second pandemic-clouded winter holiday.

Roche said on December 24 that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to the company’s COVID-19 at-home rapid test that can be used by people as young as 14.