Coronavirus vaccine and COVID variant updates for 01-04-2022

<p>Another Covid variant has reportedly been found in France. The mutant strain has 46 mutations. About 12 cases have been spotted near Marseille, with the first linked to travel to Cameroon. But there’s little sign it’s outcompeting the dominant Omicron variant, which now makes up more than 60% of cases in France, and the strain has not spread rapidly since its discovery December 10.</p><br><p>It's a little chaotic out there as schools and workplaces try to figure out what to do now that the holidays are over. For workplaces, the problem is so many people out sick with COVID they simply can’t open or get the work done. For schools it’s the now familiar debate between in person and remote learning. Some schools are doing neither because too many teachers and substitutes are sick.&nbsp;</p><br><p>It’s booster time for kids as young as 12. The FDA approved Pfizer’s booster for that age whereas before, it was only available to those 16 and above. Now a CDC panel has to decide later this week whether or not to recommend the boosters but when has the CDC ever not recommended vaccine shots? Kids should be able to get the booster as early as five months after their last dose.</p><br><p>We can argue as to whether or not they’re essential personnel, but COVID has a lot of people in Congress sick as well. It’s been recommended they go to a “maximal telework posture.” The seven-day average rate of infection at the Capitol's testing center went from less than 1% to more than 13%. Breakthrough cases have not led to any deaths or hospitalizations among lawmakers or their staff.</p><br><p>If you think your Starbucks barista is more essential than Congress, the company’s U.S. workers must now be fully vaccinated by February 9 or face weekly testing, and hopefully they’ll get the names right on the tests. Starbucks’ 228,000 U.S. employees must disclose their vaccination status by January 10.&nbsp;</p><br><p>In the United States, cases were up 238%, deaths are down 3%, and hospitalizations are up 41% over 14 days. The 7-day averag