Omicron is hospitalizing and killing people, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters at a regular briefing in Geneva Thursday.

Early studies have suggested that omicron causes less severe disease and fewer hospitalizations, but it is so highly transmissable that infections worldwide are soaring to record levels putting intense strain on many health systems globally.

In its weekly epidemiological report, the WHO said that global cases soared a record 71% during the week to Jan. 2, from the week before, while the number of new deaths rose 10%.

WHO officials said they expect actual case numbers are even higher due to underreporting and it is likely cases will rise even further in the next weekly report.

Tedros repeated calls for government and business leaders to make vaccine equity a priority to achieve the WHO goal of vaccinating 70% of people in all countries by mid 2022.

' First generation vaccinations may not stop all transmissions but they remain effective in preventing serious illness,' he said, referring to the higher transmission rates of omicron.

The WHO chief said low vaccination rates in countries without widespread access to vaccines could foster the evolution of further variants.' Because of low vaccination rates we have created the perfect conditions for virus variants,' he said...


LISTEN TO HEALTH EXPERTS..
NO ONE IS SAFE UNTIL ALL ARE,
DO NOT BE COMPLACENT.

The next variant is just around the corner’: Experts warn the world’s at risk until all are vaccinated..

Pandemic not ending until all vaccinated.
Demands for gloves up or down?
Next few qtrs results will change the ASP narrative.

Businesses recruit workers due to good demand of their products. Will be scare if all my workers have no work or cannot work due to restriction or worse if they are needed to be laid off.
Next result should be better than the last...

Israel latest covid cases spike shown that Omicron can hit the world most vaccinated nation.
It is mild but destructive..


Health experts expect to keep breaking COVID daily case records as Omicron rages
Conflicting reports as to whether officials foresee manageable number of severe cases or huge jump; surging cases force reliance on potentially unreliable rapid tests
By Amy Spiro and Emanuel Fabian
Israel, 5 January 2022

Health officials expect the fifth wave of the coronavirus to peak in about three weeks, with tens of thousands of new cases reported each day, according to Hebrew media reports Wednesday.

Israel has hit a new record of daily cases, reporting more than 12,500 new infections Tuesday. The figures that will be reported Thursday morning are also expected to set a new record, with citizens swamping testing stations as the Omicron variant takes hold in Israel.

As of Wednesday evening, there were already 8,135 confirmed new daily cases, with the figure expected to grow by the thousands before morning.
Top articles from Times of Israel

According to Channel 12 news, experts notified Prime Minister Naftali Bennett that the wave is expected to crest in three weeks. The unsourced report said that health experts expect the number of serious COVID cases to peak at around 1,200 — similar to the previous peak during the fourth wave driven by the Delta variant.

But another unsourced Channel 13 report suggested that Israeli health experts believe there could be up to 2,500 serious cases in the coming weeks and that Bennett had told health chiefs for a scenario in which the number could rise to 4,000....

Those who attend AGM can ask boss.
Maybe can get some info.

TG directors buying and buying.. why??

With growing millions of sick people in US, hospitalisation at record high soon, more and more workers unable to report for work incl hospital and airlines staffs etc... is it mild??
I think it is destructive and painful for people and economy.
Pray pray..

WHO has been warning that no country is safe until all are..
More variants come due to unvaccinated populations infected with covid viruses.
Vaccines should be available to all countries and not just the rich ones.
Omicron is just the consequence..
Meanwhile, protect the kids n youngsters who are not vaccined.

Omicron Cases Could Lead To More Dangerous Variants, WHO Warns
Soaring Omicron Cases Could Lead To More Dangerous Variants..
Stockholm: 

Soaring Omicron cases around the globe could increase the risk of a newer, more dangerous variant emerging, the World Health Organization in Europe warned on Tuesday.
While the variant is spreading like wildfire around the world, it appears to be far less severe than initially feared and has raised hopes that the pandemic could be overcome and life return to more normality.

But WHO senior emergencies officer Catherine Smallwood sounded an ominous note of caution, telling AFP that the soaring infection rates could have the opposite effect

The more Omicron spreads, the more it transmits and the more it replicates, the more likely it is to throw out a new variant. Now, Omicron is lethal, it can cause death ... maybe a little bit less than Delta, but who's to say what the next variant might throw out," Smallwood told AFP in an interview.

Europe has registered more than 100 million Covid cases since the start of the pandemic, and more than five million new cases in the last week of 2021, "almost dwarfing what we have seen in the past", Smallwood said.
"We're in a very dangerous phase, we're seeing infection rates rise very significantly in Western Europe, and the full impact of that is not yet clear," she said.

Smallwood also noted that while "on an individual level there's probably a decreased risk of hospitalisation" with the Omicron variant compared to Delta, overall, Omicron could pose a greater threat because of the sheer number of cases.

"When you see the cases rise so significantly, that's likely to generate a lot more people with severe disease, ending up in hospital and possibly going on to die," she said.
Britain on Tuesday faced warnings of an impending hospital crisis due to staff shortages caused by a wave of Omicron infections, as the country's daily Covid caseload breached 200,000 for the first time.
Smallwood said she expected that scenario to play out in other European countries as well.
"Even in well-capacitated, sophisticated health systems there are real struggles that are happening at the moment, and it's likely that these will play out across the region as Omicron drives cases upwards.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) had said it was “very worried” about the spread in Europe and warned 700,000 more deaths could be recorded by March unless urgent action is taken, bringing the total to 2.2 million since the pandemic began.

Omicron variant shows just how ‘perilous’ Covid situation is, WHO says

Prior to the latest worrying developments sparked by Omicron, Mr Johnson’s government had been deeply reluctant to reimpose restrictions at all, despite consistently high case numbers.

While the vaccines have consistently kept death rates low since the spring, infection levels have remained consistently high, typically hovering around the 40,000-per-day mark but in recent days have been more than double that.

Mr Johnson may also be concerned that further restrictions might lead to social disorder, having seen anti-lockdown protests - some of them violent - erupt in Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Italy and Croatia...

Anyone can tell when the pandemic will end???

The US reported nearly 1 million new coronavirus infections on Monday, the highest daily tally any country has seen in the world. The cases are nearly double the previous US peak that was set a week back with the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant.

President Joe Biden urged concern, not alarm as he emphasised that vaccines, booster shots and therapeutic drugs have lessened the danger for the overwhelming majority of Americans who are fully vaccinated.

Meanwhile, Texas officials on Tuesday indicated that about 40 per cent of its Army National Guard members are refusing to inoculate themselves against Covid in the latest challenge to the Biden administration order which requires all members of the military to get jabbed.

In the UK, prime minister Boris Johnson has said he will stand by the implementation of Plan B restrictions currently in force in England despite the UK recording a further 218,724 cases of Covid on Tuesday. The prime minister also announced that 100,000 critical workers would be given rapid tests for the virus every day.

Speaking to a virtual Downing St press conference, he said:
Anyone who thinks our battle with Covid is over is profoundly wrong.
This is a moment for the utmost caution.

Every country is different..

Pediatric Covid-19 hospitalizations have risen to record levels as omicron races across the U.S., amplifying the urgency to get boosters and vaccines cleared for children.

While the variant so far doesnt appear more severe than other versions in youngsters, the growing number of cases means more children are susceptible to serious illness.
New hospital admissions of kids with Covid-19 have increased 66% to 378 a day on average for the week ending Tuesday, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-12-31/kids-covid-hospitalizations-reach-record-level-in-omicron-surge

One million cases per day!!
USA has 62% vaccinated.
One third of these are boosted with 3rd jabs.
It will be deadly for the unvaccinated and young children.
Dont be complacent.

U.S. Sets Global Daily Record of Over 1 Million Virus Cases

More than 1 million people in the U.S. were diagnosed with Covid-19 on Monday as a tsunami of omicron swamps every aspect of daily American life.

The highly mutated variant drove U.S. cases to a record, the most -- by a large margin -- that any country has ever reported. Monday’s number is almost double the previous record of about 590,000 set just four days ago in the US, which itself was a doubling from the prior week.

It is also more than twice the case count seen anywhere else at any time since the pandemic began more than two years ago. The highest number outside the U.S. came during India’s delta surge, when more than 414,000 people were diagnosed on May 7, 2021.

People are ignoring the ongoing pandemic and its destructive effects and consequences..
All the best. Take care.

..
Do you need more or less PPE and gloves in hospitals when news like this are reported daily..
Feel the pain when hospitals and healthcare people are infected themselves while serving others due to lack of protection..
---------------

Covid-19 cases in Florida have risen by 948% in just two weeks, as the highly transmissible Omicron variant drives a huge wave of infections and hospitalizations across the US.

Even as Dr Anthony Fauci – Joe Biden’s top medical adviser – cautioned the public to look at hospitalizations and not infections in order to gauge Omicron’s severity, the seven-day average for US patients hospitalized with Covid-19 increased by more than 40% during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

Cases have risen by more than 100% nationally, despite tests being in short supply in many areas, and infections have doubled in the last seven days to an average of 418,000 a day, according to a Reuters tally.

In Florida, local and state officials warned that residents were waiting hours in sometimes miles-long lines just to get a test. Some accused the state health department and the governor, Ron DeSantis, of being missing in action.

“It’s every man/woman for themselves, because leadership is MIA,” tweeted state senator Shevrin Jones.

Evidence suggests Omicron is a more mild if highly infectious variant. But it “will still do terrible damage among the unvaccinated in both the US and worldwide”, according to the New York Times.

..
Do you need more or less PPE and gloves in hospitals when news like this are reported daily..
Feel the pain when hospitals and healthcare people are infected themselves while serving others due to lack of protection..
---------------

Covid-19 cases in Florida have risen by 948% in just two weeks, as the highly transmissible Omicron variant drives a huge wave of infections and hospitalizations across the US.

Even as Dr Anthony Fauci – Joe Biden’s top medical adviser – cautioned the public to look at hospitalizations and not infections in order to gauge Omicron’s severity, the seven-day average for US patients hospitalized with Covid-19 increased by more than 40% during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

Cases have risen by more than 100% nationally, despite tests being in short supply in many areas, and infections have doubled in the last seven days to an average of 418,000 a day, according to a Reuters tally.

In Florida, local and state officials warned that residents were waiting hours in sometimes miles-long lines just to get a test. Some accused the state health department and the governor, Ron DeSantis, of being missing in action.

“It’s every man/woman for themselves, because leadership is MIA,” tweeted state senator Shevrin Jones.

Evidence suggests Omicron is a more mild if highly infectious variant. But it “will still do terrible damage among the unvaccinated in both the US and worldwide”, according to the New York Times.

Fake news on HK listing failure?? LOL.
As what has been announced, HK listing will be done in q1 2022.
Can happen anytime soon.

Omicron is so dangerous due to its spreading ability.
Many people and children who are unvaccinated are at risk.
Cannot be complacent guys.
Look at hospitals being filled and not just headlines news....

Covid news is everywhere.
Shortists beware on strong reversal...

Covid Live Updates: Lack of Quick Test to Diagnose Omicron or Delta Complicates Treatments

Airlines, schools and businesses are curbing operations in the United States because they lack healthy workers. Members of Congress are urged to work remotely...

Many breakthrough cases are happening.
Many illness and potential death likely to come for those who are unvaccinated and young unprotected children.
Scientists and doctors are asking people to be vigilant and not be complacent regarding Omicron.

Those who think Omicron is mild and provide strong immunity, please go fly to US and UK and get your immunity. Mask less and freedom correct?
No need 3rd or 4th jabs.
Pls go ahead.

With the Omicron ragging and variants lurking due to inequality of vaccine distribution, the pandemic is lasting longer than expected after the first vaccine.

Look at the charts for all countries, the new cases and those active ones are ALL RECORD high.
Hospitalisation for covid cases are very high with many normal illness or surgery cases being put on hold.

Usage for gloves will continue to be elevated and from analysts reports, gov agencies has started buying and restocking. UK buying 6 billion pound worth of gloves as announced 2 weeks ago.
ASP will stablised by now or may also move up if more countries gov do the same due to more and more record cases. Gloves counters should be back in this extended pandemic environment.

England and Wales reported 137,583 new COVID cases and 73 coronavirus-related deaths in the latest 24-hour period, according to official data.

The latest figures mean that more than 1.1 million people had a confirmed positive COVID test result between 27 December 2021 and 2 January 2022 - a 43% increase compared with the previous seven days, the government said.

Secondary school students in England will once again be asked to wear masks in classrooms
Image: Secondary school students in England will once again be asked to wear masks in classrooms

The data also shows that 981 deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test were recorded over the last week - a 50% rise compared with the previous seven days.

However this week's data has included a backlog of case and fatality numbers that were not fully reported over Christmas.

It comes after England reported a record high of 162,572 new COVID cases on New Year's Day.


Is it mild??
Is it flu and a passing fad??
Truth is people are dying.
Children and healthcare workers are infected more than ever.
Be very concerned and take good care of your kids when Omicron arrive..

..
The US is ringing in the new year amid a Covid-19 surge experts warn is exploding at unprecedented speed and could alter daily life for many Americans during the first month of 2022.
"Omicron is truly everywhere,"

Dr. Megan Ranney, a professor of emergency medicine at Brown University's School of Public Health, told CNN on Friday night. "What I am so worried about over the next month or so is that our economy is going to shut down, not because of policies from the federal government or from the state governments, but rather because so many of us are ill."

The nation broke records at least four times this week for its seven-day average of new daily Covid-19 cases, reporting an all-time high of more than 386,000 new daily infections Friday, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University. The high case count is already causing disruptions in the country.

US shatters its average daily Covid-19 case record again. Experts describe coming weeks as a 'tidal wave' and 'blizzard'

In New York City, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is plagued with staffing issues and announced three subway lines -- the B, Z and W -- which service various parts of the boroughs, have been suspended.

"Like everyone in New York, we've been affected by the COVID surge. We're running as much train service as we can with the operators we have available," the MTA wrote on Twitter Thursday.
New York continues to break its own record, adding 85,476 reported Covid-19 cases, according to Saturday's briefing from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Hospitalizations jumped to 8,451, up from around 8,000 in the report released Friday, according to the latest data. The state's seven-day positivity rate is 19.79%.
The number of one day case additions has increased 219% since Monday, when the state reported an addition of 26,737 cases.

Healthcare services -- exhausted after several surges of the virus and now stretched thin again by a growing number of Covid-19 patients -- are also already feeling impacts. The University of Maryland Capital Region Health this week joined a growing list of medical centers in the state to activate emergency protocols after a sharp rise in cases fueled staffing shortages and overwhelmed emergency departments.

"The current demand for care is depleting our available resources, including staffing," UM Capital Region Health said in a statement on Friday.

In Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine on Wednesday announced the deployment of about 1,250 National Guard members as hospitals struggle with staffing shortages.

"Get ready. We have to remember, in the next few weeks, there's going to be an unprecedented number of social disruptions," Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of Baylor University's National School of Tropical Medicine, told CNN.

Those include flight disruptions as well, he said, because of TSA agent and air crew absences.
Thousands of flights have already been canceled or delayed throughout the holiday season as staff and crew called out sick. On Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration said an "increased number" of its employees were testing positive for the virus, and "to maintain safety, traffic volume at some facilities could be reduced, which might result in delays during busy periods."

Outrage as 'Flip Flop Fauci' now says Americans could be forced to test negative before exiting 5-day COVID isolation: US records another 115,984 new cases and 280 deaths with Omicron expected to peak mid-January

By Brian Stieglitz For Dailymail.Com

White House COVID tsar Dr Anthony Fauci has suggested that Americans could be forced to test negative before exiting the newly-shortened virus isolation of five days, as the country braces itself for mass staff shortages.

Fauci made his remarks in an ABC News interview on Sunday, days after the CDC halved the isolation time for infected people from 10 days to five, for anyone who is asymptomatic or has not had a fever for 24 hours.

He said: 'You're right there has been some concern about why we don't ask people at that five-day period to get tested. That is something that is now under consideration.

'The CDC is very well aware that there has been some pushback about that. Looking at it again, there may be an option in that, that testing could be a part of that. And I think we're going to be hearing more about that in the next day or so from the CDC,’ Fauci said.

Fauci's latest remarks have seen him accused of flip-flopping on COVID yet again, with Americans given conflicting advice as cases surge and lines for tests lengthen. Travelers also endured another day of chaos at US airports, with 2,409 flights canceled across the country on Sunday afternoon, and another 4,758 delayed...


Just wondered when these politicians and economists will start telling truths and prevent more deaths..

Covid all countries cases report rrcord high.
Hospitals all filled until not enough staffing.
Children are noe infected as well.
WHO warned of tsunami cases coming.
Inequality of vaccine distribution will prolong pandemic.

Ask when glove demand drop?
Ask when the restocking will be needed?
Ask ASP up or down?
2022 be good or bad for glove companies?
Think about it.

People are complacent due to news they chose to read to shore up confidence.
Actual happenings on the ground are record people infected, most hospitals filled, children getting hospitalised, medical staffs down etc etc..
but still some people says its mild. ?
no need gloves and PPE.. ?

Dont be complacent, check the hospitals.
Ask the doctors and not the economists and politicians.
Take care and have a safe and happy new year!

Pandemic OVER?
We are seeing record cases past the last peaks.
People do not learn..

Omicron cases have been rising across the world, far faster than initially thought.
The United States and the United Kingdom are reporting record daily cases, with cities like London and New York worst affected.

Even accounting for 40-50 percent less severity and hospital admissions, if there are three times more cases, that will result in more hospitalisations and deaths than what we saw with Delta.

But it is not just about hospitalisations and deaths.
When people test positive for COVID-19 they must then isolate. With Omicron being so transmissible, numbers of positive cases are rising steeply, resulting in more and more people being off work. This will inevitably start to affect front line services: transport, the police force, fire services and healthcare...


The other danger is if the public holds onto this milder narrative, there is a risk that some people may become complacent about regular lateral flow testing, mask-wearing and ventilating indoor spaces. It may even lead to fewer people taking up the booster vaccines.
This will then result in further cases and eventually an increase in hospitalisations and deaths.

Governments across the world have reacted differently to the emergence and spread of Omicron.
Countries like the Netherlands have adopted a firm lockdown approach whereas the US and UK have very lax measures in place. History has shown us the quicker we act the better the outcome when it comes to putting restrictions in place.

Relying on the milder narrative may well come back to haunt some of our world leaders who most likely have their eyes closed and their fingers crossed, hoping that the surge in cases will not translate into hospital admissions...

Bottomline:
All unvaccinated, not boostered with 3rd jabs and children need to take care.
It is not milder.
People can die.
It may be a long covid illness.
Covid can last a long long time.

WHO and CDC said the peak will be end Jan 2022...
By then what will be the cases number???

Becareful when celebrating New Year folks..

Hospitals staffs need more protection when Omicron patients are being treated. PPE are required. Check your doctors friends.
My son is a doctor.. scary in there...

Doctors said the more severe COVID-19 symptoms they are seeing in hospitalised children this month include difficulty breathing, high fever, and dehydration.
“They need help breathing, they need help getting oxygen, they need extra hydration. They are sick enough to end up in the hospital, and that’s scary for doctors, and it’s scary for parents,” said Rebecca Madan, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at New York University’s Langone Health hospital system.

Good to buy on dip..
News will soon be out on the seriousness of Omicron.

US got many unvaccinated people.
Death cases will increase exponentially..
Dont play but pray!

USA and Europe spike cases and hfully packed ospitalisation will need more gloves...

Netherlands Announces Plan To Give People Up to Six Doses of COVID Vaccine
BY GERRARD KAONGA ON 12/30/21
https://www.newsweek.com/netherlands-vaccination-booster-coronavirus-covid-shot-1664296

Jab until 2023!!!

GENEVA: The World Health Organisation (WHO) cautioned on Wednesday (Dec 29) that the more transmissible Omicron together with the currently circulating Delta variants might lead to a tsunami of cases, putting immense pressure on national health systems, said Xinhua.

Recapping WHO' s response since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (pic) said at a press briefing that he was highly concerned that Omicron being more transmissible, circulating at the same time as Delta - is leading to a tsunami of cases.

This is and will continue to put immense pressure on exhausted health workers and health systems on the brink of collapse and again disrupting lives and livelihoods, he said, citing the pressure as not only new Covid-19 patients requiring hospitalisation but also a large number of health workers were getting sick themselves.

Tedros reiterated his concern over a recent narrative that Omicron has been causing milder or less severe infections.

But we are undermining the other side at the same time - it could be dangerous... we shouldnt undermine the bad news just focusing on the good news, he said.

We dont want people to be complacent, saying this is not severe, this is mild. And we have to be very careful in that narrative, he said.

According to Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHOs Health Emergencies Programme, though Omicron looks like being more transmissible, having a shorter incubation period, and causing a mild infection, it' s based on the largely young population that the variant has been infecting.

Since the Omicron wave had not been fully established in the broader population, Ryan said he' s a little nervous to make positive predictions until we see how well the vaccine protection is going to work in those older and more vulnerable populations.

I think it' s really important over the coming weeks that we keep suppressing transmission of both variants to the minimum, he added - BERNAMA

Omicron will affect millions especially those unvaccinated and those who did not get their 3rd jabs.
Millions will fall ill although some people said the variant is "mild".

As long as the covid viruses are still around, usage of gloves and demands will be high. Likely streched till 2023, 2024..
Is it related to gloves companies?
Think about it..

Covid-19 numbers keep soaring as travelers scatter back across the country after Christmas and Americans prepare for another holiday weekend.

The US is now averaging 198,404 new Covid-19 cases each day, according to Sunday data from Johns Hopkins University. That's 47% higher than a week ago and the highest such number since January 19.

"I think we're going to see half a million cases a day -- easy -- sometime over the next week to 10 days," CNN medical analyst Dr. Jonathan Reiner told CNN on Sunday.

Will COVID-19 end in 2024? Pfizer leaders predict the future of the coronavirus..
Talking about high usage of gloves and PPE till 2024..

Britain exceeds 100,000 daily COVID-19 cases for the first time
23 Dec 2021


LONDON: Britain reported more than 100,000 new daily COVID-19 cases for the first time since widespread testing was introduced, with 106,122 on Wednesday (Dec 22) compared with 90,629 on Tuesday.

The rapid spread of the Omicron variant has driven a surge in cases in the last seven days, with the total rising by 643,219, or 59 per cent, according to government data.

Many industries are struggling with staff shortages as sick workers self-isolate, and hospitals have warned of the risk of an impact on patient safety.

The British government said on Wednesday it was reducing the COVID-19 self-isolation period to seven days from 10 days for people in England who get a negative result on a lateral flow test two days in a row.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday ruled out new restrictions before Christmas, saying that there was uncertainty about the severity of Omicron and hospitalisation rates. However, he did not rule out further measures after the holiday if the situation deteriorated.

There were 195 patients hospitalised with Omicron up to Tuesday and 18 deaths of people with the variant, according to separate data.

Omicron surges to nearly three quarters of US coronavirus cases, first death announced!!!

WASHINGTON (BLOOMBERG) - The Omicron variant accounted for 73 per cent of all sequenced Covid-19 cases in the United States, surging from around 3 per cent last week, according to the latest federal estimates.

The highly mutated coronavirus strain has been detected across the country, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said in a model that it updates weekly. The Delta variant, which had been the dominant form of the virus in the US last week, has now receded to roughly 27 per cent of sequenced cases.

The sizeable increase in Omicron's overall prevalence underscores fears that the rapidly spreading variant could produce a wave of infections that will strain the US health-care system.

LONDON (REUTERS) - Britain reported a surge in cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant on Saturday (Dec 18) which government advisers said could be just the tip of the iceberg, and London’s mayor declared a “major incident” to help the city’s hospitals cope.

The number of Omicron cases recorded across the country hit almost 25,000 as of 1800 GMT on Friday, up by more than 10,000 cases from 24 hours earlier, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said.

Seven people believed to have had the Omicron variant had died as of Thursday, up from one death in the UKHSA’s previous data which ran up to Tuesday. Admissions to hospital of people thought to have the variant increased to 85 from 65.

Demands will continue to be high due to the pandemic lasting till at least 2024.
Supplies dropped as more new players and glove companies reduce their big expansion plans.
ASP may move up again instead of dropping due to buyers back to restock like UK recent announcement.
Glove companies will still made a lot of profits for the coming few years ..

Omicron strangles treatment options in fight against COVID-19

Vaccines and most antibody therapies are compromised by the variant, but antivirals appear to remain effective.

Just when hospitals were getting their hands on a suite of useful weapons in the fight against COVID-19, Omicron arrived.

As the new and highly transmissible coronavirus variant sweeps through Europe, early data suggests it can not only render vaccines less effective, but it can also evade tailor-made COVID-19 treatments as well. It’s the news nobody wanted.

Monoclonal antibodies were the first therapies designed specifically to counter coronavirus infection. But laboratory studies now suggest that Omicron can evade neutralization by most of these drugs...

Europe Braces for More Covid Restrictions as U.S. Holds Off
By Corinne Gretler
December 20, 2021

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-12-19/europe-braces-for-more-covid-restrictions-in-time-for-holidays



Omicron Prompts New Covid-19 Restrictions
Top U.S. health official warns the variant is likely to strain hospitals in the coming weeks; European nations implement restrictions

New restrictions were set in place in Europe in an effort to stem the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus as a top U.S. health official warned that the variant is likely to strain American hospitals in the coming weeks.

The rapidly spreading variant is already the dominant strain in the U.K., according to estimates derived from British health data, and is within days of becoming so in Denmark. Omicron has been detected in 89 countries, and Covid-19 cases of the variant are doubling every 1.5 to three days in places with community transmission, the World Health Organization said Saturday.

The Netherlands on Sunday reimposed a lockdown in the face of Omicron, with all nonessential shops, bars and restaurants closed until mid-January.

Germany will ban travelers from the U.K. starting on Monday because of growing concerns over the rapidly rising number of Omicron infections there...

Biden to give Omicron-focused speech on Tuesday
By Kaitlan Collins and Jeff Zeleny, CNN December 18, 2021

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/12/18/politics/joe-biden-omicron-tuesday-speech/index.html