it does appear that omicron — omicron hour by hour.ear that omicron spreads _ omicron hour by hour. it does appear that omicron spreads very _ omicron hour by hour. it does appear that omicron spreads very rapidly - that omicron spreads very rapidly and can— that omicron spreads very rapidly and can be — that omicron spreads very rapidly and can be spread _ that omicron spreads very rapidly and can be spread between- that omicron spreads very rapidlyl and can be spread between people that omicron spreads very rapidly- and can be spread between people who are double _ and can be spread between people who are double vaccinated. _ and can be spread between people who are double vaccinated. there _ and can be spread between people who are double vaccinated. there is- and can be spread between people who are double vaccinated. there is also. are double vaccinated. there is also are double vaccinated. there is also a very— are double vaccinated. there is also a very extensive _ are double vaccinated. there is also a very extensive mutation _

basically anywhere where the omicron variant has been detected.ong kong resident you're banned from entering. if you are a hong kong resident and vaccinated, you have a 21-day quarantine. from africa they have to be tested for covid every single day. it is similar to the strict quarantine in mainland china. so japan shutting down their borders like israel, hong kong and china, they remain confident that their very strict quarantine protocols will keep omicron out of the jgeneral population. there was a third case detexted at the international airport. the first case was detected two floors down from me in the hotel. we get tested quite a lot for covid. i've been tested three times since i arrived in hong kong a week ago, three negative test results so far. >> well done. well, will ripley joining us live from hong kong. many thanks. >>> i, sandra prunel, do swear i will well and truly serve barbados in the office of president, so help me god. >> and that is 73-year-old sandra mason. now, the first-ever president of barbados, just hours ago the isla

as of the last hour, that was still omicron the case. but omicron is already in africa and canada. is it only a matter of time? before we discover a case here? guest: yes. every hour we are updated on cases of omicron around the world. recently we heard of a case in germany. that follows the playbook of many of these variants. by the time we figure it out, the cat is out of the proverbial bag. kristen: how would we discover it? is it through genetic sequencing? guest: we only genetic sequence 1% to 2% of those cases. it takes two weeks to three weeks. we are lagging many countries in terms of cases. we have the technology to sequence everyone multiple times, but we don't have the coordinated willpower to do it. i think there is a new test that is easier to do. that may be implemented for rapid screening for omicron. it is whether or not we would implement that or not. kristen: if you have questions, please ask. let me ask you about this variance. we know it has at least 50 mutations, 32 on the spike protein, the part of the virus that enters human cells. ? what does that mean? dr.

i don't see omicron totally outcompeting delta.t vaccinated, i think the biggest threat is the delta variant by far. that's going to continue. but the reason why omicron could gain some foot hold, we have a lot of partially immunized people. if you've been infected and recovered but not gotten vaccinated on top of that, i think you're going to be very susceptible to omicron reinfection. we've seen a fair number of reinfections in south africa. so that's going to be the role of omicron, i think, causing reinfection in people who have been infected and recovered but not vaccinated or maybe among the partially vaccinated, meaning they got one dose but didn't complete the series. the big unknown is what happens to those of us who got three doses. i don't have the answer. we're working on it in our lab, as i'm sure moderna and pfizer is. i think it may not be so terrible. i think we'll see a drop in protection, but i'm more optimistic than the moderna ceo, at least in his statement, that we may not need that specific designed booster fo

is calling omicron a variant of concern, the doctor who first raised concerns about the omicron variant says the symptoms are mild. what's your level of concern overall? >> i would take that with a grain of salt. again, as we've seen, there's a very small sample. you really need to see a huge population have that same variant and get a better sense of how it's distributed. i think the limited observation doesn't say a lot. the concern for the medical community is if you see potentially based on genetic code and it's how it behaves in patients and a laboratory. the concern would be that some of the medical treatments we have such as monoclonal antibodies work. >> we're going to look to what we've already gone through with covid. you have researchers saying omicron does share some similarities with lambda and beta variants that are resistant to our current vaccines. neither of those made a significant impact. do you have an educated guess as to the omicron might go that way or be like delta, which did make a huge impact? >> immune protection from vaccines is not like an on/off switch. it

is omicron more transmissible?'s too early to be certain what's happening as cases only started increasing ten days ago from a very low level. the world health organization said omicron shows why the world needs a new global agreement on how to prevent, prepare and respond to pandemics. brute agreement on how to prevent, prepare and respond to pandemics.— and respond to pandemics. we should all be wide awake _ and respond to pandemics. we should all be wide awake for the _ and respond to pandemics. we should all be wide awake for the threat - and respond to pandemics. we should all be wide awake for the threat of - all be wide awake for the threat of this virus — all be wide awake for the threat of this virus. but omicron's very emergence is another reminder that although— emergence is another reminder that although many of us might think we are done _ although many of us might think we are done with covid—19, it's not done _ are done with covid—19, it's not done with— are done with covid—19, it's not done with us.

is that on omicron will risk? -- omicron risk? what is that predicated on?ordan: i have essentially not used covid and mike trading strategies -- my trading strategies. the flows are what matters most in fx. the question i now have with omicron is, will this affect the flows? let's talk about the flows. the euro area trade surplus is slowing down as exports to china start to slow, china going for an a comic slowdown. also, the european consumer seems to be doing so at a faster clip. then you've got equities. european equities remain unattractive. in u.s. yields remained pretty much higher than european. all three of those flows won't change on the back of this omicron story, so i think that's the main driver of euro. the yield story is set to raise rates faster. this variant will probably, the ecb will remain dovish for longer, and this december meeting, which was a risk for my short dollar trade, probably less a risk now. they are likely to get hawkish, less so than the fed. i think the risks are the fed remains pretty optimistic despite all of this. . dani

are they reacting to omicron or something else?bout omicron. all this uncertainty just continues to send the stock market on a wild roller coaster ride. markets tumbled friday, bounced back a bit yesterday but as you can see, the dow down 515 points, about 1.5%. now, federal reserve chairman jerome powell, he talked today in washington about the risks that omicron poses to the economy. let's listen to what he had to say. >> the recent rise in covid-19 cases and the emergence of the omicron variant pose downside risks to the employment and economic activity and increased uncertainty for inflation. greater concerns about the virus could reduce people's willingness to work in-person, which would slow progress in the labor market and intensify supply chain disruptions. >> reporter: so, three main risks there. inflation, worker shortage, and the supply chain. those are the things that investors are most concerned about, but we do need to stress that these are just risks at this point. we don't know enough to say exactly what the impact'

is on high alert for the omicron variant. the cdc is expanding its surveillance to at least four big airports in the united states as the number of countries detecting the variant has climbed already to 20. cnn national correspondent nick watt has more on the new urgency, uncertainty, and all of this unfolding in the coronavirus pandemic. >> the question is when, not if the omicron variant reaches the united states. could already be here. among the first to study omicron, this guy. >> looks like a problem, but we don't know to what extent will be a problem. i wouldn't at this point say that this is hugely different from stuff we've seen before. >> i think we'll get information on transmissibility and severity in the coming days, maybe a week or two. i think it will take some time for us to get a better understanding of the impact on vaccines. our estimate is between two and four weeks. >> here's what we already know about omicron's mutations. >> these mutations have been associated with increased transmissibility and immune e

shouldn't just be about omicron, but just in general. when we look at testing, and andy slav it recommending that all americans should have a supply, he thinks, of rapid tests and antiviral meds at home sending out a tweet last night saying six months from now if every american had access to instant tests and prescription for highly effective therapy it would ease concerns a great deal. we know testing is not where it needs to be in this country in terms of access. and that also limits what public health officials know about the spread of this disease, about current disease levels. do you think we can get a handle on this virus in the united states without adequate testing and tracing? >> so, number one, yes, i do. i believe we can do that. but we absolutely need more testing. as you know, testing plummeted sort of toward the midsummer to less than 50% of its rates in january. and there was a lull in the production of the antigen tests. i think the administration is trying to reverse that. but i do agree with andy slav it that one of the

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the identification of omicron.cron coincides with the sudden rise in covid—i9 infections. this increase has been centred, although cases are also rising in other provinces. we have seen an average age —— average of 1600 cases in the last seven days. compared to just 500 new delhi cases in the previous week. 275 new delhi cases the week before that. the proportion of tests that are positive has risen from around 2% to 9% in less than one week. this is extremely sharp of a rise in infections in a short space of time if cases continue to climb, we can expect to enter a fourth wave of infections within the next few weeks. if not sooner. this should not come as a surprise. epidemiologists and disease modellers have told us that we should expect a fourth wave in early december. scientists have also told us to expect the emergence of new variants. there are several concerns about the omicron variant and we are still not sure exactly how it will behave going forward. however, we already have the tools that we need to prote

would that also work for omicron? we don't know, of course, but if you look at the viral genome sequence for omicron, it looks as if the target for this drug, which is a protease is the same as other isolates from covid-19. there's reason to think it would work there as well. that's speculation until we have the actual data. notice another drug being considered by fda tomorrow, merck's drug called malnupiavir could potentially play a role here. recent data says its effectiveness in preventing hospital station is more like 30% instead of a higher number but still very worth looking at. >> quickly before we go, a chance to repeat your best advice in the meantime as we learn more. you said get vaccinated, get boosted, tell us why. >> we still have of course in the u.s. a serious surge of the delta variant. we should be thinking about that. your best protection against delta is to get vaccinated, and if you've already been vaccinated and six months have passed since you got pfizer or moderna, get your booster, two months

reportero: una palabra tiene en vilo al planeta: Ómicron.hay evidencia que esa variante estÉ en estados unidos, pero tampoco lo descarta, donde ya estÁ en alemania, israel y alemania, es en gran bretaÑa. [habla en inglÉs] [habla en inglÉs] >> parece que Ómicron se contagia rÁpidamente, incluso entre las personas que se han vacunado dos veces. reportero: londres indica que aÚn es pronto para saber el efecto exacto de Ómicron, pero anunciÓ medidas que podrÍan ser el reflejo de lo que se haga en otros paÍses. todos los que entren a gran bretaÑa tendrÁn que hacerse una prueba pcr y auto aislarse hasta que el resultado sea negativo. se reforzarÁn las medidas para el uso de mascarillas, en especial en comercios y transporte pÚblico. >> es mÁs vital que nunca que la gente se vacuna y se ponga la tercera dosis de refuerzo. reportero: los mÉdicos han repetido constantemente que una vacuna no evita necesariamente un contagio, pero sÍ que es una fuerte protecciÓn. >> en este momento hay que recordar que las vacunas estÁn diseÑadas para poder protegerno

dutch health authorities are testing to see if it's the omicron variant.igrants crossing the channel. and weather warnings are still in place in parts of the uk — as the clean—up from storm arwen continues now the sport.

how will the omicron affect the markets in the long term?ne -- you can engage with our blog. you can see the rebound of risk assets relatively to the asian session. but we see a rebound of 4% when it comes to wti. it fell. is there a sense some of the de-risking will state given how high some of these asset classes have run up? kathleen: well, it's going to depend a lot on this new variant, isn't it? let's get onto our new guest, the world health organization urging caution that cases linked to the omicron variant has been mild so far. our next guest argues is they are -- argues they are justified. so nancy, markets around the world reacted so strongly on friday on something that was already sort of in the air, but now there are governments reacting to it with travel restrictions, etc. as much as the markets may have overdone it, is it possible that the reaction from the virology community is may be just a little bit overdone, as well? some vaccination people who resisted, or people who don't want to get them, feel that there is a move on to

the omicron _ omicron at the moment. that is right. the omicron variant - omicron at the moment.r test we do looks for the _ sequencing of omicron? the pcr test we do looks for the genetic _ sequencing of omicron? the pcr test we do looks for the genetic material i we do looks for the genetic material of the _ we do looks for the genetic material of the virus — we do looks for the genetic material of the virus and the world health organization has issued reassuring information today to say that the pcr tests — information today to say that the pcr tests that are being conducted will still— pcr tests that are being conducted will still work against this omicron variant— will still work against this omicron variant and — will still work against this omicron variant and they will recognise it because — variant and they will recognise it because we are looking in those tests— because we are looking in those tests for— because we are looking in those tests for a — because we are looking in those tests for a part of that virus which is different — tests for a part of that virus which i

it sounds like the title of a science—fiction novel — the omicron variant.s latest version of covid, complete with many more mutations, is all too real. two cases have been identified here in the uk. the scientists say they need to learn more about it, but here's the reason the government's reacting swiftly to its presence... it does appear that omicron spreads very rapidly and can be spread between people who are double vaccinated. so, for the first time since the summer, there will be new restrictions in england. from next week, wearing masks in shops and on public transport will be mandatory, as it is now in scotland, wales and northern ireland, and if you're returning from abroad, compulsory pcr tests are being reintroduced. and that's not all... we will require all contacts of those who test positive with a suspected case of omicron to self—isolate for ten days, regardless of your vaccination status. and here's one reason why... there are quite extensive mutations on the spike protein, which is an important part of the virus, and the reason that is impo

omicron has change that.air powell mentioned that it's something of concern for him as well. he put in a paragraph in his prepared remarks to his testimony, and it does indicate there will be less urgency to talk about tapering and faster hiking when the next or fed means for its important meeting. so it does take away the pressure from the rate hikes and we think the investors have knocked off about one rate hike for next year. shery: we of course have seen the volatility come down a little bit. but not necessarily to the level before the news of the variant. just gtv char on the bloomberg showing how immense this make it interesting for you to enter the markets? where would you go? >> it does make it interesting to into the markets at the level we saw yesterday morning and asia opening. where would i go from the u.s. into technology? let's assume we have the same problem that we had with the other variant. we know technology was a pretty good sector to be in at that time, but we have seen quite a decline in

this is before omicron.normal lives? it was 33%. stay at home to stop the spread. look, clear majority at 67%. now in october, those numbers have completely flipped. lead their normal lives, 59%. stay home as much as possible, just 41%. people are a lot less willing to give up what they like doing. >> what about masks? >> this is just another way in which people have changed. back in january, always or sometimes wearing a mask in public, it was basically everybody. 92%. some of that, obviously, was sometimes and not always, always. now, down to 67%. the people always wearing a mask was a majority in january. it is now a clear minority of this always land sometimes. >> clear challenges? >> the way people are leading their lives, january versus now. >> thank you, sir. >>> a new book is pulling back the curtain on how much former president trump enriched himself and his family while he was in office. $1.7 billion in revenue flowed through him and his organizations during his four years as commander in chief. jo

can we say yet whether or not it's effective against omicron?porter: we don't know yet how effective the existing vaccines are against omicron. but theoretically, they should have protection. even if the vaccine were not originally designed for this variant, it's likely there w got it. >> reporter: johnson & johnson and pfizer are already testing whether their vaccines work on omicron. and manufacturers say they have plans to adapt their vaccines if necessary. for now, dr. lapook says to keep doing what medical experts say already works. >> get vaccinated. get boostered, if you're eligible, and do all the other mitigation things like social distancing, wearing a mask, testing. >> reporter: and this all comes as the nation is still struggling against delta. cases are up in many parts of the country, and there are concerns we could see a holiday surge. carter. >> evans: michael, thank you. president biden is closely following developments on all of this as he closes out his holiday weekend in nantucket, massachusetts. cbs' weijia jiang is travelin

the uk is already confirming three cases of omicron. over the weekend, prime minister johnson announced a series of targeted measures to combat the variant. cnn is live in paris. for more on those measures. and how the rest europe is responding to this latest threat. let's start with the uk. what are you learning? >> so, the uk will now require everybody who is coming into country to isolate. until they have a negative test. at the end of a second day after arrival. some of the extra measures the administration now putting into effect. to make sure this is not spreading. into the wider community. so once again masks will be mandatory in public places. this is something that some people are opposed to. it speaks to the attitude across europe. of trying to make sure that the variant doesn't really make its way into the wider population. because the world health organization is warning, risk of potential surge is quite high. even though they are learning a lot more about what this could mean. that's why authorities here across europe are f

all contacts of suspected omicron cases must

there's still so much we don't know about the omicron variant.is out. stocks rebounded slightly monday after that big slide on friday. monday the dow closed up 236 points. the nasdaq had a really good day, its best day since may. this morning all eyes on the fed chief jerome powell. he will testify before lawmakers, and we know he will say the new variant could threaten the economic recovery. he'll explain how. we have seen his testimony. >>> fed up with high gas prices? jpmorgan seise you ain't seen nothing yet. the investment giant predicts the oil spike is just getting started. this is the prediction from jpmorgan. brent crude, $125 a barrel next year. today's price just over $73. if jpmorgan is right, prices at the pump could top $5 a gallon. the company says opec nations have plenty of oil in the ground, but they don't have the capital or the logistics to deliver it quickly. >>> twitter announcing co-founder jack dorsey stepping down as chief executive immediately. his depar tour comes six years after he helped turn the business around. twit

new form of omicron has been found in seven countries. the u.s. isn't alone in shutting its borders in an attempt to contain the variant. that has sparked anger in south africa where scientists have alerted the global community. while there are signs omicron is more infectious, we still don't know how bad the threat is compared to other variants. a doctor who among the first raised alarms said it's mild. it's worth mentioning many of the cases she saw in south africa were in people who were not vaccinated. >> looking at the mildness of the symptoms we're seeing, there's no reason for panicking as we don't see severely ill patients. the most predominant clinical complaint is severe fatigue with headache and body ache. some will have what they call a scratchy throat and some will have a cough, a dry cough. >> while later today u.s. president joe biden will meet with the white house covid response team for a briefing, sometime after that he'll update the public on this latest fight against the pandemic. joe johns has more on how the president has bee

>> do you think this new omicron variant is already here in the united states? >> i really do, wolf. when we reported on this over the last couple yoerears and san march of last year for example i think the ban for example of travel from europe was middle of march last year. when you go back and look at the data you realize it was, the virus was already circulating pretty widely by first week of march. by the time you recognize it in other places, start sequencing it, given global travel, it is a good chance it is already here. >> will the travel restrictions the u.s. has now put in place on several african countries really help? >> i don't think it'll help much to be honest. this is based on history from what i just told you from last year. you learn these lessons. also the idea it is a pretty porous ban. people who are citizens of the united states can travel back. they could just as well be carrying the virus also. if we were confident that this variant was not here in the united states, then i think you can make a better risk reward proposition that it may b

the omicron variant is the big question here.hat is your take on this or how do you see your colleagues reading the danger of the possibility of a renewed lockdown. in berlin, the government is working on another lockdown. >> i think that is the real issue. all along with the worry about inflation and we were focused on that and considering what the fed does, everyone is taking strong growth for granted. even though we had growth in china slowing, signs that europe was already slowing and now we've got possibilities of new lockdowns and finally, we have a pretty big speedbump in the u.s. and the third quarter. growth assumptions need to be hedged carefully. that is one reason long-term rates are low and as we see the omicron uncertainty hovering over consumers at the same time that a lot of the pandemic is being tamped down, it will make for rougher growth in the first quarter. after the shot -- holiday shopping spree, it could be different next year. matt: thank you so much for spending some time with us. we are looking right no

>>> right now on "america this morning," the omicron variant of the coronavirus now confirmed in a dozen countries including canada. the new travel restrictions announced overnight and the big question, can the vaccine stop it? we hear from the top experts. >>> plus, the jitters on wall street after friday's major sell-off. president biden set to speak this morning. our team coverage next. >>> the trial of ghislaine maxwell. the socialite accused of recruiting girls for sex offender jeffrey epstein begins today. the key witnesses and wimaxwell's brother claims she's being used as a scapegoat. >>> cyber onday deals and scams. the new warning for online shoppers about store surveys. plus, the one deal that can apply to just about anyone on your list. >>> a fashion icon and trail blazer dies at age 41. the rare heart cancer that claimed the life of virgil abloh and the mark he's left on the industry. >>> caught on camera, a drawbridge rises with a pedestrian still on the bridge. >>> from trash to treasure, the eye-popping value of a drawing found during an estate sale. >>> good monday morni

how will they handle omicron?ly: politicians will be taking a close look at what is needed at this point. remember back when covid-19 became a global pandemic they talked a lot of funding. saying they wanted to give americans assistance and make sure they were getting them through the pandemic. after president biden came into office use are republicans hold back and say we think we have spent enough. we are worried about high inflation. you have seen those worries within the democratic party. you hear democrats saying this just means we need to pass that social welfare and tax package from president biden. even within the democratic party you are hearing senator joe manchin say there are serious concerns about inflation. they are worried about pumping more into the economy. a huge question about whether we will see another big spending bill targeted at omicron. tom: does the zeitgeist this morning simply that they will continue with the booster program and we will nudge the vaccination rate up in america? is that

the uk government promises it will be christmas as normal despite the discovery of the omicron variant of coronavirus. from tuesday, people in england will once again have to wear masks in shops and on public transport — the health secretary says ministers acted as quickly as they could what we do know is much more about our own country and i think the speed at which we acted at, it could not have been any faster. israel says it will ban the entry of all foreigners — making it the first country to shut its borders completely in response to the new omicron variant. european ministers — minus the uk home secretary priti patel — meet for talks in calais today about how to stop migrants crossing the channel and weather warnings are still in place in parts of the uk — as the clean up from storm arwen continues hello and welcome if you're watching in the uk or around the world. the uk health secretary, sajid javid, has promised it will still be a great christmas despite the discovery of two cases of the omicron variant of coronavirus in nottingham and essex. the government has introduced new

we have a lot to be learned on this omicron strain.hat i hear from colleagues in south africa, yes, it's transmissible, causing a lot of cases, slight increase in hospitalizations already but i hear in many of the people getting infected, the disease is not as severe and many are already vaccinated individuals so i think the most important thing is if you're vaccinated, you may not prevent infection but probably with the vaccines not being as effective with this strain you probably still prevent severe disease and hospitalization. >> this is such an important point that you are making. again, i'm trying to learn from you and many other experts on the air and off the air as well. we hear things like more mutations in the headlines or on tv, that sounds scary, doctor. we hear things like variant, these are scary words nowadays but does more mutations necessarily mean more dangerous? >> well, we don't know some of the mutations that this virus has do increase transmission, do decrease, you know, the efficacy of antibody treatments, the ef

omicron _ right now. absolutely. let's turn to the ft. omicron sparks _ right now. absolutely.y. let's turn to the ft. omicron sparks a flurry - right now. absolutely. let's turn to the ft. omicron sparks a flurry of. the ft. omicron sparks a flurry of travel restrictions around the globe, and, this is after the three cases were detected in the uk. —— anne. the who has asked for orders to remain open and a balanced response but many countries aren't necessarily taking notice of that, aren't they?— necessarily taking notice of that, aren't the ? , ., ., , ., aren't they? they are not. they are absolutely overlooking _ aren't they? they are not. they are absolutely overlooking what - aren't they? they are not. they are absolutely overlooking what the - aren't they? they are not. they are l absolutely overlooking what the who is saying and israel has closed its borders. switzerland will be asking people to quarantine for ten days. all over the world from saudi arabia to parts of europe, more restrictions are being imposed on travel. i think there is evidently a great wish among go

. >>> also tonight, the omicron variant spreading to at least 20 countries. tonight what the director of cdc says we're doing in the u.s. to track it here and the different messages from moderna and pfizer about the we have it all. >>> graphic testimony in the trial of ghislaine maxwell. the first accuser on the stand, claiming jeffrey epstein sexually assaulted her when she was just 14. telling the jury about the only other person she says was most often in the room. >>> the major reveal today amid jury selection in the trial of former police officer accused of killing daunte wright. body camera video showing officer kim potter confusing her gun for her taser, yelling taser, taser, taser, then firing the fatal shot. she will now take the stand. >>> former president trump's former chief of staff mark meadows now cooperating with the house committee investigating the january 6th capitol riot. what we've learned tonight. >>> news coming in now, the major new development in the investigation of that deadly movie set shooting in santa fe. >>> after following the

the government announces new restrictions to be introduced next week — as two cases of omicron — a newiant of covid—19 — are discovered in the uk. this is the responsible course of action to slow down the seeding and spread of this new variant and to maximise our defences. people in england will now once again have to wear facemasks on public transport and in shops. all contacts of suspected omicron cases must self—isolate for ten days, regardless of their vaccination status. mrjohnson also announced that people entering the country would have to take a pcr test and self—isolate until they get a negative result. and the government also said it's considering how it can expand the coronavirus booster campaign. the prime minister says these measures are precautionary and temporary and will be reviewed in three weeks. we'll bring you all the latest. three people have died as storm arwen hits the uk, with winds of up to a hundred miles an hour. also today — the former england cricket captain, michael vaughan, tells the bbc he's �*sorry for all the hurt�* azeem rafiq went through during the

beyond omicron or before omicron how— the uk. beyond omicron or before omicron how is _ the uk.e omicron how is the _ the uk. beyond omicron or before omicron how is the uk _ the uk. beyond omicron or before omicron how is the uk infection i 0micron how is the uk infection rates in comparison with other parts of the continent? i rates in comparison with other parts of the continent?— of the continent? i think what we've seen since about _ of the continent? i think what we've seen since about july, _ of the continent? i think what we've seen since about july, we've - of the continent? i think what we've seen since about july, we've had - seen since aboutjuly, we've had high infection rates with delta that remained relatively steady, they've gone up and down. they look like fortunately it weakens the link between cases and death although we are still seeing substantial regular amounts of death and height levels of hospitalisations. and that was putting a great deal of pressure on the nhs as it tried to deal with this backlog. i've had friends who've worked in the nhs for 30 years

john torres about the omicron variant. what doctors are saying on this new mutation and what precautions you can take this holiday season. >>> bombshell testimony in the elizabeth holmes fraud trial today. holmes broke down in tears when she told the jury that she was raped while a student at stanford. she then explained how later her long-time boyfriend and theranos co-worker abused her. more from downtown san jose. >> reporter: elizabeth holmes walked into court as she has dozens of times, but inside things took a very emotional turn. holmes testified she left stanford because she was raped as a student. she also testified she was later abused physically and verbally by her long-time boyfriend and theranos co-executive sunny balwani. >> it's very compelling testimony. she told us that balwani has been abusive, berating her and controlling her and telling her how to live her life and was forcing -- she talked about that she was forced to have sex with him. >> reporter: the testimony came after holmes told the jury she was

so is omicron more transmissible?ctions in south africa, but it's too early to be certain what's happening as cases only started increasing ten days ago from a very low level. the world health organization said omicron shows why the world needs a new global agreement on how to prevent, prepare and respond to pandemics. we should all be wide awake to the threat of this virus. but omicron's very emergence is another reminder that, although many of us might think we are done with covid—19, it's not done with us. another key unknown is whether omicron causes more severe illness. doctors in south africa say they've been dealing with mild infections from the variant, but cases there are mostly in young adults. the real test will be when omicron starts moving into older and more vulnerable people. perhaps most crucial of all, will vaccines still work? current covid vaccines are based on the original wuhan strain of coronavirus, and train the immune system to recognise the spike protein on its surface. the virus has changed c

we are just getting to know omicron. and so talk to us first about the differences that you saw in your patients that tested positive for omicron versus other variants that we've experienced during this pandemic. >> thank you so much. the omicron variant was so -- i noticed a difference sometimes on the 18th of november with our patients coming into the surgery. you have to understand that for about eight to ten weeks we were really not seeing a lot of covid positive patients. we passed our fourth wave of the delta, the third wave of the delta, and then we had what i call a breathing space. a nice breather, and then on that specific day, because i'm also aware of what is happening in the background with all the vaccines and some of these, whent the patients come in with symptoms that are similar to viral infections, i decided to test him, and then he was positive. it's a young person, 30 years, a young male, 30 years of age who actually thought that because he was working in the sun a few days before that this is related

omicron variant. jeff: this new variant is cause for concern but not panic because we now have the tools we need to confront this variant and continue to make proimpress in the war against the virus. we have vaccines for everyone ages 5 and up. boosters that provide the highest level of protection. significant genomic sequences and testing capacity to detect cases early. and lifesaving therapeutics. so we have more tools than ever before. we are prepared and will continue to be guided by science and stay vigilant to keep people safe. now over to you dr. fauci. dr. fauci: thank you very much, jeff. i want to talk a little bit about the details of this omicron variant. so if i could have the first slide, just to put it in some perspective, this is a list of the variants of concerns we had to deal with, what their designation is, and what the earliest documented samples were. and, of course, today, we'll be focusing on the latest, namely, the omicron variant we're dealing with. next slide. let's take a l

what are they saying about omicron? >> ana, the leaders of this nation's economy are acknowledging a pretty sobering reality. a covid is not over and the economy remains inextricably linked to the path of the pandemic. jerome powell outlined three main risks to the recovery from only krofnlt one, inflation. there's a lot more uncertainty than there was just a few days ago about the path of high prices and when they are going to come down. two, slower job growth. if people are scared to go back to work, that can weigh on the jobs market, and the other one is the supply chain crisis. if there's not enough workers, that could make the supply chain pressures even worse. we know that markets hate uncertainty so it's no surprise to see stocks taking another tumble. markets fell sharply on friday and bounced back a bit yesterday and the dow is down 650 points, almost 2% and, again, that's mostly on concerns about covid, concerns about the variant and also jerome pole made some surprising comments that helped send markets lower

what's your biggest concern about the omicron variant right now?concern -- the biggest concern is whether or not the antibodies that we've developed from the vaccination will actually protect us from the omicron virus, and we just don't know the answer to that yet. >> and, dr. maldonado, you talked about the vaccines, but how effective are the tests we currently have at detecting this variant? >> the tests apparently are excellent, so we've already heard from three major companies that they've already provided results showing that their tests work really well in picking up the omicron variant. so that's good news. >> and, dr. maldonado, do you think the travel restrictions put in place by certain countries is a little preemptive right now? >> well, i think we are just so scared right now. we thought we had this delta under control, and it's so hard to know exactly what this virus is going to do, but i think in the next couple of weeks we'll have a better idea, so it's hard to know. countries are also very trigger happy right now and worried about s

keeping a close eye on potential fallout from the omicron variant. here is how some key players have been reacting on bloomberg tv. >> we are entering a bit of a risky day. >> this unwelcome news. >> but i can quite understand why financial markets are worried. >> could not come at a worse time. >> it is on the back of thanksgiving. >> it makes sense for some investors to take risk off the table. >> it could take us a while to recover from this. >> leaders of every major nation start dealing with this as if it is an issue that is -- stop dealing with this as if it is an issue just for their nation. it is a world issue. >> we still see some underlying strength. >> this new strain wave we are seeing. >> we should not imagine that all is lost. it is not. >> let's -- francine: let's get more from eddie van der walt. first of all, good morning. it seems like the markets are recalibrating. are there cooler heads today because we don't know what we are dealing with, or is there a belief in the markets that we can look through this because infections could b

omicron is about 10 letters of the greek alphabet from delta. first thing to be said is there are probably more variants that have not been as troublesome. according to the world health organization, this variant has about 32 different spikes in the vehicle that allows us to cling to human cells. i am worried. i am vaccinated. what we need to do -- i don't know so much about praying -- but what i do know is that we need to definitely be supporting the labs in south africa which are trying to find out how the virus is affected by the current vaccine modalities we have and then pumping lots of dollars down to those labs to try to hold -- hold into that part of the world as possible. that is what we failed to do at the beginning of the covid situation is put our technology and our dollars and vaccines into the parts of the world that were most affected initially. host: james, do you plan on altering any of your holiday plans now that you know this very is out there, omicron is out there? a lot of people planned over the holidays. for example, this

, and they are working on an omicron-specific booster candidate.e spoke with pfizer ceo this morning, and he told us they started on friday developing a potential new booster or a new vaccine focused on omicron, and he had this to say about his optimism for the company's ability to pivot >> next year it is almost in the pocket $h4 billion we can make. if there's a new one we can make, we can make almost 4 billion. with that in mind the availability is not an issue the efficacy is very high. there are treatments around. i'm optimistic we are preparing for that and we will win this battle as well >> pfizer also has told us this morning it has increased the manufacturing estimate for its antiviral for next year, now to 80 million courses, up from 50 million it had been projecting previously bourla telling us he expects because of the way the drug works it shouldn't be affected by omicron's mutations they will need to test it to confirm, but merck telling us the same thing for its drug. some hope for the antivirals >> when he was talking about $4 billi

omicron first detected in south africa. moments ago, canada confirming the first two cases in north america now joining more than a dozen countries worldwide including australia, parts of europe and the uk. today president biden returning to the white house and meeting with his covid response team and that new travel ban blocking most non-u.s. citizens from eight countries set to take effect in just hours. omicron has not been detected here in the u.s., but today dr. fauci said it is not a question of if, but when. dr. jha joins us in a moment to answer all of your questions, but first abc's elwyn lopez leads us off. >> reporter: tonight, the u.s. on high alert, scientists racing to learn more about the new coronavirus variant, first identified in southern africa, now spreading across the globe. dr. anthony fauci saying it's only a matter of time before the omicron variant is identified here in the u.s. >> inevitably it will be here. the question is will we be prepared for it and the preparation that we have ongoing for wha