Dec 29 (Reuters) – The Dow and S&P 500 closed at all-time highs on Wednesday on a boost from retailers including Walgreens and Nike, as investors shrugged off concerns on the spreading Omicron variant. The Dow has now risen six straight trading days, marking the longest streak of gains since a seven-session run from March 5 to March 15 this year. Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA.O) and Nike Inc rose against the backdrop of recent reports suggesting holiday sales were strong for U.S. retailers. Data on Wednesday showed the U.S. trade deficit in goods mushroomed to the widest ever in November as imports of consumer goods shot to a record, as the coronavirus pandemic has limited spending by Americans on services. Some early studies pointing to a reduced risk of hospitalization in Omicron cases have eased some investors concerns over the travel disruptions and powered the S&P 500 to record highs this week. “The market started to recognize that the Omicron variant was in a strange way good news, because it will burn itself out more rapidly because it’s easily transmissible, but it’s less likely to overwhelm hospitals,” said Jay Hatfield, founder and chief executive of Infrastructure Capital Management in New York. Still, he said Omicron arguably is going to be a headwind for at least the next month. Meanwhile, the S&P 1500 airlines index (.SPCOMAIR)dipped. Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) and Alaska Air Group (ALK.N) canceled hundreds of flights again on Tuesday as the daily tally of infections in the United States surged. Two of the 11 major S&P sector indexes declined, the energy index (.SPNY) and the consumer services sector (.SPLRCL), are in the red. Typically, the final five trading days of the year and the first two of the subsequent year are seasonally strong for U.S. stocks, known as the “Santa Claus Rally.” However, market participants warned against reading too much into daily moves as the holiday season tends to record some of the lowest volume turnovers that can cause exaggerated price action. According to preliminary data, the S&P 500 (.SPX) gained 6.59 points, or 0.14%, to end at 4,792.94 points, while the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) lost 16.15 points, or 0.10%, to 15,765.57. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) rose 90.95 points, or 0.25%, to 36,491.04. The S&P 500 dipped on Tuesday in the lowest trading volume session of 2021, snapping a four-day winning streak. As 2021 draws to a close, the main U.S. stock indexes are on pace for their third straight year of stunning annual returns, boosted by historic fiscal and monetary stimulus. The S&P 500 is looking at its strongest three-year performance since 1999. The focus next year will shift to the U.S. Federal Reserve’s path of interest rate hikes amid a surge in prices caused by supply chain bottlenecks and a strong economic rebound.
NJ Walmart closes after Employee covid outbreak
The Walmart Supercenter in Linden has been closed to customers in the wake of the recent spike in COVID-19 cases across the region, the company said. The store, on West Edgar Road, was closed on Tuesday and is expected to reopen Thursday morning. “As you know, several areas across the country have begun seeing a renewed increase in positive COVID-19 cases, and we want to assist health officials working against the pandemic. In support of this effort, we have chosen to temporarily close our Linden store location… as part of an ongoing company-initiated program,” Walmart said in a statement released to NJ Advance Media Wednesday morning. “This will allow extra time for a third-party specialist to further sanitize the store and will also give our associates additional time to restock shelves and prepare the store to once again serve the community,” the company statement added. “We plan to reopen the store to customers at 6 a.m. on Thursday, December 30.” Although Walmart did not indicate whether there have been widespread COVID infections at its Linden store, a report by NBC4 New York said dozens of employees have tested positive for the virus.
Update (2:30 p.m.): A Walmart spokeswoman told NJ Advance Media that the numbers of COVID infections reported by NBC4 are “extremely over-estimated and factually wrong,” but she is unable to provide a specific number because of privacy reasons.
A social media post shows a sign informing customers that the Linden store will be closed until Thursday morning, and the sign says the store’s pharmacy will remain open with alternative pickup options. NN: As i have been warning you the politicians are refusing lockdowns….. Its OK the shutdowns will come on their own. We did a very important Radio Free Wall Street today on what is coming. here is a link to send your friends and loved ones….. Maybe it will wake them up.Radio Free Wallstreet Link on new varient
Scientists identify antibodies that block Omicron covid variant
Omicron threat is still looming over the world but in what looks like a ray of hope, antibodies that neutralise Omicron Covid variant have been identified by the scientists. These antibodies target areas on the structure of the virus that remain unchanged even when the virus mutates. Research on these antibodies has been published in the journal Nature. It may further help to design vaccines and antibody treatments. These may potentially be effective no only against Omicron but other variants that may emerge in the future. “This finding tells us that by focusing on antibodies that target these highly conserved sites on the spike protein, there is a way to overcome the virus’ continual evolution,” said David Veesler, an associate professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine in the US. The Omicron variant has an unusually high number of 37 mutations in the spike protein, which the virus uses to enter and infect the human cells.It is thought that these changes explain in part why the variant has been able to spread so rapidly, to infect people who have been vaccinated and to reinfect those who have previously been infected.
“The main questions we were trying to answer were: how has this constellation of mutations in the spike protein of the Omicron variant affected its ability to bind to cells and to evade the immune system’s antibody responses,” Veesler said. To assess the effect of these mutations, the researchers engineered a disabled, nonreplicating virus, called a pseudovirus, to produce spike proteins on its surface, as coronaviruses do. They then created pseudoviruses that had spike proteins with the Omicron mutations and those found on the earliest variants identified in the pandemic. The researchers first looked to see how well the different versions of the spike protein were able to bind to protein on the surface of cells, that the virus uses to latch onto and enter the cell. This protein is called the angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) receptor. They found the Omicron variant spike protein was able to bind 2.4 times better than spike protein found in the virus isolated at the very beginning of the pandemic. “That is not a huge increase but in the SARS outbreak in 2002-2003, mutations in the spike protein that increased affinity were associated with higher transmissibility and infectivity,” Veesler noted.They also found that the Omicron version was able to bind to mouse ACE2 receptors efficiently, suggesting Omicron might be able to “ping-pong” between humans and other mammals. The researchers then looked at how well antibodies against earlier isolates of the virus protected against the Omicron variant. They did this by using antibodies from patients who had previously been infected with earlier versions of the virus, vaccinated against earlier strains of the virus, or had been infected and then vaccinated.The team found that antibodies from people who had been infected by earlier strains and from those who had received one of the six most-used vaccines currently available all had reduced ability to block infection. Antibodies from people who had been infected, recovered, and then had two doses of vaccine also had reduced activity, but the reduction was less, about fivefold, clearly demonstrating that vaccination after infection is useful.Antibodies from people, in this case a group of renal dialysis patients, who had received a booster with a third dose of the mRNA vaccines produced by Moderna and Pfizer showed only a 4-fold reduction in neutralising activity. “This shows that a third dose is really, really helpful against Omicron,” Veesler said. NN: AS we warned about in August (bark Bark BARK) the 35 mutations on the spike protein are what is making the Omicron mutation highly infectious. WHICH MEANS YOUR 3RD BOOSTER SHOT IS ESSENTIAL. Studies are on the way about a 4th booster. I urge you not to fall into the holiday celebration trap. We are going back into self imposed isolation here. At least for the next 2 weeks while the masses experiment on themselves weather they know it or not.
Rising omicron cases CDC new guidelines threatens business
The decision to cut isolation time in half for those with asymptomatic COVID-19 is sparking a backlash among employee representatives and experts who say big business sparked the decision more than science did. A worker shortage of flight attendants calling out sick made Christmas travel a nightmare across the U.S. But other industries such as retail and restaurants could be similarly impacted, leading businesses into temporary yet unintentional shutdowns – a politically unpopular way to curb the spread that President Biden is trying to avoid. Just after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Monday it would cut isolation time for asymptomatic people infected with COVID-19 from 10 days to five, Anthony Fauci, the president’s top medical adviser told CNN the reason for the change had to do with getting people back to work faster. With cases expected to surge, Fauci said, “One of the things we want to be careful of is we don’t have so many people out.” “If you are asymptomatic and you are infected, we want to get people back to the jobs, especially those with essential jobs,” Fauci said. “They can get back to the workplace, doing things that are important to keep society running smoothly.” The CDC said the change was driven by science showing that the majority of virus transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the first two days prior to onset of symptoms and the two to three days after. But just last week, Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian wrote the agency requesting the isolation be reduced to five days, arguing that over 90 percent of the airline’s workforce is fully vaccinated while noting that airline workers wear masks in airports and on planes.
“With the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, the 10-day isolation for those who are fully vaccinated may significantly impact our workforce and operations. Similar to healthcare, police, fire, and public transportation workforces, the Omicron surge may exacerbate shortages and create significant disruptions,” Bastian wrote.
Delta Air Lines said the guidance announced on Monday allows more flexibility for employers to support the busy travel season and its chief health officer Henry Ting called it a “safe, science-based and more practical approach” to omicron. The CDC’s new guidance came in between Christmas and New Year’s during a busy week of travel for many Americans. But the change by the CDC is also getting significant pushback from employee representatives for being too focused on employers and not enough on workers.The flight attendant union called out the CDC over the revised guidelines.
“We said we wanted to hear from medical professionals on the best guidance for quarantine, not from corporate America advocating for a shortened period due to staffing shortages,” said Association of Flight Attendants-CWA International President Sara Nelson. “The CDC gave a medical explanation about why the agency has decided to reduce the quarantine requirements from 10 to five days, but the fact that it aligns with the number of days pushed by corporate America is less than reassuring,”
She warned businesses against pressuring workers to return to work before they feel better, arguing that could create a greater disruption than staffing shortages. The White House referred to the CDC for a response to the pushback. The CDC did not respond to The Hill’s request for comment. The nurses union is also against decreasing the isolation period and last week had called on the CDC to maintain the previous guidance of a ten day isolation period. “The arguments solely focus on maintaining business operations, revenues, and profits, without regard for science or the health of employees and the public,” National Nurses United President Zenei Triunfo-Cortez wrote to the CDC last week. After the CDC’s decision to cut isolation time, Triunfo-Cortez said in a statement, “Let’s be clear: This is about what’s good for business, not what’s good for public health.” The push against the change comes as shortages of nurses working in nursing homes, in particular, have caused several states to call the National Guard to help with work around facilities. Nursing homes’ employment level has dropped 14 percent, which is 221,000 lost jobs, since the start of the pandemic, according to data last month from the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living. One former Trump administration official who worked on the pandemic response criticized the CDC’s messaging in recent weeks, arguing that the Biden administration has sent mixed messages while cases surge across the country. “It looks bad that this is in response to a business push, not necessarily the science,” the former Trump official said in response to the CDC shortening the required isolation time. “Very Republican of them.” NN: This is the great sell out to the business lobby. You better protect yourself because obviously the sold out politicians and the CDC are not acting in the best interest of public health they are suppose to protect
COVID-19 cases surge around world, raising testing and quarantine fears
However, the report said further data was needed to understand how severity of illness may be impacted by vaccination and, or, prior infection.
The surge in cases is coinciding with the New Year holidays, normally a period of parties and travel. Some countries, such as Italy, have cancelled public celebrations, while authorities in Japan urged residents to keep end-of-year gatherings small. “The highest risk is meeting people without taking adequate measures to prevent infection,” said Norio Ohmagari, director of the Disease Control and Prevention Center and a top health advisor to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. NN: They are really fucking up this time. The politicians and the CDC are caving in to the lobbyists. Like i told you from the time i started barking in August their is no appetite for lockdowns. But as the sick overwhelm the system i expect massive shutdowns……
Trump’s surgeon general condemns CDC guidance
Former Surgeon General Jerome Adams advised against following recent COVID-19 guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) asserting that some people infected with the virus could end their quarantine after just five days. “I love the CDC. Grew up wanting to work there and have been one of their most ardent defenders
. I never dreamed the day would come when I would advise people NOT to follow their guidance,” Adams said in a tweet on Tuesday. “They wouldn’t even follow it for their own family.”
I love the CDC. Grew up wanting to work there and have been one of their most ardent defenders. I never dreamed the day would come when I would advise people NOT to follow their guidance. Breaks my ❤️ But ask any of them. They wouldn’t even follow it for their own family. “Regardless of what CDC says, you really should try to obtain an antigen test,” Adams added in another tweet. “There’s not a scientist or doctor I’ve met yet who wouldn’t do this for themselves/ their family.”
The surgeon general’s remarks come after the CDC reduced its recommended isolation period from 10 days to five days for people infected with COVID-19 who are asymptomatic.
The CDC added that people should continue masking around others for five days longer after leaving isolation. The agency said that the decision was rooted in science that indicated the majority of virus transmission occurs earlier in the illness’s course.
But Anthony Fauci, the Biden administration’s chief medical adviser, suggested the decision was for purposes of getting people back to work.
“The reason is that with the sheer volume of new cases that we are having and that we expect to continue with omicron, one of the things we want to be careful of is we don’t have so many people out,” Fauci said on CNN, adding that he thought the decision was a good choice.”If you are asymptotic and you are infected, we want to get people back to the jobs, especially those with essential jobs,” he added.NN: I am sitting here gutted. What a heart break. In essence infected people like hospital staff and airline workers will not quarantine long enough. This is criminal negligence at least. This guarantees the 4th wave will be far worse…
Oil stockpiles in US down by 3.1M barrels – report
Investing.com – U.S. crude stockpiles fell less than expected last week just as supply disruptions have provided a respite somewhat from concerns about omicron-led supply and demand imbalances. West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark, traded at $76.13 barrel on the news, after settling up 0.54% at $75.98 a barrel. Oil prices ended the day higher as traders weighed production disruptions across Ecuador, Libya and Nigeria, Reuters reported, citing commentary from UBS. U.S. crude inventories fell by 3.1 million barrels for the week ended Dec.24. That compared with a draw of 3.7 million barrels reported by the API for the previous week. The API data also showed that gasoline inventories rose by 319,000 barrels last week, and distillate stocks decreased by 716,000 barrels.
Global daily COVID-19 cases at record 1.2 million
(Bloomberg) — Two years after reports of a mysterious pneumonia first emerged in Wuhan, the pandemic shows no signs of abating, with the omicron variant pushing worldwide Covid-19 cases above 1 million for a second straight day. The Netherlands will require travelers arriving from the U.S. to self-quarantine for up to ten days. Rapid tests that are widely used to detect infections may miss some omicron cases, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Covid hospitalizations are spiking from New South Wales to New York state, pressuring health systems. Overall, however, omicron appears to be triggering a lower rate of hospitalizations. In China’s Xi’an, an outbreak eased after residents were asked to stay indoors and driving was banned.
Virus Tracker: Cases top 282 million; deaths pass 5.4 millionVaccine Tracker: More than 9 billion shots given, inaction sent a deadly Covid variant around the worldOmicron leaves Biden struggling for message as data roll in Flight attendants scorn CDC guidelines matching airlines’ plea What Covid therapies exist, and what omicron changes. Netherlands to Quarantine U.S. Travelers (5:10 p.m. HK) The Netherlands will require travelers from the U.S. to self-quarantine for up to ten days upon arrival starting Dec. 30, according to an updated travel advisory that now classifies the country as a “very high risk area.” Travelers will still have to provide a negative test. Home carrier KLM, which offers about 50 weekly flights to the U.S., told Dutch financial daily Het Financieele Dagblad that it’s “too early” to gauge the impact on bookings. Several U.S. carriers including Delta, United, and American Airlines also operate frequent flights to Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport.
More than 1.2 billion Chinese people, or about 86% of the country’s population, were fully vaccinated as of Dec. 28, an official at the National Health Commission said at a briefing. Some 465 million doses were administered to youngsters aged 3 to 17.
South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party and the government share a view that extending strengthened social distancing rules would be needed, a ruling party spokesperson said. It will take time for indicators, such as the intensive-care beds utilization rate and critical cases, to improve. South Korea reimposed tighter virus curbs, including cutting business hours of restaurants, movie theaters and coffee shops, on Dec. 18. The government will decide on Friday whether to extend the rules, which are set to end on Jan. 2.
Vietnam plans to initially limit the resumption of regular international flights to routes between the Southeast Asian country and Japan and the U.S. in early January, Tien Phong newspaper reported, citing the civil aviation authority. Earlier this month, the government said it would resume some international flights beginning Jan. 1 under a pilot program. The aviation authority is in discussions with counterparts in other countries about reopening Vietnam further by establishing quick Covid tests at foreign airports, the newspaper reported.
Rapid tests that are being widely used to detect Covid-19 infections in minutes may miss some cases caused by the omicron variant, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said. Early laboratory data suggest antigen tests do detect infections caused by omicron but they may have a reduced sensitivity, the agency said. The results come from an examination of the tests by the National Institutes of Health that used live virus samples, the best way to evaluate their true performance. Previous work showed the antigen tests were just as accurate when finding omicron as earlier strains, though the researchers used heat-inactivated samples that yield less precise results.
Cases in the western Chinese city of Xi’an eased after hitting a record high a day earlier. Xi’an reported 151 infections on Wednesday, down from 175 on Tuesday. The outbreak spread from a few dozen cases in early December to roughly 150 a day after the city was locked down last Thursday, the most dramatic curb China has enacted to stymie Covid since closing off Wuhan and the broader Hubei province in January 2020..
Hospitalizations are spiking from New South Wales to New York state, but the larger picture shows the omicron variant appears to be triggering less severe reactions than earlier outbreaks.
Hospitalization due to coronavirus in Australia’s most-populous state hit the highest level since mid-October. New South Wales on Wednesday recorded 11,201 new Covid cases, up 87% from the previous day’s figure. A total of 625 people in the state, which includes Sydney, are in the hospital, including 61 in intensive-care units.
In New York state, Covid hospitalizations are accelerating at a rate that hasn’t been seen since the early days of the pandemic. On Tuesday the state said hospitalizations rose by 647 to 6,173, marking the largest daily increase since early April 2020, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
But the total number of New Yorkers hospitalized with the virus remains far below last year’s peak of almost 19,000. And overall, hospitalization rates across the U.S. are lower than earlier waves. NN: remember the rate of hospitalizations are still increasing. I take no solace in the numbers because they will not peek until February. And i expect record numbers of people to be hospitalized.
U.S. CDC estimates Omicron variant to be 58.6% of cases, revises projection
(Reuters) – The Omicron variant was estimated to be 58.6% of the coronavirus variants circulating in the United States as of Dec. 25, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday. The agency also revised down the Omicron proportion of cases for the week ending Dec. 18 to 22% from 73%, citing additional data and the rapid spread of the variant that in part caused the discrepancy. “We had more data come in from that timeframe and there was a reduced proportion of Omicron,” a CDC spokesperson said. “It’s important to note that we’re still seeing a steady increase in the proportion of Omicron.” The fast-spreading variant was first detected in southern Africa and Hong Kong in November, with the first known case in the United States identified on Dec. 1 in a fully vaccinated person who had traveled to South Africa. Since then, the strain has rapidly spread across the world and driven a surge in U.S. infections, causing widespread flight cancellations and dashing hopes for a more normal holiday season. The Delta variant, which had been the dominant strain in the past few months, accounts for 41.1% of all U.S. COVID-19 cases as of Dec. 25, the public health agency’s data showed. Former U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said on Twitter that if the CDC’s new estimate of Omicron prevalence was precise, then it suggests that a good portion of the current hospitalizations may still be driven by Delta infections. The agency said the data includes modeled projection that may differ from weighted estimates generated at later dates. NN: Lots of games with the numbers. The infection rate is staggering of the Omicron mutation. Its now the dominate strain. And contrary to the spin hospitalizations are increasing. We will have a better idea of what we are facing in the coming weeks. Lack of leadership will turn new years events into the greatest disease spreading event mankind has ever seen. Reality is the politicians are pandering to the masses undisciplined desire to be entertained mistakes are being made. They are actually changing isolation times times cutting them in half. Their is virtually no screening, home testing is a joke and if you want to wait a day in a long line you can get tested. Record numbers of children are being admitted to hospital.
Carnival says most itineraries unchanged even as Omicron cases rise
https://youtu.be/Gy_LsL_H6tg
(Reuters) – Carnival Corp said on Tuesday a majority of its ships’ itineraries were unchanged, despite a surge in Omicron coronavirus cases that has threatened to stall a recovery in the cruise industry. The world’s largest cruise operator, however, said a few destination ports were reviewing their protocols and processes due to the fast-spreading new variant. Many passengers and reports, including those from CNN and Euronews, said authorities of a few ports in the Caribbean, Puerto Rico and Mexico disallowed passengers from cruise ships that were carrying active COVID-19 cases to disembark. “Looks like my cruise this Friday is a cruise to no where,” wrote one Reddit user on a Royal Caribbean forum late Monday. Carnival said on Monday it would find an alternative destination should it be forced to cancel a port. Royal Caribbean Group did not respond to a Reuters request for comment, while Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd declined to comment. “The cruise lines’ reaction to the substantial increase in COVID-19 cases caused by the Omicron surge is largely hit or miss,” said James Walker, a Miami-based maritime lawyer. Carnival’s shares were up 1%, while those of Norwegian Cruise and Royal Caribbean were largely flat. The Omicron variant has sparked concerns that the U.S. health officials may reintroduce a temporary ban on cruising, just months after U.S. cruise operators resumed guest operations.