(NEW YORK) — The New Year’s Day Powerball jackpot rose to $500 million, up from $483 million. The new jackpot estimate has a cash equivalent of $355.9 million.
The jackpot was raised after no ticket matched all six numbers drawn in Wednesday’s drawing. There have been 37 drawings in a row without a jackpot winner.
“Ticket sales have been strong through the holidays, and we anticipate the majority of ticket purchases for the next drawing will happen on New Year’s Day,” said May Scheve Reardon, Powerball Product Group chair and Missouri Lottery executive director.
The Powerball jackpot was last hit on Oct. 4 in California when a single ticket won a $699.8 million grand prize. This was the fifth largest prize in Powerball history.
Game leaders urged players to check their tickets for one of the nine ways to win.
Wednesday’s drawing produced one winning Match 5 ticket worth $1 million in Georgia and two winning Double Play tickets, worth $500,000 each, sold in Michigan and Puerto Rico.
Powerball will also be holding a special $1 million drawing just after midnight, eastern time, on Jan. 1. The winner will be chosen from five finalists who entered the promotion through their local lottery.
The largest Powerball jackpot hit this year was on Jan. 20 for $731.1 million in Maryland.
(NEW YORK) — The brother of Ghislaine Maxwell says that he denies any possibility that his sister is guilty of the sex trafficking crimes she was convicted of on Wednesday.
Kevin Maxwell, in an American television exclusive, spoke to ABC News a day after a jury convicted his sister of conspiring with and aiding serial sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in his sexual abuse of underage girls.
Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate, was convicted Wednesday on five of six counts related to the abuse and trafficking of underage girls between 1994 and 2004.
Kevin Maxwell told ABC News’ James Hill that his sister had been unfairly portrayed as Epstein’s “demon queen” accomplice, and that while accusers’ testimony might have been moving, she should not be pilloried for her longtime associate’s crimes.
“I think that anybody who sat in and listened to the accusers’ testimony — I’m a dad, I’m a brother, anybody, just any normal guy listening to their testimony — is going to have been moved. And I can also understand anger. But that doesn’t mean that I believe for a single second that my sister is guilty of the crimes of which she was convicted,” Kevin Maxwell said.
Epstein, the one-time millionaire financier, died by suicide in jail in 2019.
Ghislaine and Kevin Maxwell are two of the children of controversial British publishing mogul Robert Maxwell, who drowned in the Atlantic Ocean after falling off his yacht in 1991.
Kevin Maxwell sat through his sister’s trial for a substantial portion of the proceedings, often accompanied by her other siblings, Isabel, Christine and Ian. Less than 24 hours after his sister was convicted, he told ABC News that he was “still shocked” at the verdict in what he described as a “tremendous injustice.”
His sister will appeal the verdict, Maxwell said, and he was certain that it would be overturned and that she would be vindicated.
“The reality is that there are myriad jury cases, miscarriages of justice involving juries, where the verdicts have been overturned on appeal. This will just be yet another one,” Maxwell said.
“Because of the, we think, very strong legal grounds and evidential grounds for the appeal, obviously that has to wait for sentencing, so it’s some way off, but the work is already in hand and we’re very confident,” he said.
Though multiple accusers testified that Ghislaine Maxwell had groomed them for Epstein’s abuse — and had at times participated in it herself — Kevin Maxwell pushed back on her role.
“There’s no, simply no, question that there are many victims of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes,” Maxwell said. “They’re simply not crimes that were committed by my sister.”
Kevin Maxwell would not say if he had anything to tell Epstein’s accusers and those who say Ghislaine Maxwell played a role in abetting Epstein’s crimes.
“I don’t want to use this opportunity to denigrate in any way the evidence that’s been given by those accusers; that’s their evidence,” he said. “As I say, I remain absolutely persuaded of Epstein’s crimes. I’m equally persuaded that my sister will be exonerated on appeal, and these guilty verdicts will be overturned.”
(NEW YORK) — COVID-19 has touched all corners of the world — and fear, anxiety, and grief have followed in its wake. The pandemic has taken a toll on the mental health and well-being of many, due to the climbing death toll, the social isolation, the constant internal monologue for some asking “do I have the virus?” and more, experts say.
Mental and physical health are intertwined and sometimes stress can manifest itself physically, according to experts. So if you’re having migraines, have missed a period, lost hair, or had other irregularities in your daily life, it may be due to pandemic stress, they said.
“Think about it like erosion,” said Craig Sawchuk, a psychologist at the Mayo Clinic, in an interview. “It just leads to wear and tear across time.”
However, there may be other underlying causes for these issues. Ailments that someone experiences during a stressful time should not solely be attributed to stress, and the Mayo Clinic recommends that symptoms be evaluated by a medical professional.
According to psychology experts, when people are under mental stress, there is a fight or flight response from the central nervous system.
Sawchuk said the body uses a high amount of energy to deal with whatever the threat may be, which is why people can experience a rush of adrenaline, an elevated heart rate, increased blood pressure, heavier breathing and tense muscles.
Because of the amount of energy needed to tackle what’s causing stress, vital organs, muscles, and systems steal resources from other non-essential systems in the body, said Kory Floyd, a professor of communication and psychology at the University of Arizona.
“The mind is saying to itself, ‘those systems are important, but they’re not important if our survival is at stake.'” Floyd told ABC News. “When you pull resources away from those systems, they don’t function optimally, which is why we end up with stomach aches or why we end up having a hard time getting pregnant, why we end up with a headache or having a difficult time sleeping.”
When that acute stress lasts for long periods of time — like a pandemic that is almost two years old — it can cause trouble for the less essential systems of the body and disrupt their functions.
“It’s almost like that sympathetic nervous system volume knob has just been cranked this entire time,” Sawchuk told ABC News. “It’s causing other systems to shut down, like digestion and reproduction. This is where you get things like missed periods, low sex drive … hair loss and skin-related problems because we’re not getting into a restoration mode.”
Stress begins to deeply affect people physically. It may look different on every individual, experts say, but some symptoms are more common than others.
“The body can only produce so many symptoms,” Sawchuk said. “When we look at each individual, they may tend to express their distress or experience that stress in different ways. So for some people, it may show up in their skin,” such as acne or psoriasis.
Sawchuk added, “For other people, it may show up in terms of just being exhausted.”
The clinical psychologists interviewed by ABC News say they’ve seen an increase in reports of headaches, migraines and sleep disruptions among patients during the pandemic.
Chronic stress can also cause digestive issues and stomach-related problems. Low sex drive and missed menstruation cycles — that are not caused by pregnancy — may also be signs that stress is starting to disrupt one’s reproductive systems.
One study in the Journal of Dermatological Treatment found that short-term stress-related cases of alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss, increased following the start of the pandemic, and researchers expected the number to continue to rise. Other psychiatry-related dermatologic diseases were also expected to rise, including psoriasis and chronic hives.
Aches and pains in the body, especially tension in the jaw and neck may also be due to stress.
Cindy Ackrill, an editor at the American Institute of Stress, says there is no shame in taking steps to alleviate stress and better one’s mental health. These issues won’t be reversed in the blink of an eye, Ackrill says, and there are simple ways to start the process towards healing.
“The first thing is to notice what tends to rev you up and what tends to calm you down,” Ackrill said. “You can start to balance those out again — what depletes your energy, what re-energizes you — so that you can strategize to put those back together in the immediate feeling of stress.”
Experts say leaving stress-related issues unchecked can lead to serious, long-term health problems. If you may be exhibiting symptoms of chronic or intense stress, seek help.
“Look for tiny little differences you can make,” Ackrill advised. “Going to bed five minutes earlier, spending five minutes on the phone with a friend. Look for tiny little shifts you can make that don’t feel like a lot of work.”
Ackrill added, “We live in a world that’s very stressful and we are all on a journey together to figure out how to do it.”
(NEW YORK) — If you were planning to ring in 2022 with a couple dozen of your friends this New Year’s Eve, many officials and health experts are warning against it.
“Omicron and delta are coming to your party,” Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker warned at a press conference Monday. “You need to think twice about how many people will be gathered together.”
From London to Tokyo to Paris and Athens, the latest coronavirus surge has already spoiled many annual festivities across the globe.
This week, San Francisco officials canceled their annual celebration, citing concerns over the nation’s latest COVID-19 surge.
“This rise in cases will impact us in a number of ways—including with staffing levels, which led us to make the tough but right decision to cancel New Year’s Eve fireworks. Despite these challenges, we are focused on providing the necessary services to take care of our City,” Mayor London Breed tweeted.
And in Atlanta, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced the decision to cancel the city’s Peach Drop on Tuesday, following advice from public health professionals.
Nationwide, the U.S. is facing its worst surge on record, with more Americans testing positive for the virus every day than at any other point in the pandemic.
Federal data shows that as of Tuesday, the U.S. is reporting an average of 277,000 new cases a day, shattering the nation’s previous record average of 250,000 cases reported a day, set last January. In the last week, the U.S. has reported nearly 1.9 million new cases.
Coronavirus-related hospitalizations are also steadily rising. More than 90,000 Americans are hospitalized with the virus — a total that has doubled since early November.
Health experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to the White House, have been vocal about their concerns over the nation’s New Year’s Eve celebrations, fearing such events will accelerate viral spread.
“Should you change or cancel your plans? If your plans are to go to a 40 to 50 person New Year’s Eve party with all the bells and whistles and everybody hugging and kissing, and wishing each other a Happy New Year, I would strongly recommend that this year, we do not do that,” Fauci said during a press briefing on Thursday.
Many cities move forward with celebrations, despite ongoing surge
Despite the nation’s record-breaking surge, many cities are still opting to move forward with plans.
Even as New York reported its highest coronavirus cases on record Thursday, with more than 74,000 residents testing positive, thousands of revelers in New York City’s Times Square will welcome the new year with the famous ball drop.
“We want to show that we are moving forward, and we want to show the world that New York City is fighting our way through this,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio told NBC Thursday. “It’s really important to not give up in the face of this.”
According to city officials, on average, 58,000 people flock to the annual celebration. However, this year, the festivities will be limited to 15,000 people. The city said it will also require proof of vaccination and attendees will be required to wear masks.
Despite these precautions, Mike Levine, chairman of the New York City Council’s Health Committee, has called for the event to be canceled, tweeting on Wednesday that he “100%” agreed that the city shouldn’t hold its celebration.
However, de Blasio said that there are no plans to cancel the event.
In Nevada, which is now reporting its highest number of new COVID-19 cases in a year, an estimated 300,000 people are expected to attend a New Year’s Eve fireworks show on the Las Vegas Strip.
“We encourage everyone to look out for one another, take personal responsibility and proactively take actions to limit the spread of COVID-19,” said Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft.
Although Chicago will move forward with its annual New Year’s Eve bash, officials are urging prudence, asking residents to stay home if they feel unwell.
“If you think it’s the cold, if you think it’s the flu, it’s probably COVID,” said Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health. “We need you to stay home.”
With more than 5,300 people hospitalized across the state, Illinois is now averaging more cases than at any other point in the pandemic.
“I’m not going to be the mom and tell people what they should and shouldn’t do, but I know what I’m going to do,” said Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. “I’m going to be home watching on my television set and I encourage other people to take advantage of that.”
Officials use New Year’s Eve celebrations to mitigate spread, vaccinate residents
Some cities, like Boston, have announced plans to mitigate the spread of infection at their annual celebrations.
As part of Boston’s First Night event, city workers will distribute 1,000 rapid test kits, and provide a COVID-19 vaccination and booster shots clinic to all people ages 5 and older.
“Welcoming 2022 and gathering to make plans for the new year is an important, healing, joyful ritual and tradition that happens in Boston, and this year, we are making sure that public health leads the way,” Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said at a press conference Thursday.
In Raleigh, North Carolina, officials will offer on-site COVID-19 testing, and require all guests in attendance to show proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test.
Fauci stressed on Wednesday that ultimately, small-scale gatherings at home, such as those with close family members and friends, who have all been vaccinated and boosted, are still the safest type of event to hold.
“If you were in a situation with a family setting, in your home, with family, parents, children, grandparents, and everyone is vaccinated and boosted, although the risk is never zero in anything, the risk is low enough that we feel you should continue to go through with those plans,” Fauci said.
(WASHINGTON) — The Biden administration on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court to hear arguments on ending the Trump-era “Remain in Mexico” policy.
The program — formally called the Migrant Protection Protocol — bars asylum seekers from entering the U.S. while immigration courts review their claims. Biden campaigned against the policy, but his administration has hit several legal roadblocks trying to do away with it. Humanitarian organizations have documented high rates of murder, kidnapping and extortion on top of squalid conditions facing those subjected to “Remain in Mexico.”
The program was suspended at the start of the Biden administration, but in August, a federal judge in Texas ordered the administration to resume the protocols after finding the policy change “arbitrary and capricious.”
The Biden administration appealed the ruling, but the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals this month upheld the ruling.
“DHS failed to reasonably consider its own factual findings regarding the benefits of MPP,” the court wrote.
“DHS lacks the resources to detain every alien seeking admission to the United States. That means DHS can’t detain everyone [it] says it “shall” detain. So it’s left with a class of people: aliens it apprehended at the border but whom it lacks the capacity to detain,” they continued.
The Biden administration has acknowledged “Remain in Mexico” likely deterred migrants from coming to the U.S., a concession to Republicans who have cited the temporary repeal of the policy as the driving force behind the record number of arrests at the border. But officials argue the humanitarian consequences outweigh any potential benefits.
In its filing Wednesday, the Biden administration asked for an expedited briefing to allow for arguments in the case in the court’s April sitting.
ABC News’ Quinn Owen and Luke Barr contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Jeep evangelists listen up: Your rugged adventure mobile is going silent.
The gas-guzzling SUVs that have rolled off Jeep’s assembly lines for 80 years will be recast as “green” vehicles that live up to the brand’s off-roading reputation, according to Christian Meunier, the global CEO of Jeep.
Meunier’s ultimate goal? For Jeep to become a “zero-emission freedom brand.”
First up: The Wrangler 4xe, a plug-in hybrid that went on sale this year and already accounts for nearly 25% of Jeep’s volume. The 4xe makes 375 horsepower and has an EPA fuel economy of 49 MPGe (miles per gasoline-gallon equivalent, including electricity). Drivers get 21 miles of electric-only driving range when the 14.0-kWh lithium-ion battery is charged. Under the hood is a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine.
The Wrangler 4xe outsold the Prius in the first-quarter of 2021 and is now the No. 1 PHEV in the country. The Grand Cherokee 4xe arrives next year.
“The 4xe could make Jeep die-hards change their mind about leaving [internal combustion engines],” Meunier told ABC News. “When you drive electric Jeeps you fall in love with them.”
He added, “A lot of torque is awesome for off-road driving. It’s cool to be green.”
Electrification may be Jeep’s future — with a few exceptions. EPA fuel economy estimates of the newly launched Rubicon 392, the most powerful Wrangler with a mighty 6.4-liter Hemi V8 engine that produces 470 hp and 470 lb.-ft. of torque, clock in at 13 mpg (city) and 17 mpg (highway).
“The 392 is more of a niche market — 3% of total Wrangler sales. So very limited in volume and very exclusive,” Meunier said.
Jeep also reintroduced its iconic Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer to compete in the increasingly cutthroat luxury three-row SUV category. Moreover, Meunier and his team are aggressively targeting drivers in key markets — Europe, China and Latin America — to expand Jeep’s customer base. North America makes up two-thirds of Jeep’s global sales.
“There is a very big product offensive across the globe … [our] reliance on North America is getting less and less every day,” Meunier said.
Meunier spoke to ABC News about where the brand is headed and how to get more Americans to accept EVs. The interview below has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Christian, you want to make Jeep the greenest SUV brand in the world.
A: Our vision is really to be the zero-emission freedom brand and we have a plan to get there. It’s clearly a commitment to say we’re the greenest SUV brand in the world. Twenty-five percent of our sales in the U.S. are 4xe. I think next year it will be more. The 4xe is the most capable Wrangler. We’re pretty confident that we’re going to be the greenest, the most electrified SUV brand at a global level, which is a big departure from where Jeep was a few years ago.
When are we going to see an all-electric Jeep in the U.S.?
A: That’s a good question. The only thing I can tell you is that by 2025 we’ll have a BEV [battery electric vehicle] in every single segment and pretty much across the globe. And the first [all electric] Jeep will be launched at the end of next year.
We brought the Magneto [Jeep’s BEV concept] and 4xe to the Easter Jeep Safari in Moab. A lot of the hardcore off-roaders told us that the torque … of the Magneto and 4xe could make them change their mind about leaving ICE [vehicles].
Does Jeep feel extra pressure to produce an all-electric Wrangler to compete in the off-roading space? There is the Rivian R1T, GMC Hummer EV and upcoming Ford F-150 Lightning.
A: We will do it. The question is when and how. We’re full speed ahead on electrification. It’s an obvious thing for Jeep to accelerate the electrification for Wrangler and the other models.
Magneto was really a concept test … we wanted to have an impression from our community. We value enormously the community input and feedback. We have a lot of interaction with them.
How do you get Americans to buy EVs?
A: I think it will take a little bit of time. It takes product to prove that it’s equivalent or better and it doesn’t create annoyance. I think Americans enjoy their freedom and want to be able to use their cars whenever they want. And they want to drive as many miles as they want. When the technology is good they’ll jump on it. Americans are very open to [EVs] as long as it makes their lifestyle equal or better.
Which model in your opinion is the most important for the brand?
A: The two most iconic products that exist today when you talk about Jeep are Wrangler and Grand Cherokee. The Grand Cherokee is a wildly civilized machine. The best-selling Jeep in the U.S. is the Grand Cherokee with 250,000 units. Wrangler is No. 2, with 213,000 units. We’re off to a strong start with Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer — a premium extension of what Jeep is about.
Ford and Land Rover are determined to steal market share from the Wrangler with the Bronco and Defender. Have Jeep owners defected from the company? How can the Wrangler keep ahead of the competition?
A: The Wrangler has never sold as quickly as right now. We have zero stock on the ground and dealer inventory. Competition is healthy — it creates more visibility to a segment and it puts Wrangler more on the radar as well. It forces us to become better, come up with new ideas, new technologies. We’re not afraid of competition, it’s good. Is there a little cross shopping? Maybe. We don’t see a lot of defection from the Jeepers to Ford or another brand.
What is the biggest challenge facing every automaker right now?
A: The biggest challenge is — I would say there are many of them. We have raw materials going through the roof. Steel prices. Precious metal. Inflation in the materials we use to build cars so that puts pressure on the cost side. We have the microchips shortage which is a challenge for everyone. It forces us to be innovative and engineer cars with alternative solutions. The cost of electrification is quite high. We cannot pass everything to the customer so that puts pressure on us. We’re working with a lot of economies of scale to mitigate these issues. A lot of headwinds on the cost side.
So does that mean Jeep will have to raise prices on all vehicles next year?
A: It’s not only about pricing. It’s also about making sure we’re more efficient in the way we build cars.
(NEW YORK) – New Year’s Eve celebrations for 2021 were significantly scaled back due to COVID, with hopes of larger celebrations to mark 2022. But with case numbers surging, are this year’s festivities safe?
It depends what your plans are, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci.
“What I would suggest people do not do is to go to very large, 50 to 60 person parties where people are blowing whistles and all that sort of thing and celebrating and you don’t know the vaccination status of the people in that environment. That would be a risky situation that I would recommend against,” he said in an ABC News Live interview.
With COVID cases surging, many cities are heading Fauci’s advice.
New York City’s celebration will be larger than last year’s but still extremely scaled back. Only 15,000 masked and fully vaccinated attendees will be allowed to watch the ball drop in Times Square — a quarter of the number normally in attendance.
Other cities have gone even further. Atlanta canceled its annual Peach Drop, Annapolis canceled the in-person portion of its celebration and Seattle’s New Year’s firework show is only available for viewing online or on television.
Paris, London, Berlin and many other cities have also canceled large-scale in-person events.
Sydney Australia, known for being the first place to ring in the new year, will have a celebration only accessible to a limited number of vaccinated ticketed guests.
So how can you celebrate?
“If you’re vaccinated and you’re boosted and you want a family gathering in your home with other vaccinated and boosted people, although the risk is not zero, the risk is very low,” Fauci said.
It might not be the party some had expected, but according to World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, changing your plans could save a life.
“An event canceled is better than a life canceled,” Ghebreyesus said. “It’s better to cancel now and celebrate later, than to celebrate now and grieve later.”
Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images
(SUPERIOR, Colo.) — The mayor of a Colorado town decimated by sudden and fast-moving wildfires called the situation “very grave” in an interview with Good Morning America.
Hundreds of homes were destroyed and thousands were forced to evacuate in Boulder County on Thursday when wind-fueled grass fires exploded into infernos.
“I spent a couple of hours yesterday driving around in the afternoon with the sheriff’s office and town manager just making an assessment of the situation there on the ground and it’s grave,” Clint Folsom, the mayor of Superior, told GMA. “It’s nothing like I would have ever imagined would have happened.”
Folsom said he was fearful of what emergency responders might find in the coming days after hundreds of homes burned “in a matter of minutes.”
“I hope we don’t have fatalities,” Folsom told GMA.
The mayor said that strong winds were not uncommon in the area, but “this was a wind like I’ve never seen.” Combined with an extraordinarily dry summer and fall, the conditions were ripe for a devastating blaze.
Of the two fires burning, one, the Marshall fire, had “ballooned” into a 1,600-acre behemoth as of Thursday night. Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle, said the blazes were “consuming football-field lengths of land in seconds.”
Superior, a town of 13,000 and Louisville, a town of 20,000 were both asked to evacuate as the fires tore through the area.
Pelle said he believes the fires were likely sparked by downed power lines.
(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.4 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 824,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
About 62% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Dec 30, 11:04 pm
FDA to authorize boosters for 12- to 15-year-olds
The Food and Drug Administration is likely to authorize Pfizer COVID-19 booster shots for 12- to 15-year-olds next week, a source with direct knowledge of the plan told ABC News.
An authorization may come as early as Monday.
-ABC News’ Eric Strauss
Dec 30, 10:08 pm
US pediatric COVID-19 hospital admissions hit all-time high
More COVID-19-positive children in the United States are being hospitalized each day than at any other point in the pandemic, according to newly updated federal data.
On average, just under 380 children with COVID-19 were admitted into the hospital daily between Dec. 22 and Dec. 28, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The country’s pediatric COVID-19 hospital admission rate has nearly tripled in the past month, CDC data shows.
Nationwide, nearly 2,900 children are currently hospitalized with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 — approximately 1,300 more patients than a month ago — according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services.
Less than a third of eligible children — ages 5 to 17 — in the U.S. are currently fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Three new studies released Thursday by the CDC found COVID-19 vaccines to be safe and effective for children.
-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos
Dec 30, 6:23 pm
US marks 3rd day of record new COVID-19 cases
The U.S. recorded more than 486,000 new COVID-19 cases in a day, marking the third straight day of record numbers, according to data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The new data comes as states are going through their huge backlogs of tests taken during the Christmas weekend.
In the last week, the U.S. has reported more than 2.2 million new cases, which averages out to about 220 Americans testing positive for COVID-19 every minute.
The CDC will not be providing new data updates until Jan. 3, due to the New Year’s holiday.
-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos
Dec 30, 4:28 pm
Michigan health officials urge schools to delay sports
Officials from Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services sent a letter to schools across the state urging them to either postpone large gatherings or make them virtual.
“Large gatherings (involving 100 or more people) should be held using remote technology or postponed, if not essential. Large gatherings would include events with large numbers of people from multiple households such as conferences or meetings, sporting events, and concerts,” the letter read.
The state also urged schools to require masks for everyone who enters school buildings and to test students regularly.
(NEW YORK) — With questions swirling about how well rapid COVID-19 tests work when it comes to detecting the omicron variant, leading scientists are now reassuring the public that they do work, and have a valuable role to play in the ongoing pandemic.
Among them is Dr. Bruce Tromberg, director of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering at the NIH, and the top scientist in charge of Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics. RADx, a new government-funded NIH program, was tasked with rapidly increasing the nation’s testing capacity and studying how tests perform when faced with new variants.
“The tests are an essential component of what we need, especially in the time of very rapidly expanding omicron,” Tromberg said.
While PCR tests are very effective at detecting the presence of even small amounts of virus, rapid tests have become a quick and easy way to determine if a person is contagious. In a Tuesday announcement, the Food and Drug Administration said rapid tests do detect the omicron variant, but in a laboratory setting they did not perform as well as they have with earlier variants.
The FDA announcement, described by one expert as a kind of curveball, lacked specific numbers and sparked confusion and dismay among some experts and Americans who have been using rapid tests to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 to loved ones over the holidays.
Dr. Michael Mina, a vocal advocate for increased rapid testing use and the chief science officer for eMed, told ABC News, “There is no reason and no data to support that the tests are less able to detect omicron virus.”
News from the FDA about rapid tests’ ability to detect omicron comes on the heels of the Biden Administration’s announcement that the U.S. will have 500 million at-home rapid tests available starting January.
But Tromberg said Americans should “absolutely not” be discouraged from using rapid tests based on this FDA announcement, which was based on preliminary laboratory studies on live virus samples combined from multiple patients and run on a relatively small number of rapid test brands.
Those tests showed a potential dip in effectiveness, but, “It’s not like they fell off the map,” he said. The FDA also said more clinical studies are needed.
Preliminary studies conducted in a lab can offer clues, but are not as reliable as real-world studies done on real people. Those real-world clinical studies are currently being conducted, and results should be available shortly, Tromberg said.
He expects clinical studies to show the tests are working at an acceptable level.
“We already know that the clinical performance is better than this laboratory benchtop performance, just in our early studies that we’re getting.”
“I have confidence that the tests that we have on our shelves can pick up omicron,” Tromberg said. “There will be different levels of performance, we need to really work through all of those and understand them for every test.”
One reason rapid tests might perform differently is because of the increased infectiousness of the new variant, said Mina.
“Is it that the test is less sensitive, or is the virus more infectious?” he said.
“Omicron is more infectious, and therefore, it is possible that people can start spreading the virus hours or a day before they are testing positive, but after that, the test will still work when people are most infectious just as they have been working throughout the entirety of the pandemic,” Mina said.
Even if some rapid test performance is diminished, Tromberg said, “They still can be extremely powerful and effective at interrupting the chain of transmission of the virus.”
The FDA has authorized 43 rapid antigen tests including at least a dozen at home versions.
Several testing companies have said their tests still work to detect omicron, with Abbott saying Tuesday that the company has tested the popular BinaxNOW rapid test using the omicron variant from live virus and found the test “performed at equivalent sensitivity” compared to prior variants.
But the FDA said tests could be updated if further testing shows updates are needed.
“Studies are underway to confirm the reason for the apparent decreased sensitivity,” FDA spokespersons Stephanie Caccomo said. “Once that is known, adjustments to existing tests can be undertaken by each developer with support from the FDA, if appropriate.”
