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The latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic for Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022.
INDIANAPOLIS — Here are Wednesday’s latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic, including the latest news on COVID-19 vaccinations and testing in Indiana.
Registrations for the vaccine are now open for Hoosiers 5 and older through the Indiana State Department of Health. This story will be updated over the course of the day with more news on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kroger providing free non-surgical N95 masks
Kroger will help provide free, non-surgical N95 masks as part of its partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Customers will be able to visit Kroger stores with a pharmacy to pick up complimentary masks while supplies last. Kroger anticipates getting the masks on Thursday.
Up to three masks will be available to every customer while supplies last. Customers should look for a branded display or ask an associate for help finding it.
Pfizer opens study of COVID shots updated to match omicron
Pfizer has begun a study comparing its original COVID-19 vaccine with doses specially tweaked to match the hugely contagious omicron variant.
Pfizer and its partner BioNTech announced the study on Tuesday.
COVID-19 vaccine makers have been updating their shots to better match omicron in case global health authorities decide the change is needed.
The new U.S. study is enrolling up to 1,420 healthy adults, ages 18 to 55, to test the updated omicron-based shots for use as a booster or for primary vaccinations. Researchers will examine the tweaked vaccine’s safety and how it revs up the immune system in comparison to the original shots.
Latest US, world numbers
There have been more than 72.17 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States as of 3:15 a.m. Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 872,100 deaths recorded in the U.S.
Worldwide, there have been more than 358.64 million confirmed coronavirus cases with more than 5.61 million deaths and more than 9.85 billion vaccine doses administered.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness like pneumonia, or death.
FDA limits authorization on 2 COVID monoclonal antibody treatments due to omicron
COVID-19 antibody drugs from Regeneron and Eli Lilly should no longer be used because they are unlikely to work against the omicron variant that now accounts for nearly all U.S. infections, U.S. health regulators said Monday.
The Food and Drug Administration said it was revoking emergency authorization for both drugs, which were purchased by the federal government and given to millions of Americans with COVID-19 — bamlanivimab and etesevimab, which are given together, and REGEN-COV. They remain authorized “only when the patient is likely to have been infected with or exposed to a variant that is susceptible to these treatments,” the FDA said.
If the drugs prove effective against future variants, the FDA said it could reauthorize their use.
IU women’s basketball game against Illinois postponed
The game between Indiana and Illinois on Thursday, Jan. 27 has been postponed due to COVID with the Illinois program.
Both teams and the Big Ten Conference are working to reschedule the game.
If the game cannot be played, it will count as a “no contest” for both teams.
Ticket holders will receive further information from the ticket office.
IU offering free N95 and KN95 masks to students, faculty and staff
Indiana University is distributing free N95 and KN95 masks to students, faculty and staff beginning Monday and continuing through early February, as supplies are available.
The masks are available at designated locations across all IU campuses.
The university said this expanded offering will be in addition to the surgical masks already available at most building entrances.
Aaron Carroll, IU’s chief health officer, said broader distribution of disposable masks was prompted by evolving guidance about masking, broader availability of masks from suppliers, and concerns with counterfeit N95 and KN95 masks in the marketplace.
“We encourage everyone to keep a mask supply at hand; this is simply an additional resource for the IU community,” he said.
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