Omicron is the dominant variant in the U.S.<\/b>
\nPeople who contract the omicron variant are 80% less likely to be hospitalized compared to previous variants and those hospitalized with omicron are at a 70% lower risk of severe disease than delta, according to a new study by South Africa\u2019s National Institute for Communicable Diseases released Wednesday. Professor Cheryl Cohen of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, one of the study’s authors, said the data \u201creally suggest a positive story of a reduced severity of Omicron compared to other variants,\u201d Reuters reported. Omicron is driving a surge in new cases of Covid-19 in the U.S. The spike has prompted Chicago and Boston to join several cities that require proof of vaccination to enter indoor venues this week, while the National Hockey League will reportedly announce Wednesday its decision to pull out of the 2022 Beijing Olympics after it and the league\u2019s players association agreed to halt the season until December 26 due to soaring Covid cases. To combat the surge, the Biden Administration said Tuesday it will provide 500 million rapid at-home tests to Americans for free and deploy federal military medical personnel to help hospitals. Some U.S. health experts and the Biden Administration have recommended a booster shot as the best way to increase protection against omicron. In Israel, officials are pursuing a fourth dose. Seniors and healthcare workers there will soon be able to receive a fourth Covid vaccine shot, the country\u2019s Pandemic Expert Committee said Tuesday. Omicron Has 80% Lower Risk of Hospitalization, New Study Shows (Bloomberg) South African study suggests lower risk of hospitalisation with Omicron versus Delta (Reuters) Israel Approves Fourth Covid-19 Vaccine Dose ( Forbes)<\/p>\n