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The US system has been relatively slow to receive variant cases, in part due to travel patterns or restrictive US entry rules. However, the system is also blind spots and delays.

Last week, the CDC reported: 43 known infections detected In the United States, in the first eight days of December, 34, or 79 percent, of patients were fully vaccinated when they first started showing symptoms or tested positive. Only one-third of 43 people had traveled internationally in the two weeks prior to diagnosis, indicating some community spread of the variant.

The fight against Omicron may require the federal government to renew funding for the response, Health and Human Services Minister Xavier Becerra said on Tuesday. Mr. Becerra told reporters Of the $50 billion that Congress had earmarked for testing, about $10 billion remained.

Mr. Becker said staffing can be difficult for public health laboratories as well as hospitals.

“It’s the same staff that does molecular testing, genomic sequencing, and surveillance for flu,” he said. “We’re already nervous, so we need to start bringing in alternative plans, temporary staff, people who helped with last year’s surge events.”

“The lab community is tired,” Mr. Becker added. “The healthcare community is tired. ‘Get ready, we may have another surge’ is a hard-to-hear message.”

in Europe, health officials warn of an increase in Omicron cases. Cases of the variant have doubled in Denmark, which is similar to the United States in terms of vaccination rates and average age, according to estimates made on Monday. every other day.

World Health Organization director general Dr. “Omicron is spreading at a speed we’ve never seen in any variant before,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference on Tuesday.