Pfizer and BioNTech have begun a clinical trial for their omicron-specific COVID-19 vaccine candidate. For background, CNN also reported that a new preprint lab study suggests that antibodies against the omicron coronavirus variant remain robust four months after a third dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. “Additional real world effectiveness data and laboratory investigations will further inform the duration of protection, potential need for an additional dose at a later time, and whether an Omicron modified vaccine is required,” said the study from researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Pfizer and BioNTech. Many national and international news outlets shared the CNN story.

A new study shows high levels of coronavirus antibodies that fight the omicron variant four months after a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine, a positive sign for the durability of a booster shot’s effectiveness. Pei-Yong Shi, one of the authors of the study at the University of Texas Medical Branch, told The Washington Post that the study “shows that at least up to four months, post-dose three, there is still substantial neutralizing activity against omicron.” Several U.S. newspapers, television stations and online news outlets shared The Hill’s story.

The recent spike in COVID-19 cases caused by the less severe but more contagious omicron variant shouldn’t delude the amazing achievements that have been made against the virus, UTMB Health’s chief medical and clinical innovation officer told a virtual audience Thursday. “I think it is important to credit everyone around the world who has come together, and I cannot think of any other disease in my core memory when we have made this much progress in such a short amount of time,” Dr. Gulshan Sharman said. “I also want to get one thing straight. There is no shame is being positive and no pride in being negative. There is no stigma.”

The number of COVID-19 cases reported in Galveston County appears to have peaked, said Dr. Philip Keiser, the local health authority. The Galveston County Health District on Wednesday announced 259 new cases of COVID-19. It’s the lowest number of cases reported in a single day since Dec. 21. “There’s a part of me that’s optimistic and thinks that with omicron, this might be the game-changer,” Keiser said. “But the unexpected roll of the dice is what happens if there’s a new variant and it’s very different from omicron. There’s always this risk that we’re going to get something that’s wildly different.”

The University of Texas Medical Branch can process up to 7,000 COVID-19 tests a day, said Juan David Garcia, the administrative director of lab services at the medical branch. During the recent surge in demand, they’ve been doing about 3,000 a day. “It has been hard,” Garcia said. “We’re the first one to feel the cases.”

Global data on COVID-19 has been essential to better understand changes that COVID-19 presents. Researchers at the University of Texas at Galveston have developed a computational method that would allow researchers to keep one step ahead of new mutations that may arise. “In the future, we will be able to develop vaccines for variants before they arise,” said Catherine Schein, one of the authors.

The University of Texas Medical Branch requires at a minimum a surgical mask certified by the American Society of Testing and Materials, said Mary Ann DeMaet, the operation manager for infection control. “The variants became more contagious and easily spread,” DeMaet said. “We're seeing high transmissibility between individuals. So, we started requiring a higher-level mask. I think the cloth masks were OK in the beginning. But I think now that we know a little bit more, we probably need a higher-level mask to protect ourselves against the variants.”

One question UTMB’s Dr. Samuel Mathis often hears is about the use and importance of protein powder supplementation with a workout. “When it comes to the amount of protein we get in our diet, supplementation isn’t usually required,” Mathis writes. “In general, protein powders are safe to use, but it’s cheaper, safer and more efficient to use natural sources of protein to supplement your diet and exercise routine.”

What’s the secret to becoming a centenarian? Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel write in their recent Medical Discovery News column about many factors including a new report from Japan that centenarians have unique gut microbiomes that reduce their risk for chronic diseases and infections.