The 2 factors that will determine if Omicron is a true threat, according to Pfizer’s top scientist

Hello,

Welcome to Insider Healthcare. I'm healthcare editor Leah Rosenbaum, and today in healthcare news:

• Pfizer's top scientist told Insider how the company plans to approach the Omicron variant;
• Omicron didn't necessarily emerge in South Africa, the country was just the first to identify it;
• An FDA advisory panel narrowly backed Merck's COVID-19 antiviral pill molnupiravir.  

If you're new to this newsletter, sign up here. Comments, tips? Email me at [email protected] or tweet @leah_rosenbaum. Let's get to it…

Pfizer's top scientist Mikael Dolsten tells us the 2 factors that will determine if Omicron is a true threat and shares Pfizer's worst-case-scenario plan

• Omicron could require new vaccines if two factors are met, Pfizer's top scientist told Insider.
• The new variant would need to outcompete Delta globally and reduce protection from the current vaccine.
• Pfizer's Mikael Dolsten shared the plan to have an Omicron-specific shot ready by March 2022.

Read more>>

Southern Africa is not a hotbed of variants — it's just very good at sequencing and spotting them

• Scientists in South Africa were the first to raise alarm bells about Omicron, alerting the WHO last Wednesday.
• But that doesn't necessarily mean the variant came from southern Africa, it's more of an indication of the region's robust surveillance system.
• "We just rang the bell, which allowed everybody else to realize that actually this was maybe going on unnoticed," one South African virus detective said. 

Check it out>> 

An FDA expert panel narrowly supports the first COVID-19 pill but suggests restrictions on its use driven by safety concerns

• The first COVID-19 pill is closer to reality, as an FDA panel voted in favor on Tuesday. 
• But the group also recommended limiting its use to people at high risk of severe disease. 
• Merck's drug reduced hospitalizations and deaths by 30% compared to a placebo. 

Dive in>>

More stories we're reading:

• Dr. Anthony Fauci says we should do 8 things to deal with the Omicron variant (Insider)
• A new study finds that some hospitals are charging much more for medical scans compared to others (The Wall Street Journal)
• Supreme Court shuts down request to let Massachusetts hospital staff sidestep vaccine mandate (Insider)
• An energy company is trying to start drilling next to a day care in Texas, despite risks to kids' health (Texas Observer)

-Leah