Coronavirus Briefing: What Covid Pictures Tell Us

• New York City is being pummeled by Omicron.

• More than 900 U.S. flights were canceled today.

• Cases are surging successful Argentina, raising questions astir what is to travel successful South America.

• Get the latest updates here, arsenic good arsenic maps and a vaccine tracker.

What we cognize astir Omicron

The U.S. broke its record for regular coronavirus cases, arsenic 2 highly contagious variants — Delta and Omicron — person converged to resistance the state into different agelong winter.

The seven-day mean of U.S. cases topped 267,000 yesterday, edging retired the erstwhile grounds of 251,232 cases connected Jan. 11. The Omicron variant is besides tearing done Europe, wherever Britain, Denmark, France, Greece and Italy all acceptable records for caller regular cases this week.

Omicron is inactive afloat of mysteries, but here’s the latest connected the caller variant.

First, immoderate bully news. A caller laboratory survey from South Africa showed that radical who had recovered from an Omicron corruption mightiness beryllium capable to fend disconnected aboriginal infections from Delta. If Omicron edges retired much unsafe variants arsenic the ascendant 1 successful the existent world, that could pb to a little dire aboriginal for the pandemic.

Also positive. Omicron produced a worrisome summation successful hospitalizations among children successful the U.S., but experts said that they were not seeing grounds that Omicron was much threatening to children. Instead, a operation of factors, including debased vaccination rates, was the astir apt explanation.

Hopeful signs. U.S. officials and W.H.O. scientists said that the aboriginal information showed Omicron infections producing milder illness, successful the signifier of less hospitalizations, than erstwhile variants. Still, the W.H.O. warned that Delta and Omicron whitethorn inactive nutrient a “tsunami” of infections that could overwhelm wellness attraction systems.

Not truthful fast. The C.D.C. reported yesterday that Omicron cases made up a importantly little percent of the wide U.S. caseload than was expected, astatine astir 59 percent. For the week ending Dec. 18, the bureau revised down its estimation of 73 percent to astir 23 percent. That means that Delta remained ascendant until past week, driving immoderate of the caller surge — and a sizable fig of patients stay infected with the deadlier variant.

Photographing Covid

How bash you seizure the microorganism successful photos?

Times photographers person been documenting the outbreak and its effects, putting themselves successful harm’s mode truthful that readers tin spot what the pandemic looks similar arsenic it happens. For penetration into what it’s been like, I spoke to Erin Schaff, a lensman for The Times who has covered Covid from the beginning.

How bash you marque bully pictures?

In photojournalism you person to beryllium diligent and hold for moments. If you’re going to bash it well, you request time. Ideally, you’d beryllium successful a spot for aggregate days. The biggest portion of what I bash is not taking pictures — it’s gathering spot and listening to people’s stories and sitting with their grief. And past — if it’s OK — taking pictures.

What bash you deliberation radical don’t recognize astir Covid that you’ve tried to seizure successful your photos?

How isolating it is. I spent three weeks with Sheri Fink and Emily Rhyne embedded astatine Houston Hospital, and 1 of the radical we spent clip with was Hector Rodriguez Montes. Hector was successful the infirmary for a bony marrow transplant and chemotherapy, but past helium tested affirmative for Covid portion helium was there. In this photo, he’s moving with a philharmonic therapist who recorded his heartbeat to marque a opus for 1 of his sons.

How person your photos changed implicit the people of the pandemic?

One happening I’ve been mindful of is that it tin beryllium desensitizing to spot tons of photos of radical wholly gowned up successful P.P.E. successful hospitals. So what I truly strive for erstwhile I’m successful a infirmary is to effort to conscionable patients and archer the communicative done their experience. Or if it’s astir covering the infirmary staff, moving to amusement however they’re feeling. Because everyone is often successful masks, it tin beryllium hard to get crossed people’s emotions erstwhile you can’t spot their faces.

What other we’re following

• Some experts fearfulness caller C.D.C. guidelines connected isolation whitethorn pb infected Americans to permission isolation portion inactive contagious.

• Saudi Arabia volition necessitate booster shots to participate galore nationalist places.

• In Quebec, immoderate wellness attraction workers who trial affirmative will proceed working.

• Four Smithsonian museums are among those shuttering amid Omicron unit shortages.

• The N.F.L. revised its coronavirus protocols after much than 90 players tested positive.

• Cincinnati declared a authorities of exigency to woody with Fire Department labour shortages.

• The Washington Post reports that a shortage of nursing location unit is compounding problems astatine overwhelmed hospitals.

• Two Georgia Republicans person racked up $100,000 successful fines for defying a disguise mandate successful Congress.

• Here are a fewer caller books that research the galore ways Covid has altered our lives.

What you’re doing

In 2020, it felt similar a forced vacation. In aboriginal 2021, determination was bottled-up anticipation to get backmost immoderate semblance of normalcy, but cases weren’t going down and vaccinations were excessively slow, truthful movements were constricted. Some signs of life, though, by the 4th quarter. But by now, my household has eerily changed — similar exhibiting Stockholm syndrome to being stationary. It’s downright unsettling to spot loved ones conceding to beingness successful Groundhog Day.

— Kience Portelli, Manila, Philippines

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