1) People infected with omicron developed immunity against delta, says study
A new study from South Africa this week indicated that people infected with the Covid-19 omicron variant have developed and improved immune protection against delta strain by as much as four folds. Moreover, participants enrolled in the study also showed a fourteen-fold increase in the ability of antibodies to block omicron reinfection.
2) Oil prices extended higher as British government delayed Covid measures
Oil prices extended gains on Wednesday as the delay in Britain and France in imposing new measures to curb Covid-19 cases fueled investors’ sentiment.
In the early trading session of Asian markets on December 29, 2021, Brent crude rose 0.20% to $79.10 per barrel while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) edged slightly higher by 0.04% to $76.01 a barrel.
3) U.S. stockpiles fell less than expected, slowed down by omicron
U.S. crude stockpiles decreased less than expected last week as the spread of omicron slowed down oil consumption in the country. U.S. crude inventories fell by 3.1 million barrels for the week ended December 24, compared to a forecast of 3.2 million barrels draw from economists.
