COVID Omicron News: Don't delay mammogram due to COVID vaccine, NYU study says

NEW YORK (WABC) -- A new NYU study has the medical community rethinking advice on COVID vaccines and mammograms.

Research shows that even though the shots can cause swelling of the lymph nodes, screenings are just too important to skip or delay.

Earlier guidance was for women to wait several weeks before having a mammogram after their vaccine because the swelling could be mistaken as a sign of cancer.

Nearly half the women studied had post-vaccine swelling.

RELATED: What are the symptoms of the COVID omicron variant?

Here are more of today's COVID-19 headlines:

Prince Charles isolating after testing positive for COVID-19

Royal officials say Britain's Prince Charles has tested positive for COVID-19 and is self-isolating. A message on the his official Twitter page said Charles tested positive on Thursday morning and was "deeply disappointed" not to be able to attend a scheduled visit in Winchester, England.

The 73-year-old heir to the throne met dozens of people during Wednesday evening reception at London's British Museum. The heir to the throne had previously contracted the coronavirus in March 2020, when officials said he had mild symptoms. Britain's Press Association news agency reported that Charles recently met with his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, but the monarch was not displaying any symptoms.

Cases of 'broken heart syndrome' surge during COVID

Groundbreaking research by several top American medical centers has identified a COVID pandemic spike in cases of so-called "broken heart syndrome," a potentially deadly stress-induced heart condition that doctors say is disproportionately impacting women.

Teams of experts at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, Cleveland Clinic and Johns Hopkins have each been tracking a recent surge in cases, likely spiking substantially during the pandemic, they say. The data is still being gathered and long-term implications examined.

Denmark's queen and Spain's king test positive for virus

The queen of Denmark and the king of Spain both have tested positive for the coronavirus despite being vaccinated, their respective royal houses announced Wednesday. Denmark's Queen Margrethe has mild COVID-19 symptoms and has isolated herself in the Copenhagen palace where she lives. The 82-year-old Margrethe tested positive for the virus on Tuesday evening and canceled a vacation in Norway that was set to begin Wednesday, the royal house.

The announcement came weeks after Margrethe marked her 50 years on the throne. Spain's royal household old says King Felipe VI was tested after he developed "mild symptoms" of COVID-19. It says his "overall health" is fine and he will remain in isolation for seven days

Police investigation into Downing Street parties gets closer to Boris Johnson

Over 50 people will be questioned in connection with parties held during lockdowns in Downing Street, police said, as the criminal investigation into the conduct of Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his staff gathers pace.

The investigation into a number of events held in Downing Street by the prime minister's staff while the country was under lockdown conditions throughout 2020 has dominated the headlines in the British media in recent weeks. The Metropolitan Police are investigating eight gatherings, and they are currently examining over 500 documents and 300 images provided to them by a separate, internal investigation led by the civil servant Sue Gray.

Canada's prime minister defends COVID restrictions amid truck blockades

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stood firm against an easing of the country's COVID-19 restrictions Wednesday in the face of mounting pressure from protesters using trucks to blockade the capital and U.S. border crossings, including the economically vital bridge to Detroit.

A growing number of Canadian provinces have moved to lift some of their precautions as the omicron surge levels off, but Trudeau defended the measures the federal government is responsible for, including the one that has angered many truck drivers: a rule that took effect Jan. 15 requiring truckers entering Canada to be fully vaccinated.

NY lifting mask-or-vax requirement for indoor businesses; school mask mandate remains

Governor Kathy Hochul announced the end of the indoor mask mandate in New York State effective Thursday, but the city mandate will remain in place. The state mandate had required masks to be worn inside businesses where vaccination status was not being checked. The mandate will remain in effect at homeless shelters, healthcare centers, state-run nursing homes, schools and childcare centers, and correctional facilities. The school mask mandate, however, will remain in place for now.

"We saw it coming, it happened, we hit our peak on January 7, but now we've noticed a 93% drop in cases," Hochul said. "That is exactly what we've been waiting for."

Hoboken repeals indoor mask requirements

Hoboken's executive order requiring face masks in indoor locations of public accommodation ended Wednesday, as Hudson County's positivity rate fell below 5% as of Monday, February 7, which provided the basis for the order's repeal.

"Since the very first decision to shut down at the beginning of the pandemic, Hoboken has used science and data to guide decisions on keeping the public safe," Mayor Ravi Bhalla said. "In recent days, the numbers make it clear that cases are significantly falling in the region, which is welcome news. This data point, combined with Hoboken's high vaccination rate, robust testing options, and low hospitalizations, make it possible for us to lift our indoor mask requirement. I thank the many residents and businesses who adhered to this safety precaution as we navigated through the Omicron phase of the pandemic."

Local Hoboken businesses will continue to have the option to require face masks for entry into their business.

How many times can I reuse my N95 mask?

How many times can I reuse my N95 mask? It depends, but you should be able to use N95s and KN95s a few times. The U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention says health care workers can wear an N95 mask up to five times. But experts say how often the average person can safely wear one will vary depending on how it's used. Using the same mask to run to the grocery store, for example, is very different than wearing it all day at work.

When am I contagious if infected with omicron?

When am I contagious if infected with omicron? It's not yet clear, but some early data suggests people might become contagious sooner than with earlier variants - possibly within a day after infection. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says people with the coronavirus are most infectious in the few days before and after symptoms develop. But that window of time might happen earlier with omicron, according to some outside experts. That's because omicron appears to cause symptoms faster than previous variants - about three days after infection, on average, according to preliminary studies. Based on previous data, that means people with omicron could start becoming contagious as soon as a day after infection.

Omicron variant symptoms: what to know even if you are vaccinated

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