(Bloomberg) -- More than 10 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered across the globe, according to the latest tally from the Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker.

A U.K. study found that getting two vaccine doses lowers the risk of long Covid, while scientists identified some of the factors linked to lasting symptoms. Moderna Inc. enrolled the first participant in a clinical trial of its omicron-specific vaccine booster. 

Denmark and Austria moved to end some virus restrictions as hospitals are spared from being overwhelmed during the latest wave of infections. A Goldman Sachs Group Inc. executive said the bank will soon bring U.S. workers back to offices as the pandemic moves toward an endemic phase. 

Key Developments: 

• Virus Tracker: Cases top 358 million; deaths pass 5.6 million
• Vaccine Tracker: More than 10 billion shots administered
• One-third of pilots worldwide aren’t flying as pandemic persists
• Paid leave falls apart as omicron keeps sick Americans from work
• Almost half the world trails IMF vaccine targets to end pandemic
• What we know about the omicron variant now: QuickTake

Moderna Begins Study of Omicron Booster (5:05 p.m. NY)

Moderna Inc. enrolled the first participant in a clinical trial of its omicron-specific vaccine booster. The study will test the shot in 600 adults who have received its existing vaccine, including 300 who have received just two doses and another 300 who have also received a third booster shot. 

Moderna is testing the omicron-targeted booster because of “the long-term threat demonstrated by omicron’s immune escape,” Chief Executive Officer Stephane Bancel said in a statement. “We also are evaluating whether to include this omicron-specific candidate in our multivalent booster.”

Italy Drops Test Requirement for EU Arrivals (3:05 p.m. NY)

Italy will no longer require vaccinated European Union travelers to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test starting Feb. 1, according to a statement from the country’s Health Ministry. Travelers entering Italy from EU countries will still be required to show a Covid vaccine passport.

Denmark Ending Curbs Next Week (1:39 p.m. NY)

Denmark will end virus restrictions next week and reclassify Covid-19 as a disease that no longer poses a threat to society, even as infections in the Nordic nation are at record high.

The Nordic country won’t extend the pandemic measures beyond Jan. 31, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told a news conference in Copenhagen on Wednesday, confirming earlier reports by the Jyllands-Posten newspaper and Bloomberg News. 

The Nordic country won’t extend the pandemic measures beyond Jan. 31, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told a news conference in Copenhagen on Wednesday, confirming earlier reports by the Jyllands-Posten newspaper and Bloomberg News. 

Two Doses Lower Risk of Long Covid: U.K. Study (1 p.m. NY)

Getting two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine lowers the odds of developing long Covid at least three months later by 41%, according to an observational study from the U.K. Office for National Statistics. 

Almost 15% of those who were unvaccinated reported long Covid symptoms, which can include fatigue or shortness of breath, compared with less than 10% of those who were double-vaccinated. The results cover the period up to Nov. 30, and don’t capture the impact of booster doses or the omicron variant.

“These results do provide quite a big measure of indicative evidence that double vaccination might well cause a reduction in the risk of long Covid, if one is unlucky enough to become infected after being vaccinated,” said Kevin McConway, professor of applied statistics at The Open University.

Researchers found no evidence that the likelihood of developing long Covid symptom differs for those who got messenger RNA vaccines like those made by Moderna or Pfizer Inc. and Biontech SE, from those who received the viral vector vaccine from AstraZeneca Plc.

Goldman Sachs Plots U.S. Office Return (11:15 a.m. NY)

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. will make announcements related to its return-to-office plans next month, as the Covid-19 pandemic transitions to an endemic stage, Chief Operating Officer John Waldron said.

The bank is entering a period where it can bring more staff back and has about 20% of employees in its offices around the U.S., Waldron said at a virtual meeting with the New Jersey State Investment Council on Wednesday.

“We believe we can start to put more people in our offices, and you will see us make some announcements in that regard, starting in February,” Waldron said. “We really deeply believe, certainly for Goldman Sachs, that we function better when we’re together.”

The firm expects to offer employees more flexibility and more hybrid work, Waldron said.

Norway Can Ease Curbs, Health Institute Says (10:20 am. NY)

Norway can now start gradually easing restrictions over a short period without risking a higher disease burden, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health said.

“We say this now even though we are facing a significant wave, because we must acknowledge that there is hardly any way out,” Director General Camilla Stoltenberg said in a statement on Wednesday. “We can’t just push the epidemic in front of us, because the measures also have major disadvantages.”

Vaccines Administered Top 10 Billion Doses (9:30 a.m. NY)

More than 10 billion doses of vaccine have been administered across the globe, according to the latest tally from the Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker. 

The total is more than enough to give a dose to every person on Earth. But the milestone hides substantial inequality: Just over 13 months since the first vaccines went into arms, many wealthy, developed nations have achieved deep levels of vaccination across their populations. Many less-wealthy places, particularly in Africa, have not.

Sweden to Extend Curbs on Omicron (8:20 a.m. NY) 

Sweden will extend its current rules to curb Covid transmission, as health authorities expect that as much as 10% of the population could be infected by the virus in the next two weeks. The government expects to be able to remove most restrictions from Feb. 9, Social Minister Lena Hallengren said at a press conference.

Scientists Identify Long Covid Factors (6:05 a.m. NY)

Scientists seeking to find out which patients are most at risk of developing long Covid offered partial answers in a study.

People who have circulating fragments of the coronavirus, specific antibodies directed against their own tissues or organs -- known as auto-antibodies -- and a resurgence of the Epstein-Barr virus appear more at risk, researchers said in an article in the scientific journal Cell. 

The team of more than 50 researchers found some markers that could be identified early and appeared to correlate with lasting symptoms, regardless of whether the initial infection was severe. 

Poland Moves to Remote Schooling (6:26 p.m. HK)

Poland reported a record 53,420 new cases and the government ordered remote schooling for older grades in primary schools and all high schools till end of February. The parliament plans to discuss draft regulations allowing companies to check vaccination status of their employees.

Austria to End Lockdown for Unvaccinated (6:15 p.m. HK)

Austria will end a lockdown for unvaccinated people from Jan. 31 after the rate of infected people requiring hospitalization remained low during the latest wave of the pandemic.

The easing measure, announced by Chancellor Karl Nehammer, coincides with the introduction of mandatory vaccinations next month, with fines on dissenters beginning in mid-March.

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