In this episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the host discusses the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly the Omicron variant. He mentions that Dr. Anthony Fauci predicted that Omicron will infect almost everyone, but those who are vaccinated will likely do reasonably well. Colbert also talks about the surge in COVID-19 cases, which has led to shortages of various products, including meat and Slim Jims. He jokes about the expiration dates of products, sharing a story about a can of sausage his mother sent him 35 years ago that he still has in his office. Colbert also discusses a study that found cannabis compounds can prevent COVID-19 infection and jokes about the potential benefits of smoking weed to fight the virus.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Dr. Anthony Fauci stated that Omicron will infect "just about everybody."
2. According to Dr. Fauci, those who have been vaccinated will "very likely" do reasonably well, with some exceptions.
3. Vaccines and boosters work, and those unvaccinated are 10 times likelier to be infected and 20 times likelier to die from COVID-19.
4. The CEO of United Airlines reported that 4% of its U.S. employees have tested positive for COVID-19, and in one day alone, nearly one-third of their workforce at Newark called out sick.
5. According to the World Health Organization, in the next six to eight weeks, half of the population in Western Europe will be infected with COVID-19.
6. Experts think Omicron may be headed for a rapid drop in Britain and the United States.
7. The true daily case number of COVID-19 has already peaked, hitting 6 million on January 6th, according to the University of Washington.
8. A recent study found that COVID-19 loses 50% of its ability to infect after 10 seconds in office air.
9. Inflation soared 7% in the past year, the most since 1982.
10. Used car prices are up more than 37% due to pandemic-related supply problems.
11. Luxury cars are doing very well, with Rolls-Royce reporting an all-time sales record in 2021.
12. The FDA extended the shelf life for expired COVID-19 test kits.
13. A new study found that cannabis compounds stopped infection by the COVID-19 virus.
14. Three people who have yet to get COVID-19 are Seth Rogen, Willie Nelson, and Snoop Dogg.