COVID

Things seem grim now. But America's COVID situation could get better in 6-8 weeks

6:49am January 05, 2022

In the face of rising COVID-19 cases, Dr. Bob Wachter of the University of California, San Francisco, offers reasons to be hopeful about the pandemic's outlook in the months ahead.

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A man receives his fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine in a private nursing home in Petah Tikva, Israel, on Tuesday.

Israel sets COVID-19 record as rule changes create whiplash

5:10am January 05, 2022

by The Associated Press

The omicron variant is outpacing the government's ability to make and execute clear pandemic public policy.

A woman receives a booster shot at a pop-up vaccination clinic in Las Vegas on Dec. 21.

Health & Safety

The CDC now recommends Pfizer boosters after 5 months, down from 6

1:37pm January 04, 2022

by Becky Sullivan

The move to shorten the Pfizer booster interval comes as the U.S. shatters daily case records. The recommended interval for those who received Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines has not changed.

A health care worker conducts a test at a drive-through COVID-19 testing site at Zoo Miami last Wednesday in Miami. In response to the increasing demand for COVID-19 tests, Miami-Dade County opened two new testing sites and expanded hours at the Zoo Miami

These are the numbers health officials are watching at this point in the pandemic

11:56am January 04, 2022

In the midst of record COVID case numbers in the U.S., biostatistician Natalie Dean walks us through how to assess the metrics.

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A colorized electron micrograph image of a cell (red) infected with with SARS-CoV-2 virus particles (yellow), isolated from a patient sample.

Omicron is spreading at lightning speed. Scientists are trying to figure out why

11:18am December 31, 2021

by Will Stone

The burning questions: What makes this newly identified variant so transmissible?. And what does it mean for preventing spread?

A man is handed a swab for a rapid test as people line up for coronavirus testing at a gas station in the Reseda section of Los Angeles on Sunday.

Omicron surge sets records as flight disruptions continue

8:07am December 27, 2021

by NPR Staff

More than 1,400 flights canceled worldwide Monday, adding to thousands canceled over the Christmas weekend. And across the country, long lines continued at COVID-19 testing sites.

A team of nurses, patient care technicians and a respiratory therapist prepare to return a COVID patient to their back after 24 hours of lying on their stomach. That posture makes it easier to breathe and is a critical part of treatment for COVID patients

Intimate portraits of a hospital COVID unit from a photojournalist-turned-nurse

2:28pm December 26, 2021

by Victoria Hansen

Alan Hawes hopes his photos of health care workers and COVID patients will show the toll of this pandemic — and persuade the unvaccinated to get their COVID shots.

Employees of Nomi Health check in a long line of people seeking COVID-19 tests Tuesday in North Miami, Fla. The omicron variant has unleashed a fresh round of fear and uncertainty for travelers, shoppers and partygoers across the U.S.

Omicron will cause more infections but lower hospital rates, analysis shows

5:07pm December 22, 2021

by Rob Stein

University of Washington research predicts the omicron wave will infect more than 400,000 people a day in the U.S. when it crests in about six weeks.

The NHL pauses hockey season until after Christmas due to COVID-19 risks

9:39am December 21, 2021

by Jaclyn Diaz

The league will begin its holiday break starting at the end of Tuesday night's games, postponing the five remaining games scheduled for Thursday.

Health & Safety

The riddle of Japan's dramatic drop in COVID numbers

9:32pm December 20, 2021

by Anthony Kuhn

The turnaround came in the wake of a fifth wave of infections that peaked in August. Japan is trying to figure out why its COVID-19 case numbers and fatalities have plummeted.