COVID

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks Tuesday during a Politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party in Pyongyang.

World News

Kim Jong Un Says A Lapse In COVID Protocols Caused A 'Grave Incident'

7:18pm June 30, 2021

by Anthony Kuhn

The North Korean leader didn't say exactly what the incident was, nor did he contradict the country's official line, which is that it has not had a single COVID-19 infection so far.

Staffers distribute the required personal protective gear before they transfer a COVID-positive patient to a hospital. They'll wear a gown, gloves, mask and face shield.

The Homesick EMTs Of Manila Say A Patient's Smile Makes It All Worthwhile

12:04pm June 23, 2021

by Ashley Westerman

Their workload has doubled. They don't go home when their shifts end lest they infect family members. But they say it's worth the sacrifices to lend a hand in the fight against COVID-19.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned on Tuesday of the danger from the Delta variant of the coronavirus. Among those not yet vaccinated, Delta may trigger serious illness in more people than othe

Fauci Warns Dangerous Delta Variant Is The Greatest Threat To U.S. COVID Efforts

9:47pm June 22, 2021

by Rob Stein

More contagious than other variants, and maybe more likely to cause severe disease, Delta is spreading so fast in the U.S. it could cause another surge this summer or fall, according to new research.

From left: A New Delhi woman waits in an observation room after getting the Covishield vaccine (the name used for the AstraZeneca vaccine in India) on May 26. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves a vaccination center after his first AstraZeneca dose o

AstraZeneca's Rocky Rollout: The Woes Of The 'Vaccine For The World'

6:17pm June 01, 2021

by Jason Beaubien

Oxford-AstraZeneca promised its COVID-19 vaccine would be effective, cheap and available worldwide. Five months after its launch, the path forward has been anything but smooth.

The Skagit Valley Chorale in Washington held a rehearsal in early March of 2020 that became a superspreader event for COVID-19.

After Its Superspreader Rehearsal, A Community Choir Struggles To Sing Together Again

1:37pm May 30, 2021

by Clare McGrane

A Skagit Valley Chorale rehearsal early last year became a deadly COVID-19 superspreader event. Now, the group is figuring out how to come back together and reforge the bonds of a community choir.

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A sign on the front doors of Westlund's Apple Market in Lansing, Mich., asks customers to wear a mask unless they are vaccinated against COVID-19.

National

Mask Or No Mask? Confusion Persists As Businesses Decide On Policies

5:09am May 25, 2021

by Michelle Jokisch Polo

As states across the U.S. begin lifting indoor mask mandates for the fully vaccinated, there's widespread confusion. Both businesses and customers are struggling over their decisions on mask-wearing.

An older person receives their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Thika, Kenya. The vaccine's manufacturer, Serum Institute of India, announced this week that it will freeze all exports of the vaccine through the end of this year — leaving 20 mill

20 Million Africans Are Due For Their 2nd COVID Shot. But There's No Supply In Sight

5:24pm May 21, 2021

by Nurith Aizenman

African nations had been counting on Serum Institute of India for nearly all their COVID vaccines. Now the company says it won't be sending any more for months. And African officials are scrambling.

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Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center is one of the largest safety-net hospitals in the United States.

Hospitals Serving The Poor Struggled During COVID. Wealthy Hospitals Made Millions

4:00pm May 20, 2021

The financial gap between wealthy hospitals and safety-net hospitals, which take everyone who walks through their doors, has widened during the pandemic, an NPR and PBS Frontline investigation found.

Darren Ford (left) reacts to the new mask guideline while presenting his vaccine card at Liberty Theatre on May 14 in Camas, Wash. Gov. Jay Inslee announced last Thursday that the statewide mask mandate would no longer apply to fully vaccinated adults.

Even With The No-Mask Guidance, Some Pockets Of The U.S. Aren't Ready To Let Go

7:19am May 19, 2021

by Will Stone

Many Americans are still making sense of new CDC guidance that vaccinated people no longer have to wear masks in most indoor settings.

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Gayle Smith told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on May 12: "There is no question but that we need a grand plan and the United States needs to be at the forefront of that," she said.

Biden Wants To Share COVID Vaccines Globally. Here's The Activist Helping Him

11:03pm May 18, 2021

by Tamara Keith

When the 2014 Ebola outbreak was spiraling out of control, Gayle Smith worked on the team that devised the Obama administration's response.

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