omicron

A young person wears a mask while waiting in line at a COVID-19 testing site on the Martin Luther King Jr. medical campus on Monday in Los Angeles.

California extends its indoor mask mandate until February as omicron surge continues

11:01pm January 05, 2022

by Jonathan Franklin

So far, nearly 80% of California residents have been vaccinated with at least one dose of the COVID vaccine. The extended statewide mask mandate is set to expire on Feb. 15.

"Congressional offices, Committees, and Agencies should immediately review their operations to adopt a maximal telework posture to reduce in-person meetings and in-office activities to the maximum extent possible," attending physician Brain Monahan said o

Congress' doctor urges lawmakers to work remotely and upgrade masks as omicron rages

9:15pm January 03, 2022

by Vanessa Romo

The move follows an unprecedented spike in positivity rates in the Capitol, and mirrors record-high infection rates throughout Washington D.C., driven by the highly contagious omicron variant.

An public safety message from the government of South Africa. The country announced on Thursday that it was past the peak of its latest coronavirus surge.

As omicron heats up in the U.S., South Africa says its wave is on the way out

12:32pm December 31, 2021

by Eric McDaniel

The variant caused fewer deaths and less severe infections than past versions of the virus in South Africa, but that could be different in other countries.

A line forms at a walk-up COVID-19 testing site last week at Farragut Square, just blocks from the White House.

The nation's capital has the highest COVID risk level in the country

9:43pm December 28, 2021

Washington, D.C., is considered the highest-risk place for COVID infection in the nation. Data shows D.C. had 1,192 new cases per day and 169 cases per 100,000 in the seven-day period ending Monday.

Boston College quarterback Phil Jurkovec prepares to hand the ball off during a game earlier this season. The team had to withdraw from the Military Bowl because of the pandemic.

Sports

'We just do not have enough players': More bowl games canceled as COVID cases surge

5:30pm December 26, 2021

by Matthew S. Schwartz

The Fenway Bowl and the Military Bowl were canceled after the University of Virginia Cavaliers and Boston College Eagles bowed out due to an insufficient number of players.

Blake Farmer plays with his kids, Louisa, 2, and Turner, 8, on the trampoline in their backyard in Nashville, Tennessee. After Thanksgiving, the family all had breakthrough COVID cases, resulting in a couple weeks spent at home. The trampoline served as a

Health & Safety

Our whole family got breakthrough COVID at Thanksgiving. This is what we learned

1:01pm December 24, 2021

by Blake Farmer

A reporter's experience with COVID in his young family after a gathering of relatives could help you navigate the Christmas holidays.

Health & Safety

Coronavirus FAQ: Remind me, how do you define mild, moderate and severe COVID?

9:23am December 24, 2021

by Fran Kritz

As researchers try to determine the severity of cases caused by the omicron variant, the question of what exactly constitutes mild, moderate and severe COVID is weighing on people's minds.

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.

Health authorities have been urging Americans to get a booster shot six months after their second dose of the vaccine, especially now that the omicron variant is dominant in the U.S.

Health & Safety

The vaccines work against severe disease. Here's why boosters are still a good idea

8:52am December 22, 2021

by Michaeleen Doucleff

Vaccines still do a solid job at warding off hospitalization from omicron. So if you're young and healthy, why get a booster? Scientists explain how boosters help and the best timing to get one.

People wait in line at a coronavirus testing site in Times Square in New York on Dec. 13.

COVID is again raging across the U.S. just as Americans gather for the holidays

12:00pm December 20, 2021

by Jaclyn Diaz

Sporting events and live theater announced cancellations amid major increases in new coronavirus cases, in large part because of the omicron variant.