COVID-19

WASHINGTON — The Democratic governors of three so-called “Blue Wall” states released a joint statement Friday assailing former President Donald Trump for purportedly giving Russian President Vladimir Putin COVID testing supplies at a time when such tests were out of... Read More

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Moderna said it has paused efforts to build an mRNA manufacturing facility in Kenya due to uncertainty over the future demand for COVID-19 vaccines in Africa. According to a statement posted on the drugmaker’s website last week,... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration has approved the sale of the first over-the-counter antigen test for COVID-19. The product, ACON Laboratories’ Flowflex COVID-19 Antigen Home Test, originally authorized for emergency use in 2021, is now the second home... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday amended its emergency use authorization for the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine, approving an updated version of the vaccine for use by previously vaccinated individuals aged 12 and older. Of course, those who... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs announced Tuesday that it is relaxing face mask requirements at all of its medical facilities. Beginning Tuesday, face masks were no longer required in most clinical areas of these facilities. “Now that the... Read More

GENEVA — The World Health Organization ended the COVID-19 global health emergency on Friday, deeming the coronavirus an “established and ongoing health issue” that is essentially here to stay. The “COVID-19 Public Health Emergency of International Concern” has been in... Read More

WASHINGTON — Black and Hispanic respondents were more likely than other racial or ethnic groups to report COVID-19 symptoms lasting three months or longer, according to a new Household Pulse Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The Household Pulse... Read More

WASHINGTON — Three years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the public health emergency declared to combat it will come to an end on Thursday, May 11. Though public health officials say SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, remains... Read More

WASHINGTON — Children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome, a rare condition linked to the virus that causes COVID-19, have biochemical indicators that are distinct from other kids suffering from the virus and that could lead to new means of diagnosis and... Read More

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — The office of Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds deliberately ignored the state’s open records law during the coronavirus pandemic, regularly failing to release requested information about the state’s response, the Iowa Supreme Court said on Friday. With... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday issued an emergency use authorization for Gohibic (vilobelimab) injections to be used to treat COVID-19 in hospitalized adults. The authorization allows for the use of the injection within 48 hours of... Read More

WASHINGTON — A week after the House overwhelmingly voted to declassify any and all information related to the origin of COVID-19, President Joe Biden signed the measure into law, saying, “I share the Congress’ goal of releasing as much information... Read More

WASHINGTON — A restaurant group lost out last week at a Washington, D.C., court in their attempt to recover lost profits from the COVID-19 pandemic under their insurance policies. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said... Read More

WASHINGTON — The National Institutes of Health has begun a multi-state clinical trial evaluating an “investigational antiviral” for the treatment of adults hospitalized with COVID-19.  The treatment, known as S-217622 or ensitrelvir fumaric acid, was developed in Japan by Hokkaido... Read More

WASHINGTON — The White House said Monday that President Biden will end dual national emergencies declared to deal with the COVID-19 public health crisis in May, nearly three years after they were first declared. The announcement came 24 hours before... Read More

WASHINGTON — House Republicans put more pressure on social media companies Thursday by introducing a bill that would block the Biden administration from trying to remove certain kinds of information from their websites. Republicans who introduced the bill said they... Read More

WASHINGTON — Three months after stopping the practice, the Biden administration is once again making free COVID-19 tests available to all U.S. households. The goal, administration officials said, is to stop a potential surge in COVID-19 cases heading into winter.... Read More

The incidence rate of infective endocarditis — a rare but often fatal inflammation of the heart valves — among patients with cocaine use disorder or opioid use disorder increased from 2011 to 2022, with the steepest increase occurring from 2021... Read More

WASHINGTON — Deep flaws in the nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic gave a glimpse into how to prepare for the next infectious outbreak, according to a report adopted Wednesday by a congressional panel. The hearing of the House Select... Read More

WASHINGTON — The United States will not support extending a Dec. 17 deadline for waiving intellectual property protection for COVID-19 tests and treatments, and instead is asking the U.S. International Trade Commission to first investigate market dynamics such as pricing,... Read More

ATLANTA — This year’s flu shot so far appears to be a “very good match” for the circulating strains, but more people — especially children, adults over 65 and pregnant women — need to take advantage of it to contain... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is making $350 million available to increase COVID-19 vaccinations at Health Resources and Services Administration-supported health facilities. The funding will support health centers administering updated COVID-19 vaccines through mobile, drive-up, walk-up or community-based vaccination events,... Read More

ATLANTA — The increased use of telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic appears to have resulted in individuals with addiction problems staying in treatment longer and reduced their likelihood of overdosing, according to a new study. The research was a... Read More

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland's high court is expected to rule soon on whether insurers for corporations whose businesses suffered because of the COVID-19 pandemic must cover the lost income. On Friday, the Maryland Court of Appeals heard arguments from fashion... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday authorized updated COVID-19 booster shots specifically targeting a subvariant of omicron. The agency approved two options aimed at the BA.5 subvariant of omicron that is now dominant in the U.S.: one... Read More

NEW YORK — New York is keeping its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for municipal workers for now while Washington, D.C., is losing its mandate because of recent judges’ decisions. The differing court rulings within days of each other add to confusion... Read More

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Pharma giant Moderna sued Pfizer and BioNTech on Friday, claiming that their popular COVID vaccine was copied from groundbreaking science Moderna performed. In a statement posted on its website, Moderna said Pfizer and BioNTech infringed on patents... Read More

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C — First Lady Dr. Jill Biden is isolating after a positive test for COVID-19 Tuesday morning, a spokesperson for her office said Tuesday. “After testing negative for COVID-19 on Monday during her regular testing cadence, the first... Read More

WASHINGTON — The new school year starts within weeks with questions about what protections against COVID-19 will be required of students still unresolved in many states and counties. Most states have eliminated vaccine requirements but some cling to masks, either as... Read More

WASHINGTON — Only days after the Justice Department announced successful prosecutions of drug runners and seizures of huge stashes of illegal opioids, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said what was on everyone’s mind at a Senate hearing Tuesday. “I think we... Read More