Coronavirus News
U.S. Sees Rise in Life Expectancy After Pandemic Decline
- COVID Greatly Increases Diabetes Risk in Kids and Teens
October 15, 2024 — As the nation searches for ways to reduce the number of young people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, a new prevention pathway is emerging: avoiding COVID-19.
- COVID’s Risk to Heart May Rival That of Heart Disease
October 9, 2024 — Having severe COVID-19 could mean a higher risk of heart attack and stroke for up to three years after infection, new research shows.
- Free COVID Tests Are Back — Here’s How to Get Yours
September 23, 2024 — Free COVID tests from the federal government will soon be available for order, perhaps as early as today. Here's what to know.
- Just as COVID Levels Start to Dip, a New Variant Emerges
September 19, 2024 — A new COVID-19 variant called XEC is on the rise, and it has experts who track variants on alert.
- COVID Wave Colliding With Back-to-School Season
August 23, 2024 — Ever-improving forecasting, which is increasingly being informed by the contents of the nation’s sewers, points toward not a summer COVID wave, but now a months-long surge.
- Mental Illness Risk Surges After Severe COVID Infection
August 22, 2024 — Unvaccinated people who get severe COVID may face a heightened risk of developing mental health issues, with certain conditions becoming more common in the weeks after diagnosis, regardless of vaccination status, according to a new study.
- What It's Like Being COVID-Conscious in 2024
August 22, 2024 — For those who identify as COVID-conscious, life hasn’t gone “back to normal” as it has for so many others. Here's what it's like being COVID-conscious in 2024.
- COVID Levels Are ‘Very High’ in Majority of U.S. States
August 13, 2024 — More than half of U.S. states are reporting signs that COVID levels are poised to continue their summerlong rise.
- What Sewage Data Reveals About COVID and Back-to-School
August 6, 2024 — It’s been called the summer COVID surge, but this latest viral wave is yet to subside and is now colliding with back-to-school season. Here's what to know.
- COVID Makes Its Mark on Olympics as U.S. Sees Surge
August 1, 2024 — Shortly after the Paris Olympics began, social media celebrated athletes' victories. But now, the presence of COVID-19 at the games has sparked debates about how well current protocols work, echoing concerns from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
- Do I Have a Cold or COVID? Does It Matter?
July 22, 2024 — For many, symptoms don’t last nearly as long as they once did. And some doctors are taking a more lenient approach to COVID testing – especially since tests are no longer free – saying they're OK with people who are mildly ill simply isolating until symptoms go away.
- Long COVID Risk Has Dropped Since Start of Pandemic
July 18, 2024 — Your chances of developing long COVID have significantly decreased since the pandemic began, offering a glimmer of hope and a sign of progress in our ongoing battle against the virus.
- Depression or Long COVID? Understanding the Overlapping Symptoms
July 18, 2024 — Emma Javits, a clinical counselor, thought her severe fatigue was due to depression, but after 3 years, she was diagnosed with long COVID. This realization came after numerous treatments for depression failed, highlighting how it can be hard to distinguish long COVID from mental health issues.
- Summer COVID Surge Nabs Biden
July 16, 2024 — The summertime spread of COVID-19 is nowhere near ending, according to newly published numbers.
- Almost 10% of Infected Pregnant People Develop Long COVID
July 12, 2024 — Previous research found other dangers for pregnant people who get COVID, such as a higher chance of hospitalization or death, or complications such as preterm birth.
- A Key Indicator of COVID Just Spiked in the Western U.S.
July 3, 2024 — COVID-19 cases have been on the rise nationwide this summer, and now wastewater monitoring data suggests a further increase may be underway in the Western part of the U.S.
- What to Know About the Current Summer COVID Wave
June 27, 2024 — Like clockwork, the summer resurgence of COVID-19 has become as expected as the changing of seasons. Here's what to know about this summer's COVID wave.
- U.S. to Launch Long COVID Trial Focused on Sleep, Exercise
May 9, 2024 — The trials will look to enroll more than 1,500 people across 50 study sites to tackle some of the most common symptoms of long COVID.
- New ‘FLiRT’ Variants Spark Summer COVID Surge Warning
April 30, 2024 — A data scientist who has accurately predicted COVID waves since the beginning of the pandemic warns that a surge is on the horizon.
- 4 Years On, What Progress is Being Made on Long COVID?
April 17, 2024 — We’ve come a long way, but there’s still a lot that we don’t understand about long COVID.
- FDA OKs New Treatment to Prevent COVID in High-Risk People
March 26, 2024 — A new antibody treatment has been approved to help prevent COVID-19, and it will be available in a matter of days for many of the estimated 3 in every 100 people in the U.S. who have compromised immune systems.
- COVID Levels Decline, but Other Viruses Remain High
March 19, 2024 — COVID-19 may be headed toward a springtime retreat. The indication comes from declining levels of the virus SARS-CoV-2 being detected in wastewater over the past 3 weeks.
- Long COVID Symptoms Among Americans on the Rise
March 15, 2024 — Symptoms of long COVID are becoming more common among Americans, according to a new CDC survey.
- At-Home Medical Tests: Are They Right for You?
March 11, 2024 — At-home medical diagnostic testing has exploded in recent years. Here's what to know.
- COVID Virus Can Remain in the Body Over a Year
March 8, 2024 — New research shows that remnants of the COVID-19 virus can linger in blood and tissue for more than a year after a person is first infected.
- CDC Officially Shortens Recommended COVID Isolation Period
March 1, 2024 — Previously, the CDC had urged people with COVID to stay home for at least five days. But the new instructions suggest staying home until at least 24 hours after a fever and symptoms have subsided.
- COVID Infection Tied to Drop in IQ
February 29, 2024 — COVID-19–related cognitive declines in severe cases were equal to a 9-point drop in IQ, new data show, with most loss of memory, reasoning, and executive function.
- CDC Could Cut COVID Isolation Time: What It Could Mean
February 23, 2024 — The agency appears to be walking a fine line between reducing COVID transmission, including the JN.1 variant, and the reality that many people struggle to forgo work or school for days at a time.
- Paxlovid Lowers Risk of COVID-19 Hospitalization, Study Finds
February 22, 2024 — Almost 5,000 people in the study group received Paxlovid. The use of Paxlovid was the best indicator of avoiding hospitalization, with three of those people being hospitalized.
- U.S. COVID-19 Death Toll Higher Than Official Record, Study Says
February 21, 2024 — The number of deaths from COVID-19 is at least 16% higher than official records show, according to a new study.
- Mild COVID-19 Can Cause Sleep Problems, Study Finds
February 7, 2024 — Even a mild case of COVID-19 can cause people to have trouble sleeping, according to new research.
- Home Tests Detect the New COVID Variant, But May Take Longer
January 23, 2024 — JN.1, the now-dominant COVID-19 variant that accounts for nearly 86% of all currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 strains, may take longer to show a positive result on home antigen tests.
- If the COVID Threat Grows Again, How Prepared Are We?
January 18, 2024 — The JN.1 variant, while causing a spike in cases and worse outcomes, isn’t expected to be the sky-is-falling-variant many have worried about. But what if the next one is? Will we be prepared?
- CDC Says Second Tripledemic Season May Have Peaked
January 16, 2024 — Raging rates of the flu, COVID-19, and RSV may have peaked during the holidays and appear to be on a downward track, according to new CDC data.
- COVID Linked to Long-Term Risk of Digestive Diseases: Study
January 12, 2024 — The risk of getting serious digestive conditions – like gastrointestinal dysfunction and gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD – persists for months after an active COVID-19 infection, a new study says.
- Complacency Has Replaced Alarm in the Newest COVID Surge
January 12, 2024 — There's a massive surge of the JN1 COVID variant at present, but unlike the early years of the COVID experience, the shared, global alarm and uncertainty have been largely replaced with complacency.
- At-Home COVID Tests Now Taking Longer to Show Positive Result
January 10, 2024 — Some health care providers are warning that it can now take longer after COVID symptoms appear for tests to return a positive result.
- Researchers Link Fatigue from Long-COVID to Changes in Muscles
January 10, 2024 — People with long-COVID suffer from persistent fatigue that new research from Amsterdam attributes to changes in the muscles.
- Signs Point Toward Post-Holiday Surge in Respiratory Viruses
January 2, 2024 — The big three respiratory illnesses of flu, COVID-19, and RSV are showing up at the same time at high levels across the country, and further increases due to holiday gatherings are expected.
- COVID May Cause Ongoing Brain Injury Unseen by Routine Tests
December 29, 2023 — A study from the United Kingdom shows that brain damage may keep happening months after infection.
- COVID Strain JN.1 Is Now a ‘Variant of Interest,’ WHO Says
December 20, 2023 — The World Health Organization called the COVID variant JN.1 a standalone “variant of interest” and said JN.1 will drive an increase in cases of the virus, the global health agency announced late Tuesday.
- CDC Reports COVID-19 Subvariant JN.1 Spreading Quickly
December 19, 2023 — A subvariant of the COVID-19 virus is growing in the United States and is already dominant in the Northeast, according to the latest CDC figures.
- COVID, Flu, and RSV: What to Know Right Now
December 12, 2023 — It’s not necessarily a sign that another tripledemic is looming, but post-Thanksgiving rates of COVID-19 and influenza continue to rise nationwide. And instead of peaking as health officials hoped, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases have plateaued at higher levels.
- New COVID Variant JN.1 Could Disrupt Holiday Plans
December 7, 2023 — No one planning holiday gatherings or travel wants to hear this, but the rise of a new COVID-19 variant, JN.1, is concerning experts, who say it may threaten those good times.
- Federal Program Offers Free COVID, Flu At-Home Tests, Treatments
December 7, 2023 — The U.S. government has expanded a program offering free COVID-19 and flu tests and treatment. The Home Test to Treat program is virtual and offers at-home rapid tests, telehealth sessions, and at-home treatments to people nationwide.
- COVID, Flu Rates Rising Nationwide, But RSV May Have Peaked
December 4, 2023 — COVID-19 appears to be heading for a holiday season increase across most of the country. More people are testing positive, visiting emergency rooms for treatment, and being admitted to the hospital with severe symptoms. This follows a relatively quiet autumn for COVID, and comes as rates of other respiratory illnesses like the flu are also picking up.
- Biden Administration Will Send COVID-19 Tests to Schools
November 30, 2023 — The federal government will send millions of free COVID-19 tests to schools across the country. School districts can give the tests for free to students, staff, parents, and communities.
- New CDC Advisory Once Again Flags BA.2.86 COVID Variant
November 28, 2023 — An emerging variant of COVID-19 called BA.2.86 that caused alarm earlier this summer has landed on the CDC’s radar again.
- Novel MRI Study Detects Brain Changes in Long COVID Patients
November 27, 2023 — People who have long COVID exhibit changes in certain sections of their brains not found in people who are fully recovered from COVID, according to a study that used a novel kind of magnetic resonance imaging.