Coronavirus Coverage

Thousands of cases of the B.1.1.7 strain have been reported across the United States, and experts fear the variant could drive another COVID-19 surge as states race to get ahead and vaccinate. The strain, first spotted in the United Kingdom, isn’t just more contagious than the original novel coronavirus. It appears to be deadlier as

With millions more Americans getting vaccinated every day, some have complained about fever, fatigue and other ailments they weren’t expecting. Don’t panic, doctors say. Side effects from COVID-19 vaccines won’t last long. And they’re actually proof that your immune system is working the way it’s supposed to. (Though vaccines are still very effective even without

The ongoing Phase 3 clinical trial of Pfizer/BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine confirms its protection remains high for at least six months after the second dose, the companies said Thursday. Protection likely lasts even longer than that, vaccine experts say, but they say having data showing good protection six months after people were vaccinated is good news.

To play during the pandemic, Major League Baseball has stepped up to the plate. The league is using coronavirus tests in a new way that allows them to determine not only if a player has COVID-19 but also if a variant of the virus caused the player’s infection. The MLB is one of few professional

Though many Americans are eager to return to normal after a year of living through the COVID-19 pandemic, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday reminded Americans that “we’re not quite there yet.” “We are so close — so very close to getting back to the everyday activities we

Mounting evidence suggests the more contagious coronavirus variant first identified in the UK, which experts believe is partly driving an uptick of cases in places like Michigan, may already be dominant across the US. “I think we are there,” said William Lee, vice president of science at Helix, a company whose tests have identified a

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant and negative impact on pregnant women and their infants, according to a global review of studies. The review, published Wednesday in the journal the Lancet, found that stillbirths and maternal deaths increased by nearly a third, according to pooled data from 40 studies that covered 17 countries. There was

A dangerous coronavirus variant is wreaking havoc in other parts of the world, so the US must stick with safety measures over the next few months to prevent that kind of damage as the variant takes more of a hold stateside, an expert says. The B.1.1.7 variant, first spotted in the UK, is more contagious,

If you think herd immunity is the finish line to this pandemic, it’s time for a reality check. Herd immunity with COVID-19 could come and go, scientists say. Or we might never reach it at all. “There’s a lot of things that have to go our way to actually get to herd immunity,” said Dr.

The US is entering a confusing time in the pandemic with vaccine distribution numbers soaring to new heights at the same time infection rates tick up nationwide. An influential coronavirus model from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington projects that daily deaths and infections will trend down in the

The novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 probably spread to people through an animal, and probably started spreading among humans no more than a month or two before it was noticed in December of 2019, according a new 120-page report from the World Health Organization. But the search for the origin of the virus is ongoing.

Much of America’s recent progress against COVID-19 has been erased as new infections jump nationwide. Now the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said she’s afraid of what will happen next. “What we’ve seen over the last week or so is a steady rise of cases,” said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky

In a new CNN special report “COVID WAR: The Pandemic Doctors Speak Out,” CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta spoke to six leading US health officials about their experiences responding to the coronavirus pandemic over the past year. For the first time, free from the watchful eyes of the Trump White House, the top

Virtual instruction may pose more risks to the mental health and wellness of children and parents than in-person learning, according to a study published Thursday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More support may be needed to deal with the effects of the pandemic. Parents whose children received virtual instruction or a

As vaccine eligibility begins to open up nationwide, the United States is likely to head into April with at least 196 million COVID-19 vaccine doses delivered — and the Biden administration may be on track to reach its goal of enough doses for every adult by the end of May. A total of 27 million

Top US health officials say they’re encouraged by the accelerating COVID-19 vaccinations. But not enough Americans are fully vaccinated yet to suppress the spread of the virus — and eased restrictions across the country coupled with spring break crowds could spell trouble, one expert said Wednesday. “What concerns me is the footage of what’s happening

Between 2 million and 3 million COVID-19 vaccines are administered in the United States every day. That means many parents are being vaccinated but not their kids — since the vaccine is not yet authorized for children under 16. While many parents can breathe a sigh of relief with their own vaccinations, it may be

Drug giant AstraZeneca updated its data on how well its coronavirus vaccine works, saying late Wednesday the vaccine showed 76% efficacy against symptomatic coronavirus disease and 100% efficacy against severe or critical disease or the need for hospitalization. The vaccine was 85% effective in preventing symptoms in volunteers 65 and older, the company said. The

The emergence of COVID-19 variants makes reopening efforts in the United States a riskier proposition, an infectious disease expert said Wednesday. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, said the B.1.1.7 variant has resulted in increased transmission in countries with vaccination efforts similar to the

Seven in 10 people hospitalized for COVID-19 have not fully recovered five months after discharge, a new study finds. The COVID survivors continued to experience concerns with their mental and physical health, with 1 in 5 people developing a new disability, and a similar number either not working or having to change jobs due to

Burned out medical staff suffering from trauma and in some cases PTSD, the erosion of public trust in hospitals, and frustration over the “unpredictable and insufficient” supply of vaccines are just some of the problems outlined in a new report on US hospitals released by the Department of Health and Human Services inspector general Wednesday.

Months before the US Food and Drug Administration even approved the first COVID-19 vaccine, there were many conversations and debates going on about who should be put at the front of the line to get it. Different advisory panels and patient advocacy groups came out with suggested recommendations. Eventually, the US Centers for Disease Control

The tweet came as a surprise. John McGee, 21, told CNN on Tuesday that he was mindlessly scrolling through Twitter last Monday when he saw Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves’ post: “Starting tomorrow, ALL new appointments will be open to ALL Mississippians. Get your shot friends – and let’s get back to normal!” Mississippi is 1

With a climbing number of COVID-19 vaccinations in the US, the light at the end of the tunnel is growing brighter. But right now, experts say it is critical to work on lowering COVID-19 case numbers — for several reasons. Not enough people are protected against the virus yet — only about 13.5% of the

With more than 44 million people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in the United States, many adults are hopeful that a more normal life is on the horizon. Now families are wondering when vaccines will be available for teens and children. COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized in the United States are only available for adults, except Pfizer/BioNTech’s

Fully vaccinated people should feel free to visit their unvaccinated family and friends without restrictions, but visits should be limited to one unvaccinated household at a time, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said Monday. And sorry, but even fully vaccinated grandparents should not be bringing their grandkids to church or otherwise exposing them

A fifth company — AstraZeneca — released data Monday about how well its coronavirus vaccine works and said it plans to ask the US Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization in the coming weeks. Drug giant AstraZeneca said Monday its vaccine, developed with Britain’s Oxford University, showed about 79% efficacy in preventing symptomatic