COVID-19

Hana Horká, 57, wanted to recover from COVID-19 so she could get a health pass to visit dining and social areas without being vaccinated.

The coffee giant said it was responding to last week's Supreme Court ruling that rejected the Biden administration's plan to require vaccines or COVID testing at companies with more than 100 workers.

NBC will not be sending its announcers and most hosts to the Beijing Olympics due to continued concerns about rising COVID-19 cases worldwide and China’s strict policy about those who test positive.

Health experts suggest stepping up protection against omicron with N95s, KN95s or similar masks. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated its guidance to recommend people wear masks now used by healthcare workers. (Jan. 19)

A <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/babies-born-pandemic-slight-developmental-lag-study-finds-rcna10872" target="_blank">new study </a>is shining a light on the impact the pandemic has had on the development of newborns/infants born during the pandemic.

ABC News' Linsey Davis speaks to ABC's political director, Rick Klein, and contributor Donna Brazile, about Democrats’ voting rights push and the future of President Joe Biden’s legislative agenda.

Biden plan to require vaccines or regular testing at large companies was blocked by Supreme Court last week.

Facing high daily Covid cases and major legislative defeats in Washington, President Joe Biden defended his course of action in his first year in office.

In September 2020, regulators asked for extra safety data on the new mRNA vaccines. The human cost of that request is far from clear.

Hospitalizations in Hidalgo County have gone from an alarming increase over time to now soaring, with 380 people with COVID-19 being treated in local hospitals compared to the 266 the county reported just one day ago. In addition to the sharp rise in hospitalizations, the county also reported 407 new cases of COVID-19 and six more deaths, five of whom were vaccinated. The new cases, composed of 72 confirmed and 335 probable cases, raise the county’s overall tally to 128,178, of which there have been 73,709 confirmed, 51,273 probable and 3,196 suspect cases since the start of the pandemic. Cases in schools have also increased significantly with 654 students and 218 staff members testing positive in Hidalgo County campuses, raising overall totals to 6,551 and 1,909, respectively, since those numbers started being tracked in August 2021. Of the 380 people in hospitals with COVID, 35 are pediatric patients.

The Department of Justice has until 6 p.m. on Wednesday to hand over White House records to the Jan. 6 committee, unless the Supreme Court intervenes.

Though vaccination was superior to prior infection during the Alpha wave, the Delta variant changed that, according to new CDC data.

A new study that compares coronavirus protection from prior infection and vaccination concludes getting the shots is still the safest way to prevent COVID-19.

Senate Democrats are trying to drop the filibuster in order to pass voting rights legislation with a simple majority. Many Americans haven't been following this issue.

Yahoo News medical contributor and practicing internist Dr. Lucy McBride explains that how people to coronavirus varies widely and is dependent on several factors.

For the first time, people across the U.S. can log on to a government website and order free, at-home COVID-19 tests.

The Biden administration's free at-home Covid test website is live. Here's how effective the rapid antigen tests are, and when to use them, according to experts.

Prime Minister Boris Johnon says thanks to booster shots and people following the rules, the Omicron wave "has now peaked" in the U.K., so the rules are being lifted.

The leader of Hungary’s political opposition has announced he has tested positive for COVID-19 amid a surge in cases fueled by the highly transmissible omicron variant.

As Texas universities and colleges begin a fifth semester during the COVID-19 pandemic, many students say they are struggling with uncertainty and an indifference toward school and the future.

The Biden administration will begin making 400 million N95 masks available for free to Americans starting next week.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce that Covid rules in England will be eased when he makes a statement later on Wednesday.

Infectious disease experts have warned against complacency with Covid-19, despite health officials claiming infection is practically inevitable for most people.

During President Joe Biden's first year in office, he took action on a number of his key promises, from rebuilding U.S. alliances globally to distributing vaccines across America and the world.

A 37-mile road across a frozen lake takes drivers to the northernmost point in the continental United States, known for its ice fishing resorts.

Videos captured by Tongan geologists show a huge ash cloud rising over the island nation during a powerful volcanic eruption that caused a tsunami in the Pacific.

Schools have shifted to remote because of teacher, bus driver and other staff shortages.

Schools have shifted to remote because of teacher, bus driver and other staff shortages.

The Donna school district Monday joined a growing number of Hidalgo County school systems that have approved additional paid leave for employees isolated because of COVID-19 since the beginning of the spring semester. The resolution greenlit by Donna’s board approved up to seven days of isolation because of COVID-19 and is retroactive as of Jan. 3. Donna ISD Superintendent Angela Dominguez said in an email that the resolution approved by the board resembles a COVID-19 leave policy the district had in place last year. “We offer testing for staff and students and monitor academic supports for students who need to quarantine through remote conferencing. All employees in Donna ISD are helping to cover where needed and it is truly a team effort.

A Buda man in his 20s recently died of COVID-19, marking Hays County’s 427th coronavirus-related fatality.An additional 1,500 lab-confirmed cases, 23 hospitalizations and 12 hospital discharges were r[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] Breaking News, News, News - Mobile, News Alert San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

More than 42,500 San Marcos residents have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

A health official who has helped lead central Florida's response to the pandemic has been put on administrative leave as state officials investigate whether he tried to compel employees to get vaccinated for COVID-19 in violation of state law. The state health agency is conducting an inquiry into Raul Pino, director of the Florida Department of Health in Orange County, “to determine if any laws were broken in this case,” Florida Department of Health press secretary Jeremy Redfern said in an email. A measure Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law last fall prohibits government agencies from implementing vaccine mandates and restricts private businesses from having vaccine requirements unless they allow workers to opt out for medical reasons, religious beliefs, immunity based on a previous infection, regular testing or an agreement to wear protective gear.

After ordering, a message informs citizens that "COVID-19 tests will start shipping in...

Hidalgo County reported two COVID-19 related deaths and 275 new cases Tuesday morning. The county reported two men in their 60s from Edinburg and Weslaco died due to complications related to COVID-19. The county has now had a total of 127,771 positive cases, including 73,637 confirmed cases, 50,938 probable cases, and 3,196 suspected cases. The county also reported 49 new cases among students and 15 new cases among staff in county schools. Hidalgo County has administered a total of 763,030 COVID-19 tests, and 634,471 of those tests had negative results.

AccuWeather's Tony Laubach was in Buffalo, New York, where the city is beginning to dig out on Jan. 18 after receiving record snowfall from the winter storm.

The Washington’s Birthday Celebration Association in an effort to mitigate the local...

The company aims to have a single annual booster shot that's available in some countries by fall 2023.

The company aims to have a single annual booster shot that's available in some countries by fall 2023.

Ivermectin has been hailed as a "wonder drug" for treating parasitic infections, but leading medical experts say the same isn't true for treating COVID-19 infections.

The federal website providing free at-home COVID-19 tests is open for orders. Here is how to order the tests, and what you need to know.

"Whether we reopen is completely contingent on whether we receive RRF funding," said one restaurant owner.

In order to minimize the risk of Olympic athletes being exposed to COVID-19, journalists covering the event are tested daily for the disease, and a state-of-the-art facility helps limit human contact.

Some unknown portion of these deaths are among people infected with the Delta variant, but experts say Omicron is also claiming lives.

Some unknown portion of these deaths are among people infected with the Delta variant, but experts say Omicron is also claiming lives.

When he came into office, Biden launched an ambitious seven-point plan for defeating the virus. Here's how experts score his results.

The White House's top medical advisor says the virus won't go away entirely. Instead, it should eventually hit a level where it "doesn't disrupt our normal social, economic and other interactions."

The fast-moving omicron variant may cause less severe disease on average, yet COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. are climbing.

The fast-moving omicron variant may cause less severe disease on average, but COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. are climbing and modelers forecast 50,000 to 300,000 more Americans could die by the time the wave subsides in mid-March. The seven-day rolling average for daily new COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. has been trending upward since mid-November, reaching nearly 1,700 on Jan. 17 — still below the peak of 3,300 in January 2021. Despite signs omicron causes milder disease on average, the unprecedented level of infection spreading through the country, with cases still soaring in many states, means many vulnerable people will become severely sick.

The worst of the coronavirus pandemic — deaths, hospitalizations and lockdowns — could be over this year if huge inequities in vaccinations and medicines are addressed quickly, the head of emergencies at the World Health Organization said Tuesday. Dr. Michael Ryan, speaking during a panel discussion on vaccine inequity hosted by the World Economic Forum, said “we may never end the virus” because such pandemic viruses “end up becoming part of the ecosystem.” WHO has slammed the imbalance in COVID-19 vaccinations between rich and poor countries as a catastrophic moral failure.

COVID-19 'almost took me out,' says ESPN's Stephen A. Smith

The U.S. would have have been better prepared for virus curveballs if the administration had moved more quickly to boost testing, acquire real-time data on the virus and convey risks more clearly, say some coauthors, advisers

Gorsuch's refusal to wear a mask led Sotomayor, who has diabetes, to attend oral arguments virtually. The justices are all vaccinated and boosted.

Anyone who bought a hamster from the store after January 7 must hand over their new pet to be put down.

Covid-19 will never be eradicated, but society has a chance to end the public health emergency this year, a senior WHO official has said.

Good morning, Chicago. Here are some of the top stories you need to know to start your day.

Houston ISD announced that all campuses and offices will be closed Tuesday for an Attendance Mitigation Day, and staff should not report to work unless requested by a supervisor.

Youngkin was sworn in as Virginia's 74th governor Saturday.

Lower vaccination rates among adults aged 25-64 have shifted the demographics of Covid-19’s death toll.

With the arrival of vaccines, compassion for COVID deaths began to dry up, sometimes replaced by scorn.

Poland’s health officials say that the country has entered a new, fifth wave, in the coronavirus pandemic, predicting that it it will peak in mid-February at about 60,000 new infections per day or even more.

Milley has long been a hate figure for Trump supporters, and Ingraham seized on news of his COVID diagnosis on her Fox News show Monday.

Chinese state media say parcels mailed from overseas may have spread the coronavirus in Beijing and elsewhere, despite doubts among overseas health experts that the virus can be transmitted via packaging.

Since July 2020, the city of Houston has been <a href="https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2021/12/07/omicron-variant-detected-in-houstons-wastewater-health-department-confirms/" target="_blank">testing wastewater</a> for signs of a coronavirus surge.

To help ensure Americans have tests on hand if a need arises, the Biden Administration is purchasing one billion at-home, rapid COVID-19 tests to give to Americans for free. A half-billion tests will be available for order on Wednesday, and will be mailed directly to American households.

The coronavirus’ omicron variant is barreling across South America and pressuring hospitals whose employees are getting infected and taking sick leave, leaving facilities understaffed to cope with COVID-19′s third wave.

A Houston Methodist doctor who was thrust into the spotlight in November after her privileges were suspended because of her views on vaccines and early treatment for COVID-19 has plans to file a lawsuit against the hospital system.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff says Chairman Gen. Mark Milley has tested positive for COVID-19 and is experiencing very minor symptoms.

Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has returned to his morning news conference following a week of isolation for his second coronavirus infection.

Organizers of the Beijing Olympics say they will only offer event tickets to “selected" spectators because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Texas will soon surpass its previous COVID-19 hospitalization record. Doctors and nurses say they can’t keep up this pace for much longer and implore people to get vaccinated.

COVID-19 infections are soaring again at U.S. nursing homes because of the omicron wave, and deaths are climbing too.

The Chinese city of Xi’an has gradually begun lifting restrictions after over three weeks of lockdown as authorities sought to stamp out a local outbreak before the Beijing Winter Olympic Games are due to start.

Scientists are seeing signals that COVID-19′s alarming omicron wave may have peaked in Britain and is about to do the same in the U.S., at which point cases may start dropping off dramatically.

Scientists warn that omicron’s whirlwind spread across the globe practically ensures it won’t be the last worrisome coronavirus variant.

Athletes will need to be vaccinated and tested daily at the Winter Olympics in Beijing next month.

Officials in the state’s major metropolitan areas are increasingly scrambling to find health care workers to deal with a wave of patients with COVID-19.

Conroe ISD has increased it’s COVID-19 response and mitigations efforts to a Level 4, the second highest and more stringent alert of all five levels.

A study published in the Journal of Natural Product indicates cannabis might play a role in the fight against coronavirus.

The White House says the federal website where Americans can request free COVID-19 tests will begin accepting orders on Wednesday.

Just last week, we asked: If you’re a health care worker, what are you seeing lately on the job?

Novak Djokovic’s attempt to stave off deportation and be allowed to play in the Australian Open despite not being vaccinated against COVID-19 is headed for a legal hearing the day before he is scheduled to begin his title defense at a Grand Slam tournament he’s won a record nine times.

Italy, Spain and other European countries are reinstating or stiffening mask mandates as their hospitals struggle with mounting numbers of COVID-19 patients.

Novak Djokovic’s effort to play in the Australian Open despite being unvaccinated for COVID-19 moved to a higher court as the No. 1-ranked tennis player appealed the second cancellation of his visa.

The Supreme Court has stopped a major push by the Biden administration to boost the nation’s COVID-19 vaccination rate, a requirement that employees at large businesses get a vaccine or test regularly and wear a mask on the job.

School district leaders are desperately trying to fill vacant roles to stay open and some say they have no choice but to close.

In one version of a story published January 13, 2022, about businesses reacting to the Supreme Court’s ruling on a federal vaccine-or-test mandate, The Associated Press erroneously reported the specialty of Chris Slottee.

The pandemic has created a mental health crisis. There’s been a surge in the need for therapy sessions. And now that more people are facing a diagnosis for the first time, it’s sparking a feeling of defeat that psychologists are noticing among specific groups who catch COVID.

Are schools allowed to test your children for COVID-19 without your permission? KPRC 2 has the answer.

A judge declined Thursday to find probable cause against a Cy-Fair ISD teacher who allegedly placed her COVID-19 positive 13-year-old son in the trunk of her vehicle, fearing exposure to the virus.

Two brand-new COVID-19 pills that were supposed to be an important weapon against the pandemic in the U.S. are in short supply and have played little role in the fight against the omicron wave of infections.

England’s deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam, one of the scientists who led the U.K.’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, will leave his role in March.

Donna Tovalin of Cypress got her fourth dose of the COVID vaccine this week.

A girl under 10 is the city’s youngest confirmed pediatric COVID-19 death, the Houston Health Department announced Wednesday.

Political divisions about coronavirus policies are evident as state lawmakers across the country are beginning their third year of sessions dealing with another spike in COVID-19 cases.

Distrust, misinformation and other factors have combined to produce what authorities say are alarmingly low COVID-19 vaccination rates in U.S. children ages 5 to 11.

The White House COVID-19 Response Team is providing the latest updates.

A new study published by researchers at Oregon State University found hemp compounds have the ability to prevent the virus that causes COVID-19 from entering human cells, <a href="https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2022/01/12/study-cannabis-compounds-prevent-coronavirus-from-entering-human-cells/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=snd&utm_content=wdiv" target="_blank">KPRC sister station WDIV reported</a>.

The COVID-19 surge caused by the omicron variant means once-reliable indicators of the pandemic's progress are much less so, complicating how the media is able to tell the story.

Indonesia has kicked off a COVID-19 booster campaign for the general public, prioritizing third shots for the elderly and people with compromised immune systems.

Australia’s most populous state, New South Wales, has made the reporting of rapid antigen test results mandatory as it experienced its deadliest day of the pandemic.