covid variants
Second COVID booster authorized by FDA for those 50 and older
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday authorized another round of COVID-19 booster shots for people 50 and older, as well as those who are immunocompromised. The decision to amend an earlier emergency use authorization for a second booster dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine is meant to increase protection against […]
With COVID funding stuck in Congress, White House raises alarms about shortfall
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is warning that the United States would not be prepared for another COVID-19 variant or surge in cases if Congress doesn’t approve billions in stalled emergency funding. Senior administration officials told reporters Tuesday that without the $22.5 billion the White House requested last month, there will be a drop-off in the federal […]
As COVID slogs on, seniors find fortitude waning and malaise growing
By Judith Graham, Kaiser Health News Late one night in January, Jonathan Coffino, 78, turned to his wife as they sat in bed. “I don’t know how much longer I can do this,” he said, glumly. Coffino was referring to the caution that’s come to define his life during the COVID-19 pandemic. After two years […]
Complaints about White House handling of COVID-19 aired at U.S. Senate hearing
WASHINGTON — Senators from both political parties expressed their frustration with the Biden administration coronavirus response team during a Tuesday hearing that keyed in on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance on vaccines, as well as the shortage of COVID-19 tests available for Americans. The hearing also was highlighted by a tense exchange between […]
During a COVID-19 surge, ‘crisis standards of care’ involve excruciating choices
By Matthew Wynia, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus As the omicron variant brings a new wave of uncertainty and fear, I can’t help reflecting back to March 2020, when people in health care across the U.S. watched in horror as COVID-19 swamped New York City. Hospitals were overflowing with sick and dying patients, while […]
Omicron underscores the limits of local COVID policy
Omicron is upon us. From Dec. 20 to Dec. 23, over 40,000 Ohioans tested positive for COVID-19, the most of any four-day stretch ever. As a matter of fact, each of the days in that window topped the previous single-day high of 13,374 cases recorded on Nov. 30, 2020, giving us the new first, second, […]
CDC: 25 states report omicron strain of COVID-19, but delta remains biggest threat
WASHINGTON — Twenty-five states have identified cases of the new omicron variant of COVID-19, federal public health officials said Friday as they released new data on the first 43 U.S. cases. On Saturday, the Ohio Department of Health confirmed two cases in the state of the variant, bringing the number to at least 26 states. Of those initial, confirmed […]
New COVID omicron variant ‘not a cause for panic,’ Biden says
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden sought to reassure Americans on Monday about the latest COVID-19 variant, describing it as “a cause for concern, not a cause for panic.” Biden did not announce any new travel restrictions or other federal actions during his brief remarks from the White House. Instead, he urged Americans to get a booster […]