As Los Angeles County again mandates masking indoors – even for the fully vaccinated – local health officials in the U.S. are closely eyeing their own COVID-19 vaccination and infection rates.
The US has split into “two Americas,” one of the unvaccinated and one of the vaccinated. The differences in deaths and hospitalizations between the two populations are striking.
The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine was recently approved for adolescents ages 12-15. Vaccination is essential to protect children from serious illness and quicken return to normal life.
New CDC guidance permits domestic travel for fully vaccinated individuals, as long as social distancing is respected. International travel guidelines are different.
Millions of vaccinated people have been waiting for guidelines on what they can do safely. The CDC says it’s OK to gather with other vaccinated people, but it’s still best to avoid travel.
Recent federal mask mandates on all public transit have burdened bus drivers with difficult and sometimes dangerous duties to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
How well your mask works depends on how well it fits. Wearing two snug masks made of different materials offers 95% protection from exposure to aerosols that could contain the coronavirus.
So far, the only COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use need to be kept frozen. But there are many places in the world that can’t support a cold supply chain.
The coronavirus vaccine was developed faster than any vaccine in history. It took just 332 days from the first sequencing of the virus genome to the first vaccines given to the public.
Zoë McLaren, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
A new over-the-counter COVID-19 test has been authorized by the FDA. Though it can be used to test people with and without symptoms, moderate cost and limited production mean it isn’t a game-changer.
Desi Kotis, University of California, San Francisco
Health systems around the US are on the cusp of receiving COVID-19 vaccines. At the end of this months-long effort are the nitty-gritty details of how health care providers are giving people the vaccine.
In September, production of rapid tests really ramped up in the US. But due to low accuracy and massive numbers needed, these tests alone are unlikely to have much of an effect on the pandemic.
Biden will begin his presidency in the midst of a global public health crisis that’s already killed over 240,000 people in the US alone. His team is already planning how to get COVID-19 under control.
The CDC has released conflicting messages on masks and transmission of the coronavirus. A scholar explains the nature of trust and why institutions need to be careful.
New guidance from the CDC says that 15 minutes of exposure – regardless of whether that occurs at one time – can result in transmission of the coronavirus.
There are plenty of ways to enjoy the holiday without trick-or-treating, but you still need to make sure you are socially distancing and wearing a mask – and not just one for Halloween.