Special project

COVID-19

RSS feed

COVID-19, a disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, first appeared in humans in late 2019 and caused a pandemic starting in spring 2020. Related coronaviruses MERS-CoV (which causes MERS) and SARS-CoV-1 (SARS) have caused regional outbreaks but not pandemics at this point.

Study: School air sampling worked as well as other methods in tracking COVID, flu

Mary Van Beusekom

The use of complementary respiratory virus tracking tools in schools, including air sampling, may help detect outbreaks.

Girl raising hand
Masks and N95 respirators

Study on masks vs N95 respirators for health workers spurs concerns

Mary Van Beusekom | News Writer | CIDRAP News

Study suggests medical masks may offer similar protecion as N95 respirators, but experts say hold on.

COMMENTARY: Navigating COVID language traps

Peter M. Sandman, PhD

Public health professionals use some terms imprecisely, others incorrectly, and still others technically accurate but almost sure to be misunderstood by the public.

News briefs

Analysis shows racial disparities in COVID ICU admissions in California

Stephanie Soucheray

US delays, mixed messages in COVID booster rollout may have cost nearly 30,000 lives

Mary Van Beusekom

Study spotlights how COVID-19 admissions burdened ICUs

Stephanie Soucheray

Young adults more prone to anxiety, depression during COVID-19 than older adults, data show

Jim Wappes

Feds offer free COVID tests to US school districts

Lisa Schnirring
COVID-19 isolate, first case - Yellow

Get weekly COVD-19 updates in your inbox.

Newsletter sign-up

Listen to the Osterholm Update: COVID-19

Catch the latest episode!

Michael Osterholm

The answers to your COVID questions

Top COVID FAQs

question mark

Read COVID-19 commentaries

By CIDRAP & other experts

science

Our roundup of the best COVID visualizations

Up-to-date COVID-19 data

data visualization

COVID, flu vaccine uptake in US healthcare workers lacking

Up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination coverage was 17% among hospital healthcare personnel and 23% among those at nursing homes.

Mary Van Beusekom

Coadministration of COVID, flu vaccines as effective as when given separately, data suggest

Giving both at the same visit could boost uptake of both vaccines, the authors said.

Mary Van Beusekom
Doctor holding insulin syringes

Loss of smell, taste after mild COVID improves within 3 years, study shows

In the small cohort study, 88 patients with loss of smell and taste were compared to 88 controls.

Stephanie Soucheray

Long COVID linked to allergies in new study

This is one of the first studies to assess the relationship between long COVID and allergies.

Stephanie Soucheray
asthma

New GAO report details challenges in sustained investment for emergency readiness

The pattern of increased federal funding for an emergency response that wanes after the emergency is over hampers investment, officials said.

Mary Van Beusekom
Car vaccination

Organ transplant patients on maintenance drugs at increased risk for COVID hospitalization

The study was based on findings among a cohort of 60,456 solid-organ transplant recipients in France.

Stephanie Soucheray

CDC to expand testing for respiratory viruses at airports

The Traveler-based Genomic Surveillance program will expand to provide early detection of flu and other respiratory viruses.

Chris Dall

New pandemic-era stress scale aims to help identify at-risk adults, kids

The participants were given surveys on pandemic-related stress, depression and anxiety symptoms, and life satisfaction.

Stephanie Soucheray
pandemic stress

Pilot virtual urgent care programs had marginal effect on emergency visits amid COVID

Virtual-care and in-person patients had similar rates of index-visit hospital admissions, 30-day emergency department visits, and hospitalizations.

Mary Van Beusekom
Older lady and telehealth

Study suggests mass vaccination programs cut COVID cases in Japan 65%

The study data from the sixth wave of COVID-19 cases seen in Tokyo caused by BA.1 and BA.2 from January to May 2022.

Stephanie Soucheray