Unvaccinated staff linked to increased nursing home COVID-19 cases, deaths

Lagging vaccination rates among nursing home staff are being linked to a national increase in COVID-19 infections and deaths at senior facilities.

Former surgeon general: CDC should fix ‘premature, misinterpreted’ mask guidance

Former Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams, who once advised against mask-wearing, is now asking the CDC to change its guidance to recommend mask-wearing among both unvaccinated and vaccinated Americans.

CDC: Over 40% of COVID-19-related hospitalizations are patients 18-49

The CDC said that more than 40% of hospitalizations related to COVID-19 are made up of mostly 18 to 40-year-olds, and the numbers are increasing compared to those who are 65 and older.

Price for lack of billing transparency may go up for hospitals

When we need to make a big purchase, most of us research prices. But with medical procedures, too often the final tally is a big surprise. 

Doctors are seeing rise in RSV and other respiratory viruses in young children

Since May, Georgia doctors have been reporting a jump in the number of children diagnosed with RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, and other respiratory illnesses that typically peak in the winter months.

Louisiana residents took $1M in COVID funds from California

More than 100 false claims to California’s Employment Development Department netted $1 million for eight people, and five of them also got more than $60,000 that they weren’t due from the Louisiana Workforce Commission, officials said.

US extends restrictions on travel to Canada until Aug. 21

The United States has extended the non-essential travel ban to Canada until Aug. 21, days after Canada said the border would open to vaccinated U.S. citizens on Aug. 9.

Pfizer vaccine will be made at South African firm, a first for Africa

This is the first time Pfizer's vaccine will be produced in Africa, in a move to help address the continent's desperate need for more doses amid a recent surge of cases.

Softball players across the country show support for Georgia teen

Softball players from all over the country are showing their support for a local 13-year-old who is in treatment after losing a part of her vision.

4 companies on verge of settling $26B deal in lawsuits over toll of opioid prescriptions

The three biggest U.S. drug distribution companies and the drugmaker Johnson & Johnson are on the verge of a $26 billion deal to settle lawsuits brought by state and local governments across the country over the toll of prescription opioids.

More than 1.5M children lost at least 1 caregiver from a death related to COVID-19 last year

A recent study funded by the National Institutes of Health estimated that 1.5 million around the globe lost at least one caregiver to a death related to COVID-19 in the first 14 months of the pandemic.

Study: Screen time linked to cognitive issues in children born preterm

School-age children who were born extremely preterm and engage in more than two hours of screen time per day are more likely to experience cognitive and behavioral problems, according to an NIH study.

Study: J&J COVID-19 vaccine significantly less effective against delta variant

Study authors found that while the two-dose vaccines were 94-95% effective in preventing COVID-19 from the delta and lambda variants, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine had only 66.9% efficacy “in preventing moderate to severe disease.”

Monkey B virus: Veterinarian dies in 1st case reported in China

A veterinary surgeon who died in May has become the first reported Monkey B virus case in China, according to the China Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Fauci: CDC ‘carefully looking’ at mask guidance for schools

Dr. Anthony Fauci said the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recent recommendation on universal masking in schools, even for those who are vaccinated, is out of an abundance of caution amid the surge in COVID-19 cases blamed on the delta variant of the coronavirus.

India's pandemic deaths could be 10X official toll, researchers say

India's deaths during the pandemic could be 10x the official COVID-19 toll, likely making it modern India’s worst human tragedy, researchers said.