COVID-19

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At Tokyo Olympics, a 'Very Significant Change'

Athletes will put on their own medals to protect against COVID

(Newser) - Athletes at the Tokyo Olympics will put their medals around their own necks to protect against spreading the coronavirus. The "very significant change" to traditional medal ceremonies was revealed Wednesday by International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, per the AP . "The medals will not be given around the...

COVID Cases Double Over 3 Weeks in US

Delta variant is driving new infections, officials say

(Newser) - "For the most part, people seem to feel as if COVID is over," one epidemiologist tells the Wall Street Journal . But that's not so: In the US, the number of new cases per day has doubled over the past three weeks. On Monday, the seven-day average hit...

Seoul's New COVID Rules Target Gym Music

Songs in group exercise classes can't exceed 120bpm, to prevent the 'spatter' of saliva, sweat

(Newser) - Seoul has seen a recent spike in COVID cases, but the government's latest health measure in the South Korean capital to try to contain them has prompted a fair amount of head-scratching. Gymgoers in Seoul won't be able to rely on hard-driving music to get their hearts pumping...

Fired Vaccine Official: I'm Afraid for Tennessee

Dr. Michelle Fiscus says government is caving to ignorant politicians

(Newser) - Tennessee has fired its top vaccination official, who claims she was scapegoated to placate Republican state lawmakers upset by efforts to vaccinate teenagers. Dr. Michelle Fiscus served as director for vaccine-preventable diseases and immunization programs at the Tennessee Department of Health before her termination Monday. Though her termination letter offers...

As Pandemic Wanes, a New Hot Commodity

Engagement rings, wedding bands are seeing a spike in sales across US

(Newser) - As pushback on the pandemic continues and more businesses reopen, one industry is seeing a noticeable boom. CNN Business reports that, as people start to resume some sense of normalcy, getting hitched has once more become a priority—meaning jewelry for the special occasion is now in high demand. "...

Pfizer to Make Its Pitch for Booster Shots in US

Company meets with top health officials Monday

(Newser) - Pfizer says it plans to meet with top US health officials Monday to discuss the drugmaker’s request for federal authorization of a third dose of its COVID-19 vaccine, per the AP . The company said it was scheduled to have the meeting with the Food and Drug Administration and other...

Chance You'll Pass COVID to a Pet Is 'Surprisingly High'

Cats appear to be more susceptible than dogs

(Newser) - There's a "surprisingly high chance" people who contract COVID-19 will pass it on to their pets, according to the author of a yet-to-be-published study, with cats especially susceptible. Researchers searched for antibodies in 48 cats and 54 dogs from 77 households where a prior COVID-19 infection was confirmed...

CDC Updates COVID Advice for Schools

Vaccinated students and teachers don't need to wear masks this fall in class

(Newser) - Vaccinated students can head to in-person classes without a mask this fall, while unvaccinated students should mask up, according to new CDC guidance for grades K through 12. The same applies to teachers. States are not obligated to follow the advice and can implement their own policies, notes CNBC . The...

US Swimmer Going for Gold: No Vaccine for Me

Michael Andrew among unvaccinated athletes facing stricter protocol at Olympics

(Newser) - USA Today dubs Michael Andrew the "biggest Olympic name yet" to reveal he is not vaccinated against COVID-19. The 22-year-old Team USA swimmer—a gold medal favorite who holds the US record in the men's 100-meter breaststroke and posted the fastest time in five years in his...

Pfizer Wants Approval for Third Shot

Company agrees effectiveness of its vaccine is fading as Delta variant surges

(Newser) - Seeing signs that the effectiveness of its vaccine is fading, Pfizer said Thursday it will ask for approval to distribute a third dose to help fight new coronavirus variants. The company plans to ask the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization next month, CNN reports. Pfizer cited findings...

One Vaccine Dose May Not Protect Against Delta—'at All'

But fully vaccinated people should be OK, say researchers

(Newser) - A single dose of the two-dose Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines is "poorly or not at all efficient" against the fast-spreading Delta variant, say French researchers in a peer-reviewed study published Thursday. The study identified mutations with the Delta and Beta variants of COVID that allow them to evade antibodies...

World Hits COVID Milestone It Probably Already Passed

Reported deaths stand at 4 million, though that's likely a 'significant undercount'

(Newser) - As many people have died from COVID-19 as live in Los Angeles. The known coronavirus death toll across the world passed 4 million on Thursday, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, though the actual number of dead is likely far higher. The World...

Amid COVID Surge, Tokyo Bans Fans From Olympics

City declares state of emergency

(Newser) - The celebration was premature. Less than three weeks after it was announced that local fans would be allowed at the Summer Olympics, Japan reversed course on Thursday because of a surge in COVID cases, reports the AP . Per the New York Times and the AP , the city reported 920 new...

North Korea Is Rejecting Offers of COVID Vaccines

S. Korea intelligence agency says there is no sign leader has been vaccinated

(Newser) - North Korea has been rejecting donations of COVID vaccines from other countries and Kim Jong Un himself may still be unvaccinated, according to South Korea's spy agency. South Korean legislators say the National Intelligence Service told lawmakers Thursday that there is no sign the leader has been vaccinated and...

Flight to Bahamas Nixed After Teen 'Masked Rebellion'

Dozens of high schoolers believed to be from Mass. wouldn't mask up, witnesses say

(Newser) - Passengers on an American Airlines flight out of North Carolina found their vacation to the Bahamas disrupted after what the New York Post calls a "masked rebellion" by dozens of teens. WSOC reports that Flight 893, headed to Nassau, was prepping to take off from Charlotte Douglas International Airport...

Israel Has Bad News for Pfizer Vaccine

Its efficacy drops against Delta variant, but it was still 93% effective at preventing severe disease

(Newser) - Israel's Ministry of Health says the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine isn't offering the same level of protection against COVID-19 now that the Delta variant is dominant. In May, when the Alpha variant dominated Israel, the vaccine was found to be 95.3% effective against infection, per CNN . But in a...

Nearly Half of Miss Mexico 2021 Contestants Got COVID

Beauty pageant was still held, though winner was crowned 2 days early

(Newser) - Contestants from 14 of Mexico’s 32 states at a Miss Mexico contest tested positive for the coronavirus, a health official in the northern Mexico border state of Chihuahua said Tuesday. State Health Secretary Eduardo Fernández Herrera told local media that all the contestants had all submitted negative tests...

Kate Middleton Self-Isolating After COVID Exposure

Duchess of Cambridge was exposed to someone who later tested positive

(Newser) - Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, is self-isolating after she was exposed to someone who later tested positive for COVID-19, Kensington Palace announced Monday. The mother of three reportedly learned of the exposure Friday, after having spent part of the day at the Wimbledon tennis championships, People reports. She has since pulled...

New Wrench at Condo Scene: a COVID Outbreak

At least 6 firefighters helping search and rescue efforts at Surfside collapse site have tested positive

(Newser) - As people get ready to celebrate the holiday weekend with barbecues and other get-togethers, a COVID outbreak at the site of the South Florida condo collapse reminds us that the pandemic isn't over just yet. Six firefighters helping out at the scene in Surfside have tested positive, Miami-Dade Fire...

Cases in Africa Doubling Every 3 Weeks

Delta variant is driving the COVID surge, particularly in South Africa

(Newser) - Driven by the delta variant, a new wave of coronavirus is sweeping across the African continent, where new cases, hospital admissions, and deaths are increasing. Case numbers are doubling every three weeks in Africa, according to the World Health Organization. South Africa is leading the surge, with more than 20,...

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