Los Angeles lifts air-quality limits for cremations amid a backlog of bodies caused by COVID-19
January 19, 2021 at 06:40
A California air quality agency has temporarily suspended limits on how many bodies can be cremated amid a lack of storage space for those who died from the novel coronavirus. The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) issued an emergency order...
UK coronavirus variant seen in Louisiana for first time: officials
January 18, 2021 at 21:27
Yet another state has identified its first case of the more contagious coronavirus variant known as B.1.1.7 that was first discovered in the United Kingdom late last year. Louisiana health officials over the weekend announced the state’s first case of the m...
Where is the UK coronavirus variant in the US? States that have identified the mutation — so far
January 18, 2021 at 20:24
In the ongoing battle against the novel coronavirus, a more contagious mutation of the pathogen that was first identified in the United Kingdom late last year has since been found in the United States, and federal health officials have recently voiced conce...
Brazil OKs 2 COVID-19 vaccines, rejects Russia's candidate
January 18, 2021 at 18:54
Brazil currently has 6 million doses of Sinovac’s CoronaVac vaccine ready to distribute in the next few days and is awaiting the arrival of 2 million doses of the vaccine made by AstraZeneca and partner Oxford University. "This is good news for Brazil, but...
Incoming CDC director predicts COVID-19 deaths will hit 500,000 by next month
January 18, 2021 at 18:51
The incoming Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky warned on Sunday the U.S. is likely to see "dark weeks ahead," with the death toll due to coronavirus potentially set to hit half a million by mid-February. On CBS’ "Face the...
Pfizer to request COVID-19 vaccine full approval in ‘first half of 2021’
January 18, 2021 at 18:37
Pfizer and BioNTech plan to seek full regulatory approval, or licensure, for their coronavirus vaccine in the first half of the year. As of now, Pfizer-BioNTech’s jabs, and another vaccine developed by Moderna, were rolled out in the U.S. under the Food and...
COVID-19 vaccine administered to ineligible people in this state
January 18, 2021 at 18:18
Some Delaware residents received the long-awaited COVID-19 vaccine at a mass vaccination event over the weekend — despite not yet being eligible to receive the jab, according to state health officials. On Saturday, at the mass vaccination event that was att...
Alabama's COVID-19 vaccination efforts ranked last in US: CDC
January 18, 2021 at 17:15
Alabama has fallen behind the rest of the country in vaccination efforts, averaging just 2,051 shots per every 100,000 residents. A health department spokesperson previously told AL.com the state’s numbers don’t align with the CDC’s data. On the state’s web...
Select pepperoni Hot Pockets recalled over complaints of glass, plastic in product
January 18, 2021 at 15:39
Nestle Prepared Foods is calling back more than 762,000 pounds of pepperoni Hot Pockets after consumers complained of finding pieces of glass or plastic in the product. At least one instance resulted in a minor oral injury, according to a recall notice post...
California probing separate coronavirus variant linked to large county outbreaks: officials
January 18, 2021 at 15:38
California health officials on Sunday warned of a separate coronavirus variant, known as L452R, on the rise across the state since last November. Nevertheless, officials are urging the public to wear masks, avoid socializing with nonhousehold members and is...
UK coronavirus variant identified in Massachusetts for first time
January 18, 2021 at 13:09
Massachusetts health officials on Sunday announced the state’s first known case of the more contagious coronavirus variant initially detected in the U.K, known as B.1.1.7. The mutated strain was detected in a female Boston resident in her 20s who had travel...
California official calls for pause on Moderna vaccine lot after possible allergic reaction
January 18, 2021 at 07:50
Dr. Erica S. Pan, the California epidemiologist, issued a statement Sunday recommending a pause in the distribution of a specific lot of Moderna vaccine after "fewer than 10 individuals required medical attention over the span of 24 hours." She said the Mod...
Coronavirus lockdowns may have no clear benefit vs. voluntary measures, international study says
January 16, 2021 at 03:01
Mandatory stay-at-home orders and business closures may not be more effective at controlling the spread of the coronavirus than less restrictive, voluntary measures, a new study found. At the beginning of the pandemic, Sweden and South Korea did not impleme...
What should I know about COVID-19 vaccines if I'm pregnant?
January 15, 2021 at 22:24
What should I know about COVID-19 vaccines if I’m pregnant? Vaccination is likely the best way to prevent COVID-19 in pregnancy when risks for severe illness and death from the virus are higher than usual. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecolog...
‘Tourists’ are flying to Florida to score COVID-19 vaccine early
January 15, 2021 at 21:50
Seniors are jetting off to Florida — but it’s not warm weather they’re seeking. The state was one of the first to begin offering vaccines to people ages 65 and older, by executive order on Dec. 23. According to local news reports in Florida, the state is se...
UK coronavirus variant identified in Utah for first time: officials
January 15, 2021 at 21:07
A more contagious strain of the novel coronavirus has been identified in Utah, marking the first time the variant — which was initially discovered in the United Kingdom late last year and is known as B.1.1.7 — has been found in the state. Officials with the...
CDC concerned coronavirus variant may dominate US
January 15, 2021 at 19:59
A new and more infectious strain of coronavirus that was first found in the United Kingdom will likely become the dominant strain in the United States by March, health officials said. The U.K. variant is in 12 states but it has been diagnosed in only 76 of...
Rich people more likely to be able to social distance, Johns Hopkins study finds
January 15, 2021 at 19:40
They say money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy the kind of lifestyle that allows a person to social distance during a dangerous pandemic. Wealthier people were more likely to engage in "self-protective behaviors" like social distancing and wearing a mas...
Type 2 diabetes patients who follow low-carb diet may see remission: study
January 15, 2021 at 19:39
Those who suffer from type 2 diabetes may see remission if they follow a low-carbohydrate diet for at least six months, a new study suggests. In a systematic review and meta-analysis published in the BMJ this week, researchers found that Type 2 diabetes pat...
High demand for COVID-19 vaccine leaves Florida seniors struggling to get the jab: 'It seems hopeless'
January 15, 2021 at 18:48
Upon stepping into 75-year-old Nancy Smythe’s home office in Naples, Fla., one might assume she’s running her own small business. As her eyes dart back and forth from screen to screen, her right-hand scratches notes on a nearby legal pad. She even has a bot...