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Coronavirus category, Page 28

Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Cheap antidepressant shows promise treating early covid-19
A cheap antidepressant reduced the need for hospitalization among high-risk adults with covid-19 in a study hunting for existing drugs that could be repurposed to treat coronavirus. Researchers tested the pill used for depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder because it was known to reduce inflammation and looked promising in smaller studies....
Report: At least 59,000 meat workers caught covid, 269 died 
OMAHA, Neb. — At least 59,000 meatpacking workers caught covid-19 and 269 workers died when the virus tore through the industry last year, which is significantly more than previously thought, according to a new U.S. House report released Wednesday. The meatpacking industry was one of the early epicenters of the...
October covid deaths exceed 100 in Allegheny County
More than 100 people in Allegheny County have died from covid-19 so far this month, a number that will likely increase, health director Dr. Debra Bogen said Wednesday. “These are mostly preventable deaths,” she said of the 105 deaths since Oct. 1. A breakdown of deaths by age and vaccination...
Judge: Colorado parents can’t exempt kids from school masks
DENVER — A federal judge has issued a restraining order against a suburban Denver county’s policy allowing parents to opt their children out of a mask mandate at school, finding that the rule violates the rights of students with disabilities who are vulnerable to covid-19. U.S. District Judge John L....
FDA advisers back Pfizer’s covid-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11
WASHINGTON — The United States moved a step closer to expanding covid-19 vaccinations for millions more children as a panel of government advisers on Tuesday endorsed kid-size doses of Pfizer’s shots for 5- to 11-year-olds. A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted unanimously, with one abstention, that the vaccine’s...
Westmoreland jail moves to in-house covid-19 shots
Covid-19 vaccinations will soon be administered in-house to inmates at Westmoreland County Prison. Warden Bryan Kline said Monday that the jail’s medical provider has been granted permission to administer shots, a move local officials hope will increase the vaccination rate at the Hempfield lockup. “Vaccinations will be offered to all...
Moderna says its low-dose covid shot works for kids 6-11
Moderna said Monday that a low dose of its covid-19 vaccine is safe and appears to work in 6- to 11-year-olds, as the manufacturer joins its rival Pfizer in moving toward expanding shots to children. Pfizer’s kid-size vaccine doses are closer to widespread use. They are undergoing evaluation by the...
China to start vaccinating children to age 3 as cases spread
TAIPEI, Taiwan — Children as young as 3 will start receiving covid-19 vaccines in China, where 76% of the population has been fully vaccinated and authorities are maintaining a zero-tolerance policy toward outbreaks. China becomes one of the very few countries in the world to start vaccinating children that young...
Ed Sheeran has covid, will do performances from home
British pop star Ed Sheeran said Sunday he has tested positive for covid-19 and will do interviews and performances from his house while he self-isolates. Sheeran, 30, broke the news on social media days before his new studio album is due out. “Quick note to tell you that I’ve sadly...
Alabama town offers $200 incentive for workers to get shots
DORA, Ala. — A rural Alabama town voted to offer its employees a $200 incentive to get the covid-19 vaccine using federal pandemic relief money. Leaders in the Walker County town of Dora said they hoped the move would boost the vaccination rate in the city of 2,200, about 25...
Russian covid spike persists, setting new death record
MOSCOW — Russia is reporting a record high number of coronavirus infections and covid-19 deaths as the country approaches a week of nonworking days aimed at stemming the sharp surge in cases. The national coronavirus task force said Saturday that 1,075 people had died from the virus in the past...
Explainer: Is it time to get a covid-19 booster? Which one?
Millions more Americans just became eligible for covid-19 boosters, but figuring out who’s eligible and when can be confusing. And adding to the challenge is that this time around, people can choose a different brand of vaccine for that extra dose. A number of factors, including the vaccine you started...
Pfizer says covid-19 vaccine more than 90% effective in kids
Kid-size doses of Pfizer’s covid-19 vaccine appear safe and nearly 91% effective at preventing symptomatic infections in 5- to 11-year-olds, according to study details released Friday as the U.S. considers opening vaccinations to that age group. The shots could begin in early November — with the first children in line...
Covid-19 vaccine: CDC panel backs expanded booster rollout
WASHINGTON — Millions more Americans are closer to getting a covid-19 booster as influential government advisers on Thursday endorsed extra doses of all three of the nation’s vaccines — and opened the possibility of choosing a different company’s brand for that next shot. Certain people who received Pfizer vaccinations months...
Fla. Gov. DeSantis to convene legislature to fight vaccine mandates
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday said he will call state lawmakers back to work early to pass legislation to combat coronavirus vaccine mandates enacted by businesses. The Republican governor didn’t specify a starting date for the special session of the GOP-controlled statehouse in November. “At the...
Expert panel takes up complicated covid booster questions
WASHINGTON — Influential government advisers are deciding Thursday how best to expand the nation’s covid-19 booster campaign, including whether and when it’s OK to “mix and match” brands for the extra dose. The advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are slated to discuss who should get extra...
Russians to stay off work for a week as coronavirus deaths rise 
MOSCOW — President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday ordered most Russians to stay off work for a week starting later this month amid rising covid-19 infections and deaths, and he strongly urged reluctant citizens to get vaccinated. The government coronavirus task force reported 1,028 deaths in the past 24 hours, the...
FDA approves mixing covid vaccines; backs Moderna, J&J boosters
WASHINGTON — U.S. regulators on Wednesday signed off on extending covid-19 boosters to Americans who got the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine and said anyone eligible for an extra dose can get a brand different from the one they received initially. The Food and Drug Administration’s decisions mark a...
Fox News’ Cavuto tests positive for covid-19, urges vaccines
LOS ANGELES — Fox News Channel anchor Neil Cavuto tested positive for covid-19, which he said was surprising but made him grateful that he was vaccinated. Cavuto, who learned of the test results after Monday’s episode of “Your World with Neil Cavuto,” wasn’t on the air Tuesday. “While I’m somewhat...
Here’s what you need to know about the White House plan to vaccinate children
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Wednesday announced plans to get young children vaccinated against covid-19, a move health officials say will help curb the pandemic, save lives and stabilize the economy. “We’re completing the operational planning to ensure vaccinations for kids ages 5 through 11 are available, easy and...
Pa. Commonwealth Court panel hears argument on masking in schools
The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court heard more than 90 minutes of argument Wednesday on whether the state’s acting secretary of health had the authority in August to issue an order mandating the wearing of masks in all schools to prevent the spread of covid-19. The panel of five judges were considering...
Pitt weighs covid vaccine mandate
The University of Pittsburgh is poised to join other colleges and universities that have mandated the covid-19 vaccination for students and staff. The school is weighing a policy change and expects to announce its decision soon, a Pitt spokesman confirmed. Pitt opted against requiring students, faculty and staff be vaccinated...
Penn State expands employee vaccine mandate to 6 branch campuses
Penn State is extending a covid-19 vaccination mandate to all faculty and staff at University Park to six of its regional campuses. The mandate is an effort to comply with President Joe Biden’s executive order requiring federal contractors to vaccinate employees. Penn State has a number of contracts and research...
White House details plans to vaccinate children age 5-11 
WASHINGTON — Children ages 5 to 11 will soon be able to get a COVID-19 shot at their pediatrician’s office, local pharmacy and potentially even their school, the White House said Wednesday as it detailed plans for the expected authorization of the Pfizer shot for elementary school youngsters in a...
To jab or not to jab? Vaccinations still hot topic in sports 
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman let out a faint cough and assured those seated at least 6 feet away that it was allergies, not covid-19. He had tested negative for the coronavirus three times in the previous week. It allowed the fully vaccinated 69-year-old the opportunity to underscore the message that...


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