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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.

COVID bivalent booster appears to offer added benefits against Omicron

Mary Van Beusekom

The bivalent booster offered additional benefits against symptomatic infection and severe illness, 3 new studies show.

Vaccination Band-Aid
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

COVID vaccine-boosted nursing home residents at 30% to 50% lower risk of infection

Mary Van Beusekom

Rates of antipsychotic drug prescribing for dementia climbed during the pandemic

Chris Dall

New York to expand its wastewater surveillance network

Chris Dall

MRI study reveals fetal, placental anomalies in pregnant COVID patients

Mary Van Beusekom

Vaccinated pregnant women less prone to serious Omicron COVID

Mary Van Beusekom

Resistant H pylori infections linked to use of antibiotics for COVID-19

Chris Dall

US adults cite misbeliefs about eligibility, immunity for not getting COVID booster

Mary Van Beusekom
COVID-19 isolate, first case - Yellow

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Listen to the Osterholm Update: COVID-19

Catch the latest episode!

Michael Osterholm

The answers to your COVID questions

Top COVID FAQs

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Read COVID-19 commentaries

By CIDRAP & other experts

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Our roundup of the best COVID visualizations

Up-to-date COVID-19 data

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US XBB.1.5 levels continue steady rise

US COVID trends show mixed patterns, with cases and hospitalizations down a bit, but deaths up sharply.

Lisa Schnirring
New York subway during COVID

Trial finds that fluvoxamine doesn't speed COVID recovery

The median time to sustained recovery (at least 3 consecutive symptom-free days) was 12 days in the fluvoxamine group and 13 days in placebo recipients.

Mary Van Beusekom
Ill man on couch

Convalescent plasma may cut risk of death in immune-impaired COVID patients

New data suggest that transfusion of COVID-19 convalescent plasma improves survival in hospitalized, infected patients who have impaired immune systems.

Mary Van Beusekom

Almost a fourth of air passengers screened from China had COVID-19, report reveals

Of 556 passengers originating from China, 23% tested positive for COVID-19, including 42% on one flight.

Jim Wappes

Study says most long-COVID symptoms resolve by 1 year after mild cases, but experts not so sure

Many long-COVID patients have reported facing skepticism when seeking relief at their doctor's office.

Mary Van Beusekom
Old woman in distress

Paying people to take COVID vaccine worked well, study finds

Paying people to take a first COVID-19 vaccine dose didn't lower the likelihood of seeking the second or third dose or of other positive health behaviors.

Mary Van Beusekom

Data provide more evidence that breastfeeding moms' COVID vaccination protects babies

The study assessed stool samples to demonstrate higher SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in infants breastfeeding from vaccinated moms.

Jim Wappes

WHO weighs in on Omicron XBB.1.5 subvariant; US extends COVID health emergency

The WHO included a caveat that the growth estimate is based on data from just one country, the United States.

Lisa Schnirring
Omicron micrograph

Music listeners report lower stress, better mood amid COVID lockdowns

Listening to music was tied to significantly lower stress levels and improved mood among Austrian and Italian adults during lockdowns early in the pandemic.

Mary Van Beusekom

More evidence of high antibiotic use, low prevalence of bacterial co-infection in COVID-19 patients

A meta-analysis provides further evidence that antibiotic use far exceeded the prevalence of bacterial co-infection in COVID-19 patients.

Chris Dall