COVID-19

Virus Outbreak Hungary FILE - Peter Marki-Zay, the joint opposition candidate who will challenge Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban in next spring's elections, speaks during an interview with the Associated Press in Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary, Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021. The leader of Hungary’s political opposition announced on Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022 that he has tested positive for COVID-19 as a surge in cases fueled by the highly transmissible omicron variant grips the country. (AP Photo/Laszlo Balogh, File) (Laszlo Balogh)BUDPAPEST, Hungary — (AP) — The leader of Hungary's political opposition said Wednesday that he has tested positive for COVID-19 amid a surge in cases fueled by the highly transmissible omicron variant. Last week, the private laboratory that first identified the variant in Hungary, Neumann Labs, told news site Telex that 90% of positive COVID-19 samples it takes are caused by omicron. Nearly 58% of COVID-19 tests registered by the government on Wednesday were positive, far higher than the 5% or lower recommended by the World Health Organization.

The leader of Hungary’s political opposition has announced he has tested positive for COVID-19 amid a surge in cases fueled by the highly transmissible omicron variant.

(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) (Elaine Thompson)WASHINGTON — (AP) — The Biden administration will begin making 400 million N95 masks available for free to Americans starting next week, now that federal officials are emphasizing their better protection against the omicron variant of COVID-19 over cloth face coverings. The White House announced Wednesday that the masks will come from the government's Strategic National Stockpile, which has more than 750 million of the highly protective masks on hand. They will begin shipping this week for distribution starting late next week, the White House said. This will be the largest distribution of free masks by the federal government to the public since the COVID-19 pandemic began. President Joe Biden embraced the initiative after facing mounting criticism this month over the inaccessibility — both in supply and cost — of N95 masks as the highly transmissible omicron variant swept across the country.

The Biden administration will begin making 400 million N95 masks available for free to Americans starting next week.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce that Covid rules in England will be eased when he makes a statement later on Wednesday.

Infectious disease experts have warned against complacency with Covid-19, despite health officials claiming infection is practically inevitable for most people.

Biden signed an executive order in February raising the cap to 62,500 refugees. Biden signed an executive order asking officials to prepare plans for using humanitarian resources there. Biden signed an executive order in February to improve the naturalization process, and the Department of Homeland Security has since revoked some Trump-era rules. Biden signed executive orders ending the policy and establishing a task force focused on reuniting families. The Biden administration decided to scrap the idea based on input from civil rights groups and police unions.

During President Joe Biden's first year in office, he took action on a number of his key promises, from rebuilding U.S. alliances globally to distributing vaccines across America and the world.

A 37-mile road across a frozen lake takes drivers to the northernmost point in the continental United States, known for its ice fishing resorts.

Videos captured by Tongan geologists show a huge ash cloud rising over the island nation during a powerful volcanic eruption that caused a tsunami in the Pacific.

Schools have shifted to remote because of teacher, bus driver and other staff shortages.

Osceola County will open a new COVID-19 testing site on Wednesday.

A health official who has helped lead central Florida's response to the pandemic has been put on administrative leave as state officials investigate whether he tried to compel employees to get vaccinated for COVID-19 in violation of state law. The state health agency is conducting an inquiry into Raul Pino, director of the Florida Department of Health in Orange County, “to determine if any laws were broken in this case,” Florida Department of Health press secretary Jeremy Redfern said in an email. A measure Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law last fall prohibits government agencies from implementing vaccine mandates and restricts private businesses from having vaccine requirements unless they allow workers to opt out for medical reasons, religious beliefs, immunity based on a previous infection, regular testing or an agreement to wear protective gear.

The South Florida real estate appraiser and father of two said COVID-19 created a void that forced him to turn to part-time work to make ends meet.

Grammys postponed due to COVID-19 File photo: A decorative grammy is seen before the start of the 63rd annual Grammy Awards at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Sunday, March 14, 2021. (Chris Pizzello/Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)LAS VEGAS — The 2022 Grammy Awards will be held April 3 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, the Recording Academy confirmed Tuesday. The 2021 Grammy Awards were pushed back from Jan. 31 to March 14, the entertainment news outlet reported. Meanwhile, the MGM Grand Garden Arena is familiar to the Recording Academy, having hosted the Latin Grammys every year since 2009, with the exception of a 2020 detour to Miami, USA Today reported. Trevor Noah, host of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah,” will reprise his role as host of the awards show this year.

COVID-19 testing Access to COVID-19 testing has recently often meant waiting in long lines for hours. (WFTV.com News Staff)ORLANDO, Fla. — In a sign that cases of the omicron variant may have reached their peak, doctors with Adventhealth Centra Care say it appears COVID-19 cases are on the decline. “I think from a frontline perspective what we’re seeing at Centra Care is that we’ve probably hit the peak and things are improving,” Hendrix said. “Pediatric patients are still increasing in their positivity and for the first time in this pandemic have exceeded the positivity rate of adults,” he saidHendrix said the positivity rate for children is at 37%. For many, long lines at test sites to empty shelves at local pharmacies have made testing difficult.

AccuWeather's Tony Laubach was in Buffalo, New York, where the city is beginning to dig out on Jan. 18 after receiving record snowfall from the winter storm.

The company aims to have a single annual booster shot that's available in some countries by fall 2023.

A new study is shedding light on what may case some people to lose their sense of smell and taste after infection with COVID-19. >> Read more trending newsThe study, published in the journal Nature Genetics, found specific genes may explain why some people have lost their sense of taste or smell after getting sick. The study found that 68% of people who self-reported having a positive COVID-19 test lost their sense of smell or taste, and that women were more likely to have the symptom than men. Scientists found that individuals of East Asian or African American ancestry were significantly less likely to lose their sense of taste or smell. More coronavirus pandemic coverage:>> Coronavirus: How long between exposure to the virus and the start of symptoms?

Ivermectin has been hailed as a "wonder drug" for treating parasitic infections, but leading medical experts say the same isn't true for treating COVID-19 infections.

The federal website providing free at-home COVID-19 tests is open for orders. Here is how to order the tests, and what you need to know.

"Whether we reopen is completely contingent on whether we receive RRF funding," said one restaurant owner.

The virus that causes COVID-19 bumped up to record levels in Cocoa Beach sewage at the same time it was plummeting in neighboring Cape Canaveral.

In order to minimize the risk of Olympic athletes being exposed to COVID-19, journalists covering the event are tested daily for the disease, and a state-of-the-art facility helps limit human contact.

Some unknown portion of these deaths are among people infected with the Delta variant, but experts say Omicron is also claiming lives.

When he came into office, Biden launched an ambitious seven-point plan for defeating the virus. Here's how experts score his results.

At home COVID-19 tests At home COVD-19 tests will be going out to Americans soon. (Mat Troke photography/Getty Images)Starting Wednesday, the federal government will be sending out COVID-19 tests to any American household that wants one. >> Read more trending newsThe plan, announced by the White House last week, will send some 500 million at-home COVID-19 test kits to Americans for free. If you have health insurance, your insurance will cover the cost of over-the-counter, at-home tests, available at places such as drugstores, Walmart and Target stores, for up to eight at-home tests per month for each person on your plan. For more on when to use at-home tests, see the latest CDC self-testing guidance.

The Biden administration has quietly launched its website for Americans to request free at-home COVID-19 tests, a day before the site was scheduled to officially launch.

The head of emergencies at the World Health Organization says the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, including deaths, hospitalizations and lockdowns, could be over this year if huge inequities in vaccinations and medicines are addressed quickly.

COVID-19 deaths among nursing home residents started rising slightly two weeks ago, although still at a rate 10 times less than last year before most residents were vaccinated. The wave of deaths heading for the United States will crest in late January or early February, Shea said. “This is omicron driven,” Shea said of the coming wave of deaths. Taking into account the uncertainty in the models, U.S. deaths during the omicron wave could range from 58,000 to 305,000. A study, posted online and cited during a recent White House briefing, found patients with omicron had a 53% lower risk of hospitalization with respiratory symptoms, a 74% lower risk of ICU admission, and a 91% lower risk of death.

The White House's top medical advisor says the virus won't go away entirely. Instead, it should eventually hit a level where it "doesn't disrupt our normal social, economic and other interactions."

The fast-moving omicron variant may cause less severe disease on average, yet COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. are climbing.

The fast-moving omicron variant may cause less severe disease on average, but COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. are climbing and modelers forecast 50,000 to 300,000 more Americans could die by the time the wave subsides in mid-March. The seven-day rolling average for daily new COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. has been trending upward since mid-November, reaching nearly 1,700 on Jan. 17 — still below the peak of 3,300 in January 2021. Despite signs omicron causes milder disease on average, the unprecedented level of infection spreading through the country, with cases still soaring in many states, means many vulnerable people will become severely sick.

The Davos Agenda, from 17 to 21 January 2022, is an online edition due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak gather global leaders to shape the principles, policies and partnerships needed in this challenging context. WHO has slammed the imbalance in COVID-19 vaccination between rich and poor countries as a catastrophic moral failure. Fewer than 10% of people in lower-income countries have received one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Public health officials have warned it is highly unlikely COVID-19 will be eliminated and say it will continue to kill people, though at much lower levels, even after it becomes endemic. The comments came on the second day of the online alternative to the annual World Economic Forum gathering, which was postponed over pandemic health concerns.

The worst of the coronavirus pandemic — deaths, hospitalizations and lockdowns — could be over this year if huge inequities in vaccinations and medicines are addressed quickly, the head of emergencies at the World Health Organization said Tuesday. Dr. Michael Ryan, speaking during a panel discussion on vaccine inequity hosted by the World Economic Forum, said “we may never end the virus” because such pandemic viruses “end up becoming part of the ecosystem.” WHO has slammed the imbalance in COVID-19 vaccinations between rich and poor countries as a catastrophic moral failure.

Two Brevard County cities are joining the slew of other Florida sites offering monoclonal antibody treatments on Wednesday, OMNI Healthcare announced.

COVID-19 'almost took me out,' says ESPN's Stephen A. Smith

The U.S. would have have been better prepared for virus curveballs if the administration had moved more quickly to boost testing, acquire real-time data on the virus and convey risks more clearly, say some coauthors, advisers

HONG KONG — Authorities in Hong Kong said Tuesday they plan to kill about 2,000 small animals after hamsters tested positive for COVID-19 at a pet store. Hong Kong to kill 2,000 small animals in COVID-19 outbreak Staff members from Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department investigate in a pet shop closed after some pet hamsters tested positive for the coronavirus, in Hong Kong. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) (Kin Cheung/AP)Authorities in Hong Kong also said sales of hamsters and imports of small animals will be stopped, and customers who bought hamsters in the city since Dec. 22 will be subject to mandatory testing, the AP reported. Hong Kong has a “zero-Covid” strategy that focuses on eliminating the disease, which requires the animals to be killed, the BBC reported. Hong Kong authorities have also set up a telephone “hamster hotline” for questions, the network reported.

Gorsuch's refusal to wear a mask led Sotomayor, who has diabetes, to attend oral arguments virtually. The justices are all vaccinated and boosted.

Covid-19 will never be eradicated, but society has a chance to end the public health emergency this year, a senior WHO official has said.

Pediatricians: COVID-19 in children under 5 may look like croup Pediatricians say they are seeing an increase in children younger than 5 years old with croup-like symptoms who test positive for COVID-19. (Tatyana Tomsickova/Getty Images/iStockphoto)Pediatricians say they are seeing an increase in children younger than 5 years old with croup-like symptoms who test positive for COVID-19, according to MedPage Today. The symptoms of omicron in younger children can look like croup with a barky cough, difficulty breathing and fever, Susan Wu, a pediatric hospitalist at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles said. “This is becoming an increasingly worrisome state for our pediatric patients,” Lukeman said. Croup is not uncommon in younger children and is generally not dangerous.

Good morning, Chicago. Here are some of the top stories you need to know to start your day.

Youngkin was sworn in as Virginia's 74th governor Saturday.

Lower vaccination rates among adults aged 25-64 have shifted the demographics of Covid-19’s death toll.

With the arrival of vaccines, compassion for COVID deaths began to dry up, sometimes replaced by scorn.

Virus Outbreak Poland FILE - Hanna Zientara, an 83-year-old resident of Warsaw, receives a booster shot against COVID-19, in Warsaw, Poland, on Dec. 7, 2021. Poland has become the latest European nation to reach the grim milestone of 100,000 deaths related to the coronavirus. If the Health Ministry's predictions prove correct, the rate of infection in the coming wave would be more than double that of the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2021. Poland's vaccination rate is at 56.5%, significantly lower than in many other European Union nations, and the death rate is significantly higher in proportion to the population. The death rate in the central European nation of 38 million has now reached 102,686.

Poland’s health officials say that the country has entered a new, fifth wave, in the coronavirus pandemic, predicting that it it will peak in mid-February at about 60,000 new infections per day or even more.

Milley has long been a hate figure for Trump supporters, and Ingraham seized on news of his COVID diagnosis on her Fox News show Monday.

The struggle highlights the fragility of India’s healthcare system as another wave of the coronavirus fueled by the Omicron variant gathers momentum.

Parosmia — when people experience strange smell distortions — could be affecting some children, experts say.

A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found kids and teens with COVID-19 were more likely to receive a new diabetes diagnosis after infection than those without.

Future COVID variants won't necessarily be milder, experts say.

ORLANDO, Fla. — People whose health makes them most vulnerable to COVID-19 are now getting a fourth vaccine dose. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending additional doses for the immunocompromised, and that option is now rolling out in Central Florida. Liver transplant recipient Brenda Straub received her fourth shot last Friday at an Orlando Publix. READ: Coronavirus: CDC updates mask recommendationsSo the 71-year-old didn’t hesitate to get a fourth dose of the Pfizer vaccine as soon as she heard she could. Anyone considering this fourth dose is advised to talk to their health care provider to discuss what’s best for them.

A new monoclonal antibody site is opening Tuesday in Seminole County.

Winter Olympics 2022: Only 'selected' spectators allowed to attend events, organizers say A woman wearing a face mask to protect against COVID-19 stands next to figures of the Winter Paralympic mascot Shuey Rhon Rhon left, and Winter Olympic mascot Bing Dwen Dwen on a pedestrian shopping street in Beijing, Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)BEIJING — Members of the general public will not be able to attend the Winter Olympics next month in Beijing, officials announced Monday. >> Read more trending newsAccording to The Associated Press, the organizing committee said in a statement that only “selected” spectators will be allowed at the events, which already had been closed to fans from outside the country amid coronavirus concerns. The Winter Olympics are scheduled for Feb. 4 to 20. More coronavirus pandemic coverage:>> Coronavirus: How long between exposure to the virus and the start of symptoms?

TORONTO — (AP) — Canada’s health regulator has approved a pill by Pfizer that treats the effects of COVID-19. Health Canada authorized Paxlovid for adult patients with mild or moderate COVID-19 who are also at high risk of becoming more seriously ill. Health Canada did not authorize it for use on teenagers or on patients who are already hospitalized because of COVID-19. The agency’s announcement Monday comes amid soaring numbers of infections because of the highly transmissible omicron variant. Late last month, U.S. health regulators authorized the pill that patients will be able to take at home to ward off the worst effects of the virus. At the time, Pfizer said it had 180,000 treatment courses available worldwide, with roughly 60,000 to 70,000 allocated to the U.S.

His wife also asked Minnesota doctors to try alternative treatments, which they refused, outlets report.

The coronavirus’ omicron variant is barreling across South America and pressuring hospitals whose employees are getting infected and taking sick leave, leaving facilities understaffed to cope with COVID-19′s third wave.

Milley has tested positive for COVID-19 and is experiencing very minor symptoms, a spokesperson said Monday. (Olivier Douliery/Pool via AP, File) (Olivier Douliery)WASHINGTON — (AP) — Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley has tested positive for COVID-19 and is experiencing very minor symptoms, a spokesperson said Monday. Milley, who has received the COVID-19 vaccine and a booster shot, tested positive on Sunday, Joint Chiefs spokesperson Col. Dave Butler said in a statement. All seven other Joint Chiefs of Staff members except for one tested negative, he said. Milley, 63, tested negative several days before the contact with Biden and every day after until Sunday, the Joint Chiefs statement said.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff says Chairman Gen. Mark Milley has tested positive for COVID-19 and is experiencing very minor symptoms.

New test results show levels of COVID-19 are slightly higher in the wastewater from the Altamonte Sewer Service Area.

Coronavirus: Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Milley tests positive for COVID-19, reports say Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testifies before the House Armed Services Committee on the conclusion of military operations in Afghanistan, Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Olivier Douliery/Pool via AP, File)WASHINGTON — Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is isolating after he tested positive for COVID-19, multiple news outlets are reporting. >> Read more trending newsAccording to Reuters and CNN, Milley, 63, tested positive for the disease on Sunday, spokesman Col. Dave Butler announced Monday morning. “[Milley] tested negative several days prior to and every day following contact with the president until yesterday,” the statement read. More coronavirus pandemic coverage:>> Coronavirus: How long between exposure to the virus and the start of symptoms?

Virus Outbreak Mexico FILE - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador speaks during a meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris in her office at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex, Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021, in Washington. President Lopez Obrador announced on Monday, Jan. 10, 2022, that he has come down with COVID-19 a second time, as coronavirus infections spike in Mexico and virus tests become scarce. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) (Alex Brandon)MEXICO CITY — (AP) — Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador returned to his morning news conference Monday following a week of isolation for his second coronavirus infection. “It is demonstrable that this variant does not have the same seriousness as the earlier, the delta,” López Obrador said. “In symptoms and also in recuperation time.”López Obrador was infected the first time in January of last year.

Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has returned to his morning news conference following a week of isolation for his second coronavirus infection.

Instead of selling tickets to the general public, organizers announced Monday that they would invite groups of spectators to attend the games in person.

Officials had planned to sell residents seats for Winter Games events, but as COVID spreads, the government will now "organize spectators" itself.

Organizers of the Beijing Olympics say they will only offer event tickets to “selected" spectators because of the coronavirus pandemic.

COVID-19 infections are soaring again at U.S. nursing homes because of the omicron wave, and deaths are climbing too.

Kristaps Porzingis scored 12 of his 19 points in the first quarter of his first game in two weeks and the Dallas Mavericks cruised to a 108-92 victory over the Orlando Magic.

The Chinese city of Xi’an has gradually begun lifting restrictions after over three weeks of lockdown as authorities sought to stamp out a local outbreak before the Beijing Winter Olympic Games are due to start.

Scientists warn that omicron’s whirlwind spread across the globe practically ensures it won’t be the last worrisome coronavirus variant.

Athletes will need to be vaccinated and tested daily at the Winter Olympics in Beijing next month.

The U.S. Supreme Court blocked a federal vaccine requirement Thursday pushed by the Biden Administration for employees at large businesses to get a COVID-19 vaccine or test regularly while working.

The White House says the federal website where Americans can request free COVID-19 tests will begin accepting orders on Wednesday.

Just last week, we asked: If you’re a health care worker, what are you seeing lately on the job?

Novak Djokovic’s attempt to stave off deportation and be allowed to play in the Australian Open despite not being vaccinated against COVID-19 is headed for a legal hearing the day before he is scheduled to begin his title defense at a Grand Slam tournament he’s won a record nine times.

Italy, Spain and other European countries are reinstating or stiffening mask mandates as their hospitals struggle with mounting numbers of COVID-19 patients.

Novak Djokovic’s effort to play in the Australian Open despite being unvaccinated for COVID-19 moved to a higher court as the No. 1-ranked tennis player appealed the second cancellation of his visa.

County leaders are concerned about potential first responder staffing shortages due to the recent spread of the omicron variant.

Staff have had to reallocate tests across their facilities in the U.S. and bring them to Central Florida.

While Altamonte Springs officials are still detecting multiple variants near the city’s Sewer Service Area, the virus concentration has lessened substantially, officials said.

Amid a renewed push to get Americans to wear face coverings, a new study from the University of Central Florida shows how masks reduce the flow of COVID-19 particles, which may help to reduce the need for social distancing.

Two brand-new COVID-19 pills that were supposed to be an important weapon against the pandemic in the U.S. are in short supply and have played little role in the fight against the omicron wave of infections.

A new COVID-19 vaccine requirement is now in effect on Disney cruises that requires all guests 5 years and older to be vaccinated in order to set sail.

England’s deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam, one of the scientists who led the U.K.’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, will leave his role in March.

President Joe Biden says the government plans to double to 1 billion the rapid, at-home COVID-19 tests to be distributed free to Americans.

With a high demand for COVID-19 tests, the Department of Health in Osceola County said they’ve seen an uptick when it comes to people reaching out to them trying to verify pop-up COVID-19 testing sites.

The teachers union accuses the school district of not following a memorandum of understanding made last fall with a magistrate.

The seven-day average for new daily COVID-19 cases in Florida 65,759.

Political divisions about coronavirus policies are evident as state lawmakers across the country are beginning their third year of sessions dealing with another spike in COVID-19 cases.

Distrust, misinformation and other factors have combined to produce what authorities say are alarmingly low COVID-19 vaccination rates in U.S. children ages 5 to 11.

Norwegian Cruise Line cancels numerous cruises in a new advisory, including one based at Port Canaveral.

The COVID-19 surge caused by the omicron variant means once-reliable indicators of the pandemic's progress are much less so, complicating how the media is able to tell the story.

Researchers predict omicron variant of the coronavirus is on the verge of peaking, but the virus continues to spread.

Indonesia has kicked off a COVID-19 booster campaign for the general public, prioritizing third shots for the elderly and people with compromised immune systems.

Australia’s most populous state, New South Wales, has made the reporting of rapid antigen test results mandatory as it experienced its deadliest day of the pandemic.

After witnessing a rise in COVID-19 cases among the unvaccinated across their four Melbourne hospitals, Health First officials said they are increasing emergency efforts.

As University of Florida researchers predict Florida will hit its peak of the omicron surge this week, one local pediatrician said he’s seeing its impact on kids in his office.

Scientists are seeing signals that COVID-19′s alarming omicron wave may have peaked in Britain and is about to do the same in the U.S., at which point cases may start dropping off dramatically.