Health

CDC team: 'War has changed' as delta variant dangers emerge

By Lindsey Tanner, Associated Press

New evidence showing the delta variant is as contagious as chickenpox and may be more dangerous than other versions has prompted U.S. health officials to consider changing advice.

5 Stories: Florida's deadly red tide, passport renewal delays and other stories you missed

By Deema Zein, Julia Griffin

Florida grapples with a deadly red tide, chefs push back against gas stove bans and eager travelers face long delays when renewing passports. Check out these stories and others you might have missed on this week's episode of 5 Stories.

WATCH: WHO reports 80 percent rise in infections in last four weeks

By Associated Press

The World Health Organization warned on Friday of the vast spread of the delta variant of the coronavirus and said it should serve as a "call to action" to speed up vaccination around the world before "more variants emerge."…

Breakthrough COVID infections show 'the unvaccinated are now putting the vaccinated at risk'

By Laura Santhanam

Occasional breakthroughs are expected with any vaccine, but more transmissible variants spread among so many unvaccinated people in the United States has placed greater strain on highly effective and safe COVID-19 vaccines.

How these mutations made delta the most transmissible COVID variant yet

By Liz Szabo, Kaiser Health News

Scientists are trying to piece together why the delta variant so readily infects unvaccinated Americans, spewing 1,000 times more virus particles.

Israel to offer 3rd COVID booster shot to older citizens

By Ilan Ben Zion, Associated Press

Thursday's announcement by Naftali Bennett makes Israel the first country to offer a third dose of the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine to its citizens on a wide scale.

WATCH: Biden orders tough new vaccination rules for fed government

By Alexandra Jaffe, Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Jonathan Lemire, Associated Press

The nation's millions of federal workers will be required to verify they've been vaccinated against the coronavirus or else face mandatory masking, weekly testing, distancing and other new rules.

FDA allows automatic 'generic' swap for brand-name insulin

By Linda A. Johnson, Associated Press

Wednesday's move by the Food and Drug Administration will allow pharmacists to automatically substitute the cheaper version, just as they do with generic pills for other kinds of drugs.

Lollapalooza to require vaccination card or negative test

By Kathleen Foody, Don Babwin, Associated Press

The four-day festival starts Thursday and is expected to be back at full capacity, with roughly 100,000 daily attendees. After missing last summer because of the coronavirus, it will be easily Chicago's largest gathering since the pandemic started.

New CDC guidelines set off rush to reimpose mask mandates

By Philip Marcelo, Associated Press

Governments and businesses are scrambling to change course following new federal guidance calling for the return of mask wearing in virus hot spots amid a dramatic spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.