Novel coronavirus

Fed survey finds growth ‘downshifted’ in summer due to COVID

By Martin Crutsinger, Associated Press

The Fed survey, released Wednesday, said the slowdown was largely attributable to a pullback in dining out, travel and tourism in most parts of the country, reflecting concerns about the spread of the delta variant.

WHO chief urges halt to booster shots for rest of the year

By Associated Press

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is calling on rich countries with large supplies of coronavirus vaccines to refrain from offering booster shots through the end of the year.

Meat, farm workers to get $600 grants in new $700 million aid plan

By Josh Funk, Associated Press

The grants announced Tuesday are intended to defray some of the costs workers bore as many of them bought their own protective equipment or took unpaid leave as the virus tore through their industries even as they were required to…

Efforts grow to end use of potentially harmful parasite drug touted to treat COVID-19

By Matthew Perrone, Associated Press

Ivermectin is approved in the U.S. to treat infections from parasites in humans and some animals like cows and horses. But with COVID-19 infections surging again, more Americans are turning to the drug despite warnings that it has shown little…

For countries with few vaccine doses, fighting COVID-19 is ‘a race from behind’

By Laura Santhanam

The coronavirus pandemic has laid bare wide disparities in health care between countries on issues like vaccines and raised calls for more resource-sharing to save lives.

COVID-19 boosters are coming, but who will get them and when?

By Lauren Neergaard, Associated Press

COVID-19 booster shots may be coming for at least some Americans, but there's still important science to be worked out about who really needs them and when.

Hawaii health care workers decry lack of COVID mandates

By Caleb Jones, Associated Press

Health care workers in Hawaii say a lack of government action is worsening an already crippling surge of coronavirus cases in the islands, and without effective policy changes the state's limited hospitals could face a grim crisis.

Idaho hospitals nearly buckling in relentless COVID surge

By Rebecca Boone, Associated Press

Intensive care beds are full of unvaccinated coronavirus patients at a hospital in Boise, Idaho, and doctors are bracing for the need to conserve scarce resources for the patients most likely to survive.

Florida school mask debate headed for appeals court battle

By Curt Anderson, Associated Press

The battle over mask requirements in Florida schools is headed for a new legal phase following an appeal by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of a judge's ruling that a blanket ban on mask mandates exceeds the state's authority.

Millions to lose jobless aid as federal pandemic relief ends on Monday

By Christopher Rugaber, Paul Wiseman, Associated Press

Millions of jobless Americans who have depended on federal unemployment aid as a financial lifeline are about to lose those benefits just as the delta variant of the coronavirus poses a renewed threat to the economy and the job market.