Month: January 2021

COVID-19 has killed nearly 420,000 Americans in a year, and infections have continued to mount despite the introduction of a pair of vaccines late in 2020. USA TODAY is tracking the news. Keep refreshing this page for the latest updates. Sign up for our Coronavirus Watch newsletterfor updates to your inbox, join our Facebook group or scroll through our in-depth answers to reader questions. One of the world's largest drug companies has abandoned its COVID-19 vaccine development effort, citing "inferior" immune responses. Two vaccines already are in use and several more are in the pipeline, so Merck's decision should have minimal impact on vaccination progress across the nation, “We are grateful to our collaborators who worked with us on these vaccine candidates and to the volunteers in the...

A nasal spray that can prevent COVID-19 for up to two days has been developed by researchers in the UK – and it may be available over the counter by the summer, according to a report. The spray — developed by scientists at the University of Birmingham — prevents infection by capturing the bug in the nose and covering it in a coating from which it cannot escape, The Telegraph reported. As a result, it would be safe for someone to exhale near another person because the virus would be inactive and harmless, the outlet said. Dr. Richard Moakes, the study’s lead researcher, said he was confident that the spray will be able to put an end to social distancing restrictions and “get schools going again.” “We think it will help in schools, as one of the good th...

By David Hall The number of people hospitalized in the U.S. due to Covid-19 fell to the lowest level since mid-December, while newly reported cases continued to decline. More than 110,000 people in the U.S. were hospitalized as of Sunday due to the disease, the lowest total since Dec. 15, according to the Covid Tracking Project. The number of patients requiring treatment in intensive care units, however, remained elevated at more than 21,000. The U.S. reported more than 130,000 new cases for Sunday, the eighth consecutive day the daily total was below 200,000, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The data may update later. Overall, the U.S. has reported more than 25.1 million coronavirus cases since the pandemic began. The nation’s death toll rose by more than 1...

In ambulances, an unseen, unwelcome passenger: COVID-19 By STEFANIE DAZIO January 25, 2021 GMT https://apnews.com/article/us-news-los-angeles-california-coronavirus-pandemic-550b05e60e7f01abd2ce24db5dbbf723 LOS ANGELES (AP) — It’s crowded in the back of the ambulance. Two emergency medical technicians, the patient, the gurney — and an unseen and unwelcome passenger lurking in the air. For EMTs Thomas Hoang and Joshua Hammond, the coronavirus is constantly close. COVID-19 has become their biggest fear during 24-hour shifts in California’s Orange County, riding with them from 911 call to 911 call, from patient to patient. They and other EMTs, paramedics and 911 dispatchers in Southern California have been thrust into the front lines of the national epicenter of the pandemic. The...

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