U.S. Health Agencies

> CDC coding error led to overcount of 72,000 Covid deaths, The Guardian
> Why does the CDC keep screwing up? The New Republic
> US public health in crisis as Covid prompts curbs on officials’ powers, The Guardian
> What the $%&! is going on at the FDA? The New Republic
> How to restore the glory of government science, The New Republic
> Behind the Conflicting Advice on Coronavirus Safety, The New Republic

Hospitals & Health Systems

> Warning signs for US as Covid cases rise in Europe, The Guardian
> Experts urge US cities and states to prep for future outbreaks as Omicron slows, The Guardian
> Rising Covid cases in US nursing homes prompt hospital warnings, The Guardian
> ‘I have no intention of getting infected’: Understanding Omicron’s severity, The Guardian
> Is omicron really “milder”? The New Republic
> US hospitals struggle with staffing shortages and Omicron outbreaks, The Guardian
> US braces for potential Omicron surge in January, The Guardian
> Testing, vaccines, sequencing: experts call for multi-pronged approach to Omicron, The Guardian
> Michigan Accounts for One in 10 New Covid Cases in US Amid Surge, The Guardian
> US Hospitals Prepare for Influx of Covid Patients as Millions Travel for Thanksgiving, The Guardian
> The U.S. could face another Covid surge this fall, The New Republic

Mortality & Demography

> A fifth of all US child Covid deaths occurred during Omicron surge, The Guardian
> US has suffered more than 1 million excess deaths during pandemic, CDC finds, The Guardian
> Vastly unequal US has world’s highest Covid death toll – it’s no coincidence, The Guardian
> True number of Covid deaths in the US probably undercounted, experts say, The Guardian
> Colin Powell, former US Secretary of State, dies at 84 of Covid complications (contributed reporting), The Guardian
> The actual death toll from the pro-Trump riot won’t be known for weeks, The New Republic
> What Is Covid-19 Doing to Our Hearts? The New Republic

Kids

> Why is this group of doctors so intent on unmasking kids? The New Republic
> US parents of under-fives clamor for off-label use over Covid vaccine delays, The Guardian
> What do masks do to kids? The New Republic
> Pfizer seeks US authorization of Covid vaccine for children under five, The Guardian
> US children’s Covid vaccinations lag despite record infections, The Guardian
> Covid hospitalizations among US children soar as schools under pressure, The Guardian
> Hesitancy, Inequity: Is the US ‘Making the Same Mistakes’ With Kids’ Vaccines? The Guardian
> FDA Advisers Recommend Pfizer’s Covid Vaccine for Kids Aged 5-11, The Guardian
> Covid Vaccines for US Children Are Coming, But Challenge Will Be Persuading Parents, The Guardian
> Pfizer Asks US to Allow Covid Vaccines for Children Aged Five to 11, The Guardian
> Covid Cases Among Children Are Surging in the US as Students Head Back to School, The Guardian
> You Might Not Know If Your Kid Has Covid-19, The New Republic
> Traveling With Kids During the Pandemic, The Washington Post

Leadership & Policy

> America marks two years of Covid – is it prepared for the next pandemic?, The Guardian
> Blue states are rolling back mask rules – but experts warn it’s too soon, The Guardian
> Sweeping bill on inquiry into US Covid response sees bipartisan support, The Guardian
> The big-name journalists who are trying to “both sides” Covid, The New Republic
> Why Joe Biden gave up on Covid, The New Republic podcast
> ‘The economy cannot stay open’: Omicron’s effects ricochet across US, The Guardian
> America quits the fight against Covid, The New Republic
> ‘It’s a fraught moment’: Omicron puts brakes on US return-to-office plans, The Guardian
> We still aren’t treating the pandemic as a global problem, The New Republic
> West Virginia battles Covid surge after failing to build on early vaccine success, The Guardian
> ‘Not even modestly good control’: Fauci says US Covid cases 16 Times too high to end pandemic, The Guardian
> Welcome to the climate-Covid convergence, The New Republic
> You might get Covid-19 eventually. but avoid it for as long as you can. The New Republic
> What will life in America be like in 2022? The New Republic
> How a Democratic Senate can ease the coronavirus crisis, The New Republic
> How Biden can beat Covid-19, The New Republic
> Trump is still the President, and the pandemic is getting worse, The New Republic
> Doctors are appalled by White House’s “barbaric” new coronavirus strategy, The New Republic
> The limits of mask ordinances, The New Republic

Animals & Spillover

> This is how Covid started. And here’s how we stop the next one. The New Republic
> The hamsters of Hong Kong offer a cautionary COVID tale, NPR
> As Covid Recedes in US a New Worry Emerges: Wildlife Passing on the Virus, The Guardian
> A Better Way to Stop Coronaviruses, The New Republic
> A Novel Virus Killed 24,000 Piglets in China. Where Did It Come From? NPR

Misinformation & Disinformation

> ‘Bot holiday’: Covid disinformation down as social media pivot to Ukraine, The Guardian
> ‘The only logical choice’: anti-vaxxers who changed their minds on Covid vaccines, The Guardian
> AmazonSmile donated more than $40,000 to anti-vaccine groups in 2020, The Guardian
> Most Nurses Are Vaccinated – So Why Do People Think Health Workers Are Vaccine Hesitant? The Guardian
> Don’t Call It a Pandemic of the Stupid, The New Republic

Social Issues

> Covid infection increases risk of mental health disorders, study finds, The Guardian
> We Can’t Give Up on the Pandemic Now, The New Republic
> ‘A viral Uzi’: Experts on how Omicron changes the holidays for Americans, The Guardian
> Here Come the Thanksgiving Covid Fights, The New Republic
> Treating Patients with Long Covid, Monitor on Psychology (in print)
> Female Scientists Are Bearing the Brunt of Quarantine Child-Rearing, The New Republic

Arctic & Alaska

> The Arctic’s pandemic experience (video), Wilson Center NOW
> Setting our sights by the northern lights, Wilson Quarterly
> Alaska Hospitals Make Wrenching Decisions as They Begin to Ration Care, The Guardian
> ‘It’s Awful. It’s Exhausting’: Alaska Rations Care as It Hits Covid Nadir, The Guardian
> Why Domestic Violence in the Arctic Could Surge With the Coronavirus Pandemic, ArcticToday (also published by Nunatsiaq News)
> Canada’s Arctic Territories All Declare Public Health Emergencies, ArcticToday
> MOSAiC Expedition Halts Aerial Surveys Due to Coronavirus, Travel Restrictions, ArcticToday
> How the Arctic’s Limited Infrastructure Could Make Coronavirus Deadlier in the Region, ArcticToday
> This Year’s Arctic Winter Games Canceled Over Fears of Coronavirus Spread, ArcticToday
> Arctic Fisheries Brace for ‘Significant’ Effects from China’s Coronavirus Lockdown, ArcticToday

Education

> ‘A slap in the face’: uproar in Virginia as governor relaxes school mask rules, The Guardian
> How America Screwed Up the Great School Reopening, The New Republic
> ‘I’m Nervous’: US Colleges Wrestle With Covid Safety as Fall Semester Begins, The Guardian
> Education Is Set Up to Fail in the Pandemic, The Nation
> He’s Starting School at Home, But I’m Just Happy He’s Here, Catapult
> Here’s What It Would Take to Reopen Schools Safely, The New Republic

Treatments

> How to end the pandemic (really), The New Republic
> Covid pills are ‘very promising’ – but what are the challenges in using them?, The Guardian
> Demand soars for monoclonal antibody treatments in states with low vaccination rates, The Guardian
> Why are Floridians lining up for hours to get antibody treatments? Slate
> Why Trump’s experimental Covid-19 treatment could be bad news for everyone else, The New Republic
> No, Regeneron did not cure Donald Trump of Covid-19, The New Republic
> The promising new Covid-19 therapy you probably haven’t heard about, The New Republic
> Scientists really wish Trump hadn’t made that Covid plasma announcement, The New Republic

Testing

> A guide to COVID tests: When to test, what kind to use and what your results mean, NPR
> Yes, send everyone free Covid tests, The New Republic
> Testing Alone Isn’t Enough to Ensure Safety During Holidays, Experts Say, The Washington Post
—> This reporting also contributed to Three Reasons a Negative Coronavirus Test Doesn’t Necessarily Mean You’re Not Infected, The Washington Post
> The Hard Truth About Antibody Tests, The New Republic

Variants & Viral Evolution

> The scientist in Botswana who identified omicron was saddened by the world’s reaction, NPR
> The Delta Covid Variant’s Urgent Message for America, The New Republic
> How will we know if there’s a Covid supervariant? The New Republic
> If the U.S. already had a Covid variant, we wouldn’t know, The New Republic

Pregnancy & Reproductive Health

> Covid vaccinations lag among pregnant Americans amid surge in cases, The Guardian
> Interest in Home Births Is Spiking as Coronavirus Complicates Labor Plans, VICE

Vaccination Campaigns

> New Vaccine Campaigns Target Rural Americans to Address Disparities, The Guardian
> Virginia Governor Reveals Long Covid Symptoms as He Urges Vaccinations, The Guardian
> Herd Immunity Is Not a Magical Percentage, The New Republic
> Bring Covid Vaccines Door-to-Door, The New Republic
> Why This Pandemic Expert Bet It All, New York
> What Successful Vaccine Rollouts Have in Common, The New Republic
> Our Vaccine Rollout Has an Inequality Problem, The New Republic
> How to Vaccinate a Country Amid Trump’s Wreckage, The New Republic
> How Pandemics End [podcast], The New Republic
> But Really, the White House Should Get Vaccinated, The New Republic
> So You Won’t Get an Early Covid-19 Vaccine. That’s OK. The New Republic

Booster Shots

> Staff shortages are hobbling vaccination campaigns as US demand runs high, The Guardian
> US Leaders Urge Covid Boosters for All Ahead of Expected FDA Authorization, The Guardian
> Vaccinating the Unvaccinated Is Better Than Giving People Covid Booster Shots, The New Republic
> Please Don’t Rush to Get a Third Covid Shot, The New Republic

Vaccine Mandates

> Biden faces vaccine mandate pushback from own party despite support of scientists, The Guardian
> Republicans boost benefits for workers who quit over vaccine mandates, The Guardian
> Some US Patients Waiting for Organ Transplants Must Get Covid Vaccine or Be Removed From List, The Guardian
> ‘On the Right Side of History’: Ousted Tennessee Vaccine Official on Mandates, Myths and Muzzles, The Guardian
> Biden’s Hard Line on Vaccine Mandates Draws Praise and Pushback, The Guardian
> The Radical Honesty of Biden’s Vaccine Plan, The New Republic
> America Mulls Vaccine Mandates — Will They Work? The Guardian

Vaccine Development & Patents

> US Throws Out Millions of Doses of Covid Vaccine as World Goes Wanting, The Guardian
> There’s Something Missing From Biden’s Move to Free the Covid Vaccines, The New Republic
> Halting the AstraZeneca Vaccine Over Blood Clots Could Do More Damage Than Good, The New Republic
> It Could Save Your Life and End This Damn Pandemic, The New Republic
> Biden Is Missing an Obvious Solution to Speed Up Vaccine Production, The New Republic
> Now Is When We Choose How Effective the Covid Vaccines Will Be, The New Republic
> Pharma Executives Are Profiting From Covid Vaccine Press Releases, The New Republic
> There’s a Lot We Don’t Know About the Promising Covid Vaccine, The New Republic
> A Covid-19 Vaccine Doesn’t Need to Be Perfect, The New Republic
> Trump Is Encouraging Big Pharma’s Worst Instincts, The New Republic
> Can Platform Vaccines Really Save Us? The New Republic
> The Risky Race for a Coronavirus Vaccine, The New Republic