Coronavirus Coverage
From the latest news to binge-watching suggestions to tips for caring for your mental health, we've got everything you need to know about coronavirus to stay safe and make the most of your time spent at home.
That Viral Op-Ed About Masks Is Based On Flawed Research, Frustrated Experts Say
“An intervention that you don't use correctly probably won't work well.”
What The End Of COVID’s Public Health Emergency Status Really Means
You might pay more for tests and treatments, although vaccines are still free (for now).
Why "Thanks Pfizer" Memes Are Going Viral
“I haven't been the same since I got da jabby jabby. now i only do the stankiest of legs.”
The FDA Is Considering A New Plan To Make COVID Vaccines A Lot More Like Your Annual Flu Shot
In a decision that could come this week, the FDA is looking to step away from the confusing array of COVID shots and boosters that are currently recommended and create an easier-to-understand schedule.
Long COVID Might Ruin Booze For You
“I just really, really struggled if I had one drink. I would wake up so hungover, terrible headaches, and super tired. It was so bizarre.”
The White House Will Once Again Send Americans Free COVID Tests
Each household will be able to order four tests that will begin shipping next week.
Here’s What May Be Happening Every Time You Get COVID
“Getting hit with a baseball bat once is better than getting hit five times,” one expert said.
Do You Really Need This New Omicron Booster? Here’s What Experts Say.
Get ready to roll up your sleeves again: A new COVID booster that targets the latest variants is ready for your arm.
Moderna Is Suing Pfizer And BioNTech, Alleging They Stole mRNA Technology For COVID Vaccines
The girls are fighting!
These Tweets Show Just How Mad Public Health Experts Are About The CDC’s New COVID Guidelines
The CDC recently relaxed its COVID guidelines involving quarantines, screening tests, and social distancing. That’s a terrible idea, some experts say, given that over 400 people die from the disease every day.
A Man Who Attacked An Asian Family Inside A Sam's Club Because He Blamed Them For COVID Was Sentenced To 25 Years In Prison
Jose Gomez, 21, pleaded guilty to three counts of committing a hate crime after punching the father in the face while holding a knife and then slashing the face of the 6-year-old son.
Joe Biden Has COVID And The Tweets About Kamala Harris Taking Over Are Here
"Kamala putting her sneakers on."
What You Need To Know About BA.5, The New COVID Subvariant Taking Over The Country
The new Omicron subvariant is the dominant strain in the country right now. Here’s how it differs from other variants.
Here’s What To Know About COVID Vaccines For Babies And How Some Parents Feel About Them
Many parents are grateful to finally have a vaccine for their babies and toddlers, but some can’t help but still feel disappointed about the delay. Here's what to know about COVID vaccines for babies, including where to get them, side effects, and more.
WeChat Became The Platform For Shanghai Residents To Speak Out About China’s Zero-COVID Policy
“How else does anger travel if not by social media, by group chats and WeChat moments, which disappear after a few days?”
Taking Paxlovid? Here’s What To Know About This Antiviral Drug For COVID.
What to know about the COVID-fighting drug Paxlovid, including side effects, rebound infections, and how it differs from Lagevrio and other treatments.
COVID Has Killed 1 Million Americans — And Left Behind 9 Million Loved Ones
“While that number is unmanageable and that number seems unthinkable, just know that every single one of those people had a family, had friends, have people who are grieving and will be grieving forever.”
This Activist Group Tapped Into Partisan COVID Politics To Make Big Trouble For Anthony Fauci And The NIH
The White Coat Waste Project has pulled the “lab leak” strings and channeled right-wing anger over COVID to pursue its goal of defunding animal experiments backed by the federal government.
Long COVID Patients Say Doctors Are Ignoring Their Symptoms
Long COVID can be debilitating and occurs in up to 30% of people who have had the coronavirus, but the people experiencing it often find that doctors dismiss, ignore, or downplay their unusual symptoms.
Kamala Harris Has Tested Positive For COVID
The White House announced that Harris has not been in close contact with President Joe Biden and will continue working from home.
Biden Is Going Big On COVID Pills For Pharmacies Nationwide
Paxlovid pills are now widely offered at pharmacies through Biden's "test to treat" plan, as COVID cases are beginning to mount again in the US.
Tell Us How Long COVID Wrecked Your Otherwise Perfect Health
Long COVID can affect anyone, even the young and healthy. If you can relate, we want to learn more about your story.
We Might Be Looking At COVID “Seasons” For Years To Come
“I know everybody wants great news, that we can be done with COVID and everything’s gonna be fine, but that’s not really true.”
Socks, Toilet Paper, And T-Shirts: How Unhoused People Manage Their Periods During COVID
“The problem is that tampons are $7 or $8 a box,” one advocate said.
People Are Frustrated There Isn’t A COVID Vaccine For Babies — And It’s Not Just Parents
COVID vaccines still aren’t available for babies and toddlers, leaving many caregivers feeling abandoned, lost, misled, and angry as hell.
Even Carole Baskin’s Tigers Had COVID. Here’s How It’s Affecting Animals In Zoos And Sanctuaries Across The US.
Many different kinds of animals can get COVID, including deer, mink, and...tigers. Here’s how Carole Baskin handled COVID cases in Big Cat Rescue’s tigers, and what zoos are doing to keep animals safe.
The White House Said My COVID Tests Would Be Fully Covered. Instead I Got Charged $43.
The United States’ messy plan for at-home COVID tests made the pandemic even more chaotic. Can we get it together before the next surge?
This Doctor Has Pushed Unproven Drugs And Questioned COVID Vaccines. She’s Now Pleaded Guilty To Crimes In The Jan. 6 Insurrection.
Simone Gold’s group America’s Frontline Doctors has fought the medical consensus on COVID. Critics want her license to practice medicine to be revoked.
When Will We See These Five High-Profile Movies Delayed By The Pandemic?
While long-delayed films like Antlers, Bad Trip, and Death on the Nile were finally released in recent months, these five films still have yet to see the silver screen.
Queen Elizabeth Has Tested Positive For COVID-19
The 95-year-old monarch will continue "light duties," Buckingham Palace said in a statement Sunday.
Tell Us How The Delay In COVID Vaccines For Babies Has Affected Your Life
Parents and caregivers found out last week that vaccines for babies and toddlers won’t be available for at least a couple more months. Fill out this form to tell us how that’s affecting your daily life.
900,000 People Have Now Died From COVID In The US
“This country normalizes mass deaths in this pandemic. … This country has failed to even begin to process what it means to lose 900,000 of our neighbors.”
COVID Scams Are Surging, But Congress Isn’t Giving The Government Power To Repay Victims
“These are hucksters, these are fraudsters, who are selling people snake oil,” the FTC told Congress.
If You Think You Have COVID But Your Rapid Test Is Negative, Here’s Why
Can you test negative for COVID but still have it? This is why it seems to take so long for a rapid test to turn positive.
Joe Rogan And Spotify Said They'll Try Really, Really Hard To Not Spread Garbage Information About COVID
Rogan — who has the most popular podcast on Spotify — did not apologize for repeatedly spreading COVID misinformation, but said he was sorry for pissing people off.
"Unvaccinated" Sarah Palin Tested Positive For COVID-19 Right Before Her Defamation Trial Against The New York Times, A Judge Said
The former Alaska governor, who also got COVID last March, has said she would rather die than get vaccinated.
Aussie Grocery Workers Are Sharing Horrific Stories Of Being Verbally Abused During The Pandemic And My Heart Goes Out To All Of Them
"I was yelled at and called a fuckhead, piece of shit and useless idiot by one lady, who also threw all her items on the ground in a tantrum."
What Happens After Omicron? Four Key Questions About Where The Pandemic Goes Next.
“I think in many ways, we are just as flabbergasted as the rest of society about how Omicron has seemingly come from nowhere,” one scientist said.
Starbucks Will No Longer Require Employees To Be Vaccinated Against COVID Or Get Tested
The move comes weeks after Starbucks employees from a Buffalo, New York, shop walked out after growing concerns for their health and safety.
HelloFresh Workers Voted Against Unionizing Despite High Injury Rates, Low Wages, And A COVID Outbreak
The pandemic has lent momentum to the labor movement, but union losses at HelloFresh food-packing warehouses reveal the challenges of convincing some workers that the fight is worth the risks.
How Wordle Became The Internet’s Omicron Pastime
“The close ties across the country means it isn't hard for things to spread — whether that be gossip, word games, or good public health measures to keep us safe during a pandemic.”
Omicron Isn't A "Mild" Threat For Everyone
“It’s not only saying ‘We didn’t consider chronically ill and disabled people when we created these guidelines,’ but ‘We also don’t care if you die.’”
Omicron May Be “Milder,” But It’s Making More People Sick Than Ever Before
“It’s going to get worse before it gets better,” one doctor said.
“People Aren’t Going To Realize It Until They Call 911 And No One Comes”: How Omicron Could Push Hospitals Over The Edge
The cruel irony is that what appears to be the mildest widespread variant of the coronavirus is the one that risks pushing the US hospital system to the brink.
We Asked Experts To Tell Us The Most Important Things To Know About Kids And COVID Because Honestly, It’s Confusing
Here’s what to know right now about protecting children from COVID-19, how dangerous it is for them, and the real risk of long COVID in kids.
The FDA Will Let Florida Use Nearly 1 Million COVID Tests That Had Expired In December
The governor's office first claimed it didn't know about the expired stockpile, then a day later admitted what happened.
Novak Djokovic Has To Leave Australia After His COVID Vaccine Exemption Visa Was Canceled
The decision means the top-ranked tennis player will likely miss the Australian Open. “They expect to be on the flight back home later in the day,” a source told BuzzFeed News.
Over 1 Million People Reported Positive In A Single Day As The US Struggles With The Omicron Wave
“I wish I hadn’t exposed any of my coworkers, but I didn’t know,” said one person who tested positive after multiple negative at-home tests.
The CDC Might Recommend Asymptomatic People Test Negative For COVID-19 Before Breaking Isolation
Anthony Fauci says the CDC is aware of recent pushback to its changes to isolation guidelines and may soon alter them.
The White House Is Defending The CDC’s New 5-Day Coronavirus Isolation Guideline For Asymptomatic People
“We are standing on the shoulders of two years of science,” the CDC director said.
The CDC’s New COVID Isolation Guidance Surprised Experts, Too
Experts welcomed the decision to shorten the isolation period to five days, but many are still concerned testing negative first hasn't been prioritized.
The CDC Cut Its Recommended COVID-19 Isolation Time From 10 Days To 5 If You Are Asymptomatic
Isolation should only end if a person with COVID-19 is asymptomatic after the fifth day.
This Is What You Should Know Before Taking A Rapid COVID Test
Every day, decisions are being made based on rapid COVID tests. How common are false negatives, and can you trust the results?
I Got COVID Three Times
Don’t worry, you (probably) won’t become me. But yes, you can get COVID twice, and even more.
Several People Who Attended A Midterm Strategy Event For Democrats In South Carolina Tested Positive For COVID
The outbreak comes as the Omicron variant has spread quickly across the United States.
Biden Has Extended A Pause On Student Loan Payments Due To The Latest COVID Surge
“We know that millions of student loan borrowers are still coping with the impacts of the pandemic and need some more time before resuming payments,” the president said.
The Rapid Spread Of Omicron Has Cities Scrambling To Cope With Demand For COVID Tests
“This spreads so fast that if you look at what's going on today, it's actually already happened 10 to 14 days ago,” one expert said.
Biden Is Calling Out Anti-Vaxxers And Vaccine Misinformation As Omicron Sweeps The US
“Your choice is not just about you. Your choice affects other people. You're putting other people at risk."
Anxious People Are Waiting Hours In Line In Frigid Temperatures To Get Preholiday COVID Tests, Only To Face Surprise Costs
“I told her I couldn't afford it and left,” said one person who was exposed to COVID but couldn’t pay $200 to see if they were positive.
No Live "SNL" Audience, Broadway Shows Canceled, Games Postponed: An Alarming Spike In COVID Cases Causes Closures
The NFL and NHL have postponed games, and plays on Broadway are facing cancellations because of rising COVID-19 cases.
Omicron Now Accounts For The Majority Of New COVID Cases In The US
“The capacity for superspreading events is really extraordinary,” one expert said.
“I Don’t Know How We’ll Keep Going”: A COVID Holiday Surge Is Coming
The US is facing another COVID surge, and Omicron is poised to make it worse. But there is one clear step Americans can take to protect themselves and society at large: get vaccinated.
A CDC Panel Is Recommending mRNA Vaccines Over The J&J Shot Due To Rare Side Effects
Rare blood clotting side effects linked to nine deaths triggered the recommendation, which stops short of calling for ceasing use of the one-shot vaccine.
The CDC Blames Contamination And Design Flaws For Its First Failed COVID-19 Test Kits
“It felt like we were driving blind, and we really were a little bit,” one expert said.
800,000 Americans Have Now Died From COVID. It Didn’t Have To Be This Way.
“What makes me most uncomfortable and concerned is that the loss of this much life was preventable.”
A Former Principal Now In Congress Thinks Democrats Need A New Message On Schools In The Time Of COVID
Rep. Jamaal Bowman, a Democrat and part of "the Squad," sat down for a Q&A with BuzzFeed News to discuss possible vaccine mandates in schools.
Some Nations Are Hoarding Vaccine Doses. It's Creating Conditions For New Variants To Emerge.
Vaccine hoarding by rich countries is a big problem. And it’s not the only obstacle to getting shots into arms across the African continent.
The Government Asked Us Not To Release Records From The CDC’s First Failed COVID Test. Here They Are.
Federal investigation records obtained by BuzzFeed News show how one of the most pivotal mistakes of the pandemic fell on an overburdened CDC lab with only three full-time employees.
If You Find The Omicron News Depressing, Here’s How Therapists Recommend You Cope
The Omicron variant is creating — again — a lot of pandemic uncertainty. Here are some expert tips on how to cope with anxiety.
Should I Cancel Holiday Travel? And More Omicron Questions, Answered.
Don’t panic. But be cautious. We’ll know more in a couple of weeks.
There's Still A Lot Unknown About Omicron As Scientists Worldwide Race To Determine How It Affects People
Preliminary evidence suggests there may be an increased risk of reinfection among people who previously had COVID-19 compared with other variants, the WHO said.
Some Scientists Worry The Africa Travel Restrictions Will Discourage Other Nations From Reporting New COVID Variants
"What is the incentive for the next country that identifies the next important variant if their reward is what President Biden did to South Africa?"
Here's The Deal On The New Pills For Treating COVID
Here’s how COVID pills from Merck and Pfizer work, and how and when you might be able to take them once they become available.
Thousands Of Anti-Vax Protesters Marched In Europe Even Though COVID Deaths Are Rising
Vaccines are the best way to prevent COVID-19 deaths, which increased 5% in Europe during the week ending Nov. 14.
A Federal Appeals Court Temporarily Blocked Biden From Requiring COVID Vaccines For Large Employers
The US Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit wrote that petitioners in the case "give cause to believe there are grave statutory and constitutional issues" with the new rule.
US Kids Ages 5 To 11 Can Now Get COVID Vaccines
The dose for younger children is one-third the size for adults and is more than 90% effective at preventing symptomatic infections.
Do You Need A COVID Booster? The Essential Facts About Who Can Get One Right Now
All people 16 and older are now eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot, with a Pfizer booster now recommended for those 12 and older. Here’s what you need to know about mix-and-match vaccines, boosters, and more.
Vaccinated Vulnerable People Are Still At Risk for COVID. Here Are Ways To Mitigate That Risk This Holiday Season
The death of former US secretary of state Colin Powell from COVID-19 complications shows the importance of precautions for at-risk individuals.
A Data Sleuth Challenged A Powerful COVID Scientist. Then He Came After Her.
Elisabeth Bik calls out bad science for a living. A feud with one of the world’s loudest hydroxychloroquine crusaders shows that it can carry a high price.
Colin Powell, The First Black Secretary Of State, Has Died Of COVID Complications
Powell, 84, was fully vaccinated, his family said. He had earlier been diagnosed with cancer.
Robert Durst Has Tested Positive For COVID-19, His Lawyer Says
His attorney, Dick DeGuerin, said Durst was fully vaccinated against the virus.
Emmy Award–Winning "Bridgerton" Hair And Makeup Designer Marc Pilcher Has Died Of COVID-19
"A phenomenal talent, his work on Bridgerton season one was unrivaled, and he was a much-loved member of the crew."
Mila Kunis And Ashton Kutcher Have Opened Up About Why They Feel “Frustrated” That Their 4- And 6-Year-Old Kids Can’t Get The COVID-19 Vaccine Yet
“Who wants to be the parents that give their kid COVID and then gets their kid's school shut down?”
Doctors Are Attacking COVID Vaccines And Promoting Bogus Cures — And Getting Away With It
As around 2,000 mostly unvaccinated Americans die of COVID-19 every day, BuzzFeed News could not find a single example of a doctor who has been disciplined for spreading vaccine disinformation.
Here's Everything You Need To Know If You're Totally Confused About COVID Booster Shots
It's been...confusing!
Two Hosts Of "The View" Had False Positive Tests For COVID Seconds Before They Were Supposed To Interview Kamala Harris
The vice president was about to walk out when the hosts were suddenly pulled from the set.
“An Unprecedented Event In Modern Medicine”: What Happens When A State Fails To Flatten The COVID Curve
A COVID nightmare is unfolding in Idaho, where overwhelmed hospitals are starting to ration care and medical workers feel like the public has turned on them.
A Texas Doctor Fired For Giving Leftover COVID Vaccines To "Indian Sounding" Patients Is Suing The County
There were 10 doses of the Moderna vaccine left at the end of the night, and Hasan Gokal had six hours left to administer them before they expired.
Pfizer Says Its COVID-19 Vaccine Is Safe And Effective For Young Kids
The FDA will soon analyze the data on the lower-dose vaccine for kids aged 5 to 11.
7 Things I Learned About The Importance Of The COVID Vaccine After I, A Fully Vaccinated Person, Got COVID
"These vaccines are absolutely still preventing severe disease, hospitalization, and death."
A Man Who Spent 15 Years On Death Row Before He Was Exonerated Died Of COVID-19
Damon Thibodeaux, 47, died from COVID-19 less than 10 years after he was released from death row following DNA evidence that proved his innocence in a murder case.
Top Scientists At The FDA And WHO Are Arguing Against COVID-19 Booster Shots
In a review published on Monday, the experts said the evidence does not show that boosters are needed for the general population.
Students Age 12 And Up Will Have To Be Vaccinated Against COVID-19 To Attend LA Public Schools
Students will be required to show proof of vaccination by Jan. 10, 2022, if they wish to attend any of the schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Biden Is Mandating COVID Vaccines For All Federal Workers And Large Employers
All companies with more than 100 employees will be required to ensure their workers are either fully vaccinated or tested weekly.
A Prominent Study Said Ivermectin Prevents COVID, But The Data Is Suspect
An influential study from Argentina has been used to argue that ivermectin prevents COVID 100% of the time — but its inconsistencies have led experts to question if it could have actually happened as advertised.
A Person Behind An Anti-Vax Instagram Account Has Been Charged With Selling Fake COVID Vaccine Cards
Jasmine Clifford allegedly sold the cards for $200 through her Instagram account.
COVID Has Worsened The Impact Of Hurricane Ida, Creating A "Major Disaster" For Louisiana
"It's a major crisis," said an intensive care doctor at a New Orleans hospital. "It's about to worsen."
The Battle Against Teens Getting COVID Vaccines Is Ramping Up. Now They’re Fighting Back.
The CDC has recommended the COVID vaccine for teens, while the FDA expects a fall or winter authorization for kids under 12.
203 Doctors Told Us What They Actually Think Of COVID Vaccines, And Everyone Should Hear Their Answers
Someone told me, a health journalist, that doctors might secretly oppose COVID vaccinations. So I went straight to the source.
