HEALTH

Three new U.S. studies offer more evidence that the COVID-19 vaccines are standing up to the omicron variant, at least among people who have gotten booster shots.

The omicron surge this winter has swamped U.S. hospitals with record numbers of patients with COVID-19.

In Costa Rica, election officials are encouraging those infected with the coronavirus to skip voting in upcoming national elections.

Daily new coronavirus infections in Russia have reached an all-time high and authorities are blaming the highly contagious omicron variant, which they expect to soon dominate the country’s outbreak.

Australia has reported its deadliest day of the pandemic with 80 coronavirus fatalities, as an outbreak of the omicron variant continues to take a toll.

Nepal’s capital has shut schools, ordered citizens to carry vaccination cards in public, banned religious festivals and instructed hotel guests to be tested every three days as it battles its biggest COVID-19 outbreak.

Portugal’s government is under fire over its preparations for people infected with COVID-19 to vote in an upcoming snap election.

U_S_ officials say the CIA believes it's unlikely that Russia or another foreign adversary is using microwaves or other forms of directed energy to attack hundreds of American diplomats and intelligence officers who attribute their brain injuries and other symptoms to what's come to be known as “Havana syndrome.”.

Thailand will ease entry requirements for vaccinated visitors from all countries next month as concerns about the omicron variant of the coronavirus decline.

U.S. researchers are reporting the latest in a surprising string of experiments in the quest to save human lives with organs from genetically modified pigs.

Germany’s health minister expects the number of coronavirus infections in the country to keep rising for several weeks reaching hundreds of thousands of cases a day.

Austria’s parliament has voted to introduce a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for adults from Feb. 1, the first of its kind in Europe.

The global initiative intended to share coronavirus vaccines equally between rich and poor countries is asking for $5.2 billion in funds to be able to keep buying doses.

For the first time, people across the U.S. can log on to a government website and order free, at-home COVID-19 tests.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has told a gathering of America’s mayors the Biden administration’s coronavirus relief bill is “like a vaccine” preventing catastrophic economic damage.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says face masks will no longer be mandatory in public places and COVID-19 passports will be dropped for large events as infections level off in most parts of the country.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has opened a new vaccine manufacturing facility that he says will boost the country’s capacity to make its own inoculations for diseases including COVID-19.

Poland’s doctors and medical workers fear the country's health care system may not be able to cope with the latest surge of COVID-19 infections.

Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw orchestra has played second fiddle to a pair of hairdressers.

Some Paris Fashion Week menswear shows have began for the fall-winter season as French virus restrictions have relegated many others to an online-only presence.

February is Marfan Awareness Month. If you haven’t heard of Marfan, it is a genetic condition that affects the body’s connective tissue.

The leader of Hungary’s political opposition has announced he has tested positive for COVID-19 amid a surge in cases fueled by the highly transmissible omicron variant.

The World Health Organization says the number of new coronavirus cases globally rose by 20% last week to more than 18 million, marking a slowdown in the surge caused by the omicron variant.

Slovakia has limited access to what the government considers the most risky events and public gatherings as the country gets ready for the highly infectious omicron coronavirus variant.

The Biden administration will begin making 400 million N95 masks available for free to U.S. residents starting next week.

European Council President Charles Michel has become the second top-level European Union official who has had to pull out of the bloc's parliament session because he had a high-risk COVID-19 contact.

German news agency dpa has reported that police are investigating thousands of cases of suspected forgery of coronavirus vaccine certificates.

Pfizer's chief executive, Albert Bourla, has been awarded the prestigious Genesis Prize for his efforts in leading the development of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Tokyo and a dozen other areas in Japan will face new coronavirus restrictions effective Friday, with local leaders shortening hours for restaurants, as omicron cases hit a record high in the capital.

Health experts suggest stepping up protection against omicron with N95s, KN95s or similar masks.