Flu making comeback in U.S. after unusual year nearly off
In CDC figures released Monday, states with high flu activity are Indiana, New Mexico, Kansas, New Jersey, Tennessee, Georgia and North Dakota.
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U.S. officials recommend shorter COVID isolation, quarantine
U.S. health officials on Monday cut isolation recommendations for Americans who catch the coronavirus from 10 to five days, and similarly shortened the time that close contacts need to quarantine.
Fauci: U.S. should consider vaccine mandate for domestic air travel
The Biden administration has thus far balked at imposing a vaccination requirement for domestic air travel. Two officials said Biden’s science advisers have yet to make a formal recommendation for such a requirement to the president.
U.S. health officials acknowledge shortage of at-home COVID tests
The Biden administration, which last week announced a plan to offer 500 million at-home tests to Americans sometime next month, has faced criticism in recent days over its failure to prepare an adequate supply of tests.
New easy-to-use COVID-19 pills require early use
The challenge for possible users is getting tested, getting a prescription and starting the pills in a short window.
Flight cancellations continue due to bad weather, sick crews
Airlines have canceled roughly 4,000 flights to, from or inside the U.S. since Friday. Delta, United, JetBlue and American have all said that the coronavirus was causing staffing problems.
COVID outbreaks taking toll on college football bowls
The Fenway Bowl and Military Bowl were both canceled due to the pandemic on Sunday, and the University of Miami withdrew from the Sun Bowl.
COVID-19 variant disrupts holiday travel, but not shopping
Globally, airlines scrapped more than 2,700 flights as of Sunday evening, nearing the more than 2,800 cancellations the day before.
IU Health caring for record number of COVID-19 patients, gets help from Navy team
The state’s largest hospital system said Thursday it has resorted to turning conference rooms into patient wards as it adds hundreds of beds across its 16 hospitals.
U.S. Navy sending team to Methodist Hospital to help with rising COVID-19 cases
Medical personnel from the Navy team will include physicians, nurses and respiratory therapists. The move comes at the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency as Indiana hospitals warn they’re reaching capacity.
Biden will try to rally exhausted Americans against omicron threat
In a speech Tuesday, Biden will outline plans to expand coronavirus testing sites across the country, distribute a half-billion free at-home tests and deploy more federal health resources to aid strained hospitals, including emergency teams bound for Indiana.
Indiana hospitals make plea to Hoosiers: ‘The situation is dire’
Three large hospital systems are asking Hoosiers in a multipronged media campaign to get fully vaccinated and wear masks. It’s the latest signal that hospitals are facing a tipping point in the pandemic.
IBJ Podcast: Kids, COVID and Christmas … what’s safe?
Host Mason King talks with Dr. James Wood, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Riley Children’s Health, to talk about vaccinations for children, how latest strains of coronavirus are affecting younger kids and whether it’s safe for grandkids to gather with their grandparents at the holidays.
Indiana identifies first case of omicron variant of COVID-19
Although confirmation of the high contagious strain was confirmed this weekend, the specimen was collected 10 days ago.
Omicron may sideline Lilly, Regeneron antibody drugs against COVID-19
The companies say they can quickly develop new omicron-targeting antibodies, but those aren’t expected to launch for at least several months.
Poll backs lawmakers’ moves to restrict employer vaccine mandates
The survey of 576 adult Hoosiers by the Bowen Center for Public Affairs at Ball State University shows that while 30% support employer vaccine mandates, 40% want employers only to encourage vaccines. Another 28% don’t want employers to encourage or require the shots.
Explainer: Must employers follow Biden’s vaccine mandates?
Tens of millions of workers across the U.S. are in limbo as federal courts have put President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates affecting private companies largely on hold. Here’s where everything stands.
CDC recommends Pfizer, Moderna COVID-19 shots over J&J’s
The strange clotting problem has caused nine confirmed deaths after J&J vaccinations—while the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines don’t come with that risk and also appear more effective, said advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Indiana reports 55 more deaths from COVID-19, rise in cases
COVID-19 patients now occupy 35.4% of Indiana’s intensive care unit beds.
State reports 87 more COVID deaths, another rise in hospitalizations
Indiana University Health, the state’s largest hospital system, said Wednesday that the Indiana National Guard was supporting 13 of its 16 hospitals statewide with six-person teams.