Outbreaks

The U.S. has counted over 186,000 coronavirus-related deaths, but by the end of the year, it might count 224,000 more, according to an updated model from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.

A new analysis of several studies in which steroid drugs were used to treat severely ill COVID-19 patients found the drugs significantly helped reduce patient deaths, bolstering earlier, preliminary evidence for the benefit of these medications.

The agency said that traceback information collected from several illnesses identified California-based Thomson International, Inc. "as a likely source of red onions."

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday immediately severed ties with Quest Diagnostics Labs after the clinical laboratory company “dumped” nearly 75,000 months-old COVID-19 tests, skewing the state’s downward trend of new daily confirmed coronavirus cases.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson assured ministers Tuesday that though there’s more “wretched COVID” to come, he’s “absolutely confident” the government can manage outbreaks as the nation’s workforce returns “in huge numbers” to their offices. 

Hundreds gathered in Boston Sunday to protest a new flu shot mandate for all Massachusetts students.

A salmonella outbreak linked to peaches has expanded to 12 states with 78 illnesses, officials said.

A revised coronavirus death forecast for the United States, released Thursday, projects the nation will see a total of 317,697 virus-linked deaths by Dec. 1.

An outbreak of the novel coronavirus at a Starbucks cafe in Paju, South Korea infected dozens of customers — but at least four of the location’s employees were spared, with health officials crediting face masks as the reason. 

President Trump plans to hold a news conference Sunday evening regarding a potential major therapeutic “breakthrough” for treating the coronavirus.