World Health Organization

Health 23 hours ago

WHO says global anxiety and depression increased 25% due to COVID-19 pandemic

The World Health Organization (WHO) says the global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25% in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health 23 hours ago

WHO issues COVID-19 testing guidance

The World Health Organization says it has issued guidance advising people on how to test themselves for the coronavirus, months after critics said the lack of recommendations was compromising efforts to stop the pandemic in poor countries.

Health 23 hours ago

COVID-19 pandemic: How has it changed after two years?

How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed after two years?

Health 23 hours ago

CDC director expects COVID-19 to become a 'seasonal virus'

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said she anticipates COVID-19 will become a seasonal virus. 

Health 23 hours ago

World Obesity Day: What to know

Friday marks World Obesity Day. 

Health 23 hours ago

COVID-19 spread during Russia-Ukraine war worries WHO officials

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned this week that the conflict in Ukraine could lead to increased COVID-19 transmission. 

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Why are COVID-19 vaccination rates still low in some countries?

Why are COVID-19 vaccination rates still low in some countries?

Health 23 hours ago

BA.2: What experts are saying about the omicron sub-variant

Omicron's BA.2 sub-variant is now causing more than a third of new omicron cases worldwide. 

Health 23 hours ago

Fast-spreading COVID-19 omicron type revives questions about opening up

A more infectious type of the omicron variant has surged to account for more than a third of global COVID-19 cases sequenced recently, adding to the debate about whether countries are ready for full reopening.

Health 23 hours ago

As COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations fall, Maryland and other states consider revising restrictions

As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to fall in the U.S., nearly all states have moved to revise pandemic restrictions. 

Health 23 hours ago

WHO unveils new guide to help protect health workers who are burned out

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have published a new guide on developing and implementing stronger occupational health and safety programs for health workers. 

Health 23 hours ago

Hawaii last state to hold out on lifting mask mandate as COVID cases continue to fall

Hawaii has become the last state not planning on lifting its indoor mask mandate. 

Health 23 hours ago

WHO doctors warn against complete reversals of COVID-19 restrictions

World Health Organization (WHO) doctors advised policymakers to loosen COVID-19 restrictions slowly, rather than removing everything at once. 

Health 23 hours ago

WHO reports new COVID-19 cases drop by 19% globally

The number of new coronavirus cases globally fell by 19% in the last week while the number of deaths remained stable, according to the World Health Organization.

Health 23 hours ago

WHO Europe warns of COVID-19 rise in eastern region

The head of the World Health Organization’s Europe office said Tuesday that health officials are turning their attention to growing rates of COVID-19 infection in Eastern Europe, where six countries — including Russia and Ukraine — have seen a doubling in case counts over the last two weeks.

Health 23 hours ago

WHO tracking 4 omicron sub-variants, says preventing all COVID transmissions 'not the goal'

World Health Organization (WHO) official Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove said earlier this week that the agency is tracking four omicron sub-variants, including BA.1, BA.1.1, BA.2 and BA.3.

Health 23 hours ago

As COVID-19 cases fall, more states act to end mask mandates

More state leaders acted to strike down mask mandates on Thursday, citing a decline in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. 

Health 23 hours ago

WHO official sees 'plausible endgame' for COVID-19 pandemic in Europe

Europe is entering a "plausible endgame" to the COVID-19 pandemic as the number of deaths across the region begins to "plateau," the director of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Europe office said Thursday. 

Health 23 hours ago

CDC director: Studies yet to show BA.2 sub-variant evading current vaccines more than omicron

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Wednesday that experts have not yet seen studies suggesting omicron sub-variant BA.2 will evade COVID-19 vaccine protection any more so than the original omicron strain has already.

Health 23 hours ago

'Long COVID' patients leave ‘antibody signature’ that may help predict syndrome, study says

COVID-19 patients may not need to wait long after being infected to know if they will develop post-acute COVID-19 syndrome, according to a paper published this week in Nature Communications.

Health 23 hours ago

'Stealth' omicron variant BA.2 circulating in almost half of US, but CDC exercises caution: report

There are now at least 127 known cases of the subvariant BA.2 circulating in almost half of the United States that international experts suggest is more contagious as omicron,

Health 23 hours ago

Cases of 'stealth' omicron subvariant confirmed in Northeast states: reports

Two Northeast states reported cases of the omicron subvariant BA.2 this week. 

Health 23 hours ago

CDC data shows omicron accounts for 99.9% of new cases as experts investigate sub-variant

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows the omicron variant of the coronavirus now accounts for 99.9% of new COVID-19 cases. This comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) and health officials are keeping their eyes on a COVID-19 sub-variant called BA.2.

Health 23 hours ago

FDA acts to expand use of treatment for COVID-19 patients with mild-to-moderate disease

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took action Friday to expand the use of the antiviral remdesivir drug Veklury to certain non-hospitalized adults and pediatric patients for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 disease.

Health 23 hours ago

Omicron slowing in these states, officials say

As the omicron variant of the coronavirus continues to spread, officials in several states across the country have reported the surge is showing signs of slowing. 

Health 23 hours ago

Cervical cancer: What are the signs and symptoms?

Cervical cancer is the fourth-most common cancer in women.

Health 23 hours ago

WHO says no evidence that COVID boosters are needed for healthy children, young adults

The World Health Organization's (WHO) chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said Tuesday that there is no current evidence that suggests healthy adolescents or children need COVID-19 vaccine booster doses. 

World 23 hours ago

Spanish PM urges European leaders to treat COVID-19 as an 'endemic' illness, track it like the flu

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez proposed treating COVID-19 as an “endemic disease" rather than a pandemic this week, saying that Spain is considering a move to start tracking the virus like the flu instead of counting every case.

Health 23 hours ago

Omicron: What are the variant's symptoms?

Cases of the omicron COVID-19 variant have been spreading rapidly around the world – including in the U.S. – forcing health leaders to take action. 

Health 23 hours ago

Omicron should not be categorized as mild, WHO says

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization, said Thursday that while the COVID-19 omicron variant seems to be less severe than delta, it should not be categorized as mild.

Health 23 hours ago

Omicron variant may impact lungs differently, studies say

Recent studies suggest that the omicron variant of the coronavirus may be less severe than delta because it impacts the lungs in different ways.