The White House has adjusted its COVID-19 prevention messaging to emphasize the role of indoor air quality, a move many experts say was long overdue, The Washington Post reported March 29.

The BA.2 omicron subvariant accounts for about 55 percent of new cases in the U.S., according to the CDC's latest estimates for the week ending March 26. 

The World Health Organization is examining rare reports of hearing loss and other auditory issues like tinnitus, or ringing of the ears, after COVID-19 vaccinations, NBC News reported March 28. 

Daily COVID-19 cases are projected to increase 42 percent nationwide over the next two weeks as the omicron subvariant BA.2 gains prevalence, modeling from Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic shows.

Flu activity continues to rise in most of the U.S., with the highest flu test positivity levels seen in Central and South-Central states, according to the CDC's March 25 FluView report. 

The number of COVID-19 vaccines administered daily fell by more than 25 percent last week amid the omicron subvariant's growing prevalence in the U.S., according to the CDC's COVID-19 data tracker weekly review published March 25.

COVID-19 deaths are falling nationwide, but eight states are still seeing higher daily death averages than recorded two weeks ago. 

COVID-19 cases are expected to increase nationwide over the next two weeks as the omicron subvariant BA.2 gains prevalence, modeling from Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic shows.

Here are nine COVID-19-related research findings covered by Becker's Hospital Review since Feb. 25:

The White House may authorize a second COVID-19 booster dose for people 65 and older within a few weeks, four sources familiar with the matter told Politico. 

COVID-19 hospitalizations are up 20 percent nationwide over the last 14 days, with 45 states and Washington, D.C., reporting an increase. 

The CDC is closely monitoring a lethal strain of bird flu that has been identified in 17 states since February, NBC News reported March 23.

While multiple countries have confirmed cases of a coronavirus recombinant consisting of parts of both omicron and delta, some scientists have said the common nickname "deltacron" may be misleading.

The omicron subvariant BA.2 accounts for more than one-third of COVID-19 cases nationwide and more than half of cases in the Northeast, according to the latest variant proportion estimates from the CDC.

U.S. officials are closely monitoring COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the United Kingdom — which have continued to rise over the last few weeks — and are considering what it could mean for the U.S. 

Since people shed the coronavirus in their feces before showing symptoms or testing positive, wastwater surveillance of virus levels is intended to serve as an early warning system for upcoming surges or new variant detection. But these efforts are patchy in the U.S.

At least nine states have cut back on daily COVID-19 reports that provide information on new cases, hospitalizations and deaths, The New York Times reported March 19. 

U.S. health officials are closely monitoring COVID-19 activity in the U.K., where cases and hospitalizations are simultaneously rising due to omicron subvariant BA.2, though many experts say it's too soon to accurately predict if or when a similar uptick in virus activity may hit the U.S.

The BA.2 omicron subvariant now accounts for about 30 percent of new cases in New York City, health officials said March 18. Nationwide, the CDC estimates the variant accounts for about 23 percent of new cases. 

Daily COVID-19 vaccinations in the U.S. are falling, according to the CDC's COVID-19 data tracker weekly review published March 18, amid concerns the omicron subvariant BA.2 may fuel another uptick in cases.