Early research from the U.K. offers new insights into the omicron subvariant's spread relative to the original strain.

The nation's seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths all fell this week, according to the CDC's COVID data tracker weekly review published Feb. 11.

Sporadic flu activity continues across the U.S., with four states reporting moderate levels, according to the CDC's FluView report published Feb. 11.

A previous COVID-19 infection may offer less protection against future symptomatic infections from omicron compared to other variants, according to research published Feb. 9 in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Nationwide, average COVID-19 deaths are beginning to plateau around 2,600 per day — still the highest level since February 2021, according to data tracked by NBC News.

The life expectancy at birth in Hawaii is 80.9 years, the longest in the U.S., according to a Feb. 10 report from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. 

Several states have begun lifting mask mandates as the omicron surge recedes. Some regard this as proof widespread masking was never needed. On the other end are those who see no endpoint to restrictions, viewing masks as a symbol of their belief in science. Both extremes should be avoided moving forward, according to Leana Wen, MD, Baltimore's former health commissioner. 

The U.S. may see an end to all pandemic restrictions, including mandatory mask-wearing, in the coming months, Anthony Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told the Financial Times Feb. 8. 

During the first three waves of the pandemic, there were no significant differences in clinical outcomes between racial or ethnic groups hospitalized for COVID-19 at Cleveland Clinic intensive care units, researchers found. 

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan launched Feb. 8 a COVID-19 booster action plan, including a VaxCash 2.0 promotion awarding $2 million in cash prizes to a total of 12 residents who have been vaccinated and received their booster shots in the state.. 

HHS is using $66.5 million in American Rescue Plan funding to support COVID-19 vaccination outreach efforts in 38 states and the District of Columbia. 

The pandemic has had a "devastating" effect on the mental health of young people, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, told the Senate Finance Committee on Feb. 8, as reported by ABC News.

The omicron variant has been detected in white-tailed deer on New York's Staten Island, underscoring an urgent need to monitor the virus's spread among this animal population and better understand its potential risks for humans, according to research published Feb. 7 in preprint server BioRxiv.

Several states are easing their masking rules in schools and public places as COVID-19 infections slow while the CDC maintains its guidance, with agency chief Rochelle Walensky, MD, noting "now is not the moment" for changes.

The worldwide COVID-19 case count surpassed 400 million on Feb. 8, just a month after hitting 300 million, according to data cited by The New York Times.

Six states that had imposed statewide mask mandates earlier in the pandemic are easing the rules as COVID-19 cases fall nationally, The New York Times reported Feb. 7.

The nation's flu vaccination rate has increased slightly over the past two seasons, though this growth has been slower than in past years, likely due to pandemic disruptions, a Feb. 7 report from ValuePenguin found.

The CDC plans to update its COVID-19 vaccine guidance for immunocompromised people, recommending that they receive a booster dose three months after completing their initial series, down from the current five-month interval, The Washington Post reported Feb. 4. 

The Utah Department of Public Healthis delaying the use of COVID-19 rapid tests at state-run testing facilities over concerns of false negative results, Fox affiliate Fox 13 Salt Lake City reported Feb. 6.

A version of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine tailored to target the omicron variant generated similar levels of immunity in monkeys as the current booster formulation, according to preliminary research from the National Institutes of Health.