COVID-19 test positivity increased in every U.S. region in the week ending Jan. 2, according to the CDC's latest COVIDView report published Jan. 8. 

Three states are reporting low to moderate flu activity for the week ending Jan. 2, according to the CDC's FluView report.

Japan officials have identified a new variant of the virus that causes COVID-19, reports CNBC.

Bloomberg Philanthropies has launched a global competition designed to identify some of the most innovative ideas developed by cities in response to COVID-19.  

Olympus Corp. is partnering with Japanese medical technology firm Hitachi to develop endoscopic ultrasound systems, the company said Jan. 6.

Many hospitalized COVID-19 patients may experience symptoms for up to six months, according to a study published Jan. 8 in The Lancet.

An academic analysis of 1.8 million hospital births in Florida between 1992 and 2015 found that the Black infant mortality rate was cut in half when Black infants were delivered by Black physicians, reported The Washington Post.

From a chaotic vaccine roll-out to the fast-spreading variant, here's the latest news about the novel coronavirus in Florida.

The U.S. is reporting record seven-day averages for COVID-19 deaths, cases and hospitalizations, according to Jan. 10 data from The COVID Tracking Project.  

Oklahoma is considering the elimination of an existing education rule requiring parents who want to exempt their children from vaccinations to first visit the local health department for an informational presentation, Tulsa World reports.

As a result of the continued consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, HHS Secretary Alex Azar declared Jan. 8 that a public health emergency still exists.

The use of two arthritis drugs may lower the death rate for severely ill COVID-19 patients, according to research published Jan. 7 in the medical preprint server medRXiv.

The World Health Organization's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunization said the interval between doses of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine can be extended up to 42 days in countries with severe supply constraints, according to interim guidance published Jan. 8

U.S. counties with large universities or colleges holding in-person classes experienced a significant increase in COVID-19 cases compared to the 21-day period before classes started, according to the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published Jan. 8. 

The U.S. hit a record COVID-19 death count Jan. 7, with 4,033 deaths reported, according to data from The COVID Tracking Project.

Viruses constantly change through mutation, and the novel coronavirus is no different. Multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been documented globally and in the U.S., reports the CDC.

At least 52 cases of a COVID-19 variant first found in the U.K. have been identified in the U.S., the CDC said Jan. 6.

Two cases of the U.K. coronavirus variant have been reported in Connecticut, while one has been confirmed in Texas.

People with COVID-19 who don't exhibit symptoms may transmit 59 percent of all virus cases, according to a model developed by CDC researchers and published Jan. 7 in JAMA Network Open. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has made it apparent that health systems play a big role in community health and need to step up to improve underlying social determinants of health.