Public Health

Many Americans still don't understand how COVID-19 vaccines work, with minimal knowledge of relative risk factors after vaccination, according to Axios/Ipsos poll findings published Oct. 26.

Most parents do not plan to vaccinate their younger children against COVID-19 as soon as a vaccine is authorized for kids ages 5-11, according to Kaiser Family Foundation's latest COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor survey published Oct. 28.

Michigan's COVID-19 daily average cases fell Oct. 25 after three months of steady rises brought on by the delta variant, the Detroit Free Press reported Oct. 28. 

The antidepressant fluvoxamine may reduce the risk of severe COVID-19 infection by a third in high-risk individuals, according to a study published Oct. 27 in The Lancet Global Health. 

AY.4.2, a descendant of the delta coronavirus variant that has gained some traction in the U.K. and has been detected in the U.S., is the newest strain making headlines. 

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra announced Oct. 27 a new overdose prevention strategy that is designed to boost access to care for those with substance use disorders and their families. 

Americans suffering from "long COVID" may qualify for federal disability protection and benefits, but applying and being accepted by the Social Security Administration remains a major obstacle, The New York Times reported Oct. 27.

Doctors may one day be able to predict the severity of a person's COVID-19 infection by studying that person's DNA, a new study shows.

COVID-19 hospitalizations have fallen 19 percent percent in the last two weeks, but hospitals in some states are still struggling to treat high volumes of virus patients.

New COVID-19 cases in the U.S. are down nearly 60 percent since a September surge in cases brought on by the delta variant, The Washington Post reported Oct. 27.