Public Health

HHS has renewed a public health emergency declaration that consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to exist. 

Boston-based Brigham and Women's Hospital realized in the initial days of the pandemic that Spanish-speaking Latino COVID-19 patients were faring worse than those who spoke English, reports NPR. 

Early data suggests the COVID-19 vaccine does not pose serious safety risks for pregnant women, CDC researchers said in a study published April 21 in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Maine may be facing two concurrent COVID-19 epidemics — known as a "syndemic" — among older adults and young people that are driving up cases in the state, Maine's top health official told local CBS affiliate WABI April 21.

Based on antibody testing, health officials estimate about 1 in 4 adults in New York City contracted COVID-19 during the city's first surge last spring, according to a study published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.

The Bipartisan Policy Center has launched an opioid task force to address drug addiction and overdose deaths in the U.S., the Washington, D.C.-based think tank said April 21.

About 75 percent of all new COVID-19 cases reported in the U.S. last week were in Michigan, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Older adults are currently the most vaccinated age group in the U.S., though about a fifth of those 65 and older haven't received even one shot, reports the CDC.

Google Cloud is launching a call center with virtual agents to assist callers in 28 languages to address COVID-19 questions and share the data with public health agencies.

The U.S. State Department plans to significantly increase the number of countries it is warning Americans not to travel to as COVID-19 cases rise globally, reports The Washington Post.