Novel Coronavirus
WBUR's ongoing coverage of the new coronavirus.
Cases settled: 2 ex-officials of Holyoke veterans home where 76 died in pandemic avoid jail time
Two former officials of a veterans home in Massachusetts where at least 76 people died in one of the nation's worst COVID-19 outbreaks in a long-term care facility settled their...
'No joke': Mass. doctors urge vaccination as COVID, flu rates rise
Winter respiratory virus season is upon us. Flu, COVID and other respiratory viruses are on the upswing. Flu severity is high, according to Massachusetts health officials, while COVID has risen...
COVID rates are ticking up in Mass. Thanksgiving may not be the only reason
COVID levels have inched up in recent weeks, but the trend began before many holiday gatherings took place. Overall, data suggests levels of the virus remain lower than in prior...
Lagging COVID, flu and RSV vaccination rates concern Mass. health officials
Few people are rolling up their sleeves for the new COVID, flu and RSV vaccines, even as peak respiratory virus season is looming, according to state and federal data.
Don't give up on the new COVID shot. Federal and Mass. officials say supply is increasing
Scheduling a COVID vaccine may soon become easier. State and federal health officials said Wednesday that early supply constraints for the updated COVID vaccine are expected to ease by the...
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Q&A: Ashish Jha on the coming virus season and what he learned in the White House
Dr. Ashish Jha, the dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health, discusses what to expect from the coming virus season, when to get the new COVID vaccines and his...
With masks off in hospitals, people with disabilities weigh the risk of care
Elderly and disabled people remain at higher risk of getting severely sick from COVID, even as much of society moves on from the pandemic.
State ending COVID public health emergency
To find out more about what this means for Massachusetts, WBUR's Morning Edition host Rupa Shenoy spoke to Boston University School of Public Health professor Dr. David Hamer.
Masks will become optional for most hospital patients, visitors and staff
The move represents a broad policy shift to managing COVID less as a crisis and more as a routine health issue, more than three years since the start of the...
Major hospitals reach a new milestone: Zero COVID patients
The milestones were temporary. But they represent a remarkable change from earlier periods of the pandemic, when hospitals were overwhelmed with COVID patients.
Mass. health insurers say they'll stop providing free at-home COVID tests
The state’s biggest health insurers have decided to stop providing free over-the-counter COVID tests next month, a move that could force many people to pay out of pocket.
Watching the wastewater: Mass. COVID at lowest level in a year
A new study out of Massachusetts also suggests the coronavirus has become less dangerous, leading to fewer hospitalizations and deaths.
Healey will end the COVID vaccination mandate for state workers, state health emergency
Gov. Maura Healey said the vaccination requirement saved “countless lives." But she said it’s time to update the state’s COVID response.
It's been 3 years since Mass. declared a COVID-19 emergency. Here's a look at where things stand
To look back, and talk about where we are now, Department of Public Health Commissioner Margret Cooke joined WBUR's Morning Edition host Rupa Shenoy.
Massachusetts to close free COVID testing sites, citing declining demand
State and federal policy changes mark a new phase in the pandemic response, but they could make it harder for people to access COVID tests.
BU researchers discover a mutation that may be weakening COVID
Their work, published in the journal Nature, suggests that a protein mutation — in addition to changes in the virus's spike protein — played an important role in omicron's ability...
It's the third winter of COVID. But this one is different
The health care system is under stress — but not just because of COVID patients.
Marylou Sudders, state's health secretary and COVID-19 response leader, announces retirement
Sudders was part of Gov. Charlie Baker's cabinet throughout his two terms. In a newsletter announcing her decision, she said one of her predecessors had pointed out she was the...
Bump or spike? COVID in wastewater has experts unsurprised but wary
As people gathered with loved ones over Thanksgiving, data suggests the virus had an opportunity to spread. But so far hospitals have seen only modest increases in patients hospitalized or...
In second year of COVID, study finds fewer deaths but more years of life lost
In 2021, 21% fewer people died of COVID than in 2020. But there were 500,000 more years of life lost, researchers found. The reason is that more younger people were...