COVID-19 leaves US children hospitalized in near-record numbers

During the week of Dec. 21-27, an average of 334 children with the coronavirus were admitted per day to hospitals, a 58% increase from the week before.

COVID, cold or flu? Pay attention to timing, symptoms, doctor says

With the rapid spread of the seemingly milder omicron variant, many have asked how to tell the difference between the virus and the common cold. One Tampa doctor explains how you can determine which illness you're dealing with.

Florida officials, Orange County Mayor dispute over COVID-19 testing

Orange County officials said that if the state would agree to open a state COVID-19 testing site, that it would alleviate the demand on locally run sites.

Orange County opens new COVID-19 testing site to help with ongoing surge

FOX 35’s Nestor Mato was at the new Orange County testing site early on Monday morning and saw lines stretching into nearby neighborhoods.

University of Miami to start next semester remotely amid COVID surge

The University of Miami will start the spring semester with remote-only classes amid surging cases of COVID-19 in South Florida, school officials said.

J&J COVID-19 booster found to cut omicron hospitalizations in South African study

Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 booster shot was found to reduce the risk of omicron-related hospitalization by about 85%, according to a South African clinical trial.

Mexico approves use of Cuba’s Abdala coronavirus vaccine

Mexico’s health safety council has approved the use of Cuba’s three-dose Abdala coronavirus vaccine.

New COVID-19 cases in US hit pandemic high amid omicron surge

The seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. was 265,427 on Tuesday, well over the previous record set in mid-January, according to Johns Hopkins.

Florida surgeon general accuses White House of 'actively preventing' distribution of antibody treatments

The Florida Surgeon General accused the Biden administration of "actively preventing the effective distribution of monoclonal antibody treatments" in the U.S. after the White House scaled back treatments manufactured by companies like Regeneron amid claims they are not effective against omicron.

CDC director: Omicron variant mostly mild so far

The chief of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than 40 people in the country have been found to be infected with the omicron variant so far and more than three-quarters of them had been vaccinated.

WHO: Global COVID cases up 11% last week, biggest increase in Americas

The WHO says the number of new COVID-19 cases worldwide increased by 11% last week, while newly reported deaths were down 4% globally.

Phoenix mother dies from COVID-19 on Christmas Day, leaving behind 3 kids and fiancé

On Christmas morning, Maurice Turner lost his fiancée, 30-year-old Lareesia Wright. Turner says they both caught COVID-19 in late August, despite taking the pandemic seriously.

COVID-19 testing site opens in Seminole County to assist with demand

A rapid PCR testing location is opening Tuesday and running through Dec. 31 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Seminole State College's Oviedo Campus.

Study shows expected peak of Florida's latest COVID-19 surge

A new study outlines when Florida’s latest COVID-19 surge, likely driven by the new Omicron variant, will peak.

1st person in US to get COVID-19 shot now a vaccine activist

The first person in the U.S. to get a COVID-19 vaccine, New York nurse Sandra Lindsay, has since become a prominent face in the vaccination campaign.

Apple closes New York City stores to in-person shopping

The list of COVID-induced closures, cancellations, and changes continues to grow in New York City. Apple has closed its locations in the city to in-store shopping.

CDC shortens COVID-19 quarantine recommendation to 5 days

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said the guidance is in keeping with growing evidence that people with the coronavirus are most infectious in the two days before and three days after symptoms develop.

CDC recommends shorter COVID isolation, quarantine for all

U.S. health officials on Monday cut isolation restrictions for Americans who catch the coronavirus from 10 to five days, and similarly shortened the time that close contacts need to quarantine.

COVID-19 pandemic: Behavioral, medical experts look back on 2020, 2021 and predict 2022

U.S. health officials cannot predict how much longer the pandemic will last, but some scientists are taking a look back on how far the world has come and what’s possibly in store for the future.