AstraZeneca announced Sunday a comprehensive review has found "no evidence" that its COVID-19 vaccine causes an increased risk of blood clots.
Why it matters: Authorities in Ireland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Iceland have paused administering the vaccine because of clotting concerns, per Reuters.
North Carolina's Duke University on Saturday ordered all undergraduate students to stay in their dorm rooms until March 21, citing a "rapidly escalating number of COVID cases" driven by students.
What they're saying: More than 180 students are currently isolating after testing positive for the coronavirus, while 200 are quarantining due to contact tracing. Student recruitment parties appear to be driving the spike, the university said.
NIAID director Anthony Fauci told "Fox News Sunday" that "it would make all the difference in the world" if former President Trump urged his supporters to take the coronavirus vaccine.
Why it matters: Republicans — particularly men in the party — are the least likely demographic to say they plan to get vaccinated against the virus, recent pollssuggest.
States and cities are facing a rising number of drug overdoses that health officials say have increased during the coronavirus pandemic.
Why it matters: Roughly 81,000 people died from a drug overdose between June 2019 and May 2020, the highest number ever recorded in a 12-month period, according to provisional data in the CDC's December report.
A winter storm has revealed issues in Jackson, Miss.' aging water supply system, leaving thousands of residents without water service since mid-February, NBC News reports.
Why it matters: While water supply has been a recurring challenge for Jackson residents, "this year’s outage is one of the worst in recent history," NBC writes. It would take hundreds of millions of dollars to restructure the system to make it resilient enough to withstand harsh climate, mayor Chokwe Lumumba told the outlet.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is looking at data that suggests "3 feet are okay under certain circumstances," for social distancing guidelines, NIAID Director Anthony Fauci said on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday.
Why it matters: One of the biggest hurdles for school administrators and a barrier to reopening is making sure students stay the recommended 6 feet apart. Fauci said "it won't be very long" for the CDC to potentially adjust official guidelines on social distancing policies, if the data suggests 3 feet of distance won't negatively affect people's safety.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby knew he needed to prepare for a global pandemic after watching how quickly the coronavirus spread in Italy — even as he was told he was overreacting.
Why it matters: In an interview Sunday with Axios Re:Cap, Kirby remembers how last March he started writing personal letters to the families of employees who died from the virus and trying "to put myself as much as possible in the shoes of the people" receiving the notes.
The U.S. is playing a "whole new ballgame" in terms of controlling the coronavirus now that variants are spreading across the country, Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, told CBS News on Friday.
Why it matters: Osterholm said the U.S. could face another surge from the B.1.1.7 variant, which was first identified in the United Kingdom and has since been detected throughout the U.S. Multiple studies have suggested that it likely spreads more easily than the original strain of the virus.
2020 was literally off the charts. Data journalists saw changes that typically take months instead happening in weeks — numbers that will be breaking the y-axis for years to come.
America's wealthiest are finding ways to access the vaccine ahead of those who qualify for it.
Why it matters: The pandemic has already widened existing health inequities and underserved communities continue to lag in vaccinations compared to the white and rich.
The virus driving the recent Ebola outbreak in Guinea is genetically similar to the virus that ravaged West Africa during the 2014 epidemic, World Health Organization emergencies chief Michael Ryan said at a press briefing on Friday, according to AP.
Why it matters: It suggests the current Ebola outbreak sickening people in Guinea may have been caused by a survivor of the epidemic that ended roughly five years ago.
Pandemic lockdowns left thousands of American kids in homes with high levels of lead exposure.
The big picture: Lead is a potent neurotoxin, especially for children, and heightened exposure during the pandemic could result in significant problems down the road.
Italy will be placed under lockdown from March 15 through at least Easter weekend as coronavirus cases continue to rise across the country, Italian health officials announced on Friday.
Why it matters: This is the second year the country has needed to impose lockdown measures over the Easter holiday due to COVID-19. Italy was the first in the world to implement a nationwide lockdown last year, CBS News reports.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday updated its coronavirus guidance for child care providers, which stresses the importance of mask use for anyone aged 2 years and older.
Why it matters: The updated guidance comes as some states begin to reopen and relax COVID-19 restrictions, including lifting masks mandates.
