disease

Only 18 of Missouri’s 500-plus school districts have signed up for screening testing for COVID-19, even though the program is entirely free thanks to the federal government.

The Food and Drug Administration also gave an OK to boosters that differ from the vaccine originally used to immunize people against COVID-19. A mix-and-match approach could ease the booster rollout.

Doctors want as many people as possible to get the flu vaccine before this year's season begins. Unlike last year, they're predicting a bad flu season now that many people are taking fewer precautions against the coronavirus.

Before COVID-19, the 1918-19 flu was universally considered the worst pandemic disease in human history. Whether the current scourge ultimately proves deadlier is unclear.

Biden administration officials announced plans for COVID-19 booster shots to be made widely available starting September 20. But local health departments and experts are scrambling to keep up with the latest guidance and research.

The U.S. was averaging about 11,000 cases a day in late June. It's now averaging 100,000 new COVID-19 infections a day, returning to a milestone last seen during the winter surge.

Although Johnson County has no countywide mask mandate in place, the city of Prairie Village is drafting its own ordinance requiring masks to be worn in most indoor spaces.

Younger children, who cannot yet be vaccinated, are among those who may be more susceptible to the more-contagious variant.

The CDC information dated Thursday gives new details on this variant of the coronavirus and says the agency should "acknowledge that the war has changed." It was first reported by The Washington Post.

The Missouri Attorney General’s filing mixes state and local COVID case counts and death counts in comparisons, among other errors.

Data from the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that a staggering 55% of frontline health care workers are reporting burnout — or mental and physical exhaustion from chronic workplace stress.

Reversing earlier guidance, the agency is encouraging indoor masking for fully vaccinated people under certain circumstances.