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COVID-19

Scientists say COVID not going away anytime soon

New booster shots have arrived and social distancing guidelines have eased but COVID-19 infections aren’t going away anytime soon. Experts predict the scourge that’s already lasted longer than the 1918 flu pandemic will linger far into the future. Vaccines and protections are making the ...

New COVID variant melds traits of delta, omicron

The coronavirus mutant that is now dominant in the United States is a member of the omicron family, but scientists say it spreads faster than its omicron predecessors, is adept at escaping immunity and might possibly cause more serious disease. Why? Because it combines properties of both ...

Senate bargainers reach $10B COVID agreement

WASHINGTON — Senate bargainers reached agreement Monday on a slimmed-down $10 billion package for countering COVID-19 with treatments, vaccines and other steps, the top Democratic and Republican negotiators said, but the measure dropped all funding to help nations abroad combat the ...

UPMC adjusts as COVID cases fall

A week and a half ago, five of the six local counties were at a high level for COVID-19 — with Blair County at medium, according to a newly established scale from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On Tuesday, only Huntingdon County remained in the high category, with Centre ...

Local counties mostly remain in high-COVID group

A new federal framework for dealing with COVID-19 that recognizes there is widespread immunity and declining cases, hospitalizations and deaths nationwide nevertheless categorizes five of the six local counties as high-level for coronavirus — with Blair the exception at medium. The Centers ...

CDC: Most can stop masking

Most Americans live in places where healthy people, including students in schools, can safely take a break from wearing masks under new U.S. guidelines released Friday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outlined the new set of measures for communities where COVID-19 is easing its ...