Mike Stobbe
The Associated Press
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Past articles by Mike:
EXPLAINER: Why masks are again advised for everyone indoors
NEW YORK (AP) — Wait, we’re supposed to wear masks again? Even if we are vaccinated? For a large part of the U.S., that’s the latest advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC this week revisited and revised its guidance for wearing masks indoors to stop the spread of coronavirus. The […] → Read More
US overdose deaths hit record 93,000 in pandemic last year
NEW YORK (AP) — Overdose deaths soared to a record 93,000 last year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. government reported Wednesday. That estimate far eclipses the high of about 72,000 drug overdose deaths reached the previous year and amounts to a 29% increase. “This is a staggering loss of human life,” […] → Read More
US officials flag “small” reaction risk with J&J vaccine
WASHINGTON (AP) — Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine may pose a “small possible risk” of a rare but potentially dangerous neurological reaction, U.S. health officials said Monday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement it has received reports of 100 people who got the shot developing Guillain-Barré syndrome, an immune system […] → Read More
Vaccinated teachers and students don’t need masks, CDC says
NEW YORK (AP) — Vaccinated teachers and students don’t need to wear masks inside school buildings, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday in relaxing its COVID-19 guidelines. The changes come amid a national vaccination campaign in which children as young as 12 are eligible to get shots, as well as a general […] → Read More
Nearly all COVID deaths in US are now among unvaccinated
Nearly all COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. now are in people who weren’t vaccinated, a staggering demonstration of how effective the shots have been and an indication that deaths per day — now down to under 300 — could be practically zero if everyone eligible got the vaccine. An Associated Press analysis of available government […] → Read More
More evidence suggests COVID-19 was in US by Christmas 2019
NEW YORK (AP) — A new analysis of blood samples from 24,000 Americans taken early last year is the latest and largest study to suggest that the new coronavirus popped up in the U.S. in December 2019 — weeks before cases were first recognized by health officials. The analysis is not definitive, and some experts […] → Read More
US bans dogs brought in from 100 countries with rabies risk
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials Monday announced a one-year ban on bringing in dogs from more than 100 countries where rabies is still a problem. Dogs coming in from those countries already needed proof of rabies vaccination. The ban is being imposed because of a spike in the number of puppies denied entry […] → Read More
Experts see strides on AIDS, but COVID-19 halted progress
NEW YORK (AP) — Some researchers believe COVID-19 has derailed the fight against HIV, siphoning away health workers and other resources and setting back a U.S. campaign to decimate the AIDS epidemic by 2030. Saturday marks the 40th anniversary of the first report that brought AIDS to the attention of the public. For a time, […] → Read More
When do I still need to wear a mask?
NEW YORK (AP) — When do I still need to wear a mask? It depends, mostly on whether or not you’re vaccinated. If you’re fully vaccinated, the latest guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says you no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance in most situations. That includes […] → Read More
COVID’s US toll projected to drop sharply by the end of July
NEW YORK (AP) — Teams of experts are projecting COVID-19’s toll on the U.S. will fall sharply by the end of July, according to research released by the government Wednesday. But they also warn that a “substantial increase” in hospitalizations and deaths is possible if unvaccinated people do not follow basic precautions such as wearing […] → Read More
AP analysis: The expected COVID baby boom may be a baby bust
NEW YORK (AP) — When most of the U.S. went into lockdown over a year ago, some speculated that confining couples to their homes — with little to entertain them beyond Netflix — would lead to a lot of baby-making. But the statistics suggest the opposite happened. Births have fallen dramatically in many states during […] → Read More
CDC says many Americans can now go outside without a mask
NEW YORK (AP) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eased its guidelines Tuesday on the wearing of masks outdoors, saying fully vaccinated Americans don’t need to cover their faces anymore unless they are in a big crowd of strangers. And those who are unvaccinated can go outside without masks in some cases, too. […] → Read More
US weighs next steps for J&J virus shot amid clot mystery
U.S. health officials are weighing next steps as they investigate a handful of unusual blood clots in people who received Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine — a one-dose shot that many countries were eagerly awaiting to help speed virus protection. It’s not clear if the exceedingly rare reports — so far, six cases out of […] → Read More
Americans vaccinated against COVID-19 still wait for advice
More than 28 million Americans fully vaccinated against the coronavirus will have to keep waiting for guidance from federal health officials for what they should and shouldn’t do. The Biden administration said Friday it’s focused on getting the guidance right and accommodating emerging science, but the delays add to the uncertainty around bringing about an […] → Read More
Amid COVID-19 pandemic, flu has disappeared in the US
NEW YORK (AP) — February is usually the peak of flu season, with doctors’ offices and hospitals packed with suffering patients. But not this year. Flu has virtually disappeared from the U.S., with reports coming in at far lower levels than anything seen in decades. Experts say that measures put in place to fend off […] → Read More
CDC: Strong evidence in-person schooling can be done safely
The nation’s top public health agency said Friday that in-person schooling can resume safely with masks, social distancing and other strategies, and vaccination of teachers, while important, is not a prerequisite for reopening. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its long-awaited road map for getting students back to classrooms in the middle of […] → Read More
US rushes to catch up in the race to detect mutant viruses
NEW YORK (AP) — Despite its world-class medical system and its vaunted Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. fell behind in the race to detect dangerous coronavirus mutations. And it’s only now beginning to catch up. The problem has not been a shortage of technology or expertise. Rather, scientists say, it’s an absence […] → Read More
Minnesota case marks 1st detection of Brazil variant in US
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A new Brazilian variant of the coronavirus has made its first known appearance in the United States in a person who recently returned to Minnesota after traveling to Brazil, state health officials announced Monday. The Brazil P.1 variant was found in a specimen from a patient who lives in the Minneapolis-St. Paul […] → Read More
US to require all arriving passengers to get COVID-19 test
NEW YORK (AP) — Anyone flying to the U.S. will soon need to show proof of a negative test for COVID-19, health officials announced Tuesday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requirement expands on a similar one announced late last month for passengers coming from the United Kingdom. COVID is already widespread in the […] → Read More
Trucks with first COVID-19 vaccine in US get ready to roll
The first trucks carrying a COVID-19 vaccine for widespread use in the United States were set to pull out of a Michigan manufacturing plant Sunday, with the shots that are critical to stopping the nation’s coronavirus outbreak destined to reach states a day later. Shipments of the Pfizer vaccine will set in motion the biggest […] → Read More