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FILE - James Robson, a biomedical engineering graduate student, holds a swab and specimen vial in the new COVID-19, on-campus testing lab, Thursday, July 23, 2020, at Boston University in Boston. The United States has improved its surveillance system for tracking new coronavirus variants such as omicron, boosting its capacity by tens of thousands of samples since early 2021.

U.S. tracking of virus variants has improved after slow start

FILE - James Robson, a biomedical engineering graduate student, holds a swab and specimen vial in the new COVID-19, on-campus testing lab, Thursday, July 23, 2020, at Boston University in Boston. The United States has improved its surveillance system for tracking new coronavirus variants such as omicron, boosting its capacity by tens of thousands of samples since early 2021.

November 30, 2021, 8:27am Health

After a slow start, the United States has improved its surveillance system for tracking new coronavirus variants such as omicron, boosting its capacity by tens of thousands of samples per week since early this year. Read story

Final U.S. hurdle for Merck’s COVID-19 pill: FDA panel review

November 30, 2021, 7:42am Health

An experimental COVID-19 drug that could soon become the first U.S.-authorized pill to treat the coronavirus faces one final hurdle Tuesday: A panel of government experts will scrutinize data on the medication from drugmaker Merck. Read story

State hospital officials raise concern about omicron COVID-19 variant, encourage vaccinations

November 30, 2021, 7:41am Health

State hospital officials Monday expressed concern about omicron, the new COVID-19 variant, as labs are testing for the strain. Read story

Santa, Sid Fletcher, sits behind a glass barrier as he hears Kendra Alexander of St. James, Minn., during her visit Nov. 15 at The Santa Experience at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn.

Santa’s back, busier than ever

Santa, Sid Fletcher, sits behind a glass barrier as he hears Kendra Alexander of St. James, Minn., during her visit Nov. 15 at The Santa Experience at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn.

November 30, 2021, 6:00am Health

Santa is back this year, but he pleads caution as he continues to tiptoe through the pandemic. Read story

Shauna Andrus, left, a nurse volunteering at the University of Washington Medical Center, gives the first shot of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to Emmy Slonecker, 7, Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021, in Seattle. Last week, U.S. health officials gave the final signoff to Pfizer's kid-size COVID-19 shot, a milestone that opened a major expansion of the nation's vaccination campaign to children as young as 5. (AP Photo/Ted S.

Survey: More than 6,000 nurses are needed in hospitals throughout Washington

Shauna Andrus, left, a nurse volunteering at the University of Washington Medical Center, gives the first shot of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to Emmy Slonecker, 7, Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021, in Seattle. Last week, U.S. health officials gave the final signoff to Pfizer's kid-size COVID-19 shot, a milestone that opened a major expansion of the nation's vaccination campaign to children as young as 5. (AP Photo/Ted S.

November 29, 2021, 9:07am Health

The nursing shortage is a pressing reality for hospitals across Washington. Read story

A man receives a dose of a vaccine at a COVID-19 vaccine centre, in Soweto, Monday, Nov. 29, 2021. The World Health Organization has urged countries not to impose flight bans on southern African nations due to concerns over the new omicron variant.

Doctor: Many South Africans ill in surge have mild symptoms

A man receives a dose of a vaccine at a COVID-19 vaccine centre, in Soweto, Monday, Nov. 29, 2021. The World Health Organization has urged countries not to impose flight bans on southern African nations due to concerns over the new omicron variant.

November 29, 2021, 8:51am Health

South Africa’s rapid increase in COVID-19 cases attributed to the new omicron variant is resulting in mostly mild symptoms, doctors say. Read story

FILE - The logo of the World Health Organization, WHO, is displayed at the headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, April 15, 2020. The World Health Organization is opening a long-planned special session of member states to discuss ways to strengthen the global fight against pandemics like the coronavirus, just as the worrying new omicron variant has sparked immediate concerns worldwide.

WHO chief: Omicron shows need for global accord on pandemics

FILE - The logo of the World Health Organization, WHO, is displayed at the headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, April 15, 2020. The World Health Organization is opening a long-planned special session of member states to discuss ways to strengthen the global fight against pandemics like the coronavirus, just as the worrying new omicron variant has sparked immediate concerns worldwide.

November 29, 2021, 8:50am Health

The World Health Organization on Monday is pushing for an international accord to help prevent and fight future pandemics amid the emergence of a worrying new omicron COVID-19 variant. Read story

Travelers wearing protective face masks arrive at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, Nov. 28, 2021. Israel on Sunday approved barring entry to foreign nationals and the use of controversial technology for contact tracing as part of its efforts to clamp down on a new coronavirus variant.

EXPLAINER: What we know and don’t know about omicron variant

Travelers wearing protective face masks arrive at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, Nov. 28, 2021. Israel on Sunday approved barring entry to foreign nationals and the use of controversial technology for contact tracing as part of its efforts to clamp down on a new coronavirus variant.

November 29, 2021, 8:13am Business

The World Health Organization says it could still take some time to get a full picture of the threat posed by omicron, a new variant of the coronavirus as scientists worldwide scramble to assess its multiple mutations. Read story

UW researchers create wearable device that detects and reverses opioid overdoses

November 29, 2021, 7:45am Health

University of Washington researchers have developed a wearable device used to detect and reverse opioid overdoses, a potentially significant step in curbing a local and national opioid epidemic that’s resulted in a record number of deaths this year. Read story

As the world grapples with the emergence of the new highly transmissible variant of COVID-19, worried scientists in South Africa -- where omicron was first identified -- are scrambling to combat its lightning spread across the country.

University of Washington scientist weighs in on spread of new omicron COVID variant

As the world grapples with the emergence of the new highly transmissible variant of COVID-19, worried scientists in South Africa -- where omicron was first identified -- are scrambling to combat its lightning spread across the country.

November 29, 2021, 7:42am Health Free

While the world’s newest coronavirus variant of concern, named omicron, hasn’t yet been detected in Washington state or the United States, a UW scientist said Friday that its high number of mutations is particularly concerning. Read story