Federal Testing Website Will Launch Next Week and Offer 4 Tests Per Home

(Washington D.C.) — The federal website where Americans can request free COVID-19 tests will begin accepting orders on Wednesday as the White House looks to address nationwide shortages, but supplies will be limited to just four free tests per home. Starting on Jan. 19, the website COVIDTests.gov will provide tests at no cost, including no … Read more

An N95 Is the Best Mask for Omicron. Here’s Why

As health officials scramble to minimize spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant, many experts have recommended that people switch from cloth or surgical masks to more-protective N95 and KN95 masks. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) current mask guidance does not recommend one type of mask over another, instead specifying that … Read more

Biden to Double Free COVID-19 Tests and Provide N95s to Fight Omicron

(Washington D.C.) — President Joe Biden announced Thursday that the government will double to 1 billion the rapid, at-home COVID-19 tests to be distributed free to Americans, along with the most protective N95 masks, as he highlighted his efforts to “surge” resources to help the country weather the spike in coronavirus cases. Biden also announced … Read more

How We Can Spot the Next COVID-19 Variant Even Faster

In Durban, South Africa, scientists led by Dr. Tulio de Oliveira, director of the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI) at Stellenbosch University, were conducting routine genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 from different regions when they noticed worrying variations in genomes clustered in Gauteng Province. They alerted their colleagues around the country and within their … Read more