Boosters that target Omicron now available in Michigan

September 8th, 20220 After the federal government's approval, the state now has "bivalent" booster shots available that target the Omicron variant of COVID-19, Michigan's health officials said Wednesday. The updated, or bivalent, boosters target the most recent COVID-19 Omicron subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5, which are more contagious and more resistant than...

State health department expects rise in COVID cases in May

April 21st, 20220 MICHIGAN — State health authorities are urging residents to minimize their risks of catching COVID-19 and prevent its spread at spring gatherings, including proms, graduations and other holidays, as cases are expected to rise with warmer weather. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is asking people to make...

BA.2 and its offshoot account for majority of U.S. cases, as travel mask mandate is lifted

April 20th, 20220 With the mutations of Omicron now making up more than 90 percent of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., travelers in the country were suddenly informed that a court order had blocked the Biden administration’s mask mandate on public transportation this week. That ruling from a federal judge on Monday came as COVID-19 infections are...

400 million free N95 masks to be made available starting next week

January 20th, 20220 WASHINGTON D.C. — The Biden administration is expected to be making 400 million N95 masks available for distribution for free starting next week. The announcement came after federal officials started emphasizing their better protection against the omicron variant of COVID-19 over cloth face coverings. The masks will come from...

Dearborn Public Schools ready, but not planning on returning to virtual learning

January 19th, 20221 DEARBORN — As one of the largest school districts in Michigan, Dearborn Public Schools says that it’s ready, but not yet planning to pull students out of classrooms. In a recent article by WXYZ, a Fordson High School teacher said that attendance in his classes are low due to the spread of the Omicron variant of...

Schools to follow new CDC guidelines of reduced isolation time to five days

January 12th, 20220 LANSING — The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is now following the CDC in reducing isolation time for those with COVID. The isolation time is being changed from 10 days to five days for anyone who tests positive but isn’t showing symptoms. This means anyone who tests positive, but sees no symptoms or sees...

Pfizer says COVID-19 pill near 90 percent effective in final analysis

December 14th, 20210 On Tuesday, Pfizer Inc. said final analysis of its antiviral COVID-19 pill still showed near 90 percent efficacy in preventing hospitalizations and deaths in high-risk patients, and recent lab data suggests the drug retains its effectiveness against the fast spreading Omicron variant of the coronavirus. Last month the U.S. drugmaker...