���ϳԹ���

President Joe Biden received the updated Covid-19 vaccine, according to a memo from White House physician Kevin O’Connor released Saturday. “As we enter the cold and flu season, the President encourages all Americans to follow his example and to check with their healthcare provider or pharmacist to assure that they are fully vaccinated,” O’Connor wrote in the memo. (Alafriz, 9/23)

Starting today, Americans can order four free COVID-19 tests from the government with the reopening of the Biden administration's at-home testing program. The program's relaunch comes as COVID hospitalizations have continued creeping up, passing 20,000 for the first time since March this month, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Tyko, 9/25)

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona says schools should not be shutting down due to surges in COVID-19 and expressed worry about government overreach. “I worry about government overreach, sending down edicts that will lead to school closures because either folks are afraid to go in or are infected and can’t go,” Cardona told The Associated Press. Despite the new wave of COVID-19 cases, “schools should be open, period,” Cardona said, according to the AP. (Lonas, 9/22)

Paxlovid lowers the amount of virus in the body. Research has shown that it is associated with a reduced risk of hospitalization or death — but only for those who are already at higher risk of severe illness from Covid because they are older or have underlying health conditions. Plus, there are potential downsides: Paxlovid can clash with many medications and it can cause some side effects, including a particularly weird one. (Ryan, 9/24)

An increase in COVID-19 cases has spawned a corresponding flare-up of conspiracy theories around the virus, a phenomenon that experts warn will only get worse as the 2024 election approaches. The White House and President Biden’s reelection campaign will now be tasked with promoting awareness and the latest vaccines while also countering misinformation spread by anti-vaxxers, some conservative pundits and even a small number of Republican officials. (Lee and Gangitano, 9/23)

The major snarl comes amid a systemic shift, as the federal government no longer pays for or distributes all COVID-19 vaccinations. Public and private-sector health insurance providers must pay the full cost of the shot plus an administrative fee. Uninsured patients can still get free shots through a federal government program. In response to an uptick in cases, the Biden administration announced plans Monday to restart another federal program that allows consumers to order four free tests per household. (Alltucker and Cuevas, 9/23)

Amid an uptick in Covid infections, administrators, staff and patients are divided over the need for masks in health care settings. (Mandavilli, 9/23)