Advertise on podcast: PBS NewsHour - Novel Coronavirus

The U.S. is experiencing another uptick in COVID infections after the holidays, with hospitalizations rising for the eighth week in a row. A new dominant variant, JN.1, has quickly spread to account for more than 60 percent of cases. John Yang speaks with epidemiologist Jessica Malaty Rivera to learn more about the surge and what it tells us about how we deal with COVID moving forward. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

As we head into the winter holidays, John Yang speaks with epidemiologist Katelyn Jetelina about the current state of affairs with COVID, RSV and flu infections, lagging vaccination rates and how to stay healthy this season. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

This week, the World Health Organization ended the global public health emergency it declared three years ago as COVID-19 spread around the world. Meanwhile, the U.S. public health emergency is set to end on Thursday, May 11. Katelyn Jetelina, an epidemiologist at the University of Texas, joins John Yang to discuss where the pandemic stands now and what we should be doing about it. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

As students and teachers across the U.S. prepare to head back to school, the CDC is relaxing its COVID-19 guidelines. It marks a significant shift in how the nation approaches the pandemic as the new guidance prioritizes keeping kids in class. But some health experts worry the agency has gone too far. Julia Raifman, who leads the COVID-19 U.S. State Policy Database, joins Stephanie Sy to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

More than two years into the pandemic, most Americans have returned to a sense of some normalcy. But the virus is still disrupting daily life in the U.S. with more than 130,000 per day and deaths on the rise. We reached out to viewers about their latest questions on COVID-19. Katelyn Jetelina, an epidemiologist with the University of Texas, joins Judy Woodruff to provide some answers. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

From the start of the pandemic, scientists have tried to determine exactly where and how the novel coronavirus spread to humans. New studies conclude the virus first emerged from a live-animal market in Wuhan, China. One of the authors of a study, Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at University of Saskatchewan's Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, joins William Brangham to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

A new coronavirus variant called BA.5 is fueling yet another wave of COVID infections across the globe. This week, the CDC said BA.5 is now the dominant strain in the U.S. accounting for more than 60 percent of cases. It is also the most transmissible variant to date. Dr. Eric Topol, founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, joins William Brangham to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

With vaccinations, boosters and drugs, COVID has become a far less deadly risk for most Americans than earlier in the pandemic. But COVID still presents numerous problems, particularly for some of the most vulnerable people, with an average of more than 300 people dying every day from it. Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID response coordinator, joins Judy Woodruff to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

One of the major consequences of the coronavirus is that children around the world have been unable to attend schools to learn and are too poor to have computers and thus can't learn remotely. This is especially a problem in poor, less developed countries. We take a look at the issue with reports from three countries around the world in Venezuela, Uganda and India. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The pandemic threatened business districts across the country, but misguided fears and rhetoric about Asian Americans made things particularly hard for Chinatown neighborhoods. John Yang visited New York's Chinatown to learn more. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

China and Russia on Thursday blocked a U.S. attempt in the United Nations Security Council to punish North Korea for testing missiles that are banned by previous resolutions by the council. North Korea's tests this week of ballistic missiles, including one that Pyongyang says can reach the east coast of the U.S., coincide with its first major outbreak of COVID-19. Nick Schifrin reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

A new COVID wave is accelerating across the U.S. with cases rising in almost every state. New daily cases are up by more than 50 percent from just two weeks ago, while COVID-related hospitalizations rose by 12 percent over the last week. This as the CDC signed off on Pfizer COVID boosters for children ages 5 to 11. White House COVID response director Dr. Ashish Jha joins Geoff Bennett to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders