Michaeleen Doucleff

A variant now named omicron, first detected in South Africa, prompted new overseas travel restrictions in Europe and a special World Health Organization meeting on Friday.

The World Health Organization deemed it a variant of concern, and the U.S. is banning travel from parts of Africa where it's spreading. Here's what scientists know and what they're trying to learn.

One of the surprising aspects of the pandemic is that symptoms can linger months after infection. This syndrome has been called "long COVID," and it's had a profound impact on many people's lives.

Some people with COVID-19 have symptoms that last for months - it's known as long COVID. Scientists now think long COVID is likely three different syndromes lumped into one.

Scientists have evidence that SARS-CoV-2 is circulating in white-tailed deer in the U.S. They say the findings could essentially dash any hopes of eliminating the virus in the U.S. — and the world.

Scientists have evidence that SARS-CoV-2 is widely circulating in wild deer across the United States. Researchers say this could have vast implications for the long-term course of the global pandemic.

It could turn out to be the eighth coronavirus known to spread to humans. Some scientists think doctors and researchers should start actively looking for this virus in patients.

Pandemic predictions have been made — and then things would change. But based on models and studies (including a 1980s test that squirted virus up human noses), researchers have a new endgame thesis.

A new coronavirus variant — known as delta plus — has cropped up in the U.K. There's concern it could be more dangerous than the highly contagious delta variant. What does the science actually show?

Some scientists believe the current surge of COVID-19 has peaked and the pandemic, at least in the U.S., will ease over the winter months. But then what? Will the virus surge back again next year?

Boosters are available for higher-risk people who got the Pfizer vaccine. But what about people who got the one-shot Johnson & Johnson? Some doctors say they need an extra shot even more urgently.

The FDA approved a third booster shot for people over age 65 and others at increased risk who have received the Pfizer vaccine. But what about people who received the Moderna or J&J vaccines?

With the back and forth on boosters from government agencies, many Americans are wondering if they really need an extra shot. Here is what the science says about who needs a booster now — and why.

The FDA is set to rule on Pfizer boosters on Friday. Some scientists say they aren't needed for healthy people and the doses would more helpful for the unvaccinated in countries with limited supplies.

That's how some scientists describe the findings of a series of studies looking at the antibodies created by individuals who were infected by the coronavirus and then had an mRNA vaccine.

With boosters shots rolling out soon, the big question is: Am I still protected against COVID-19 if I've only had two doses of the vaccine? Turns out, you may have more resilience than you think.

New studies look at how the mRNA vaccines affect the cells in your body in the short run and the long run. The findings are a counterpoint to concerns about waning immunity.

Public health figures believe a focus on boosters for the already vaccinated will hasten the emergence of new variants among the billions of unvaccinated people — including a vaccine-resistant strain.

Exhausted from taking the kids to countless kiddie activities? Overwhelmed by too many toys? Here's what Western parents can learn from other cultures about how kids (and parents too) can have fun.

A leaked CDC document compared it to the highly contagious children's disease. Data does not support this claim. Nonetheless, the variant is one of the world's most contagious respiratory diseases.