Rob Stein

The omicron BA..2 variant spreads about 30% more easily and has caused surges in other countries. Its steady increase in the U.S. raises questions about the wisdom of rolling back COVID restrictions.

It's another discombobulating moment in the pandemic, with lots of conflicting signs of where the virus is heading and what people should do about it on a day to day basis.

The Food and Drug Administration is has postponed releasing details about whether two low doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine can protect kids ages 6 months to 5 years old.

NPR has learned that Pfizer and BioNtech have gathered additional data that the companies say strengthen their case for authorizing the COVID-19 vaccine for children younger than age five.

The U.S. death rate from COVID-19 continues to increase daily, as the rolling seven-day average for daily COVID-19 deaths has been above 2,000 since Jan. 23.

The U.S. has hit more than 900,000 deaths from COVID-19 — yet another once-unimaginable new toll. And the number of people dying every day is still rising.

Pfizer and BioNtech are expected to ask the FDA for authorization for the first COVID-19 vaccine regimen for kids younger than age 5.

Pfizer-BioNTech filed for emergency use authorization with the Food and Drug Administration for a vaccine regimen for children from six months to five years old.

The massive U.S. omicron surge appears to be following the same pattern as other countries, with infections starting to peak and quickly recede. But cases are still spiking in some parts of the U.S.

Infections appear to have started to either crest or fall in some parts of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, but hospitalizations and deaths tend to lag.

Researchers say signs are emerging that the omicron surge may have begun to peak in some parts of the country, and could peak nationally quickly. Others are more cautious.

Some infectious disease experts think there may be something of a silver lining with the omicron surge. It may leave a blanket of enhanced immunity that leaves the virus easier to live with.

The question of what fully vaccinated means might be changing as booster shots are becoming more important. More data, and new policies, are emerging in the U.S. and around the world.

A young Mississippi woman is thriving two years after getting treated for sickle cell disease with the revolutionary gene-editing technique known as CRISPR.

University of Washington research predicts the omicron wave will infect more than 400,000 people a day in the U.S. when it crests in about six weeks.

The omicron variant is now the dominant variant in the U.S. President Biden is set to warn Americans about omicron, and talk about the administration's plans to help areas struggling with the surge.

Scientists are projecting the surge will peak in January. Just how massive it could be depends on how quickly Americans get boosted and change behavior to slow the spread.

First projections of the variant's impact find a range of possibilities, from just a relatively small acceleration of the current trajectory to a big new wave that could rival last winter's surge.

The Moderna vaccine's ability to shield against infection drops sharply when tested on the omicron variant. But getting a booster pumps the protection back up again, new research suggests.

The coronavirus has now killed more than 800,000 people in the U.S., more deaths than any other country has reported. The U.S. also leads the world in diagnosed cases with more than 50 million.