Health

Please NoteThe Washington Post is providing this important information about the coronavirus for free. For more free coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, sign up for our Coronavirus Updates newsletter where all stories are free to read.A new report suggests children of all ages are susceptible to coronavirus infections and may also spread it to others…

Children under five years of age may harbor up to 100 times as much of the coronavirus in their noses and throats as infected adults and older children, according to a study out of Chicago.“Our analyses suggest children younger than 5 years with mild to moderate COVID-19 have high amounts of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA in…

Inadequate testing and protracted delays in producing results have crippled tracking and hampered efforts to contain major outbreaks.Contact tracing in an office at the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County in May.Credit...Lynne Sladky/Associated PressJuly 31, 2020Updated 10:01 a.m. ETIn Arizona’s most populated region, the coronavirus is so ubiquitous that contact tracers have been unable…

Illinois announced 1,772 new known cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, the 8th straight day with more than 1,000 new cases. Health officials also reported 18 additional confirmed deaths. That brings the state’s total to 176,896 known infections and 7,478 fatalities. “We’re at a danger point,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said at a news conference Thursday in…

How do dogs respond to COVID-19? Getty/Darian Traynor The coronavirus pandemic is often discussed in terms of waves. First waves, second waves. The information surrounding the pandemic works in a similar way, particularly as scientists learn more about how the disease spreads and who -- or what -- it infects.Several companion animals tested positive for…