Could COVID-19 one day go the way of smallpox and polio? New research suggests it might be possible to beat the coronavirus with high vaccination rates and rapid responses to immunity-evading variants, the study authors said. “While our analysis is a preliminary effort, with various subjective components, it does seem to put COVID-19 eradicability into…  read on >  read on >

Vaccination is the best way parents can protect the health of kids 12 and older during the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Academy of Pediatrics says. AAP offers a checklist to prepare older kids and teens for the shot. To begin, tell their health care provider you’re planning to have your child vaccinated against COVID. Ask…  read on >  read on >

Parents of kids with asthma and allergies should prepare a plan to keep them safe as schools reopen, the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) says. Along with guarding against COVID-19, it’s important to protect against cold, flu and other viruses that pose a risk to children with asthma. That includes wearing masks,…  read on >  read on >

Spit and scan. That’s all you have to do, and in less than an hour, you can not only find out if you have COVID-19 but what variant you have, all without leaving your home. This is the hope and promise of a new saliva-based COVID-19 test that is currently under development. “Several at-home tests…  read on >  read on >

The Delta variant is proving just as infectious for children as for everyone else, with pediatric cases surging in some parts of the United States, pediatricians and children’s hospitals say. However, it’s not clear yet whether the variant is any harsher on kids compared to earlier COVID-19 strains, leading to more hospitalizations and brushes with…  read on >  read on >

A little more than two out of every three people who have mild or moderate cases of COVID-19 will go on to develop long-term symptoms. That’s the troubling takeaway from a University of Arizona Health Sciences’ study launched in May 2020. “This is a real wake-up call for anyone who has not been vaccinated,” said…  read on >  read on >