Coronavirus weekly need-to-know: Free COVID tests, boosters for kids, ivermectin & more

In the United States, more than 69 million people have tested positive for coronavirus as of Friday, Jan. 21, according to Johns Hopkins University, as health officials continue to keep track of the omicron variant’s spread.

About 860,000 Americans have died. Worldwide, there have been more than 342 million confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Additionally more than 5.5 million worldwide have died from the virus. More than 209 million people in the U.S. are fully vaccinated to date – 63.2% of the population – and 82.4 million of those people have gotten a booster shot as of Jan. 14, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

The omicron variant made up 99.5% of all sequenced cases the week ending Jan. 15, according to the CDC.

Here’s what happened between Jan. 16 and Jan. 21:

COVID-test vending machines are popping up at colleges in the US as omicron spreads

Some U.S. colleges are taking advantage of the convenience of vending machines – supplying them with COVID-19 tests instead of snacks as the infectious omicron variant continues to spread.

When students at the University of Utah began their Spring semester on Jan. 10, the college introduced several self-serve COVID-19 test vending machines alongside drop-off locations for the samples, according to a Twitter post shared by the university on Jan. 13.

Find out which universities have COVID-19 test vending machines:

COVID-test vending machines are popping up at colleges in the US as omicron spreads

Jail doctor gave inmates with COVID ivermectin — and said it was vitamins, lawsuit says

People who were incarcerated in Arkansas and contracted COVID-19 said a jail doctor doled out high doses of the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin by disguising it as “vitamins,” “steroids” or “antibiotics.”

Now they’re suing.

The Washington County Detention Center, Sheriff Tim Helder and jail physician Dr. Robert Karas were hit with a complaint in federal court on Jan. 13, alleging they deprived incarcerated individuals the right to consent to their own medical treatment by secretly prescribing a drug the U.S. Food and Drug Administration specifically warns against using as a treatment for COVID-19.

Read on to learn more about the lawsuit:

Jail doctor gave inmates with COVID ivermectin — and said it was vitamins, lawsuit says

You can order free at-home COVID tests from government starting now. Here’s how

People in the United States can now start ordering free at-home, rapid COVID-19 tests from the government.

President Joe Biden’s administration is purchasing 1 billion of the tests to be made available to people in the U.S. for free as the omicron coronavirus variant — which evades COVID-19 vaccines and transmits more easily — spreads throughout the country.

The first 500 million of those tests are now available online. The website through which to order the tests was set to launch Wednesday, Jan. 19. But orders opened a day earlier than expected, on Tuesday, Jan. 18.

Keep reading for more information:

You can order free at-home COVID tests from government starting now. Here’s how

COVID boosters could soon be required for travelers to enter Hawaii. What to know

If you’re planning to take a trip to Hawaii for a taste of its tropical islands or maybe a visit to see family or friends, make sure you’re familiar with the state’s COVID-19 travel measures.

Soon, travelers might need a COVID-19 booster shot, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to be considered fully vaccinated to enter the state, according to the governor.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige discussed the potential booster update to the state’s Safe Travels program that could come in weeks during a recent livestream interview with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Here’s what else there’s to know, especially if you’re traveling to Hawaii soon:

COVID boosters could soon be required for travelers to enter Hawaii. What to know

Can’t order your free COVID tests from the government? Here’s what could be going on

A website through which people in the United States can request free COVID-19 tests from the government launched Tuesday, Jan. 18. But some people have reported technical issues with ordering the tests.

Each household can place only one order, which includes four test kits. The White House has said it’s limiting the number of tests each household can order to “ensure broad access.” But since the site has launched, some people have been getting error messages when they try to order their tests.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Jan. 18 that the website is in the “beta phase” and that the White House can’t “guarantee there won’t be a bug or two.” But she said technology teams within the administration and the U.S. Postal Service are “working hard to make this a success.”

Keep reading for more information:

Can’t order your free COVID tests from the government? Here’s what could be going on

Don’t travel to these vacation spots, CDC warns. They have a ‘very high’ COVID risk

A new year means new adventures for pandemic-weary travelers. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is advising vacationers to rethink visits to some countries as the omicron coronavirus variant continues to spread.

The public health agency on Tuesday, Jan. 18, added nearly two dozen destinations to its list of countries with “very high” risk for COVID-19, urging travelers to avoid them.

Several top vacation spots, including seven islands in the Caribbean, were upgraded to the “Level 4” risk category.

To find out the countries considered high-risk by the CDC, keep reading:

Don’t travel to these vacation spots, CDC warns. They have a ‘very high’ COVID risk

Why does COVID leave some without smell or taste? Study finds possible genetic clues

Scientists found a genetic link associated with COVID-19-related loss of smell or taste that can be used as a clue to better understand why this occurs, according to a study published Jan. 17 in Nature Genetics.

“The loss-of-smell symptom of COVID-19 has been one of the notable ways that people have been able to distinguish a SARS-CoV-2 infection from common flu,” lead study author Adam Auton, the vice president of human genetics for biotechnology company 23andMe, told McClatchy News.

“However, the underlying mechanism by which SARS-CoV-2 causes loss of smell is largely unknown.”

Read on to learn more about the study’s findings:

Why does COVID leave some without smell or taste? Study finds possible genetic clues

Schools should cancel sports, band in high-risk COVID areas, CDC says. But will they?

As the omicron variant continues to spread across the country, recent federal health guidance has some asking: Should extracurricular activities at schools be canceled to slow transmission of the coronavirus?

A guideline from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Jan. 13 instructs school officials to do just that under certain circumstances, drawing widespread criticism.

On the agency’s list of guidelines for COVID-19 prevention in K-12 schools, it says “high risk sports and activities” should be canceled or held virtually in areas with high levels of virus transmission “unless all participants are fully vaccinated.”

Here’s what else is to know about the CDC’s guidelines:

Schools should cancel sports, band in high-risk COVID areas, CDC says. But will they?

Where are you most likely to catch COVID? New study highlights high risk locations

What are the odds of catching COVID-19 after a night at the movie theater? How about an afternoon at the gym, unmasked? Or an early morning jog in a neighborhood park?

It’s well known that certain places and activities carry varying risks of coronavirus exposure, but a new study takes away much of the guesswork, offering clear estimates instead.

Researchers behind the paper analyzed outbreaks and superspreader events and studied factors that hinder and aid the virus’ spread, to design a mathematical model that takes many factors into account before giving a percentage risk of infection.

Read more about the new study and certain high risk locations:

Where are you most likely to catch COVID? New study highlights high risk locations

Don’t drink urine to treat COVID. Doctors debunk newest ‘miracle cure’

Medical experts are urging people against drinking their own urine to cure COVID-19, a bogus and risky “treatment” that has been promoted online.

Doctors caution it’s a really, really bad idea. Not only is so-called “urine therapy” ineffective against COVID-19, it could make you sick.

Here’s what you should know about the particular “cure” being debunked:

Don’t drink urine to treat COVID. Doctors debunk newest ‘miracle cure’

Want a free N95 mask? White House plans to distribute them. Here’s what to know

Free N95 face masks could soon be available to people in the United States, according to reports.

President Joe Biden’s administration plans to ship 400 million N95 masks from the Strategic National Stockpile at the end of the week, White House officials told multiple news outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post and CNN, on Wednesday, Jan. 19.

The plan comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said approved N95 masks offer the highest level of protection against COVID-19.

Keep reading to learn how you can get the masks:

Want a free N95 mask? White House plans to distribute them. Here’s what to know

Howard Stern says hospitals shouldn’t admit unvaccinated patients. ‘Go home and die’

SiriusXM radio host Howard Stern said that while COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have spiked throughout January, people who are unvaccinated should not be admitted to hospitals.

“At this point, they have been given plenty of opportunity to get the vaccine,” Stern said Wednesday, Jan. 19, on “The Howard Stern Show,” according to audio uploaded by Medialite.

Stern has often been vocal against people who oppose COVID-19 vaccinations and has been in favor of mandates and protocols that have been implemented across the country.

For more, keep reading:

Howard Stern says hospitals shouldn’t admit unvaccinated patients. ‘Go home and die’

Starbucks faces calls for boycott after reversing vaccine mandate for workers

Starbucks will no longer require its U.S. workers to get the COVID-19 vaccine, leaving some customers steamed.

The coffee giant faced tough criticism and threats of a boycott after it announced plans to end its vaccine-or-test requirement for employees this week, multiple news outlets reported Wednesday, Jan. 19.

The policy had been in effect for less than a month. It wasn’t long before coffee fans took to Twitter to voice their complaints using the social media hashtag #BoycottStarbucks.

Here’s what else to know:

Starbucks faces calls for boycott after reversing vaccine mandate for workers

Employer vaccine mandates still allowed after Supreme Court ruling. Just ask Carhartt

A federal rule that would have required about two-thirds of private employees to get a COVID-19 vaccine or submit to weekly testing stalled at the Supreme Court when Justices determined the agency tasked with implementing the mandate had overstepped its authority.

But that didn’t spell the end for employer vaccine mandates. Some major companies, such as Starbucks, pulled back COVID-19 vaccine requirements for workers following the Supreme Court decision.

But others stood their ground, opting to keep such mandates in place based on federal guidelines that allow private employers to implement company-wide vaccination requirements.

Keep reading to learn more:

Employer vaccine mandates still allowed after Supreme Court ruling. Just ask Carhartt

Most insurers cover costs of at-home COVID tests. That’s not the case with Medicare

Most Americans who buy at-home COVID-19 tests will be reimbursed by their insurers under a recent requirement from President Joe Biden’s administration.

This applies to U.S. citizens with private health coverage – but not for millions of people covered by Medicare, including the many senior citizens and individuals living with disabilities enrolled in the plan, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

For more information, continue reading:

Most insurers cover costs of at-home COVID tests. That’s not the case with Medicare

Restaurant accepted dog photos as proof of COVID vaccination, Canada officials say

A “sophisticated” restaurant in western Canada was forced to close its dining room after officials said they learned dog photos were being accepted as proof customers had been vaccinated against COVID-19.

Alberta Health Services ordered The Granary Kitchen in Red Deer to cease indoor service Jan. 14, and stay closed until its staff could be retrained. Red Deer is in Alberta, between Edmonton and Calgary.

The discovery was made after the health department said it received complaints restaurant employees were not properly screening patrons for proof of vaccination or testing negative for COVID-19.

Continue reading for more about the complaints against the restaurant:

Restaurant accepted dog photos as proof of COVID vaccination, Canada officials say

Do healthy children need COVID vaccine boosters? The CDC and WHO disagree

There’s a disagreement between two top health-advisory agencies – the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization – over whether healthy kids need COVID-19 vaccine booster shots.

The CDC recommends everyone 12 and older should get a booster in the U.S. and has authorized the Pfizer booster for those ages 12-17 after expanding eligibility for the extra dose on Jan. 5. Meanwhile, the WHO’s top scientist expressed conflicting comments on boosters for kids and teens during a Jan. 18 briefing.

“There is no evidence right now that healthy children or healthy adolescents need boosters. No evidence at all,” said Soumya Swaminathan, the international health organization’s chief scientist.

Keep reading to learn more about the WHO and CDC’s stance:

Do healthy children need COVID vaccine boosters? The CDC and WHO disagree

‘Dangerous precedent.’ Ivermectin could be used as COVID treatment in Indiana bill

A proposed Indiana bill would allow for ivermectin to be used as a treatment against COVID-19, and health officials warn that if it passes, the consequences could be far-reaching, news outlets report.

House Bill 1372, authored by Republican state Rep. Curt Nisly, would permit doctors and nurses to “create a standing order” for ivermectin, and pharmacists would be required to dispense the drug, no prescription necessary. The bill would also prohibit the state boards for each profession from taking disciplinary action against any of the medical practitioners involved.

Learn more about Indiana’s proposed bill:

‘Dangerous precedent.’ Ivermectin could be used as COVID treatment in Indiana bill

Is breastfeeding safe after getting coronavirus or COVID vaccine? What science shows

The pandemic has added more layers of concern for mothers and their newborns: Is it safe to breastfeed after being infected with COVID-19? What if you were recently vaccinated?

A study by researchers at the University of California -Los Angeles, published in the Pediatric Research Journal on Jan. 19, unearthed some potential good news for breastfeeding mothers after studying a group of 110 lactating women.

Researchers analyzed breast milk samples from 110 lactating women. Of the group, 65 women had a positive COVID-19 test, 9 had symptoms but tested negative, and 36 were symptomatic, but not tested.

Read more about the study:

Is breastfeeding safe after getting coronavirus or COVID vaccine? What science shows

Reporters Bailey Aldridge, Tanasia Kenney, Vandana Ravikumar, Mitchell Willetts, Don Sweeney, Mike Stunson, Hayley Fowler, Mark Price, and Alison Cutler contributed to this report.