In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with infectious diseases physician and assistant clinical professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Dr. Paul Adamson. 

Topics today include: 

• Pfizer begins testing Omicron-matched COVID-19 vaccines in adults. 
• F.D.A. halts use of antibody drugs that don’t work versus Omicron. 
• L.A. County seeing more deaths from Omicron. 
• “Mild” but still deadly: Omicron may kill tens of thousands more Americans by March. 
• Omicron is spreading. How should we respond now? 
• Coronavirus tests from the U.S. government have started to arrive at homes. 

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people. 

In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the UCSF Medical Center, Dr. Peter Chin-Hong. 

Topics today include: 

• COVID-19 still spreading widely in L.A. County, though signs of decline continue. 
• L.A. County reports third straight drop in COVID-19 hospitalizations. 
• Fauci suggests Omicron wave is peaking, but warns of “more pain” to come. 
• WHO chief warns against talk of “endgame” in pandemic. 
• Data from UCSF sheds light on how many COVID-related hospitalizations are “for” COVID or “with” COVID. 
• At California hospitals, many children are coming in with COVID, not for COVID. 
• New bill would require all California school children be vaccinated against COVID-19. 
• LAUSD to require students to wear non-cloth masks starting Monday. 

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people. 

In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with registered nurse and professor of nursing and public health at UCLA, Kristen R. Choi. 

Topics today include: 

• C.D.C. studies show boosters provide the best protection against the Omicron variant. 
• Post-infection immunity was very effective against Delta, but C.D.C. says vaccines still offer the best defense. 
• L.A. County reports 102 coronavirus deaths on Thursday, the deadliest pandemic day since March 2021. 
• Coronavirus transmission rates are falling across California. 
• Fauci says the F.D.A. could authorize Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for kids under 5 in the next month. 
• UCSF scientists detect anomalies in people with post-COVID “brain fog”. 
• Europe considers new COVID-19 strategy: Accepting the virus. 
• L.A. schools see coronavirus rates decline. 

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with infectious diseases physician and professor of medicine at UCSF Dr. Monica Gandhi. 

Topics today include: 

• C.D.C. says post-infection immunity was very effective against Delta, but vaccines still offer the best defense. 
• Omicron leaves testing labs overwhelmed, causing frustrating delays to get results. 
• Even as Omicron starts to ease in California, hospitals facing grim conditions. 
• California approaches pandemic record for all hospitalizations. 
• Why are men more likely to die of COVID-19? It’s complicated. 
• Can vaccinated people who get a breakthrough infection start living like it’s 2019? 
• As L.A. schools backtrack on COVID vaccine, dozens more districts push to mandate it. 

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with infectious disease specialist and co-director of the Cedars-Sinai COVID-19 Recovery Program Dr. Catherine Le. 

Topics today include: 

• Researchers say L.A.’s Omicron surge is peaking now. 
• U.S. faces wave of Omicron deaths in coming weeks, models show. 
• White House to start distributing free N95 masks starting next week. 
• Five things to know about ordering free COVID-19 tests from the federal government. 
• False negative results with rapid tests cause frustration. 
• Expect more worrisome variants after Omicron, scientists warn. 
• W.H.O.: Here’s how the COVID-19 health emergency could end this year. 
• Pfizer’s new COVID-19 pill works against Omicron in lab tests. 
• Canada approves Pfizer’s at-home COVID-19 antiviral prescription pill. 
• Possible side effects of Pfizer’s at-home COVID-19 pill. 
• Beijing says international mail is a possible culprit in first Omicron case. 
• Grammy Awards moving to Las Vegas April 3. 

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, we speak with the director of Infectious Disease and Prevention at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena Dr. Kimberly Shriner. 

Today’s topics include: 

• In an Israeli study, a 4th vaccine dose shows limited results with Omicron. 
• L.A. County logs nearly tenfold increase in coronavirus cases in a month. 
• California throws more money at COVID-19 contact tracing, but is it too late? 
• New federal website to order free COVID-19 tests launches. 
• For coronavirus testing, the nose may not always be best. 
• This is what long-term immunity to COVID-19 might look like. 
• With COVID-19, we’ll never have a normal flu season again. 
• Greece begins monthly fines for unvaccinated people 60 and older. 

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the UCSF Medical Center Dr. Peter Chin-Hong. 

Topics today include: 

• California Omicron surge expected to peak within weeks. 
• New virus cases begin to slow in U.S. cities where Omicron hit first. 
• Starting Monday, L.A. County employers will be required to provide medical grade masks in the workplace. 
• Biden to double at-home COVID tests for Americans. 
• Here’s one critical thing to check before you buy or use a rapid home COVID test.  

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people. 

In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with epidemiologist and professor of medicine at UCLA’s school of public health, Dr. Timothy Brewer. 

Topics today include: 

• L.A. County reports single highest death toll in 4 months. 
• Biden to announce new federal medical team deployments to help hospitals grappling with COVID-19 surge. 
• F.D.A. warns against using unapproved COVID-19 tests because of a "high risk of false results". 
• Omicron causing less severe illness in Southern California patients, study suggests. 
• Children's low COVID vaccination rates called a "gut punch". 
• Is Omicron peaking?
• COVID-19 pill rollout stymied by shortages as Omicron rages. 
• New study reveals stark COVID risks for unvaccinated pregnant women and their babies 

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people. 

In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Catherine Le, infectious disease specialist with Cedars-Sinai Medical Group and co-director of the Cedars-Sinai COVID-19 Recovery Program.

Topics today include:

• L.A. County urges residents to postpone nonessential gatherings, activities as Omicron surges. 

  • Sonoma County bans gatherings. 
• With hospitals reeling, California tells COVID-positive medical workers to stay on the job. 
• Study: California hospitals find that Omicron causes fewer hospitalizations and shorter stays. 
• With Omicron surge, some wonder whether COVID-19 contact tracing still works. 
• 5 reasons you should not deliberately catch Omicron to "get it over with". 
• Omicron may be headed for a rapid drop in the U.S. and Britain. 
• Editorial: L.A. schools are being smart about COVID, but Omicron precautions must be ongoing. 
• Omicron can make you contagious before you test positive. 
• What symptoms are associated with Omicron?

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people. 

In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with infectious diseases physician and assistant clinical professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA Dr. Paul Adamson. 

Topics today include: 

• L.A. County launches new pick-up PCR testing kit program to help meet demand. 
  
  • How and where to get free COVID and flu test kits in L.A. County. 
• Home COVID-19 tests to be covered by insurers starting Saturday. 
• California surpasses 6 million COVID-19 infections as Omicron wave expands. 
• U.S. COVID-19 hospitalizations reach record high. 
• How reliable are COVID-19 rapid tests for detecting Omicron? 
• Spain calls for debate to consider COVID-19 as endemic. 
• Omicron may infect half of Europeans within weeks, W.H.O. says. 

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.