Covid cases show ‘signs of slowing’ in western Washington After several weeks of skyrocketing Covid infections, Washington state health officials say this latest surge – which is driven by the omicron variant and has shattered pandemic records – is showing indicators of a drop-off. Liz Brazile
Syphilis infections on the rise in Seattle area This is a story about sex and one type of bacteria that loves it: Treponema pallidum, which causes syphilis. Anna Boiko-Weyrauch
Booster longevity: Data reveals how long a third shot protects Now researchers in the U.K. have the first estimates for how long a third shot of the Pfizer vaccine will last. The findings are mixed. Michaeleen Doucleff
Restaurant workers are feeling a sense of déjà vu as omicron threatens the industry NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with a restaurant owner and worker on how the omicron variant and latest surge of COVID cases are once again disrupting their industry. Karen Zamora
Opinion: 5 steps we must take to vaccinate the world's vulnerable—and end the pandemic Three doctors present their proposal to get vaccines to everyone in the world. "We already have the resources, knowledge and systems," they write. Global leaders just have to make it happen. Edward Cliff
Covid blog updates today: Price gouging on test kits Also, Covid will likely become endemic, like the flu. KUOW Staff
The Biden administration will give out 400 million free N95 masks The high-quality masks will go to pharmacies and community health centers starting this week in an effort to control the spread of COVID-19. Rachel Treisman
Has omicron peaked in Washington? Possibly. The view from the Covid tunnel ‘The most recent estimate statewide is that 88,000 people are currently positive statewide. That’s one of the highest rates of the pandemic, but the surge may have slowed down since then.’ Paige Browning
Boris Johnson faces scrutiny for attending social gatherings that broke COVID rules British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing increasingly harsh criticism from members of his own party following a series of scandals in which he and his associates ignored COVID-19 protocols. Frank Langfitt
Patients are dying while waiting for specialized care because hospitals are full Massachusetts hospitals have been struggling for weeks in a coronavirus-driven surge. Now, there are reports of patients dying because they couldn't be transferred to higher-level care. Martha Bebinger
