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coronavirus faqs

It's COVID testing time at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, South Korea. Arrivals from China must now submit to a PCR test. Kim Jae-Hwan/SOPA Images/Sipa USA hide caption

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Kim Jae-Hwan/SOPA Images/Sipa USA

Pfizer's Paxlovid pills are considered the most effective treatment to prevent severe COVID. They're about to be sold in China. But they are reportedly underused in the U.S. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

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Joe Raedle/Getty Images

SARS-CoV-2 is shown in this colorized transmission electron micrograph. This specimen was isolated from a patient in the U.S. Particles of the virus are shown emerging from the surface of cells cultured in the lab. Science Source hide caption

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Science Source

The future of the pandemic is looking clearer as we learn more about infection

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A COVID-19 home test in the U.S. comes with a swab to swirl in the nostrils. But some users say they're swabbing the throat too — even though that's not what the instructions say to do. "They may stab themselves," cautions Dr. Janet Woodcock, acting head of the Food and Drug Administration. Angus Mordant/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption

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Angus Mordant/Bloomberg via Getty Images

A Santa Claus in Germany wears a surgical mask in December 2020. If you're planning to take the kids to see Santa this year, experts say it's safest to keep everyone's masks on. Caroline Seidel/picture alliance via Getty Images hide caption

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Caroline Seidel/picture alliance via Getty Images

A 3D-generated image of the coronavirus variant of concern known as omicron. The little bumps are spike proteins (see definition below). Uma Shankar Sharma/Getty Images hide caption

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Uma Shankar Sharma/Getty Images
RLT_Images/Getty Images

Coronavirus FAQ: What is long COVID? And what is my risk of getting it?

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Nurse Sandra Lindsay celebrates after receiving her COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine booster at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York in October. Lindsay was the first person known to receive a COVID vaccine in the United States vaccination campaign — on Dec. 14, 2020. Her vaccination card is displayed at the COVID-19 exhibit in the Smithsonian Museum of American History. Lev Radin/Pacific Press via Getty Images hide caption

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Lev Radin/Pacific Press via Getty Images

Wash your hands. A lot. That's the message from public health specialists as cold and flu season arrives. Jens Kalaene/picture alliance via Getty Image hide caption

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Jens Kalaene/picture alliance via Getty Image