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Health-care workers said they're experiencing feelings of despair fighting the novel coronavirus. Mental health experts fear they could suffer "moral injury." (Video: The Washington Post)

Experts say coronavirus might never go away as U.S. death toll reaches 100,000

As the U.S. death toll from the coronavirus reached 100,000, some experts are saying there’s a good chance the virus will never go away, even after a vaccine is discovered and deployed. Experts in epidemiology, disaster planning and vaccine development say embracing that reality is crucial to the next phase of America’s pandemic response.

Here are some significant developments:  

Coronavirus: What you need to know

Covid isolation guidelines: Americans who test positive for the coronavirus no longer need to routinely stay home from work and school for five days under new guidance planned by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The change has raised concerns among medically vulnerable people.

New coronavirus variant: The United States is in the throes of another covid-19 uptick and coronavirus samples detected in wastewater suggests infections could be as rampant as they were last winter. JN.1, the new dominant variant, appears to be especially adept at infecting those who have been vaccinated or previously infected. Here’s how this covid surge compares with earlier spikes.

Latest coronavirus booster: The CDC recommends that anyone 6 months or older gets an updated coronavirus shot, but the vaccine rollout has seen some hiccups, especially for children. Here’s what you need to know about the latest coronavirus vaccines, including when you should get it.