Coronavirus
The U.S. Response to COVID-19
Read our latest investigations into the crisis response and public health infrastructure.
Featured
The Postal Service Is Steadily Getting Worse — Can It Handle a National Mail-In Election?
Postal delays and mistakes have marred primary voting, and after years of budget cuts and plant closures, mail delivery has slowed so much that ballot deadlines in many states are no longer realistic.
Coronavirus Contracts: Tracking Federal Purchases to Fight the Pandemic
The federal government is spending billions of dollars to combat the coronavirus, and spending shows no sign of slowing down. Explore who the U.S. is buying from, what it’s buying and how much it’s paying.
States Are Reopening: See How Coronavirus Cases Rise or Fall
As states reopen, see if they meet White House guidelines for reopening and whether their COVID-19 infection rate is increasing or not.
COVID-19 Took Black Lives First. It Didn’t Have To.
In Chicago, 70 of the city’s 100 first recorded victims of COVID-19 were black. Their lives were rich, and their deaths cannot be dismissed as inevitable. Immediate factors could — and should — have been addressed.
Coronavirus in Illinois: Are There Enough Ventilators and Hospital Beds Near Me?
Use our tool to see how hospitals in your region and county are handling the coronavirus pandemic, based on data from the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Coronavirus in New York City: How Many Confirmed Cases Are Near Me?
We’re tracking how many New York City residents have tested positive for the coronavirus in every ZIP code and how each neighborhood compares with others.
Are Hospitals Near Me Ready for Coronavirus? Here Are Nine Different Scenarios.
How soon regions run out of hospital beds depends on how fast the novel coronavirus spreads and how many open beds they had to begin with. Here’s a look at the whole country. You can also search for your region.
Other Entries
Medicare Keeps Spending More on COVID-19 Testing. Fraud and Overspending Are Partly Why.
Medicare’s COVID-19 testing costs reached over $2 billion in 2022. The growing costs concern some experts, who say financial incentives and a lack of regulation early in the pandemic led to fraud and overspending.
COVID-19 Origins: Investigating a “Complex and Grave Situation” Inside a Wuhan Lab
The Wuhan lab at the center of suspicions about the pandemic’s onset was far more troubled than known, documents unearthed by a Senate team reveal. Tracing the evidence, Vanity Fair and ProPublica give the clearest view yet of a biocomplex in crisis.
The COVID-19 Booster’s Public Relations Problem
With a new coronavirus booster rolling out, a leading expert on vaccines explains how public health leaders have struggled to set expectations for the COVID-19 vaccine and convey clearly who benefits from each additional shot.
Sen. Burr Cited COVID When He Dumped Shares Ahead of Stock Market Crash, According to FBI Records
New details have emerged about the now-closed investigation, including repeated calls to his brother-in-law, who also dumped stock.
They Tried to Get PPE When We Needed It Most. Instead, They Got Ripped Off.
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, legitimate importers were scammed out of millions trying to supply American hospitals and businesses with vital protective equipment.
Vaccine Medical Exemptions Are Rare. Thousands of Nursing Home Workers Have Them.
A federal mandate for health care workers was supposed to close the vaccine gap. Weeks after the deadline, many remain unvaccinated, new data shows.
What’s Holding Up the COVID Vaccines for Children Under 5?
For months, parents have been told COVID vaccines for their little ones are coming. But opaque communication from the FDA, shifting timelines, delays and misinformation have left parents frustrated and confused. Here’s everything we know at the moment.
I Saw Firsthand What It Takes to Keep COVID Out of Hong Kong. It Felt Like a Different Planet.
On a visit to Hong Kong, ProPublica reporter Caroline Chen encountered a 21-day quarantine, a bevy of COVID tests, universal masking and, finally, a fear-free family holiday.
They Were the Pandemic’s Perfect Victims
The pandemic killed so many dialysis patients that their total number shrunk for the first time in nearly half a century. Few people took notice.
Here’s Why Rapid COVID Tests Are So Expensive and Hard to Find
Monthslong silences. Mysterious rejections. Here’s what's behind the shortages of a critical tool for ending the pandemic.
The Federal Government Gave Billions to America’s Schools for COVID-19 Relief. Where Did the Money Go?
The Education Department’s limited tracking of $190 billion in pandemic support funds sent to schools has left officials in the dark about how effective the aid has been in helping students.
We’re Losing Our Humanity, and the Pandemic Is to Blame
“What the hell is happening? I feel like we are living on another planet. I don’t recognize anyone anymore.”
Few Masks. Sick Kids. Packed ERs. How One District’s First Four Weeks of School Went Bad.
In their own words, parents, faculty and a student chronicle the beginning of the school year in Georgia’s Cobb County, where leadership loosened COVID-19 protocols and a wave of children were infected.
A Boy Went to a COVID-Swamped ER. He Waited for Hours. Then His Appendix Burst.
Non-COVID patients are paying a price as the delta variant and low-vaccination rates overwhelm hospitals across the country. “Wait times can now be measured in days,” said an expert.
A Boy With an Autoimmune Disease Was Ready to Learn in Person. Then His State Banned Mask Mandates.
High-risk students in states and districts that have made masks optional are staying home.
The CDC Only Tracks a Fraction of Breakthrough COVID-19 Infections, Even as Cases Surge
A May 1 decision by the CDC to only track breakthrough infections that lead to hospitalization or death has left the nation with a muddled understanding of COVID-19’s impact on the vaccinated.
Has Your School Had a COVID Outbreak? Is Your District Following CDC Guidelines? Help Us Report.
As the Delta variant spreads across the country, ProPublica is reporting on the health and safety of students. Tell ProPublica whether your school is following CDC guidelines and whether any students, faculty or staff have gotten sick.
My Kids’ School Won’t Reinstate Masks Despite a Recent Surge in COVID Cases. Here’s What I Chose to Do.
Georgia’s Cobb County School District had parents choose between virtual and in-person learning, then lifted its mask mandate. Many families are frantically figuring out how to navigate this reality. ProPublica reporter Nicole Carr is one of them.
