What is Coronavirus?

COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus causing the World Health Organization (WHO) to classify this outbreak as a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Symptoms include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Anyone experiencing emergency signs such as difficulty breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion or bluish lips or face should immediately seek medical attention.

For the latest updates and more information go to:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce

What You Should Know

Older adults and people who have severe underlying chronic medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes seem to be at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 illness. The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person and the best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. The CDC urges citizens to monitor your health and practice social distancing. Social distancing means staying out of crowded places, avoiding group gatherings, and maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet) from others when possible.

• Workplace, School, and Home Guidance
• People at Risk for Serious Illness from COVID-19
• How COVID-19 Spreads
• Symptoms
• Steps to Prevent Illness
• Testing
• Frequently Asked Questions
• What to Do If You Are Sick with COVID-19
• Stigma Related to COVID-19
• What You Need to Know
• Facts about COVID-19
• Information for People at Higher Risk and Special Populations
• Communication Resources

Coronavirus Articles

ALTA is producing a COVID-19 Update email that compiles the most important articles of the day. You can sign up to receive these updates.

Recent 2022 2021 2020

The White House is rushing ahead to roll out a new COVID-19 booster shot campaign in early September, but is facing an uphill battle to ensure it is successful. The vaccines being used in the campaign are the first ones that have been manufactured to specifically target the subvariants of omicron that are currently causing the most infections, and administration officials have indicated they’re preparing to start offering the shots shortly after Labor Day.

The U.S. pandemic housing boom, marked by record price gains and coast-to-coast bidding wars, is finally reaching its limit. The Federal Reserve’s interest-rate hikes are starting to cool the overheated housing market, one of the central bank’s key goals as it tries to tamp down inflation. 

Bank of America’s account holders saw strong growth in their balances during Covid and have yet to spend down their pandemic-era stimulus money, CEO Brian Moynihan said. Bank balances have grown monthly since last July, Moynihan said, predicting that people “probably” won’t start spending down their stimulus check-boosted accounts right now.

The U.S. could see 100 million COVID infections this fall and winter—and potentially a sizable wave of deaths, the White House warned this past week. The country has so far seen nearly 82 million cases of COVID since the pandemic's beginning, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control—though the actual case count is undoubtedly much higher, experts say. Regardless, a wave of 100 million would more than double the country's all-time reported total.

If you’re not back to the office already, you may be soon. After a five-month lull, likely due to the extremely contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus, new demand for office space jumped in March. Barring another major setback in the pandemic, it will likely continue to rise, but offices themselves will undergo a makeover as demands from workers change.