When Dr. Tiffany M. Osborn received her COVID-19 vaccination shortly after vaccines became available in late 2020, she felt hopeful about the pandemic's trajectory. A year later, she's sad and frustrated to see so many COVID patients in the ICU. Matt Miller / Washington University School of Medicine hide caption
An public safety message from the government of South Africa. The country announced on Thursday that it was past the peak of its latest coronavirus surge. South African Government/Twitter hide caption
A colorized electron micrograph image of a cell (red) infected with with SARS-CoV-2 virus particles (yellow), isolated from a patient sample. Science Source hide caption
Health care workers administer COVID-19 tests at a drive-through clinic in Sydney, Friday, Dec. 31. Australian health authorities have reported a record 32,000 new virus cases, many of them in Sydney. Bianca De Marchi/AP hide caption
A 8-year-old looks out her bedroom window during self-quarantine with her family due to COVID-19. John Moore/Getty Images hide caption
The top Fresh Air web stories of 2021 reflect the show's status as a place where artists, authors and journalists speak to the moment. Valerie Macon/AFP; Grace Cary; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption
Women wearing masks to help curb the spread of the coronavirus walk against cold strong winds in Beijing, China, Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021. Ng Han Guan/AP hide caption
Commuters wearing face masks ride an escalator at a subway station in the central business district in Beijing. Caseloads of omicron have remained relatively low in many parts in Asia. Mark Schiefelbein/AP hide caption
An empty classroom during the pandemic in Seoul, South Korea. Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images hide caption
A man is handed a swab for a rapid test as people line up for coronavirus testing at a gas station in the Reseda section of Los Angeles on Sunday. Richard Vogel/AP hide caption
Our correspondent Michaeleen Doucleff's daughter, Rosy, at age 2, as she does dishes voluntarily. Getting her involved in chores did lead to the kitchen being flooded and dishes being broken, Doucleff reports. But Rosy is still eager to help. Michaeleen Doucleff/NPR hide caption
In Zimbabwe and other African nations, the virus's resurgence is threatening the very survival of millions of people who have already been driven to the edge by a pandemic that has devastated their economies. Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/AP hide caption
Selvi is a construction worker in Chennai, India. "My bones ache at night after carrying heavy loads through the day, my eyes sting from the dust and I cough often, but if I didn't do this, my kids and I would starve." she says. Kamala Thiagarajan for NPR hide caption