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As the Covid-19 pandemic continues across the United States, many cities are taking a virtual approach to this year's St. Patrick's Day celebrations. St. Patrick's Day was one of the first holidays on the calendar to be impacted as the pandemic took hold in North America last March, and for the second year in a row, cities are being forced to get creative when it comes to their festivities. (Slater, 3/16)

A largely virtual St. Patrick’s Day is planned for New York City on Wednesday, one year after the annual parade celebrating Irish heritage became one of the city’s first coronavirus casualties. Although the city’s usual huge parade with floats and marching bands has been canceled, a few dozen people are expected to march at 6 a.m. to keep the tradition alive, a spokesperson for Mayor Bill de Blasio said. (3/17)

Parts of the NCAA's finely honed plan for playing March Madness amid the pandemic came into question Tuesday just as teams began gearing up for practices to tune up for the games later this week. One referee tested positive for COVID-19, forcing him and five others who went out to dinner with him, out of the tournament. (Pells and Megargee, 3/16)

The Loyola University Chicago Ramblers' lucky charm is on her way to March Madness. The school confirmed Tuesday that Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt is vaccinated and cleared to attend the Ramblers' first game in the NCAA tournament against Georgia Tech on Friday in Indianapolis. (Yamada and Noll, 3/16)

The reduced risk of contracting the coronavirus has to do with how much space surrounds each person when venue attendance is capped at 25%, as it is for the tournament, and how often fresh air from outside is refreshed into a venue. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers sets standards for how many cubic feet per meter of air space is required for everything from homes to restaurants to office buildings. Limiting capacity gives everyone more air. (Whyno, 3/16)

Tiger Woods said he has returned to his South Florida home to continue recovery from the serious leg injuries he suffered in a one-vehicle crash in Southern California on Feb. 23.Woods, 45, said in a statement via Twitter that he is "so grateful for the outpouring of support and encouragement that I have received over the past few weeks. "Thank you to all the incredible surgeons, doctors, nurses and staff at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center," Woods said in the statement. "You have all taken such great care of me and I cannot thank you enough. (Harig, 3/16)

When the virus first emerged, many experts believed that it was transmitted primarily through large respiratory droplets, which are relatively heavy. Old scientific studies, some dating back more than a century, suggested that these droplets tend not to travel more than three to six feet. This observation, as well as an abundance of caution, may have spurred the C.D.C. to make its six-foot suggestion, Dr. Marr said. But that recommendation was not universal. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends three to six feet of social distancing in schools, but the World Health Organization recommends just one meter, or 3.3 feet. (Anthes, 3/16)

KHN: Role Reversal: Covid Increases Ranks Of Child Caregivers 

On a recent Thursday afternoon, Rhianna Alvarado struggled to don her protective gloves, which were too big for her petite hands. With her mom coaching her every move, she edged close to her father and gently removed the plastic tube from his throat that allows him to breathe. She then cautiously inserted a new one. “What’s next?” asked her mom, Rocio Alvarado, 43. “I know, I know,” replied Rhianna, her eyes constantly searching for her mom’s approval. (de Marco, 3/17)

Did you know that what you eat can affect your sleep? That's right -- there are foods that can help us enjoy a blissful night's rest, while other foods and eating habits can prevent us from getting our needed zzz's. "Foods higher in specific nutrients can enhance our ability to go to sleep and the quality of sleep," said Vandana Sheth, a California-based registered dietitian nutritionist who provides counseling about diet and sleep hygiene to clients. (Drayer, 3/16)