Health & Safety

Head Of NYC Hospitals Says City Only Has Enough Ventilators To Last Through March

5:14pm March 27, 2020

by Jason Breslow

Dr. Mitchell Katz, who runs New York City's public hospitals, warned on Friday that the city will soon need "massive infusions" of ventilators and protective equipment.

Dr. Deborah Birx serves as the White House's coronavirus response coordinator. She draws on years of experience fighting HIV/AIDs globally.

Health & Safety

A Leading Voice On Coronavirus Task Force, Deborah Birx Draws Praise And Criticism

5:02pm March 27, 2020

by Jason Beaubien

This veteran of fighting HIV/AIDS around the world knows a thing or two about stopping epidemics. But are some of her assumptions too rosy?

Pope Francis delivers the Urbi and Orbi ("To the City and To the World") prayer in an empty St. Peter's Square Friday evening.

Pope Francis Delivers Special Prayer For End To Coronavirus Pandemic

4:54pm March 27, 2020

by Sylvia Poggioli

The "Urbi et Orbi" blessing is normally delivered at Christmas and Easter. The delivered his homily against the dramatic backdrop of an empty St. Peter's Square, glistening in the rain.

People in Wuhan, China, line up at a facility that tests discharged COVID-19 patients as well as individuals who had been held in isolation.

Health & Safety

Mystery In Wuhan: Recovered Coronavirus Patients Test Negative ... Then Positive

4:54pm March 27, 2020

NPR interviewed four residents of Wuhan who contracted the virus, recovered — but then had a retest that turned positive. What does that mean for China's recovery from COVID-19?

Health & Safety

Fearing Shortages, People Are Planting More Vegetable Gardens

4:50pm March 27, 2020

by Alan Tu

Emptier grocery store shelves are helping to cultivate a growing interest in home gardening.

Coronavirus Updates: Trump Signs Relief Bill

4:45pm March 27, 2020

NPR politics and science correspondents round up the latest news in the federal response to the coronavirus epidemic in the United States, including of the passage of the emergency rescue bill.

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Health & Safety

Loss Of Smell Or Taste Emerges As Possible Precursor To Some COVID-19 Cases

4:45pm March 27, 2020

A team of British doctors, citing anecdotal evidence from around the world, believe that losing the senses of smell or taste may be symptoms of contracting the new coronavirus.

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Health & Safety

'Call Your Friends': The Importance Of Maintaining Friendships During The Pandemic

4:45pm March 27, 2020

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with science journalist Lydia Denworth about the biological effects of friendship — and why friends are so important to well-being, especially during the pandemic.

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Health & Safety

The Timeline Of Lifting Social Distancing Depends On Ramping Up Testing

4:45pm March 27, 2020

by Allison Aubrey

Public health experts say we do not have enough data yet to determine when social distancing recommendations can be lifted. Many say the President's Easter timeline is not based on science.

Health & Safety

Member Of Now-Disbanded National Security Council Pandemic Response Team Speaks

4:45pm March 27, 2020

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Dr. Luciana Borio, former FDA chief scientist who later served on the National Security Council global health security team before it was disbanded under President Trump.