Health & Safety

A girl in a park in Beijing on Feb. 15. Researchers are looking at the impact of the newly identified coronavirus on children.

Health & Safety

Coronavirus Is Contagious, But Kids Seem Less Vulnerable So Far

11:24am February 20, 2020

by Allison Aubrey

A small study from China finds infected babies have only mild symptoms. And a study of pregnant women who were infected with the virus evaluates whether it can be passed on to their babies.

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The Metropole Hotel in Hong Kong was ground zero for a super-spreading event during the 2003 SARS outbreak.

What's A 'Super-Spreading Event'? And Has It Happened With COVID-19?

8:18pm February 19, 2020

by Pien Huang

At least 11 cases of the viral disease are linked to a British man's ski trip to the Alps after attending a conference in Singapore.

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Dagmar Turner recently played her violin during brain surgery in London. "The violin is my passion," she said in a statement. "I've been playing since I was 10 years old."

Musician Plays Her Violin During Brain Surgery

7:38pm February 19, 2020

by Merrit Kennedy

Doctors wanted to ensure they didn't compromise parts of the brain necessary for playing the violin, so they asked their musician patient to play for them mid-operation.

An entrance to a dormitory for Foxconn workers. China's factories normally ramp up production right after the Lunar New Year, but few workers have returned so far this year.

The Wide-Ranging Ways In Which The Coronavirus Is Hurting Global Business

5:36pm February 19, 2020

Some factories are beginning to reopen, but labor shortages continue. In a recent poll of U.S. companies by Shanghai's American Chamber of Commerce, 78% said they lack staff to resume full production.

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Australians Clare Hedger and her mother are now free from a two-week quarantine on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama, Japan. Health officials in Japan are being sharply criticized for their handling of the coronavirus quarantine on the ship.

Coronavirus Update: Diamond Princess Passengers Leave Ship As Expert Slams Quarantine

4:59pm February 19, 2020

by Bill Chappell

A total of 621 people from the cruise ship have now been confirmed to have COVID-19 — or about 20% of the 3,011 people who had been tested for the coronavirus disease as of Wednesday.

Research & Development associate Divya Nagalati works on cell cultures in Regeneron's infectious disease labs in Tarrytown, N.Y. The firm is looking for tailored antibodies that might prove useful against the new coronavirus.

Hunt For New Coronavirus Treatments Includes Gene-Silencing And Monoclonal Antibodies

4:09pm February 19, 2020

by Joe Palca

The new coronavirus has spurred biotech labs in universities and companies to try to find new approaches to stopping the virus — from blocking its key enzymes to interfering with its genetics.

Health & Safety

Pressing Unanswered Questions Remain Regarding The Coronavirus

12:09pm February 19, 2020

NPR's Noel King talks to Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, about how the coronavirus spreads.

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Health & Safety

In The Fight Against COVID-19, Labs Look To Create Coronavirus Antibodies

12:04pm February 19, 2020

by Joe Palca

An approach to treating new diseases that worked for the Ebola and Zika viruses is being tested for the new coronavirus. It involves using antibodies to the disease as a drug.

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Until very recently, the separate company that runs the emergency department at Nashville General Hospital was continuing to haul patients who couldn't pay medical bills into court.

It's Not Just Hospitals That Are Quick To Sue Patients Who Can't Pay

11:59am February 19, 2020

by Blake Farmer

The firm that staffed the emergency room with doctors at Nashville General Hospital was taking more patients to court for unpaid medical bills than any other hospital or practice in the city.

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Checking for signs of COVID-19, a medical worker in a protective suit checks the temperatures of people who were on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship as they fly on a chartered evacuation plane from Japan to Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.

Coronavirus Update: 346 Americans Emerge From Quarantine At California Military Bases

3:36pm February 18, 2020

by Bill Chappell

"It is important to know that these people being released from quarantine pose no health risk to the surrounding community," a CDC press officer said in a statement to NPR.