Health & Safety

Health & Safety

Wuhan Coronavirus 101: What We Do — And Don't — Know About A Newly Identified Disease

6:47pm January 24, 2020

by Emily Vaughn

The virus was identified in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December, and the number of confirmed cases is rapidly increasing. Here's what we do — and don't — know about coronavirus 2019-nCoV.

A man in Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the current coronavirus outbreak, walks by a local mural.

'Please Help Me.' What People In China Are Saying About The Outbreak On Social Media

5:39pm January 24, 2020

Residents in Wuhan and other Chinese cities affected by the Wuhan coronavirus are using platforms like Weibo to share their fears and frustrations.

Damage at the al-Asad military base in Iraq, days after a missile attack by Iran. The barrage was in retaliation for the U.S. killing of a top Iranian general in a drone strike in Baghdad on Jan. 3.

Pentagon Says 34 U.S. Troops Suffered Brain Injuries From Iranian Missile Strike

5:28pm January 24, 2020

by David Welna

More than half the American troops diagnosed with concussions were transferred from the Iraqi base that was attacked to Germany or the U.S.

Medicaid Expansion Costs Hit New York — And Other States Are Watching

4:27pm January 24, 2020

by Brian Mann

Medicaid expansion is making people healthier. It's also costing states more than expected. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is scrambling to close a $6 billion deficit tied to Medicaid expansion.

Queue Listen Now

Health & Safety

How Public Health Officials Use 'Contact Tracing' To Track An Epidemic's Spread

4:27pm January 24, 2020

NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Ranu Dhillon, a doctor and former Ebola adviser to Guinea, on the practice of "contact tracing" to contain epidemics like the new coronavirus.

Queue Listen Now

A Davos sign sits atop a hotel roof ahead of this year's World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Is Davos As Bad As Critics Say? Global Leaders Weigh In

11:42am January 24, 2020

by Joanne Lu

Critics love to hate the World Economic Forum's annual meeting for elites. But people who work in global health and development say it has helped do some good.

Roughly 1 in 10 infants were born prematurely in the U.S. in 2018, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The drug Makena is widely prescribed to women at high risk of going into labor early, though the latest research suggests the m

Drug To Prevent Premature Birth Divides Doctors, Insurers And FDA Experts

11:23am January 24, 2020

by Emmarie Huetteman

An expert panel convened by the FDA says the drug Makena should be withdrawn from the market because a review of its effectiveness shows it doesn't work. But OB-GYNS who prescribe the drug disagree.

A traveler walks past a display board showing a canceled flight from Wuhan at Beijing Capital International Airport on Thursday. China closed off the city of more than 11 million in an unprecedented effort to try to contain a deadly new viral illness that

Chinese Authorities Begin Quarantine Of Wuhan City As Coronavirus Cases Multiply

9:53pm January 23, 2020

Transportation in and out of the city of 11 million is being shut down as cases of the coronavirus are being reported throughout China and abroad. Wuhan is believed to be the contagion's epicenter.

Queue Listen Now

Airport officials screen for possible cases of the novel coronavirus at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport in Wuhan, China, where the illness originated.

Health & Safety

Can Airport Screening Help Stop The Spread Of Wuhan Coronavirus?

9:51pm January 23, 2020

by Lesley McClurg

A new illness is spreading throughout China and other parts of the world, including one confirmed case in the U.S. As airports ramp up screening efforts, public health experts question if they help.

The Hankou Railway Station in Wuhan, China, was closed as part of a shutdown of public transportation — an effort to control the spread of what's being called the Wuhan coronavirus.

Health & Safety

China Halts Transportation Out Of Wuhan To Contain Coronavirus. Could It Backfire?

9:41pm January 23, 2020

by Nurith Aizenman

Experts say China's move is unprecedented. Here's why they're opposed.

Queue Listen Now