Health & Safety

Health & Safety

Flu Vaccines Still Helpful Even When The Strain Is Different

6:23pm January 02, 2015

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

The influenza season is under way and experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn it may be particularly severe. We have an update on the flu and what you can do to protect yourself.

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One teaspoon of pure caffeine powder delivers about the same jolt as 25 cups of coffee.

Potent Powdered Caffeine Raises Safety Worries

7:32am January 02, 2015

by Rob Stein

With two young men dead, the Food and Drug Administration is considering banning sales to consumers of a highly concentrated form of pure caffeine. It's too easy to overdose, officials warn.

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A doctor examines a patient during a June campaign to find chikungunya cases in the town of Ayutuxtepeque, El Salvador. The country reported more than 100,000 cases of chikungunya in 2014.

Painful Virus Sweeps Central America, Gains A Toehold In U.S.

10:34pm January 01, 2015

by Michaeleen Doucleff

While some Americans worried that Ebola would spread around the U.S., a new mosquito-borne virus flew right in. It sickened more than 2,000 Americans and nearly a million people across the Caribbean.

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Last fall's state-ordered quarantine of nurse Kaci Hickox (shown here with her boyfriend, Theodore Michael Wilbur, in late October) started at the airport in Newark, N.J., then followed her home to Fort Kent, Maine. Hickox treated Ebola patients in Africa

Ebola Aid Workers Still Avoiding New York And New Jersey

10:40am January 01, 2015

by Joel Rose

It's been months since a nurse who treated Ebola patients in Africa was quarantined by New Jersey's governor upon arrival at Newark airport. But a legacy of confusion about state travel rules remains.

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Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh and her only child, Bankole Cardoso. Even after she was diagnosed with Ebola, her son says, "Her morale was not low. She is such a fighter."

A Son Is Lost Without His Mother. So Is A Country

9:19am January 01, 2015

by Ofeibea Quist-Arcton

Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh is hailed as a hero in Nigeria. She and her team refused to release an Ebola patient who was demanding to leave the hospital. But her dedication came at a cost.

Scientists say beer has more nutrients and vitamins than wine or spirits. "There's a reason people call it liquid bread," says researcher Charlie Bamforth.

Health & Safety

If You're Toasting To Health, Reach For Beer, Not (Sparkling) Wine

8:51am January 01, 2015

by Alastair Bland

Though beer has been blamed for many a paunch, researchers say it's more nutritious than most other alcoholic drinks. Moderate consumption may also reduce the risk of heart disease.

Abu Bakarr Koroma is part of a condom handout program to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. These days, he can't even give 'em away.

The Prostitutes Are Not Happy. Neither Are Brides. Sex, Love And Ebola

6:48pm December 31, 2014

by Nurith Aizenman

The prostitutes of Freetown can't find customers. A wedding planner's shop is stuffed with dresses but couples keep delaying the big day. And the condomologist reports that business isn't booming.

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Theses 32 health workers are among the 360-plus who sacrificed their lives in the fight against Ebola. Their names are listed below. The photos are displayed at the Liberian Midwives Association in Monrovia.

Fallen Heroes: A Tribute To The Health Workers Who Died Of Ebola

4:51pm December 31, 2014

by NPR Staff

The virus has taken a tragic toll in their ranks. At hospitals and clinics, their photos are displayed along with messages from their friends and family: "May you rest in perfect peace."

Worshippers stream through downtown Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, toward Bole Medhane Alem (Savior of the World) Cathedral, the largest Orthodox church in Africa.

Ethiopians Seeking Birth Control: Caught Between Church And State

2:16pm December 31, 2014

The Orthodox church may not like it, but the powerful government is pushing family planning.

Using Both Quit Lines And Websites Helps Smokers Stop

1:50pm December 31, 2014

by Nancy Shute

Every state offers quit lines and other aids to help smokers end the habit. Using both telephone and online aids works best, a study finds.