COVID-19

Health & Safety

Coronavirus Cluster Near Seattle Highlights Vulnerability Of Nursing Homes

4:57pm March 02, 2020

by JoNel Aleccia

The new coronavirus has spread among several residents of a Seattle-area nursing home. Are other elder care facilities prepared to stave off similar outbreaks?

Humans — workers and flight crews as well as passengers — can be exposed to any number of pathogens at airports. EVA Air employees are seen wearing face masks at the Los Angeles airport in February amid the coronavirus outbreak. U.S. officials advise

Airport Workers Fear They're Unprotected From The Coronavirus

12:42pm March 01, 2020

by Martha Ann Overland

Appeals for calm by the Trump administration and the CDC haven't done much to ease the worries of airport workers, who say they're on the front lines of the COVID-19 outbreak.

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A poster dated Dec 1st, 1937 encouraging persons with syphilis to seek proper treatment as soon as possible.

China's Red Banners Take On Coronavirus. Even Mahjong Gets A Mention

7:00am March 01, 2020

The traditional propaganda tool is now addressing the outbreak. Like public health messages in many parts of the world, the banners can be straightforward, scary ... and quite creative.

Workers wear protective face masks at the Yanfeng Adient factory in Shanghai, where car seats are assembled, on Feb. 24.

As New Coronavirus Cases Slow In China, Factories Start Reopening

11:32am February 29, 2020

Strict quarantine measures have prevented 300 million migrant workers from returning to work. Now local authorities are trying to get businesses going again. The main bottleneck: a shrunken workforce.

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MAP: Which Countries Have CDC Travel Advisories Because Of Coronavirus

9:15am February 29, 2020

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued warnings for several countries because of the outbreak. Our map highlights the areas of concern.

A face mask adorns a statue of St. Francis of Assisi in the town of San Fiorano, one of the places in Italy on lockdown due to the novel coronavirus outbreak. The picture was taken by schoolteacher Marzio Toniolo.

WHO Says Risk Of COVID-19 Is Now 'Very High At A Global Level'

4:54pm February 28, 2020

by Bill Chappell

On Monday, 29 countries reported having cases of the coronavirus disease. It's now been confirmed in nearly 50 nations.

The most common test for coronavirus infections checks for the virus' genetic material. A blood test that, instead, measures antibodies against the virus could give doctors and researchers more information.

How A Coronavirus Blood Test Could Solve Some Medical Mysteries

1:35pm February 28, 2020

by Richard Harris

Researchers in Asia are using a blood test that identifies people who have previously been exposed to the new coronavirus. In the U.S., that kind of test isn't yet available.

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Waiters stand by an empty restaurant in Venice's St. Mark's Square, which would normally be full of tourists, as a coronavirus outbreak grows in Italy.

Coronavirus Updates: Italy Reports 650 Cases And 17 Deaths

5:11pm February 27, 2020

by Bill Chappell

Italy says its cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus spiked by more than 50% in just 24 hours. Fears over the virus are forcing top-level soccer matches to be played without any fans present.

Health officials have identified what could be the first U.S. case of the novel coronavirus spreading within the general population. But a hospital says the diagnosis was delayed for days. Here, a passenger wears a face mask on a train in San Francisco on

Diagnosis Of Coronavirus Patient In California Was Delayed For Days

2:49pm February 27, 2020

by Bill Chappell

The first suspected U.S. case of novel coronavirus infection through "community spread" was left undiagnosed for days, hospital officials said, because the case didn't fit the CDC's criteria.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, headquartered in Atlanta, announced on Wednesday a new case of the COVID-19 disease in California, a diagnosis that was delayed because testing wasn't done immediately.

Health & Safety

CDC Has Fixed Issue Delaying Coronavirus Testing In U.S., Health Officials Say

12:27pm February 27, 2020

by Rob Stein

A problem with one ingredient in test kits that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention distributed to labs around the U.S. had created a frustrating bottleneck.