Global Health

Vice Adm. Vivek Murthy, pictured at the Lake Nona Impact Forum in 2017, is a former surgeon general and is one of three co-chairs of President-elect Joe Biden's COVID-19 advisory board.

Biden Names 13 Health Experts To COVID-19 Transition Advisory Board

10:42am November 09, 2020

by Scott Neuman

The team, which includes former federal health officials, aims to create a blueprint for the incoming administration's COVID-19 response as the nation battles a new surge in infections.

As the world surpasses 50 million COVID-19 cases, the U.S. is poised to cross the 10 million mark. The country is grappling with outbreaks acrossing the country, including in El Paso, Texas.

Health & Safety

COVID-19 Cases Top 50 Million Globally, U.S. Nears 10 Million

6:14pm November 08, 2020

by Wynne Davis

The U.S., India and Brazil lead with the most cases and account for nearly half of the world count. The U.S. alone is poised to hit 10 million cases as hospitalizations continue to climb.

Players from the Herat Storm celebrate after winning the championship of the Afghan women's soccer league on October 16 in Kabul.

Women Of Afghanistan Won't Give Up Their Soccer Dreams

7:00am November 08, 2020

At the championship of the Afghan women's soccer league, players sprint across the field. Hoodie-style hijabs cover their hair. The scene was once unthinkable. But now the players face new obstacles.

Children play on the street in a village outside of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Need A Reminder Of How Gorgeous Earth Is? Peep These Photo Award Winners

3:04pm November 07, 2020

by Malaka Gharib

Awash in color, texture and movement, the winners of the Siena International Photo Awards offer a nostalgic glimpse of life before the pandemic.

Keeping your hands clean is always important to reduce infection but especially so now to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Health & Safety

Coronavirus FAQs: Should I Purell My Nostrils? Can Lysol Disinfect The Air?

6:20pm November 06, 2020

by Fran Kritz

Can rubbing hand sanitizer inside the nostrils help reduce infection? Can spraying Lysol in a room every hour or so disinfect the air? Plus: a primer on how to use hand sanitizer effectively.

The flawed coronavirus test kits went out to public laboratories in February. An internal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention review obtained by NPR says the wrong quality control protocols were used.

CDC Report: Officials Knew Coronavirus Test Was Flawed But Released It Anyway

2:22pm November 06, 2020

by Dina Temple-Raston

An unreleased CDC review obtained by NPR shows that lab officials knew an early coronavirus test kit had a high failure rate. They decided not to recall it and sent it to the nation's labs anyway.

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A woman reacts as she leaves the Illinois Department of Employment Security WorkNet center in Arlington Heights, Ill., on Thursday. The state has reported a spike of nearly 10,000 new coronavirus cases. It also reports biggest spike in unemployment claims

New Daily U.S. Coronavirus Cases Jump Nearly 20%, Hitting Almost 122,000

9:01am November 06, 2020

by Scott Neuman

The U.S. recorded nearly 122,000 new daily coronavirus cases, a sharp uptick over the previous day that saw the country's first six-figure increase since the start of the pandemic.

Health & Safety

Child Marriages Are Up In The Pandemic. Here's How India Tries To Stop Them

4:06pm November 05, 2020

Local sources say there's been a spike in child marriage during the pandemic. A key reason: By marrying off girls early, poor families have one less mouth to feed in desperate times.

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Health workers measure a woman's blood pressure during a simulation of a COVID-19 vaccine trial in Indonesia.

Poor Countries Fall Behind In Race To Reserve COVID-19 Vaccine

12:17pm November 05, 2020

by Michaeleen Doucleff

Wealthy countries have a strategy to secure doses of any forthcoming vaccines. And that's creating a problem for lower-income nations.

Some criteria that make a safer fabric mask: tight weave fabric; multiple layers of fabric (ideally two layers and a filter); a tight seal and shape that cups to your face; and pleats or folds.

Health & Safety

Coronavirus FAQs: Are 3 Masks Better Than 1? Will Mouthwash Keep You Safe?

2:42pm November 03, 2020

by Rosemary Misdary

Readers are asking: Should we double up on masks for double the protection? Does gargling with mouthwash have an impact on the virus?