Global Health

When 2 coronavirus variants meet inside 1 person, a Frankenstein hybrid can be born

4:34pm March 23, 2022

by Michaeleen Doucleff

That's how the so-called "deltacron" variant — a mashup of delta and omicron — came to be. This process of recombining tells us a lot about the possible past and future of SARS-CoV-2.

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Nastia Stefanovich, a volunteer at the distribution center in Lviv for goods donated for Ukrainians in need, points out the piles of clothes that have been arriving.

Health & Safety

Donated clothes help in Ukraine. But here's one thing aid experts like better

5:05pm March 22, 2022

by Jason Beaubien

Donations are pouring in — but they don't always address the needs of the many displaced and homeless Ukrainians who've lost practically everything they own.

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COMIC: Two psychologists tell how Ukrainian kids are reacting to war.

Health & Safety

COMIC: How children are coping in Ukraine — and how parents can help

5:32pm March 21, 2022

by Malaka Gharib

Two psychologists in Ukraine tell what they are hearing from traumatized children — and how to give support to these youngsters. Although in the chaos of war, that can be a daunting task.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam listens to a reporter's question during a news conference in Hong Kong, on Monday.

Hong Kong to lift flight bans and cut quarantine for arrivals

2:52am March 21, 2022

by The Associated Press

The local government also says it will suspend plans for a city-wide mass-testing exercise.

Refugees from Ukraine, which has a high rate of tuberculosis, are often screened for the disease. Above: Dr. Natalie Wöhrle analyzes the X-ray images of the lungs from a screening in Gauting, Germany, on March 12.

Health & Safety

Russia's war with Ukraine is devastating for Ukraine's war on TB

8:23am March 19, 2022

by Ari Daniel

The country has a high rate of tuberculosis. They'd been making progress but then came the pandemic ... and now the war. Doctors worryi about increased spread of this contagious and deadly disease.

A woman skates in Helsinki, on a sunny but frosty Boxing Day on Dec. 26, with temperatures around 9 degrees Fahrenheit.

Americans got a bit happier last year, but they've still got nothing on the Finns

9:01pm March 18, 2022

by Christopher Dean Hopkins

The latest World Happiness report finds Scandinavian countries once again dominating the top of the rankings, while the U.S. climbed from 19th to 16th.

A Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is prepared during a pop-up vaccine clinic at Cristo Rey Church in East Austin last summer.

Moderna seeks approval for a 2nd COVID-19 booster shot for adults

11:59am March 18, 2022

by Ayana Archie

If approved, this would be the second booster shot Moderna has issued for people ages 18 and up.

This photo taken on Feb. 20 shows a foreign worker in Hong Kong sheltering with her belongings during the city's current coronavirus surge.

Health & Safety

Seen as heroes at home, Filipino workers feel 'abandoned' amid Hong Kong's COVID surge

10:25pm March 17, 2022

by Julie McCarthy

Many of the domestic workers say they were banished from their employers' homes after getting sick — and fired — even though terminating an employee for falling ill is against Hong Kong law.

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The U.S. has shipped 500 million COVID vaccine doses globally, but there's work ahead

4:29pm March 17, 2022

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with acting coordinator for Global COVID-19 Response and Health Security, Mary Beth Goodman, about the U.S. shipping 500 million COVID vaccine doses to more than 100 countries.

Mariana Vishegirskaya stands outside a maternity hospital that was damaged by shelling in Mariupol, Ukraine, on March 9. Vishegirskaya later gave birth to a girl in another hospital in Mariupol.

Health & Safety

Russia's strike on Ukraine maternity hospital is part of a terrible wartime tradition

6:00pm March 16, 2022

by Diane Cole

The attack on the facility in Mariupol reflects an unfortunate trend in wars in Syria, Ethiopia and other countries. The impact on health care in the short-term and the long run is beyond devastating.