Global Health

In this photo provided by the Australian Defense Force, debris from damaged buildings and trees are strewn around on Atata Island in Tonga following the eruption of an underwater volcano and subsequent tsunami.

Tonga's COVID outbreak is growing rapidly with omicron cases confirmed

5:39am February 10, 2022

by The Associated Press

Health Minister Saia Piukala told reporters that 31 more people had tested positive for the COVID-19, nearly doubling Tonga's active cases for the second day in a row, local media reported.

Health & Safety

Trucker protests over COVID mandates fuel Canada's growing far-right

5:19am February 10, 2022

NPR's Rachel Martin talks to Stephanie Carvin, an associate professor at Canada's Carleton University, about what the spreading trucker protests mean for the country's far-right movement.

Members of the Philippine Coast Guard assist passengers as they arrive at Manila's International Airport. The Philippines lifted a nearly 2-year ban on foreign travelers Thursday as an omicron-fueled surge eases.

The Philippines welcomes back foreign travelers after nearly 2 years

3:30am February 10, 2022

by The Associated Press

The Philippines lifted a nearly 2-year ban on fully vaccinated foreign travelers Thursday to boost tourism and related industries as an omicron-fueled surge eases.

Take a look at SARS-CoV-2's family tree. It's full of surprises

5:00pm February 09, 2022

by Michaeleen Doucleff

The family history of SARS-CoV-2 is not what virologists expected — and it sheds light on the coronavirus that launched a pandemic. Check out our illustration of the virus's family tree.

Health & Safety

Officials in Ottawa aim to end the rowdy protests that have paralyzed the city

5:17pm February 08, 2022

NPR's Leila Fadel talks to Ottawa City Councillor Matthew Luloff about what the Canadian capital is doing to try to end the massive protests over COVID-19 mandates and other pandemic rules.

Queue Listen Now

The richest people in the world got even richer during the pandemic and more people fell into poverty, says an Oxfam report. The charity claims that this growing economic gap leads to "economic violence."

Health & Safety

Oxfam says the rich got richer in the pandemic, and the wealth gap is killing the poor

4:55pm February 08, 2022

by Joanne Lu

The poverty-fighting charity points to unprecedented new wealth accrued by the ultra-rich — and asserts that the result of the world's growing inequality is "economic violence" for the impoverished.

The U.S. is hiring nurses from abroad, depleting some countries' health care systems

4:44pm February 08, 2022

NPR's Adrian Florido chats with New York Times reporter Stephanie Nolen about how U.S. hospitals are relying on global recruitment to address staff shortages.

A photograph of a woman who says she was a victim of marital rape. She is posing outside near her home in New Delhi. The Delhi High Court is now considering petitions that call for the criminalization of marital rape.

Health & Safety

Marital rape is still legal in India. A court decision could change that

10:03am February 08, 2022

by Lauren Frayer

Women's groups have petitioned the Delhi High Court to close a legal loophole and criminalize marital rape. A decision is expected soon. Men who oppose the petitions have gone on a "marriage strike."

SARS-CoV-2 is shown in this colorized transmission electron micrograph. This specimen was isolated from a patient in the U.S. Particles of the virus are shown emerging from the surface of cells cultured in the lab.

Health & Safety

The future of the pandemic is looking clearer as we learn more about infection

12:27pm February 07, 2022

by Michaeleen Doucleff

Scientists are beginning to come up with answers to the question of how long antibodies from an infection can protect you — and what they'll protect you from.

Queue Listen Now

Health & Safety

Protests over COVID mandates prompt Ottawa to declare a state of emergency

6:22am February 07, 2022

by Emma Jacobs

In the Canadian capital Ottawa, truckers and other opponents of vaccine mandates, as well as mask mandates, have paralyzed the city center for more than a week. Protesting for hours at a stretch.