Global Health

A computer-generated image of the omicron variant of the coronavirus.

A second version of omicron is spreading. Here's why scientists are on alert

6:36pm January 27, 2022

by Michaeleen Doucleff

It's a sibling of the first omicron variant that swept the world. Is it more contagious? Does it cause severe disease? Will it keep current omicron surges going? Researchers are looking for answers.

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Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu is the head of the World Health Organization's newly created Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence. "We have to get better at convincing leaders to use the data we provide and not their political instinct or whatever else their d

This Nigerian doctor has a tough new job: Stopping the next pandemic before it strikes

7:45am January 27, 2022

by Joanne Silberner

The World Health Organization has created a Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence. Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, who heads the group, talks about the challenges that lie ahead.

Illustration: Dola Sun https://dolasun.com/

Readers' global wishes for 2022: More kindness, more nature ... and kitties!

2:47pm January 25, 2022

by Suzette Lohmeyer

What could the world achieve this year if we had a limitless budget and full support from global leaders? Our audience shares their heartfelt ideas.

MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), depicted above in yellow and surrounded by cellular debris, is a staph bacterium that resists treatment by many common antibiotics. The image is from a scanning electron micrograph.

Why humans are losing the race against superbugs

5:19pm January 23, 2022

by Jason Beaubien

A new report in The Lancet finds that in 2019, antibiotic-resistant bacteria killed 1.2 million people — more than were killed by malaria or HIV/AIDS. The problem is mounting in lower-income nations.

In this photo taken on Jan. 20, a beach resort in Tonga, on the outskirts of the capital of Nuku'alofa, shows the impact of the tsunami that hit the island nation in the wake of an underwater volcanic eruption. Aid efforts have been complicated by the pan

Why Tonga is opting for 'contactless' humanitarian aid

8:53am January 23, 2022

by Ashley Westerman

It's a pandemic predicament. With only 1 recorded case of COVID-19 in their island nation, Tongans are desperate for help after the volcanic eruption — but eager to keep the virus out.

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The Yanqing Winter Olympic Village in Beijing is just one of the many "closed loop" locations that will isolate athletes, staff and the limited number of spectators.

China's Olympics aim to keep COVID at bay with armpit sensors, robots and more

3:49pm January 22, 2022

Athletes and other attendees will be in a closed "loop" with strict rules about everything from daily testing for athletes to how spectators should respond — no cheering out loud, please!

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07 January 2021, Bavaria, Munich: The snowman "Claude", who was built on a hill in the Olympic complex, wears a mouth-nose protection over his nose, which is made of a banana.

Coronavirus FAQ: What's the risk of catching omicron outdoors?

7:28pm January 21, 2022

by Sheila Mulrooney Eldred

Previous versions of the coronavirus didn't transmit as easily outdoors thanks to airflow that dispersed viral particles. But what about the highly transmissible omicron variant?

A resident receives a dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a health center in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Jan. 13. This week, Indonesia started a program to give booster shots to the elderly and people at risk of severe disease.

Booster longevity: Data reveals how long a third shot protects

8:50pm January 19, 2022

by Michaeleen Doucleff

Now researchers in the U.K. have the first estimates for how long a third shot of the Pfizer vaccine will last. The findings are mixed.

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Opinion: 5 steps we must take to vaccinate the world's vulnerable—and end the pandemic

7:05pm January 19, 2022

Three doctors present their proposal to get vaccines to everyone in the world. "We already have the resources, knowledge and systems," they write. Global leaders just have to make it happen.

Above: locals in Liuzhou feast on their regional specialty of snail noodles. The novelty of the dish has made it a viral sensation in China during the pandemic.

Health & Safety

Snail noodles go viral in China during the pandemic. But the dish is a bit ... funky

5:01pm January 18, 2022

The southern specialty — snail broth, pickled bamboo, slippery rice noodles — has taken off. "A lot of people were looking for crazy, ridiculous things to eat," says food blogger Mei Shanshan.

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