Global Health

Staffing crisis is slamming California hospitals

4:29pm January 10, 2022

by Jackie Fortier

California hospitals are calling in the National Guard to help with a staffing crisis. So many nurses and other health care workers are out with COVID that administrators can't fill necessary shifts.

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Pope Francis delivers the Angelus noon prayer in St.Peter's Square, at the Vatican on Sunday.

On COVID vaccinations, Pope says health care is a 'moral obligation'

7:26am January 10, 2022

by The Associated Press

Francis says individuals have a responsibility to care for themselves "and this translates into respect for the health of those around us."

Health & Safety

Countries reimpose lockdowns with omicron spread

10:28am January 08, 2022

by Jason Beaubien

As the omicron variant of COVID-19 has spread rapidly around the world, some countries have re-imposed lockdowns.

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Top global TikToks of 2021: Defiant Afghan singer, Kenya comic, walnut-cracking elbow

7:13am January 08, 2022

What did the world watch on TikTok last year? We round up some favorite videos — including a mukbang ASMR Thai star (don't worry, we explain it) and a potato chip-crunching Kenyan comedian.

As students have returned to school this year, mental health issues related to the pandemic are surging.

Kids are back in school — and struggling with mental health issues

9:06pm January 07, 2022

by Rhitu Chatterjee

This school year was supposed to bring a return to normalcy. But the stress of transitioning back to in-person learning and the ever-changing pandemic has caused a surge in mental health needs.

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

Global wishes for 2022: a gift box for everyone, greater girl power, vertical gardens

9:02pm January 07, 2022

We asked global thinkers like Malala, doctors dealing with the pandemic, educators and more — if you were in charge of the world, what would you like to see happen this year.

A woman wearing a face mask to protect against COVID-19 rides down a mostly empty street in Xi'an in northwestern China's Shaanxi Province, Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022.

Chinese anti-virus lockdowns add to concerns over economy

5:09am January 07, 2022

by The Associated Press

China's lockdowns of big cities to fight coronavirus outbreaks are prompting concern about more disruptions to global industries after two makers of processor chips said their factories were affected.

Japan approved new restrictions on Friday to curb a sharp rise in coronavirus cases in the three most affected southwestern regions of Okinawa, Yamaguchi and Hiroshima.

Japan approves new restrictions for areas hard hit by COVID

2:13am January 07, 2022

by The Associated Press

Japan has undergone periods of similar restrictions over the past two years. This time, the spread of the omicron variant appears to be first hitting prefectures that house the U.S. military.

A commuter masks up for a bus ride in Liverpool, England. The omicron variant of the coronavirus has surged in the U.K. and is now dominant in the U.S. as well. There's now data indicating just how severe its symptoms might be.

What we know about the symptoms — and the severity — of the omicron variant

8:39pm January 06, 2022

Researchers are looking at data from U.S. cases to determine if the variant causes milder disease. Even if the answer is yes, they say, rates of hospitalization could be high during the surge.

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How Western Australia has managed to avoid large Covid-19 outbreaks

5:25pm January 06, 2022

NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with reporter Jacob Kagi of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation about how Western Australia has managed their COVID-19 numbers throughout the pandemic.

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