Global Health

The President Of Brazil Is Facing His Biggest Political Crisis

4:11pm April 02, 2021

by Philip Reeves

Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro is suffering his biggest political crisis since coming to power, as he has massively mishandled the pandemic and the military grows abrasive at his politicization.

Video stills from Vick Krishna's viral video.

The Viral TikTok That Explains Vaccine Science — And Makes You Laugh

8:31pm April 01, 2021

by Joe Palca

A viral TikTok makes vaccine science understandable and pretty funny (it's a horror film parody). NPR caught up with creator and star Vick Krishna — tech expert by day, videographer by night.

A group of tourists prepares to take COVID-19 tests at Taoyuan International Airport on Thursday, the first day of the new Palau-Taiwan Travel Corridor.

Taiwan And Palau Launch Coronavirus Travel Bubble

4:14pm April 01, 2021

by Ashley Westerman

Palau has seen no COVID-19 cases and Taiwan has kept the virus in check. Taiwan's first tourist flight to Palau during the pandemic era landed Thursday. Travelers do not need to quarantine on arrival.

Calls For An Open Investigation Into The Possibility COVID-19 Leaked From A Lab

4:32pm March 31, 2021

by John Ruwitch

The WHO's report with China concluded that COVID-19 likely started in bats, jumped into humans via another animal. But some are pushing for an investigation into the possibility it leaked from a lab.

Commuters wait to board a suburban train on Tuesday at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus prior to the night curfew that has been introduced to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Mumbai.

India Reports Its Highest Daily Number Of COVID-19 Deaths So Far This Year

1:20pm March 31, 2021

by Lauren Frayer

Wednesday's death toll was 354. Scientists are investigating what's making cases of infection rise precipitously after a decline last fall. "This race is really against time," says one immunologist.

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Is A 4th Wave Of The Pandemic On The Horizon? As States Open, COVID-19 Cases Rise

4:50pm March 30, 2021

As states begin to reopen, coronavirus cases are on the rise. NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with epidemiologist Bill Hanage of Harvard University about the possibility of a fourth wave of the pandemic.

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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gives an update on the coronavirus pandemic during a virtual news conference Monday in London. Johnson and other world leaders signed a letter calling for greater international cooperation in fighting future pandemics.

Many World Leaders Call For Treaty On Future Pandemics

11:35am March 30, 2021

by Scott Neuman

Given a lack of international coordination that has beset the current coronavirus pandemic, whether such a treaty could be reached or adhered to is an open question.

Health & Safety

World Health Organization To Release Report On Origins Of Pandemic

7:18am March 30, 2021

NPR's Noel King talks to Peter Daszak, an expert on how animal viruses infect humans, about how the COVID-19 virus may have started on wildlife farms. Daszak was on the WHO team that went to China.

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World Health Organization investigative team member Peter Daszak (shown here during a trip to China in February) tells NPR that the group's report calls for additional research on farms that breed exotic animals in southern China.

WHO Report: Wildlife Farms, Not Market, Likely Source Of Coronavirus Pandemic

8:35pm March 29, 2021

NPR has obtained an early copy of the report, which states that the coronavirus most likely did not originate at the wet market in Wuhan and that a lab leak was "an extremely unlikely pathway."

The Origins Of COVID-19? WHO Report Points To A Bat After All

4:23pm March 29, 2021

by Michaeleen Doucleff

The World Health Organization says it will release its report investigating the origins of COVID-19. It concludes that the virus likely came from a bat and a laboratory leak is extremely unlikely.

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