Global Health

How Do Pandemics Change Societies? A Historian Weighs In

4:15pm March 11, 2021

For many Americans, March 11, 2020, was the day the pandemic began to feel real. NPR's Audie Cornish speaks with historian Keith Wailoo about how pandemics change societies.

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Dr. Storm Bissict, 35, dives in False Bay along the coast of Cape Town. It's her way of decompressing from her hectic pandemic days.

PHOTOS: How 9 Health Workers Stay Strong In A Pandemic Year

1:00pm March 11, 2021

by NPR SPECIAL REPORT

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic. We interviewed 9 health workers around the world to learn what's surprised them most — and how they've managed to cope.

A CVS pharmacist gives the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to a resident at the Emerald Court senior living community in Anaheim, Calif., in January. Federal health officials have revised advice on nursing home visitations for the first time since Septem

Indoor Visits With Nursing Home Residents OK, New CDC Guidance Says

8:22am March 11, 2021

by Scott Neuman

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services now recommends that visitors and residents, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, be allowed to meet in person under most circumstances.

News Brief: Pandemic Anniversary, Border Crossings, Cuomo Allegations

7:14am March 11, 2021

It's been a year since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. The number of unaccompanied minors arriving at the U.S. border rises. Another woman accuses N.Y. Gov. Cuomo of inappropriate sexual conduct.

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Countries Face A Variety Of Obstacles In Getting Vaccines In Their Citizens' Arms

4:23pm March 10, 2021

Mistrust towards China-produced vaccines, general vaccine hesitancy and distribution complications have all been obstacles in getting the vaccine out in some countries.

Miriam De La Torre receives a COVID-19 vaccine earlier this month. The LA Unified School District and the United Teachers LA union say they've reach a tentative agreement to return to in-person learning next month.

LA Schools, Teachers Reach Tentative Deal To Reopen Classrooms To In-Person Learning

1:48pm March 10, 2021

by Scott Neuman

The agreement, which still must be ratified by members of the teachers union, would see most students returning to physical classrooms for the first time in more than a year.

The red shoes are part of a public art installation denouncing violence against women. The photo was taken at Durresi main square in Tirana, Albania, on March 8 — International Women's Day.

Nearly 1 in 3 Women Experience Violence: Landmark Report From WHO

5:36pm March 09, 2021

by Maria Godoy

A report that gathered data from 161 countries and areas paints a "horrifying picture," said WHO's director-general. And there's concern that the pandemic has made matters worse.

Dr. John Nkengasong, the director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, tells NPR he's working on multiple fronts to bring vaccines to the continent.

Africa CDC Director On The Continent's Outlook For Vaccinations

4:59pm March 09, 2021

Africa is lowest in the world in COVID-19 cases and deaths — but also in vaccinations. Dr. John Nkengasong says he's working on multiple fronts to secure doses and improve distribution.

A manual vacuum aspirator can be used to perform abortions and also to remove tissue from the uterus after an abortion or miscarriage.

Health & Safety

In Hospitals Across Africa, A Lack Of Post-Abortion Care

1:20pm March 09, 2021

by Patrick Adams

Post-abortion care is recognized as a solution to the public health problem of unsafe abortion. But in low-resource countries, such care is often unavailable.

Syrian President Bashar Assad gestures while speaking to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during talks in Damascus in September. Assad and his wife, Asma, have been diagnosed with coronavirus infection, according to an official statement.

Syria's Bashar Assad And His Wife Test Positive For Coronavirus

10:20am March 08, 2021

by Scott Neuman

The couple received PCR tests after experiencing minor symptoms consistent with the virus, according to an official statement. Both are in "good health and in a stable condition," it said.