Global Health

Why are scientists so concerned about some of the new coronavirus variants? We take a look at how some of the mutations give SARS CoV-2 an advantage in infecting us.

Health & Safety

What's Going On With All These Coronavirus Variants? An Illustrated Guide

2:17pm February 02, 2021

One day you're worrying about the regular old coronavirus. Then — seemingly out of the blue — there are variants. Worrisome variants! How did they come to be? And why are they likely more contagious?

A woman wearing a face mask cycles past closed souvenir shops near Sensoji Temple, normally a popular tourist destination, on Feb. 2 in Tokyo. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced a one-month extension to the state of emergency across much of the count

Struggling With Third Wave Of Infections, Japan Extends State Of Emergency

12:22pm February 02, 2021

by Anthony Kuhn

Japan is extending the state of emergency for one more month. The move comes despite a mounting toll on the economy and the threat of bumping up against the country's Summer Olympics preparations.

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Russia's Sputnik vaccine was found to be effective in preventing COVID-19 symptoms, according to a new study published in The Lancet medical journal. Here, a patient gets a shot of the Russian vaccine at Sochi's City Hospital No 4.

Russia's Sputnik Vaccine Is Reported To Be 92% Effective Against COVID-19

10:38am February 02, 2021

by Bill Chappell

The findings stand to add legitimacy to the Sputnik vaccine, which was met with skepticism last August when the Russian government touted its move to formally register the world's first vaccine.

A mural in New Delhi is part of public health messaging in India. The country has seen a dramatic decline in new cases since the fall, but researchers aren't sure why.

Health & Safety

The Mystery Of India's Plummeting COVID-19 Cases

9:04pm February 01, 2021

by Lauren Frayer

From 100,000 cases a day in September, India is now down to about 10,000 a day. Is it climate? Demographics? Mask mandates? Scientists are looking for answers.

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Palestinian Doctors Say They Lack Enough COVID-19 Vaccines To Protect Themselves

4:28pm February 01, 2021

by Daniel Estrin

The pandemic has hit the Gaza Strip hard. Many ill Palestinians cannot afford to quarantine and doctors in COVID-19 wards have struggled to supply enough oxygen for ventilators.

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Captain Tom Moore tested positive for COVID-19 last week and later developed trouble breathing, his daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore said. He's seen here in September in Milton Keynes, England.

Captain Tom, 100-Year-Old Who Inspired Millions, Is Hospitalized With COVID-19

3:18pm February 01, 2021

by Bill Chappell

Capt. Tom Moore, a World War II veteran, is now fighting COVID-19, his daughter says. Moore used walks in his garden to raise millions for NHS Charities Together last year.

Israelis receive a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine from medical professionals at a vaccination center set up on a mall parking lot in Givataim, Israel, during a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the virus, on Jan. 20.

Vaccines For Data: Israel's Pfizer Deal Drives Quick Rollout — And Privacy Worries

11:52am January 31, 2021

by Daniel Estrin

Israel paid a premium, locked in an early supply of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines and agreed to share data from Israel's centralized trove of medical statistics. Privacy advocates have some misgivings.

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With the sun setting off the coast of northern Honduras, Ella Guity watches her daughters, Jirian and Eleny, swim in the warm Caribbean waters of the village of Rio Esteban, home to a group with African and indigenous roots known as the Garifuna. Ella had

Health & Safety

PHOTOS: The Pandemic Sends A Single Mom In The Big City To A Simpler, Happier Life

7:44am January 30, 2021

by Tomas Ayuso

Ella Guity lived in the capital of Honduras with her daughters and mother. COVID-19 was surging. She sent them all to the fishing village where she grew up. Could she — should she — go too?

A handheld ultraviolet-C wand is waved over the surface of a computer keyboard.

Coronavirus FAQ: I'm Using A UV Light To Disinfect Stuff. Is That A Good Idea?

9:18pm January 29, 2021

by Kristen Kendrick

Researchers are looking into several key points: Can ultraviolet light kill the coronavirus, and is it safe to use? Or might your eyes pay a price?

European medical officials say that authorizing the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine will "help to bring the pandemic under control and protect the citizens of the EU."

EU Authorizes AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine For People Over 18

3:02pm January 29, 2021

by Bill Chappell

"I expect the company to deliver the 400 million doses as agreed," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.