Global Health

Turkey Struggles During Pandemic To Protect Public Health, Economy

6:20am January 26, 2021

by Peter Kenyon

Turkey says it has vaccinated more than a million front-line workers against COVID-19, and is now vaccinating people in their 80s. The country is hard hit — even as weekend lockdowns continue.

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was one of many global health leaders who spoke bluntly about the coronavirus pandemic at annual meetings that conclude on Tuesday. Discussing the lack of priority given to vaccines for

'Everything Broke': Global Health Leaders On What Went Wrong In The Pandemic

7:29pm January 25, 2021

by Nurith Aizenman

Six takeaways from discussions at the annual meeting of the World Health Organization's Executive Board.

Moderna will test new COVID-19 vaccine booster doses, saying that while its vaccine should protect against variants found in the U.K. and South Africa, it isn't as effective against the South African strain. Here, a bus in London carries a sign telling pe

Moderna Finds COVID-19 Vaccine Still Protects Against Emerging Strains

5:16pm January 25, 2021

by Bill Chappell

In a new round of tests, the drug company wants to see if booster doses of its vaccine will ramp up defenses against emerging strains of the coronavirus.

Health & Safety

The Latest On International COVID-19 Vaccine Development Efforts

4:50pm January 25, 2021

by Joe Palca

Moderna announced on Monday that its COVID-19 vaccine seems to work against at least some of the new coronavirus variants. NPR discusses what it might mean for the course of the pandemic worldwide.

Pharmaceutical company Merck says it is shelving its two COVID-19 vaccine candidates, saying that the results of clinical trials fell short of its goals.

Merck Stops Developing Both Of Its COVID-19 Vaccine Candidates

10:21am January 25, 2021

by Bill Chappell

Merck, which previously made an Ebola vaccine, had been seen as a serious contender in the worldwide race to come up with an answer to the coronavirus.

A woman walks in a park along Yangtze River in Wuhan on Jan. 19, 2021. Residents of the city of 11 million, which was the first epicenter of COVID-19, have conflicting emotions as they reckon with the aftermath of the virus and their 76-day lockdown.

Health & Safety

Wuhan's Lockdown Memories One Year Later: Pride, Anger, Deep Pain

11:29pm January 23, 2021

by Emily Feng

Jan. 23 marks the one-year anniversary of the strict lockdown imposed on the first epicenter of COVID-19. Here's what residents have to say about their experience.

Queue Listen Now

South Korea's KF94 mask does a good job concealing the Mona Lisa's smile — but how effective is it at preventing coronavirus spread? Here, masked pedestrians stroll through a shopping district in Seoul.

Coronavirus FAQ: Why Am I Suddenly Hearing So Much About KF94 Masks?

9:45pm January 22, 2021

by Pranav Baskar

There are N95s, reserved for health workers. There are KN95s, which you can buy easily — except that quality may vary. And now South Korea's KF94 masks are getting a lot of buzz.

A volunteer receives a shot as part of a COVID-19 vaccine trial at Soweto's Chris Sani Baragwanath Hospital outside Johannesburg, South Africa, on Nov. 30, 2020.

'Until Everyone Is Safe, No One Is Safe': Africa Awaits The COVID-19 Vaccine

3:57pm January 22, 2021

by Steve Inskeep

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient and former president of Liberia, says much of Africa may be left out until 2022. "We don't have the resources. It's as simple as that," she says.

Queue Listen Now

Cemetery workers carry the remains of 89-year-old Abilio Ribeiro, who died of the new coronavirus, for burial at the Nossa Senhora Aparecida cemetery in Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil, on Jan. 6. The day before, Manaus declared a 180-day state of emergenc

Coronavirus Crisis Gets 'Even Worse' In Brazilian Amazon City Of Manaus

3:55pm January 22, 2021

by Philip Reeves

Another surge in coronavirus cases has collapsed Manaus' health system, leading hospitals to run out of beds and oxygen for patients. It's also having a deadly fallout in nearby communities.

Adult hookworms from a dog. The larvae, which penetrate the skin, are even smaller.

Why It Can Be Harder To Fight Hookworms In Alabama Than In Argentina

1:59pm January 22, 2021

by Susan Brink

The wriggling parasites are a scourge around the world. And in some ways, other countries are better at fighting them than the U.S. But a new effort in the rural South shows promise.