Medical Treatments

How The U.S. Could Solve The Coronavirus Test Mess

3:50pm September 14, 2020

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Dr. Atul Gawande, who writes for The New Yorker, about the problem the U.S. is facing with coronavirus testing and what can be done to solve it.

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Earlier in the week, AstraZeneca had paused worldwide studies of its candidate vaccine after one U.K. participant developed symptoms consistent with the spinal cord inflammation known as transverse myelitis.

AstraZeneca Resumes Its COVID-19 Vaccine Trials In The U.K.

5:50pm September 12, 2020

by Joe Palca

The company had placed its worldwide vaccine trials on hold for several days. It now says a safety review by regulators and reviewers is complete. No word on when studies in the U.S. might resume.

As we get closer to a COVID-19 vaccine, it's exciting to imagine a day when the virus is gone. But a vaccine will not be a magic bullet. In fact, it may be only about 50% effective.

A COVID-19 Vaccine May Be Only 50% Effective. Is That Good Enough?

12:30pm September 12, 2020

by Allison Aubrey

Scientists are racing to develop a vaccine that proves "safe and effective." It may not prevent infection in everyone who gets it, but it still could eventually stop the pandemic. Here's how.

As COVID-19 Vaccine Trials Move At Warp Speed, Recruiting Black Volunteers Takes Time

4:38pm September 11, 2020

by Blake Farmer

Some pharmaceutical companies are well into the final phase of clinical trials for a coronavirus vaccine. But efforts to recruit patients from minority groups are just beginning.

There are divides when it comes to who is doing well financially and who is struggling during this pandemic, a new poll finds.

Pandemic Financially Imperils Nearly Half Of American Households, Poll Finds

1:03pm September 10, 2020

by Yuki Noguchi

There are dividing lines when it comes to how families are weathering the pandemic: Those living in big cities, those making less than $100,000 a year, and Latino and Black families are faring worst.

How Vaccine Skepticism May Affect Efforts To Combat The Coronavirus Pandemic

4:28pm September 09, 2020

NPR's Audie Cornish talks with psychologist Dolores Albarracín about how reluctance to get a coronavirus vaccine and anti-vaccination misinformation could affect efforts to combat the pandemic.

About 20% Of Americans Couldn't Get Needed Medical Care Due To Pandemic, Poll Shows

4:28pm September 09, 2020

by Patti Neighmond

In major cities, at least 1 in 5 Americans reported being unable to get medical care or delaying medical care for serious problems due to the pandemic, according to a new poll by NPR and two others.

COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Paused, Due To Illness In One Volunteer

9:43pm September 08, 2020

by Joe Palca

A large study of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate has been put on hold after one of the volunteers became ill.

9 Companies Pledge Not To Submit Coronavirus Vaccine To FDA Until It's Proved Safe

4:06pm September 08, 2020

by Sydney Lupkin

To reassure the public, nine companies issued a joint statement Tuesday saying they won't seek government approval for their coronavirus vaccines until full safety and effectiveness data are in hand.

The mouse on the right has been engineered to have four times the muscle mass of a normal lab mouse. A drug to achieve the same effect was recently tested in space.

Drug That Bulked Up Mice In Space Might Someday Help Astronauts Make Long Voyages

3:50pm September 08, 2020

by Jon Hamilton

An experiment involving some "mighty mice" on the International Space Station could someday help astronauts maintain muscle and bone strength on interplanetary journeys.

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