pandemic

Cubans line up to buy food in Havana on March 3. The island nation is working to develop a vaccine against COVID-19. If successful, the island nation hopes to produce 1 to 2 million doses a month.

Health & Safety

Cuba's Revolutionary Dream: Making Its Own COVID Vaccine

4:47pm March 25, 2021

by Jason Beaubien

Cuba is going it alone. No contracts with big drug makers, no support from WHO's vaccine program. If successful, Cuba will be the first producer of a vaccine in Latin America.

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Awak Awak started mountain biking when the pandemic forced the restaurant where he worked to shut down.

The Pandemic Pushed People Outside And Now, Some Companies Hope They Stay There

11:43am March 25, 2021

by Frank Morris

Millions of people headed outside for recreation during the pandemic, sparking a banner year for many outdoor gear companies. Now, those companies hope to lock in their newly expanded markets.

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Health workers care for COVID patients at the emergency room of the Nossa Senhora da Conceição hospital on March 11. In more than half of Brazil's 26 states, ICU occupancy rates have hit 90% or above during the pandemic.

Health & Safety

Brazil Is Looking Like The Worst Place On Earth For COVID-19

11:39pm March 23, 2021

by Philip Reeves

Brazil reported a terrible milestone: over 3,000 deaths in a day. The country is in crisis, with hospitals at capacity, politicians attacked for lockdowns and a controversial president.

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Rev. Rodrick Burton has been discussing the importance of vaccines during Bible Study and Sunday Services at his predominantly Black church.

National

St. Louis Pastors Encourage Black Congregations To Get Vaccinated

3:39pm March 23, 2021

by Andrea Henderson

St. Louis has asked Black clergy to encourage church members to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Pastors are preaching about it, talking it up at Bible study and even offering churches as vaccination sites.

Paul DeLorenzo is general manager at Danversport, an event venue featuring a 10,000-square-foot ballroom with a 900-person capacity. He thought 2020 was going to be their best year ever until the pandemic forced him to close. DeLorenzo is hopeful capacity

National

After A Year Of Mostly Cancellations, Bookings Are Back For Many Event Venues

8:01am March 21, 2021

by Craig LeMoult

Phones are once again ringing at event spaces that were largely closed during the pandemic. And venues are starting to navigate the new normal as people being to plan long-postponed celebrations.

A researcher with Franceville International Medical Research Centre collects bats in a net on November 25, 2020 inside a cave in Gabon. Scientists are looking for potential sources for a possible next coronavirus pandemic.

Next Pandemic: Scientists Fear Another Coronavirus Could Jump From Animals To Humans

6:25pm March 19, 2021

by Michaeleen Doucleff

Researchers worry another coronavirus will spill over from a bat or some other creature. They're hunting for sources — and finding evidence that a new pandemic could be around the corner.

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A reader wants to know about smoking's impact on the vaccine but didn't specify cigarettes, e-cigs ... or marijuana. So we'll discuss all three.

Health & Safety

Coronavirus FAQs: Does Smoking Blunt The Vaccine? What About Painkillers?

5:17pm March 19, 2021

by Pranav Baskar

A reader wants to know about smoking's impact on the vaccine but didn't specify cigarettes, e-cigs ... or marijuana. So we'll discuss all three. Also: A refresher in painkiller/vaccine interaction.

Homeless individuals sleep near a National Guard truck ahead of the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden on Jan. 20, 2021, in Washington, D.C.

National

HUD: Growth Of Homelessness During 2020 Was 'Devastating,' Even Before The Pandemic

9:23am March 18, 2021

by Pam Fessler

The annual homeless count by the Department of Housing and Urban Development shows an increase in people living outside. The 2020 numbers in the report do not reflect the impact of the pandemic.

Arts

Winston-Salem Symphony Adapts To The Pandemic

10:59am March 16, 2021

by David Ford

Like all arts organizations in the Triad, the Winston-Salem Symphony was hit hard by the pandemic lockdowns and social distance measures.

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Bamboo rats are among the wild animals farmed for food in China and other parts of Asia. A member of the World Health Organization team investigating the coronavirus pandemic says its report will conclude that such animal farms are likely the place where

Health & Safety

WHO Points To Wildlife Farms In Southern China As Likely Source Of Pandemic

7:51pm March 15, 2021

by Michaeleen Doucleff

Peter Daszak of the investigative team sent to Wuhan says the farms were probably where the coronavirus first jumped from bats to another animal before infecting humans.

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