Risk

A poster in Kolkata, India, from peak pandemic days sends a message to mask up. Now that the official COVID-19 global emergency is no longer in effect, some folks are thrilled to stop masking — but others wonder if it's a good idea to keep up certain precautions.

Coronavirus FAQ: 'Emergency' over! Do we unmask and grin? Or adjust our worries?

4:46pm May 12, 2023

by Fran Kritz

Now that official COVID emergency declarations have ended, how should people evaluate their risk of SARS-CoV-2? That's the subject of our frequently asked questions offering.

Hundreds of people demonstrated in Piazza del Popolo in Rome against racism, part of a global wave of protests following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. A police officer is being charged with second degree murder.

Health & Safety

Even In A Pandemic, WHO Believes That Public Protests Are Important

5:52pm June 08, 2020

The World Health Organization, in a press conference on Monday, expressed solidarity with the demonstrations calling for racial justice — and shared advice to reduce the risk of catching COVID-19.

Hurricane Florence flooded Nichols, S.C., in September 2018. It was the second catastrophic flood in the region in less than two years.

When '1-In-100-Year' Floods Happen Often, What Should You Call Them?

9:37pm May 08, 2019

by Rebecca Hersher

The term "100-year flood" can be confusing and misleading, scientists, local emergency officials and homeowners all agree. Experts say there's a better way to communicate about flood risk.

Queue Listen Now

The common practice of double-booking a lead surgeon's time and letting junior physicians supervise and complete some parts of a surgery is safe for most patients, a study of more than 60,000 operations finds. But there may be a small added risk for a sub

Double-Booked Surgeons: Study Raises Safety Questions For High-Risk Patients

7:19pm February 26, 2019

by Rebecca Ellis

Most patients do fine, research suggests, when the lead surgeon steps away to begin another procedure. But patients who are older or have underlying medical conditions sometimes fare worse.

Barbara J. King considers risk on playgrounds from an evolutionary perspective.

Is It Time To Bring Risk Back Into Our Kids' Playgrounds?

3:26pm March 15, 2018

by Barbara J. King

Are playgrounds in the U.S. too sterile and risk-averse to help our kids thrive? Anthropologist Barbara J. King considers play and child development in evolutionary perspective.

Melanoma survivors may still be taking chances with sun exposure.

Some Melanoma Survivors Are Still Getting Too Much Sun Exposure

2:45pm March 02, 2017

by Katherine Hobson

Getting people to change their health behaviors is hard. A cancer diagnosis may increase motivation to reduce risk, but it doesn't necessarily make the change easier.

A vehicle from the 2012 attack on Norwegian Refugee Council staff in Dadaab, Kenya. Four aid workers were kidnapped by Somali militants.

Health & Safety

Kidnapping Is A Rising Concern For Aid Workers Around The World

4:11pm July 25, 2016

by Malaka Gharib

A court award of half a million dollars to a kidnapped aid worker — and an increase in kidnappings — has spurred humanitarian groups to create better security plans.

Dr. Tom Frieden (left), director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, testifies about Zika virus with Dr. Anthony Fauci (center), director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Dr. Ariel Pablos-Mendez, assistant a

Health & Safety

When Fear Becomes An Unintended Public Health Problem

4:19pm February 19, 2016

by Doug Levy

There's a fine line between telling people about an emerging public health threat, such as Zika virus, and scaring them out of their wits. Once alarm spreads, it can be hard to make the facts known.

The upshot from a study of more than 75,000 low-risk births is that "childbirth in the United States is very safe regardless of where you decide to do it," says Dr. Michael Greene, who directs obstetrics at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

Giving Birth Outside A Hospital Is A Little Riskier For The Baby

6:29pm December 30, 2015

by Rob Stein

A big study finds the risk that the baby will die soon after delivery is twice as high if the delivery was planned for home or a birthing center versus the hospital, but such deaths are very rare.

Queue Listen Now

How do some of the most respected investors on the planet think Americans should be investing their money?

Economy

Three Investment Gurus Share Their Model Portfolios

4:05pm October 17, 2015

by Chris Arnold

How do some of the most respected investors on the planet think Americans should be investing their money? NPR talked to three about what a retirement portfolio should look like.