Science

Richard Leakey, whose discoveries helped prove mankind began in Africa, is dead at 77

1:50pm January 04, 2022

by Jackie Northam

Famed Kenyan conservationist and fossil hunter Richard Leakey has died at age 77. His discoveries helped prove Africa was the cradle of civilization.

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What the numbers tell us, or don't tell us, about the omicron surge

4:57pm January 03, 2022

In the midst of record high COVID case numbers in the U.S., NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with biostatistician Natalie Dean about how to assess COVID metrics.

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Richard Leakey, Kenyan wildlife conservationist, places a rhino horn to be burned at the zoo in Dvur Kralove, Czech Republic, in 2017. Leakey, known for his fossil-finding and conservation work in his native Kenya, has died at 77.

Famed fossil hunter and conservationist Richard Leakey dies at 77

1:37pm January 03, 2022

by Scott Neuman

Leakey made important contributions to our understanding of human origins through his fossil finds. He later gained fame for taking on poachers who threatened to wipe out Kenya's elephants and rhinos.

A nurse practitioner fills a syringe with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at the Beaumont Health offices in Southfield, Mich., on Nov. 5.

The FDA authorizes a Pfizer booster shot for children ages 12 to 15

12:47pm January 03, 2022

by Scott Hensley

The authorization comes in the midst of an explosion of COVID-19 cases nationwide driven by the omicron variant — a surge that has brought a spike in pediatric hospitalizations.

A woman walks by a closed store in a shopping mall in Montreal, Sunday as the COVID-19 pandemic continues in Canada. Some new measures put in place by the Quebec government, including the closure of stores, go into effect today.

Quebec begins retail store closures amid new COVID-19 wave

1:14am January 03, 2022

by The Associated Press

Quebec proceeded with the first of three planned closures of non-essential retail stores Sunday as the government tries to curb a new wave of COVID-19 driven by the highly infectious Omicron variant.

Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Sunday that the CDC was considering adding testing negative to its recommendations for when people could stop isolating after testing positive.

CDC could add a negative test to its new isolation guidelines, Fauci says

4:35pm January 02, 2022

by Joe Hernandez

The CDC recently cut the number of days it recommends COVID-positive people remain in isolation from 10 days to five, but it didn't require a negative test to leave isolation.

As the pandemic drags on, there are still a lot of questions to be answered about how to keep kids safe.

A pediatrician's advice to parents of kids under 5 on omicron, travel and daycare

8:46am January 02, 2022

Amid the omicron surge there is understandable anxiety among parents, particularly for those with kids under 5. Pediatric infectious disease doctor Ibukun Kalu answers some of their questions.

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Caregivers working with COVID-19 patients in a Barnes-Jewish Hospital intensive care unit write a message of love and support on the glass door facing a patient's room.

ICU teams report fatigue and frustration as they brace for omicron surge

4:41pm December 31, 2021

by Jon Hamilton

A resurgence in COVID-19 cases is testing the endurance of health care workers who care for the sickest patients, most of whom are unvaccinated.

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A colorized electron micrograph image of a cell (red) infected with with SARS-CoV-2 virus particles (yellow), isolated from a patient sample.

Omicron is spreading at lightning speed. Scientists are trying to figure out why

11:18am December 31, 2021

by Will Stone

The burning questions: What makes this newly identified variant so transmissible?. And what does it mean for preventing spread?

Health care workers administer COVID-19 tests at a drive-through clinic in Sydney, Friday, Dec. 31. Australian health authorities have reported a record 32,000 new virus cases, many of them in Sydney.

New virus infections driven by omicron soar to record high in Australia

4:03am December 31, 2021

by The Associated Press

New coronavirus infections soared again in Australia on Friday to a record of more than 32,000 driven by the highly contagious omicron variant and a recent relaxation of restrictions in many areas.