Your Health

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

CDC says Americans can now go unmasked in many parts of the country

9:02pm February 25, 2022

The federal health agency released new guidance for when Americans need to mask up indoors, saying about 70% of the population lives in a place where it's safe to go mask free.

Queue Listen Now

Sugar and Greg Bull play with their twins, Redford and Scarlett, who were born prematurely in 2020. Their insurance company initially said the births were not an emergency, and the family ended up with bills totaling more than $80,000.

Health & Safety

An $80,000 surprise bill points to a loophole in a new law to protect patients

7:25am February 23, 2022

by Jay Hancock

An insurer refused to pay bills related to the premature birth of the Bull family's twins because it said their delivery wasn't an emergency and their stays in the NICU weren't medically necessary.

Queue Listen Now

Thousands of people test positive for the coronavirus in the U.S. daily, and a small but growing fraction of them are for the more contagious omicron variant BA.2.

Health & Safety

More contagious version of omicron spreads in U.S., fueling worries

4:30pm February 21, 2022

by Rob Stein

The omicron BA..2 variant spreads about 30% more easily and has caused surges in other countries. Its steady increase in the U.S. raises questions about the wisdom of rolling back COVID restrictions.

Health & Safety

Here's how to decide if you're safe to go out when you're recovering from omicron

5:14pm February 17, 2022

by Maria Godoy

The CDC says you can end isolation after five days. But emerging research shows with omicron, many people could be infectious for several days past that. So how do you determine if you're good to go?

Vaccinating pregnant women against the coronavirus also helps protect their babies against COVID-19 after they are born, according to new research.

Health & Safety

When moms get vaccinated during pregnancy, babies get protection too, study shows

7:23pm February 15, 2022

by Maria Godoy

A new study shows that getting the COVID vaccine during pregnancy confers significant protection to infants after birth.

Confused about how worried to be about the pandemic? You're not alone

4:48pm February 14, 2022

by Rob Stein

It's another discombobulating moment in the pandemic, with lots of conflicting signs of where the virus is heading and what people should do about it on a day to day basis.

Queue Listen Now

Doctor Mara Gordon had always listened to her rational, reasonable inner voice when it came to diagnosing patients. But during a transformative period of her life — pregnancy — her experience has a doctor only heightened her anxiety.

Health & Safety

Becoming a parent means forgetting what I learned in medical school

6:00am February 13, 2022

by Mara Gordon

Dr. Mara Gordon spent ten years observing the health care system as a medical student and physician. When she got pregnant she finally understood how vulnerable it can feel to be a patient.

Bob Saget's death shows how dangerous an untreated head injury can be, experts say

10:55pm February 10, 2022

by Jonathan Franklin

Actor and comedian Bob Saget's death was caused by a blow to the head that he appeared to ignore before going to bed. Medical experts say you should always seek care if you experience a head trauma.

Contact tracing programs around the country have been struggling to keep up with demand during the last several coronavirus surges. Here, contact tracer Cherie Hunter puts works from her home in Tinley Park, Ill., to reach people who have tested positive

Health & Safety

If you tested positive and the contact tracer never called, here's why

9:32pm February 08, 2022

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

Swamped by thousands of calls a day, contact tracing programs have been forced to adapt. Even though they can't call everyone, experts say it's too early to give up on this pillar of disease control.

Queue Listen Now

Health & Safety

Why remdesivir, a highly effective treatment, is a last resort for providers

10:11pm February 07, 2022

by Pien Huang

The antiviral infusion was just revived as an early treatment for COVID patients. But the drug is relatively expensive and hard to administer, relegating it what some are calling "stopgap" status.

Queue Listen Now