On the day of the leaked draft of the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, a woman named Nora was at home in her one-bedroom apartment getting through a medical abortion. She’d stocked up on menstrual pads and painkillers, and steeled herself to get through a tough day. Having children “is something I so badly want,” Nora told NPR, “but I’m 22 and I’m poor, and I just can’t even wrap my head around it.” (NPR is using Nora’s first name only out of concern for her personal safety.) For Nora, who lives in upstate New York, deciding to […]
Pien Huang
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A discarded mask is seen on the floor inside New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport on Tuesday, a day after a federal judge in Florida struck down the CDC’s mask mandate for public transportation. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Spencer Platt/Getty Images A discarded mask is seen on the floor inside New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport on Tuesday, a day after a federal judge in Florida struck down the CDC’s mask mandate for public transportation. Spencer Platt/Getty Images In a startling rebuke to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a federal judge in Florida on Monday struck […]
A family wearing face masks walks through Union Station in Los Angeles, California, January 5, 2022. Los Angeles ended its mask mandate recently, as did numerous other states and cities. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images A family wearing face masks walks through Union Station in Los Angeles, California, January 5, 2022. Los Angeles ended its mask mandate recently, as did numerous other states and cities. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images Friday’s change in masking guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention comes as many states and cities across the U.S. […]
People wait in line at a testing site to receive a free COVID-19 PCR test in Washington, DC. Monday the CDC announced that people can isolate for five days, instead of 10, after they’ve tested positive for the coronavirus and have no symptoms. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images People wait in line at a testing site to receive a free COVID-19 PCR test in Washington, DC. Monday the CDC announced that people can isolate for five days, instead of 10, after they’ve tested positive for the coronavirus and have no symptoms. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images More than […]
Scientists and federal health agencies debated COVID-19 boosters for weeks, and are now recommending them for all three approved vaccines, for some — but not all — Americans. Feeling a little lost in all the details about who is currently supposed to get a booster? Take our quiz to understand what’s advised in your situation. To learn more about the debate around boosters and the evidence that vaccine immunity is waning for certain groups of people, read our booster FAQ. Source link
People opposed to COVID-19 vaccines often embrace ivermectin, a drug that’s been touted as an effective prevention and treatment for COVID-19, which they think is not getting the attention it deserves. Here, an anti-vaccination protester takes part in a rally against vaccine mandates, in Santa Monica, Calif. Ringo Chiu/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Ringo Chiu/AFP via Getty Images People opposed to COVID-19 vaccines often embrace ivermectin, a drug that’s been touted as an effective prevention and treatment for COVID-19, which they think is not getting the attention it deserves. Here, an anti-vaccination protester takes part in a rally […]
Federal health officials are planning ahead to give booster shots in the fall to all U.S. adults, starting with those who were vaccinated early on, like the elderly, health care workers and first responders. Mario Tama/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Mario Tama/Getty Images Federal health officials are planning ahead to give booster shots in the fall to all U.S. adults, starting with those who were vaccinated early on, like the elderly, health care workers and first responders. Mario Tama/Getty Images Health officials are preparing to roll out COVID-19 booster shots in the U.S. this September. According to a plan announced […]
Alba Feliz is a little nervous about getting the vaccine. At 17, she’s the first person in her immediate family to seriously consider getting it. “In my house, they never really trust the vaccine,” she says. Social media has been her main source of information, and the contradictory messages have been confusing. She doesn’t believe the COVID vaccines will put a chip in you, but she does have some concerns about “side effects and all that.” Another teen, Ryan Howard, 16, says he has become the resident vaccine expert among his friends. “My friends will send it to our group chat […]
This 16-year-old got his Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 shot late last month at the UCI Health Family Health Center in Anaheim, Calif. Students as young as 12 are now eligible to get the vaccine, too, the FDA says. Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images This 16-year-old got his Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 shot late last month at the UCI Health Family Health Center in Anaheim, Calif. Students as young as 12 are now eligible to get the vaccine, too, the FDA says. Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images Teens […]
A nurse administers a shot at a COVID-19 mass vaccination site at Martinsville speedway in Ridgeway, Va., on March 12. Ashish Jha, a public health policy researcher, noted Sunday that “despite phenomenal vaccination rates, variants pulled ahead this week.” Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images A nurse administers a shot at a COVID-19 mass vaccination site at Martinsville speedway in Ridgeway, Va., on March 12. Ashish Jha, a public health policy researcher, noted Sunday that “despite phenomenal vaccination rates, variants pulled ahead this week.” Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images COVID-19 vaccinations are on […]
A police officer stands guard outside the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in Makassar, Indonesia, on Sunday. Two suicide bombers attacked the Roman Catholic compound, injuring at least 20 people. Indra Abriyanto/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Indra Abriyanto/AFP via Getty Images A police officer stands guard outside the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in Makassar, Indonesia, on Sunday. Two suicide bombers attacked the Roman Catholic compound, injuring at least 20 people. Indra Abriyanto/AFP via Getty Images Two suicide bombers attacked a Roman Catholic church compound in Makassar, Indonesia, on Sunday morning, injuring at least 20 people, according to […]
On Jan. 19, the incoming Biden administration hosted memorial to lives lost to COVID-19 at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on the National Mall. Since then another 100,000 Americans have died. Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images On Jan. 19, the incoming Biden administration hosted memorial to lives lost to COVID-19 at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on the National Mall. Since then another 100,000 Americans have died. Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images More than 500,000 people have died from COVID-19 in the U.S. This week President Biden is asking Americans to mark […]
The U.S. is working to vaccinate a high percentage of its population against COVID-19 as soon as possible to stop the spread of the disease and end the outbreak in the country. The mission becomes even more urgent as coronavirus variants emerge around the world, raising concerns that the virus could evade our efforts to control it, if the spread is not curbed quickly. Since vaccine distribution began in the U.S. on Dec. 14, more than 26 million doses have been administered, reaching 6.5% of the total U.S. population, according to federal data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and […]
Each week, we answer “frequently asked questions” about life during the coronavirus crisis. If you have a question you’d like us to consider for a future post, email us at goatsandsoda@npr.org with the subject line: “Weekly Coronavirus Questions.” When I booked a flight from Boston to D.C. in mid-January, I knew that sharing confined indoor spaces with strangers was a risk in the middle of a pandemic. But a year into Living with the Coronavirus, I figured it wasn’t a HUGE risk. My reasoning: 1) It’s a short flight. 2) Everyone knows how to wear a mask and social distance by […]
A pharmacist fills a syringe to prepare a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for front-line health care workers in Torrance, Calif., Saturday. A panel of CDC advisers said people 75 and older and some essential workers should be next in line. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images A pharmacist fills a syringe to prepare a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for front-line health care workers in Torrance, Calif., Saturday. A panel of CDC advisers said people 75 and older and some essential workers should be next in line. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP […]
Following similar decisions in the United Kingdom and Canada, the U.S. has authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for distribution. Matthew Horwood/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Matthew Horwood/Getty Images Following similar decisions in the United Kingdom and Canada, the U.S. has authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for distribution. Matthew Horwood/Getty Images An important federal advisory committee at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has added its vote of support for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. In an emergency meeting Saturday, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to recommend the first COVID-19 vaccine for use for people 16 or older in the […]
In the U.S., frontline health care workers are likely first in line to get immunized with a COVID-19 vaccine, once the FDA says yes. But what about the rest of us? Here’s what we know so far. Xueying Chang, Pien Huang and Kaz Fantone/NPR YouTube As several COVID-19 vaccines head toward authorization in the U.S., questions about vaccine access are coming up, too: Who is slated to get the vaccine first? Why? And, when can I get one? At the national level, vaccine distribution is organized by Operation Warp Speed, the government’s initiative to support the development of COVID-19 vaccines and […]
As COVID-19 cases surge, the federal government is releasing data about hospital capacity at facilities around the country. Alex Edelman/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Alex Edelman/Getty Images As COVID-19 cases surge, the federal government is releasing data about hospital capacity at facilities around the country. Alex Edelman/Getty Images New data released by the Department of Health and Human Services on Monday gives the most detailed picture to date of how COVID-19 is stressing individual hospitals in the United States. The information provides nationwide data on hospital capacity and bed use at a hospital-by-hospital level. This is the first time the […]
Thomas Hansler, 54, receives a COVID-19 vaccination from Yaquelin De La Cruz at the Research Centers of America in Hollywood, Florida. Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images Thomas Hansler, 54, receives a COVID-19 vaccination from Yaquelin De La Cruz at the Research Centers of America in Hollywood, Florida. Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images A federal advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is voting Tuesday to recommend guidelines on who should get COVID-19 vaccines first, once one is authorized for use. The fifteen voting members of the Advisory Committee on […]
A flu vaccine is administered at a walk-up COVID-19 testing site, in San Fernando, Calif. Emergency use authorization is expected soon for vaccines for COVID-19. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images A flu vaccine is administered at a walk-up COVID-19 testing site, in San Fernando, Calif. Emergency use authorization is expected soon for vaccines for COVID-19. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images Top officials from Operation Warp Speed, the government’s program to fast-track the development and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines, announced they’ve allocated 6.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to states based on their […]
Gen. Gustave Perna tells NPR that if a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration in December, “10 to 30 million doses of vaccine will be available that we can start distributing” in the United States. Chip Somodevilla/AP hide caption toggle caption Chip Somodevilla/AP Gen. Gustave Perna tells NPR that if a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration in December, “10 to 30 million doses of vaccine will be available that we can start distributing” in the United States. Chip Somodevilla/AP A top U.S. Army general who is […]
Medical staff members treat a patient seriously ill with COVID-19 in the intensive care unit of United Memorial Medical Center on Oct. 31 in Houston. Experts say immunizing health workers first, once a COVID-19 vaccine’s available, is best to curb deaths and stop transmission. Go Nakamura/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Go Nakamura/Getty Images Medical staff members treat a patient seriously ill with COVID-19 in the intensive care unit of United Memorial Medical Center on Oct. 31 in Houston. Experts say immunizing health workers first, once a COVID-19 vaccine’s available, is best to curb deaths and stop transmission. Go Nakamura/Getty Images […]
William Foege, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, receives the Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2012. Charles Dharapak/AP hide caption toggle caption Charles Dharapak/AP William Foege, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, receives the Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2012. Charles Dharapak/AP Dr. William Foege doesn’t know how his private letter to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Robert Redfield, got leaked — but he stands by its contents. “I think we’ve got about the worst response to this pandemic that you could […]
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin departs from the office of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on September 30. Mnuchin is one of the people who had contact with President Trump in the past week and was subsequently tested for coronavirus and reported a negative result. Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Imag hide caption toggle caption Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Imag Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin departs from the office of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on September 30. Mnuchin is one of the people who had contact with President Trump in the past week and was subsequently tested for coronavirus […]
Nurse Kathe Olmstead (right) gives volunteer Melissa Harting an injection in a study of a possible COVID-19 vaccine developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc. Hans Pennink/AP hide caption toggle caption Hans Pennink/AP Nurse Kathe Olmstead (right) gives volunteer Melissa Harting an injection in a study of a possible COVID-19 vaccine developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc. Hans Pennink/AP It’s still unknown when a COVID-19 vaccine might be available in the United States. But when one is first approved, there may only be 10 million to 15 million doses available, which may be enough […]
Michael Caputo, pictured at a White House event, is taking a 60-day leave of absence from his job as lead spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services after alleging President Trump’s opponents have interfered in the coronavirus response. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters hide caption toggle caption Kevin Lamarque/Reuters Michael Caputo, pictured at a White House event, is taking a 60-day leave of absence from his job as lead spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services after alleging President Trump’s opponents have interfered in the coronavirus response. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters Michael Caputo, the top spokesperson for the Department of Health and […]
Revelations in Rage lead global health specialists to charge that Trump is scapegoating the World Health Organization. (Image credit: Frabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images; Doug Mills/The New York Times via Getty Images) Source link
Left: Xi Lu traveled to Wuhan from London in January to spend Lunar New Year with his parents, having not shared the holiday with them in over 7 years. Lin Yang, an epidemiologist at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, traveled to Wuhan to visit her parents for the Lunar New Year. And then … they couldn’t get back home because of the quarantine. Xi Lu/ Lin Yang hide caption toggle caption Xi Lu/ Lin Yang Left: Xi Lu traveled to Wuhan from London in January to spend Lunar New Year with his parents, having not shared the holiday with them in over […]
We all know that if someone with the coronavirus coughs or sneezes on you, you’re at risk of catching it. But even when we speak or laugh or breathe, particles come out of our noses and mouths. Big bits of spittle can fly out when you’re shouting and singing, along with respiratory droplets and tiny aerosolized particles that come out in clouds that may linger in the air. And if we’re infected with the coronavirus — even if we don’t have any symptoms — those excretions could contain live, contagious SARS-COV-2 that can make others sick. In some settings — especially […]
Dr. Deborah Birx speaks to reporters this week outside the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion in Little Rock. Birx indicated that data on U.S. COVID-19 hospitalizations will move back to the CDC under a “revolutionary new data system” the agency is developing. Andrew DeMillo/AP hide caption toggle caption Andrew DeMillo/AP Dr. Deborah Birx speaks to reporters this week outside the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion in Little Rock. Birx indicated that data on U.S. COVID-19 hospitalizations will move back to the CDC under a “revolutionary new data system” the agency is developing. Andrew DeMillo/AP The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working “to […]
Researchers say airborne transmission is possible, especially in cramped indoor settings, but it’s unclear how much it contributes to the spread. Here’s how to lower your risks, just in case. (Image credit: Malaka Gharib/ NPR) Source link
A colorized scanning electron micrograph of a cell (green) heavily infected with particles (orange) from the virus that causes COVID-19, isolated from a patient sample. NIAID hide caption toggle caption NIAID A colorized scanning electron micrograph of a cell (green) heavily infected with particles (orange) from the virus that causes COVID-19, isolated from a patient sample. NIAID The World Health Organization has issued a new scientific brief that summarizes what’s known about the different ways the coronavirus can transmit. The 10-page brief, posted Thursday, considers all the ways researchers think the coronavirus may be able to spread: through close contact with […]
In a letter to the U.N., the president said the United States will terminate its relationship with the World Health Organization effective July 6, 2021. He was met with a barrage of criticism. (Image credit: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images) Source link
A letter from over 200 scientists to the World Health Organization asks for further investigation into how the virus spreads. (Image credit: Peter Dazeley/Getty Images) Source link
The world is being flooded with new terms in coverage of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Here’s a glossary in case you’re not up on the latest medical and testing jargon. We start with the nomenclature of the virus. Words are listed in thematic groupings (transmission and testing, for example). Coronavirus: A category of viruses that can cause fever, breathing difficulties, pneumonia and diarrhea. Seven coronaviruses are known to infect humans, including four that can cause the common cold. Some are potentially fatal. The name comes from the Latin word “corona,” which means crown. Under a microscope, these viruses are characterized by […]
That’s the word some doctors used for a World Health Organization statement. At issue: 1) How many people are infected with COVID-19 but show no symptoms? and 2) Can asymptomatic people infect others? (Image credit: Cristina Spano for NPR) Source link
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. (Image credit: Matteo Nardone/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images) Source link
In a press conference on Friday, the president said he would immediately severe ties — and funding — to the World Health Organization because of its relationship with China. (Image credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images) Source link
In his letter threatening to withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization and halt all funding, Trump made a number of charges about WHO’s handling of the coronavirus crisis. (Image credit: Twitter/ Screenshot by NPR) Source link
There are various studies looking at changes to the virus genome — and the possible impact on how the virus affects humans. Here’s what we know (and don’t yet know) about mutations. (Image credit: NIAID/NIH) Source link