Health

Researchers studying the new UK strain of the coronavirus think it likely arrived in the US in mid-November, and that many people in the United States could already be infected. “If I had to guess, I would say it’s probably in hundreds of people by now,” said Michael Worobey, head of the department of ecology

A new strain of coronavirus first detected in the UK has prompted dozens of travel bans and widespread concern about what this means for the world. While scientists dig deeper, here’s what this new strain means for you: Why is this strain important? The new variant has a series of mutations, the US Centers for

Dr. Anthony Fauci, US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins received their first doses of Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine Tuesday. The shot, which Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, received in the left arm, was administered at the NIH Clinical

Across the country, some state leaders are having to impose stricter health orders as communities deal with the latest surge in coronavirus cases. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker on Tuesday announced statewide restrictions on capacity for businesses and lowered limits for indoor and outdoor gatherings. Beginning Saturday, businesses in “most industries” will need to limit their

In this long and difficult year, pandemic fatigue has caught up with so many people who just want to be with their loved ones during the holiday season. The reality, however, is that even as the vaccine rollout is underway the United States surpassed 18 million reported Covid-19 cases Monday. At least 319,000 people nationwide

It’s been a tough year to be a child. The pandemic shut down schools, took kids away from cherished friends and helpful routines, and made it nearly impossible to visit grandparents or even play outside without social distancing restrictions. Parents are worried about the impact of the pandemic on their children, a new national poll

Pfizer and Moderna are testing their coronavirus vaccines to see if they work against the mutated version of the virus found in the United Kingdom and other countries, the companies said. The variant has not been identified in the United States, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a Tuesday brief, but

If you’re thinking about having a Lean Cuisine meal for dinner tonight, you might want to rethink your dinner plans. After several consumer complaints, Nestlé Prepared Foods is recalling more than 92,000 pounds of its Lean Cuisine Baked Chicken frozen meals. The meals contain white meat chicken with stuffing, red-skinned potatoes and gravy. The US

As vaccine distribution ramps up across the United States, advocates and public health experts are warning that more steps must be taken to make sure millions of undocumented immigrants have access to vaccines — and aren’t too scared to sign up. “I’m very, very concerned,” says Dr. Ranit Mishori, senior medical advisor for Physicians for

With everyday life disrupted due to the ongoing pandemic, stress is at an all-time high. Fears of getting sick, uncertainty of jobs, uneasiness about sending kids to school and cold winter weather (and flu season) all are sources of stress in the lives of many. Add to that the pressures of the holidays and overturned

Even as we count down the final days of December, many of us are still coming to terms with the fact that holiday events and gatherings are looking very different than Christmases past. Christmas 2020, however, isn’t canceled unless you decide it is. This season, don’t say “bah, humbug!” Say “why not?” and start new

Are you finding yourself tossing and turning in the middle of the night, unable to stay asleep? Or maybe you’ve always struggled with falling asleep, but now it’s taking hours instead of 30 minutes for shut-eye to kick in. With a high-stress environment caused by the pandemic, the US presidential election and a world constantly

As the number of Covid-19 cases reported in the United States passed 18 million, the second vaccine given emergency authorization was being administered Monday for the first time outside of clinical trials. One of the first people to get a public dose of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine was a doctor in Texas who has gone

After 277 consecutive days at work, Dr. Joseph Varon received a very special gift Monday: one of the first public doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine. “This is like having gold,” Varon said, holding a box of doses shortly before he was vaccinated. “I don’t cry, but I came very close … You know how

The overwhelming amount of loss we’ve experienced during this pandemic is in stark contrast to what is supposedly the happiest time of the year. Nine months to a year into the crisis, depending on where you live, nearly 2 million people around the world have died from Covid-19. And that’s in addition to the thousands

As many people face the prospect of being alone for the holidays, new science is showing how loneliness might actually help build structures in the brain tied to imagination. Lonely people were more likely to have increased activity in areas of the brain tied to reminiscing, thinking about others and future planning, according to a