Health

This past January, just a few days after the inauguration of President Joe Biden, six of the doctors responsible for the previous administration’s Covid-19 response agreed to sit down — in strict confidence — and talk with me about the events of the past year. Over the period of a few weeks, in Houston, Washington,

Top US health officials say they’re encouraged by the accelerating Covid-19 vaccinations. But not enough Americans are fully vaccinated yet to suppress the spread of the virus — and eased restrictions across the country coupled with spring break crowds could spell trouble, one expert said Wednesday. “What concerns me is the footage of what’s happening

With more than 44 million people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 in the United States, many adults are hopeful that a more normal life is on the horizon. Now families are wondering when vaccines will be available for teens and children. Covid-19 vaccines currently authorized in the United States are only available for adults, except Pfizer/BioNTech’s

Some people may have gained more than 1.5 pounds on average per month during Covid-19 shelter-in-place orders last March and April. Forty-five out of 50 US state governments issued shelter-in-place orders from March 19 to April 6, 2020, to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. A research team looked at nearly 7,500 weight measurements

As vaccine eligibility begins to open up nationwide, the United States is likely to head into April with at least 196 million Covid-19 vaccine doses delivered — and the Biden administration may be on track to reach its goal of enough doses for every adult by the end of May. A total of 27 million

The second wave of the coronavirus pandemic has hit Africa much harder than the first wave, a new analysis has shown. Daily new infections across the continent were approximately 30% higher during the second wave, according to the study published in The Lancet journal. Its authors say it is the first comprehensive continent-wide analysis of

The emergence of Covid-19 variants makes reopening efforts in the United States a riskier proposition, an infectious disease expert said Wednesday. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, said the B.1.1.7 variant has resulted in increased transmission in countries with vaccination efforts similar to the

Drug giant AstraZeneca updated its data on how well its coronavirus vaccine works, saying late Wednesday the vaccine showed 76% efficacy against symptomatic coronavirus disease and 100% efficacy against severe or critical disease or the need for hospitalization. The vaccine was 85% effective in preventing symptoms in volunteers 65 and older, the company said. The

Counties in the United States with large Black, Asian and Hispanic populations were hit harder by Covid-19 in the early months of the pandemic, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In a new study published Wednesday, CDC researchers said more than a quarter of counties with large Asian or Black populations

Months before the US Food and Drug Administration even authorized the first Covid-19 vaccine, there were many conversations and debates going on about who should be put at the front of the line to get it. Different advisory panels and patient advocacy groups came out with suggested recommendations. Eventually, the US Centers for Disease Control