Health

The receptionist at the doctor’s office asks a question from behind her double mask and face guard on the opposite side of a large, plastic partition. “Excuse me, what was that again?” It’s a phrase I repeat a lot these days. Distorted by masks and myriad sound barriers, sounds in the world around me have

In an analysis released Wednesday, the US Food and Drug Administration said the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine has met the requirements for emergency use authorization — another step toward the authorization of a third shot for the United States. The efficacy of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine against moderate to severe/critical Covid-19 across all

Johnson & Johnson says that it has 4 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine ready to ship “immediately” once it receives emergency use authorization, which could happen this week. But as the decision nears, it’s unclear when or where those doses will be delivered. During a briefing on Wednesday, White House Covid coordinator Jeff Zients

In an analysis released Wednesday, the US Food and Drug Administration said the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine has met the requirements for emergency use authorization. The efficacy of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine against moderate to severe/critical Covid-19 across all geographic areas was 66.9% at least 14 days after the single dose vaccination and

There’s new evidence that connects testing positive for Covid-19 antibodies from a prior infection with a significantly lower risk of becoming infected again in the future. A study, published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine on Wednesday, found that people who tested positive for Covid-19 antibodies were at a decreased risk of coronavirus infection compared

Coronavirus infections across the US are still on the way down, and more Americans are getting vaccinated — but variants could cause complications soon. Several experts predicted Tuesday the highly contagious B.1.1.7 variant first detected in the UK is likely to fuel another surge of cases in just a matter of weeks. “It could result

The jobless rate in the US is dropping, but the Federal Reserve is looking beyond that number to see just how much the economy — and hard-working Americans — are still struggling under persistent pandemic woes. Here’s what you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day. (You can also

The United States can expect to see a total of 240 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine by the end of March, drug companies told a House subcommittee Tuesday. Pfizer and Moderna — the two companies with Covid-19 vaccines authorized for emergency use in the United States — have pledged to make a combined total of

The traditional working day doesn’t benefit night owls, with people who prefer to stay up late twice as likely to underperform at work as early birds, a new study from Finland has suggested. Early risers — people who have a morning chronotype — tend to work better early in the morning, while evening types are

After Covid-19 took the lives of half a million victims in the US, the nation’s top infectious disease expert said the mass tragedy was avoidable. “It does … pain me when I see things like pleading for people to do the kinds of things that you know work — the mask wearing, the physical separation

Talking to someone on the phone for 10 minutes multiple times a week — if you’re in control of the conversation — can decrease loneliness, a new study revealed. Half of the 240 study participants were selected to receive brief phone calls from volunteers over the course of a month, and they reported feeling 20%