Health

It was one year ago today the World Health Organization declared that the novel coronavirus was a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. “At the time there were fewer than 100 cases of the disease we now call Covid-19 and no deaths outside China,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Friday. “This week we reached

As Covid-19 variants are increasingly found in the United States, experts say Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine candidate would help in the pandemic fight, despite trial reports showing apparently lower efficacy rates than two vaccines already authorized in the US. Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot coronavirus vaccine was shown to be 66% effective in preventing moderate and

Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 single-shot vaccine was shown to be 66% effective in preventing moderate and severe disease in a global Phase 3 trial, but 85% effective against severe disease, the company announced Friday. The vaccine was 72% effective against moderate and severe disease in the US, the company said. It’s a striking difference from

A third Covid-19 vaccine, one made by Johnson & Johnson, could be authorized for use in the United States in the near future. Data about the single-shot vaccine released Friday, and the company is now collating its data to apply to the US Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization. The vaccine was made

The anti-science movement has set up the United States and the world up for a worse Covid-19 pandemic than otherwise would have been, infectious disease expert Dr. Peter Hotez argued Thursday. “An anti-science disinformation campaign of unprecedented magnitude and led by both multinational corporations and some governments, especially the Russian and US Governments, fuels the

Severe cases of Covid-19 might impact the quality of a man’s sperm, thus possibly impacting his fertility, according to a new study published Thursday in the journal Reproduction. “This report provides the first direct evidence to date that COVID-19 infection impairs semen quality and male reproductive potential,” the study said. However, experts not involved in

Last March former President Donald Trump said “anybody that wants a test can get a test” for Covid-19. That wasn’t true then, and in some parts of the country, finding a test appointment is about as easy to get as Super Bowl tickets. Regular and affordable testing, if done right, could not only diagnose people

A year into the pandemic, winter is the last of the four seasons we’re newly experiencing during this crisis. Each season has had its curveballs, but one winter challenge may be staying warm if you can’t afford or are cutting back on indoor heating. Since we still need to prevent spreading the coronavirus, pre-pandemic ways

Hope stemming from decreasing Covid-19 numbers has been blunted by the spread of new coronavirus variants. Now, one of the most worrisome strains — first found in South Africa — has been detected for the first time in the US. On Thursday, South Carolina officials confirmed two cases of the more contagious strain, also known

South Carolina officials have announced the United States’ first two confirmed cases of a more contagious coronavirus strain first spotted in South Africa. There is no known travel history or connection between the cases, both adults, according to a release Thursday from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. Both cases were originally

Taking an afternoon snooze could keep your brain sharp, a new study has said. Adults ages 60 and older who took afternoon naps showed signs of better mental agility compared to those who didn’t nap, according to a study published in General Psychiatry earlier this week. Researchers analyzed napping habits in 2,214 older Chinese people