On June 24, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. By undoing the landmark 1973 decision that protected a person’s right to an abortion, the highest court in the…
Category: Health & Medicine
Western wildfires’ health risks extend across the country
After a relaxing day at the Jersey Shore last July, Jessica Reeder and her son and daughter headed back home to Philadelphia. As they crested a bridge from New Jersey…
A COVID-19 vaccine for kids under 5 is nearly here
The littlest kids in the United States are nearly done waiting for a COVID-19 vaccine. On June 15, an advisory committee to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration voted unanimously…
Nasal vaccines for COVID-19 offer hope and face hurdles
A few weeks ago, I was obsessed with my nose and throat. I was on a trip to Seattle to speak at a small, masks-required virology meeting about being a…
Glial cells may take on big jobs in unexpected parts of the body
In the theater of the brain, nerve cells have long been cast as the stars, bringing mental scenes to life with their electrical and chemical performances. Yet many of the…
Trained dogs sniff out COVID-19 as well as lab tests do
Dogs are as reliable as laboratory tests for detecting COVID-19 cases, and may be even better than PCR tests for identifying infected people who don’t have symptoms. A bonus: The…
Missing COVID-19 data leave us in the dark about the current surge
As science journalists, we’re accustomed to data. We sift through it and talk it over with experts. We pay close attention to the stories that numbers can tell. But at…
4 answers to key questions about the monkeypox outbreak
An outbreak of monkeypox has some people worried that the world is on the brink of another pandemic. That’s not likely, experts say. The concern has been fueled by more…
Unexplained hepatitis cases in kids offer more questions than answers
As health officials continue their investigation of unexplained cases of liver inflammation in children, what is known is still outpaced by what isn’t. At least 500 cases of hepatitis from…
Pressure to conform to social norms may explain risky COVID-19 decisions
The pandemic has entered a murky stage, and social norms are quickly shifting, something I’ve thought a lot about lately. Many people are testing at home, or not at all.…
