“Atencion NYC! Starting tonight, at 11.40pm nobody should be on the street! Doors and windows should remain closed as five helicopters spray disinfectants into the air to eradicate the coronavirus!”This was the text I received from my aunt, who lives in Massachusetts, on 22 March. This was just the beginning of what became daily alerts and advice from various family members and friends, which only got more urgent as the Covid-19 pandemic went on.“We need to consume more alkaline foods that help us raise the pH level to counteract the virus! Do not keep this information to yourself. Share...…“Atencion NYC! Starting tonight, at 11.40pm nobody should be on the street! Doors and windows should remain closed as five helicopters spray disinfectants into the air to eradicate the coronavirus!”This was the text I received from my aunt, who lives in Massachusetts, on 22 March. This was just the beginning of what became daily alerts and advice from various family members and friends, which only got more urgent as the Covid-19 pandemic went on.“We need to consume more alkaline foods that help us raise the pH level to counteract the virus! Do not keep this information to yourself. Share...WW…

May 25, 2020From late March into April, Timothy Regan had severe coughing fits several times a day that often left him out of breath. He had a periodic low-grade fever, too.From late March into April, Timothy Regan had severe coughing fits several times a day that often left him out of breath. He had a periodic low-grade fever, too.Wondering if he had COVID-19, Regan called a nurse hotline run by Denver Health, a large public health system in his city. A nurse listened to him describe his symptoms and told him to immediately go to the hospital system’s urgent care facility.When he arrived...…May 25, 2020From late March into April, Timothy Regan had severe coughing fits several times a day that often left him out of breath. He had a periodic low-grade fever, too.From late March into April, Timothy Regan had severe coughing fits several times a day that often left him out of breath. He had a periodic low-grade fever, too.Wondering if he had COVID-19, Regan called a nurse hotline run by Denver Health, a large public health system in his city. A nurse listened to him describe his symptoms and told him to immediately go to the hospital system’s urgent care facility.When he arrived...WW…

A drug treatment called remdesivir that appears to shorten recovery time for people with coronavirus is being made available on the NHS. UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it was probably the biggest step forward in the treatment of coronavirus since the crisis began. Remdesivir is an anti-viral medicine that has been used against Ebola. UK regulators say there is enough evidence to approve its use in selected Covid-19 hospital patients. For the time being and due to limited supplies, it will go to those most likely to benefit.The US and Japan have already made similar urgent...…A drug treatment called remdesivir that appears to shorten recovery time for people with coronavirus is being made available on the NHS. UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it was probably the biggest step forward in the treatment of coronavirus since the crisis began. Remdesivir is an anti-viral medicine that has been used against Ebola. UK regulators say there is enough evidence to approve its use in selected Covid-19 hospital patients. For the time being and due to limited supplies, it will go to those most likely to benefit.The US and Japan have already made similar urgent...WW…

In a report to Congress, the Trump administration is pledging to buy 100 million swabs by the year’s end and distribute them to states to help expand the nation’s capacity to test for the novel .The report, delivered on the Sunday deadline lawmakers had set for federal health officials to submit a national testing strategy, doubles down on the administration’s stance that individual states, not the federal government, should bear primary responsibility for carrying out diagnostic tests to help curb the pandemic.The Washington Post obtained the 81-page document, called Covid-19 Strategic...…In a report to Congress, the Trump administration is pledging to buy 100 million swabs by the year’s end and distribute them to states to help expand the nation’s capacity to test for the novel .The report, delivered on the Sunday deadline lawmakers had set for federal health officials to submit a national testing strategy, doubles down on the administration’s stance that individual states, not the federal government, should bear primary responsibility for carrying out diagnostic tests to help curb the pandemic.The Washington Post obtained the 81-page document, called Covid-19 Strategic...WW…

Video: Why There's Still A Coronavirus Testing Swab Shortage : Shots - Health News To contain the coronavirus, the U.S. needs to be able to test a lot of people. But we're facing a shortage of a key ingredient: the swab. Here's why these swabs are so hard to source.NPRWidespread testing for the coronavirus is key to safely reopening the country, but the U.S. has struggled for months to get to the level of testing many experts say we need — even as states and cities begin to loosen restrictions. Part of the problem is that a test for the coronavirus is not a single device. Testing entails...…Video: Why There's Still A Coronavirus Testing Swab Shortage : Shots - Health News To contain the coronavirus, the U.S. needs to be able to test a lot of people. But we're facing a shortage of a key ingredient: the swab. Here's why these swabs are so hard to source.NPRWidespread testing for the coronavirus is key to safely reopening the country, but the U.S. has struggled for months to get to the level of testing many experts say we need — even as states and cities begin to loosen restrictions. Part of the problem is that a test for the coronavirus is not a single device. Testing entails...WW…

In the midst of the , adults and children alike have called on political leaders and health experts to address a concern: Is now a bad time to lose a tooth?In April, the , and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern assured worried children that the .Anthony S. Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, followed those assurances with a guarantee of his own. The tooth fairy, , is not at risk of infection.As a who has between reality and fantasy in children’s worldviews, I am delighted that our leaders have not mistaken childishness for triviality....…In the midst of the , adults and children alike have called on political leaders and health experts to address a concern: Is now a bad time to lose a tooth?In April, the , and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern assured worried children that the .Anthony S. Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, followed those assurances with a guarantee of his own. The tooth fairy, , is not at risk of infection.As a who has between reality and fantasy in children’s worldviews, I am delighted that our leaders have not mistaken childishness for triviality....WW…

VIDEO: Virus Hunters Investigate The Source Of The Novel Coronavirus : Goats and Soda Evidence points to wildlife as the starting point. But it could take years to pinpoint the source.Michael Zamora and Ben de la Cruz/NPRYouTubeScientists have learned a great deal about how the novel coronavirus spreads. But one of the mysteries they're still trying to untangle is where the virus, known as SARS-CoV-2, came from in the first place. Scientific evidence points to wildlife — and to bats as the most likely origin point. Bats are critically important for pollinating flowers and dispersing seeds....…VIDEO: Virus Hunters Investigate The Source Of The Novel Coronavirus : Goats and Soda Evidence points to wildlife as the starting point. But it could take years to pinpoint the source.Michael Zamora and Ben de la Cruz/NPRYouTubeScientists have learned a great deal about how the novel coronavirus spreads. But one of the mysteries they're still trying to untangle is where the virus, known as SARS-CoV-2, came from in the first place. Scientific evidence points to wildlife — and to bats as the most likely origin point. Bats are critically important for pollinating flowers and dispersing seeds....WW…

After the first couple of weeks of “sheltering in place,” I mentioned to a friend and her partner that even the idea of kissing my husband was now making me uneasy. The two of them laughed. But I didn’t find it amusing.I’m generally an affectionate person. Pre-pandemic, I would often hold hands with female friends. I’d say hello and goodbye with a cheek kiss and hug, a common greeting here in Hawaii as well as the Arab culture I married into. But the unrelenting attention on contagion by the novel has made me hyperaware of anything I touch — and anyone who tries to touch me.It’s natural for...…After the first couple of weeks of “sheltering in place,” I mentioned to a friend and her partner that even the idea of kissing my husband was now making me uneasy. The two of them laughed. But I didn’t find it amusing.I’m generally an affectionate person. Pre-pandemic, I would often hold hands with female friends. I’d say hello and goodbye with a cheek kiss and hug, a common greeting here in Hawaii as well as the Arab culture I married into. But the unrelenting attention on contagion by the novel has made me hyperaware of anything I touch — and anyone who tries to touch me.It’s natural for...WW…

Testing of the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a possible treatment for coronavirus has been halted because of safety fears, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.Trials in several countries are being "temporarily" suspended as a precaution, the agency said on Monday.It comes after a recent medical study suggested the drug could increase the risk of patients dying from Covid-19.President Donald Trump has said he has taken the drug to ward off the virus.The US president has repeatedly promoted the anti-malarial drug, against medical advice and despite warnings from public health...…Testing of the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a possible treatment for coronavirus has been halted because of safety fears, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.Trials in several countries are being "temporarily" suspended as a precaution, the agency said on Monday.It comes after a recent medical study suggested the drug could increase the risk of patients dying from Covid-19.President Donald Trump has said he has taken the drug to ward off the virus.The US president has repeatedly promoted the anti-malarial drug, against medical advice and despite warnings from public health...WW…

News Brief: Pandemic Death Toll, Hong Kong Protests, Florida Law U.S. approaches nearly 100,000 deaths from COVID-19. Thousands in Hong Kong protest planned security law. A federal judge rules Florida law restricting voting rights for felons is unconstitutional.Toggle more optionsHeard onToggle more optionsU.S. approaches nearly 100,000 deaths from COVID-19. Thousands in Hong Kong protest planned security law. A federal judge rules Florida law restricting voting rights for felons is unconstitutional.RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:We begin the week with the U.S. on the verge of a grim milestone -...…News Brief: Pandemic Death Toll, Hong Kong Protests, Florida Law U.S. approaches nearly 100,000 deaths from COVID-19. Thousands in Hong Kong protest planned security law. A federal judge rules Florida law restricting voting rights for felons is unconstitutional.Toggle more optionsHeard onToggle more optionsU.S. approaches nearly 100,000 deaths from COVID-19. Thousands in Hong Kong protest planned security law. A federal judge rules Florida law restricting voting rights for felons is unconstitutional.RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:We begin the week with the U.S. on the verge of a grim milestone -...WW…

Georgia Company Packs Up Homes Of Deceased COVID-19 Victims Cathy Cody owns a janitorial company in a Georgia community that's had a high rate of COVID-19. She offers a new service: Boxing up the belongings of residents who have died from the coronavirus.Toggle more optionsHeard onToggle more optionsCathy Cody owns a janitorial company in a Georgia community that's had a high rate of COVID-19. She offers a new service: Boxing up the belongings of residents who have died from the coronavirus.NPR thanks our sponsors…Georgia Company Packs Up Homes Of Deceased COVID-19 Victims Cathy Cody owns a janitorial company in a Georgia community that's had a high rate of COVID-19. She offers a new service: Boxing up the belongings of residents who have died from the coronavirus.Toggle more optionsHeard onToggle more optionsCathy Cody owns a janitorial company in a Georgia community that's had a high rate of COVID-19. She offers a new service: Boxing up the belongings of residents who have died from the coronavirus.NPR thanks our sponsorsWW…

Examining Coronavirus Hot Spots: U.S. And Brazil The U.S. is approaching a grim milestone: 100,000 coronavirus deaths. Brazil's COVID-19 cases have surged, and the White House is clamping down on Brazil with a new travel ban.Toggle more optionsHeard onToggle more optionsThe U.S. is approaching a grim milestone: 100,000 coronavirus deaths. Brazil's COVID-19 cases have surged, and the White House is clamping down on Brazil with a new travel ban.DAVID GREENE, HOST:A hundred thousand American lives lost to the coronavirus. That is the stunning death toll that the United States is approaching...…Examining Coronavirus Hot Spots: U.S. And Brazil The U.S. is approaching a grim milestone: 100,000 coronavirus deaths. Brazil's COVID-19 cases have surged, and the White House is clamping down on Brazil with a new travel ban.Toggle more optionsHeard onToggle more optionsThe U.S. is approaching a grim milestone: 100,000 coronavirus deaths. Brazil's COVID-19 cases have surged, and the White House is clamping down on Brazil with a new travel ban.DAVID GREENE, HOST:A hundred thousand American lives lost to the coronavirus. That is the stunning death toll that the United States is approaching...WW…

Follow Us   © 1996-2020 News Communication © IstockA new study released this week showed that cancer deaths dropped more in states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) than in those that did not. from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) found that states that expanded Medicaid saw a 29 percent drop in cancer deaths, compared to a 25 percent drop for states that did not."This is the first study to show the benefit of Medicaid expansion on cancer death rates on a national scale,” said Anna Lee, who is the lead author and radiation oncology fellow at Memorial...…Follow Us   © 1996-2020 News Communication © IstockA new study released this week showed that cancer deaths dropped more in states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) than in those that did not. from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) found that states that expanded Medicaid saw a 29 percent drop in cancer deaths, compared to a 25 percent drop for states that did not."This is the first study to show the benefit of Medicaid expansion on cancer death rates on a national scale,” said Anna Lee, who is the lead author and radiation oncology fellow at Memorial...WW…

Ala. Mayor Says COVID-19 Cases In Montgomery Are At Crisis Level NPR's David Greene talks to Steven Reed, mayor of Montgomery, Ala., about the dire need for more ICU beds because of a spike in COVID-19 cases — at the same time the state is easing restrictions.Toggle more optionsHeard onToggle more optionsNPR's David Greene talks to Steven Reed, mayor of Montgomery, Ala., about the dire need for more ICU beds because of a spike in COVID-19 cases — at the same time the state is easing restrictions.NPR thanks our sponsors…Ala. Mayor Says COVID-19 Cases In Montgomery Are At Crisis Level NPR's David Greene talks to Steven Reed, mayor of Montgomery, Ala., about the dire need for more ICU beds because of a spike in COVID-19 cases — at the same time the state is easing restrictions.Toggle more optionsHeard onToggle more optionsNPR's David Greene talks to Steven Reed, mayor of Montgomery, Ala., about the dire need for more ICU beds because of a spike in COVID-19 cases — at the same time the state is easing restrictions.NPR thanks our sponsorsWW…

This story also ran on .After she landed in the hospital with a broken hip, Parkinson’s disease and the coronavirus, 84-year-old Dorothy “Poogie” Wyatt Shields made a request of her children: “Bring me home.”Her request came as hospital patients around the world were , separated from their loved ones whether or not they had COVID-19, because of visitation restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the virus.Bringing home a terminally ill patient with COVID-19 bears extra challenges: In addition to the already daunting responsibility of managing their loved one’s care, families must take...…This story also ran on .After she landed in the hospital with a broken hip, Parkinson’s disease and the coronavirus, 84-year-old Dorothy “Poogie” Wyatt Shields made a request of her children: “Bring me home.”Her request came as hospital patients around the world were , separated from their loved ones whether or not they had COVID-19, because of visitation restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the virus.Bringing home a terminally ill patient with COVID-19 bears extra challenges: In addition to the already daunting responsibility of managing their loved one’s care, families must take...WW…

Edition:Please confirm that you would like to log out of Medscape.If you log out, you will be required to enter your username and password the next time you visit.>Editor's note: Find the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in Medscape's .The coronavirus pandemic has breathed new life into a decades-old technique that can zap viruses and bacteria: ultraviolet light.Hospitals have been using it for years to cut down on the spread of drug-resistant superbugs and to disinfect surgical suites. But there is now interest in using the technology in spaces like schools, office buildings, and...…Edition:Please confirm that you would like to log out of Medscape.If you log out, you will be required to enter your username and password the next time you visit.>Editor's note: Find the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in Medscape's .The coronavirus pandemic has breathed new life into a decades-old technique that can zap viruses and bacteria: ultraviolet light.Hospitals have been using it for years to cut down on the spread of drug-resistant superbugs and to disinfect surgical suites. But there is now interest in using the technology in spaces like schools, office buildings, and...WW…

On a June day in 1878, Constantin Fahlberg, a research chemist conducting experiments in a Johns Hopkins University lab, sat down to eat, bit into a roll — some accounts say it was bread — and . Because he had forgotten to first wash his hands, he assumed something he’d touched in the lab had contaminated his food. He searched his workspace, tasting vials, beakers and dishes until he found it. A beaker had boiled over, mixing o-sulfobenzoic acid with phosphorus (V) chloride and ammonia.The result was benzoic sulfimide — or, as we know it today, saccharin. Fahlberg’s discovery that promised...…On a June day in 1878, Constantin Fahlberg, a research chemist conducting experiments in a Johns Hopkins University lab, sat down to eat, bit into a roll — some accounts say it was bread — and . Because he had forgotten to first wash his hands, he assumed something he’d touched in the lab had contaminated his food. He searched his workspace, tasting vials, beakers and dishes until he found it. A beaker had boiled over, mixing o-sulfobenzoic acid with phosphorus (V) chloride and ammonia.The result was benzoic sulfimide — or, as we know it today, saccharin. Fahlberg’s discovery that promised...WW…

By , May 18, 2020In 2004, wrote a well-regarded book about the development of penicillin, the world’s first so-called miracle drug. Titled “The Mold in Dr. Florey’s Coat,” it made a complicated scientific topic accessible to a lay audience—and helped set the record straight about penicillin’s development. It also illuminated how much labor, time, money, technology, inspiration, and sheer luck went into the creation of penicillin. And it delved into the complicated interplay of  involved, or what The Guardian called “” in its review of the book. In this interview, the Bulletin’s Dan...…By , May 18, 2020In 2004, wrote a well-regarded book about the development of penicillin, the world’s first so-called miracle drug. Titled “The Mold in Dr. Florey’s Coat,” it made a complicated scientific topic accessible to a lay audience—and helped set the record straight about penicillin’s development. It also illuminated how much labor, time, money, technology, inspiration, and sheer luck went into the creation of penicillin. And it delved into the complicated interplay of  involved, or what The Guardian called “” in its review of the book. In this interview, the Bulletin’s Dan...WW…

A nurse from Warangoi clinic in East New Britain Province describes the desperate conditions of the labour ward. PNG.Photograph: Kalo Fainu/The GuardianIn a country where nurses are forced to use rice packets as gloves and laundry detergent as disinfectant, there is terror at the arrival of coronavirusby Kalolaine Fainu in KokopoMain image:A nurse from Warangoi clinic in East New Britain Province describes the desperate conditions of the labour ward. PNG.Photograph: Kalo Fainu/The GuardianSupported byhe first that staff at Nonga General Hospital in heard that they had been treating someone...…A nurse from Warangoi clinic in East New Britain Province describes the desperate conditions of the labour ward. PNG.Photograph: Kalo Fainu/The GuardianIn a country where nurses are forced to use rice packets as gloves and laundry detergent as disinfectant, there is terror at the arrival of coronavirusby Kalolaine Fainu in KokopoMain image:A nurse from Warangoi clinic in East New Britain Province describes the desperate conditions of the labour ward. PNG.Photograph: Kalo Fainu/The GuardianSupported byhe first that staff at Nonga General Hospital in heard that they had been treating someone...WW…

The U.S. could reach 100,000 coronavirus deaths by Memorial Day, but that may be far lower than the true number to date. Here’s why. Every morning, Robert Anderson oversees the grim job of updating the COVID-19 death toll for the United States, the highest in the world to date. The never-ending onslaught could lead to despair, but for Anderson, chief of the Mortality Statistics Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it provides a sense of purpose amid the pandemic’s chaos. “I feel like I’m doing the dead an important service, to make sure that they are counted, so that...…The U.S. could reach 100,000 coronavirus deaths by Memorial Day, but that may be far lower than the true number to date. Here’s why. Every morning, Robert Anderson oversees the grim job of updating the COVID-19 death toll for the United States, the highest in the world to date. The never-ending onslaught could lead to despair, but for Anderson, chief of the Mortality Statistics Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it provides a sense of purpose amid the pandemic’s chaos. “I feel like I’m doing the dead an important service, to make sure that they are counted, so that...WW…

There is no need to panic about the latest reports from the Netherlands. Dutch authorities announced this week that they suspect a mink has transmitted the coronavirus to a worker at a fur farm in the Netherlands. If confirmed, this would be the first concrete evidence of a specific species passing the virus to a human. Analysis found strong similarities between the virus in the worker and in the minks, making it plausible that the virus jumped species. “Based on this comparison and the position of that form of the virus in the family tree, the researchers concluded that it is likely that...…There is no need to panic about the latest reports from the Netherlands. Dutch authorities announced this week that they suspect a mink has transmitted the coronavirus to a worker at a fur farm in the Netherlands. If confirmed, this would be the first concrete evidence of a specific species passing the virus to a human. Analysis found strong similarities between the virus in the worker and in the minks, making it plausible that the virus jumped species. “Based on this comparison and the position of that form of the virus in the family tree, the researchers concluded that it is likely that...WW…

As the summer swimming season arrives, aquatics managers are coming up with creative ways to deal with the challenges of the coronavirus crisis. U.S. Olympic swimmer Michael Andrew is coached by his father as he trains in a residential pool in San Diego, California. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the routines of top athletes as well as recreational swimmers. If you are a swimmer, a regular at water exercise class, or a bad-back person who depends on pool water as the only surroundings in which the pain reliably lets go, then the pandemic has probably taken that away from you too....…As the summer swimming season arrives, aquatics managers are coming up with creative ways to deal with the challenges of the coronavirus crisis. U.S. Olympic swimmer Michael Andrew is coached by his father as he trains in a residential pool in San Diego, California. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the routines of top athletes as well as recreational swimmers. If you are a swimmer, a regular at water exercise class, or a bad-back person who depends on pool water as the only surroundings in which the pain reliably lets go, then the pandemic has probably taken that away from you too....WW…

These symptoms sound scary, but they should be expected. Here's what scientists know about the "new" effects of the coronavirus. An infection can inflict serious damage inside your body in many different ways, and COVID-19 seems to use just about all of them. The coronavirus primarily attacks the lungs, which can cause pneumonia or even respiratory failure, and in one of every five patients, it also leads to multiple organ failure. Yet, as the pandemic continues to ravage the world, case reports have emerged of more unusual damage ranging from hundreds of tiny blood clots to strokes in...…These symptoms sound scary, but they should be expected. Here's what scientists know about the "new" effects of the coronavirus. An infection can inflict serious damage inside your body in many different ways, and COVID-19 seems to use just about all of them. The coronavirus primarily attacks the lungs, which can cause pneumonia or even respiratory failure, and in one of every five patients, it also leads to multiple organ failure. Yet, as the pandemic continues to ravage the world, case reports have emerged of more unusual damage ranging from hundreds of tiny blood clots to strokes in...WW…

In Data We Trust​​​​This post is from , a Priceonomics Data Studio customer. Does your company have interesting data? .***With the spread of the coronavirus devastating our health and economy, healthcare workers are our first and perhaps only line of defense. Each day nurses, doctors, technicians, janitors, and clerical workers go to work and make sure people get treatment. We choose a  to help those in need of care and pandemics are unfortunately things we must get accustomed to.While we've celebrated the bravery of healthcare workers in this crisis, one critical status has largely been...…In Data We Trust​​​​This post is from , a Priceonomics Data Studio customer. Does your company have interesting data? .***With the spread of the coronavirus devastating our health and economy, healthcare workers are our first and perhaps only line of defense. Each day nurses, doctors, technicians, janitors, and clerical workers go to work and make sure people get treatment. We choose a  to help those in need of care and pandemics are unfortunately things we must get accustomed to.While we've celebrated the bravery of healthcare workers in this crisis, one critical status has largely been...WW…