Health & Medicine

  1. Climate

    Hurricanes have names. Some climate experts say heat waves should, too

    A newly formed international alliance aims to raise awareness about extreme temperatures and protect vulnerable populations.

    By Jack J. Lee
  2. Health & Medicine

    4 reasons you shouldn’t trash your neck gaiter based on the new mask study

    Despite news coverage to the contrary, the study was meant to figure out how to evaluate masks, not actually do the comparison.

    By Jonathan Lambert
  3. Health & Medicine

    Here’s what we know about Russia’s unverified coronavirus vaccine

    Despite incomplete testing, Sputnik V may be the first COVID-19 vaccine given to the general public, rolling out initially to teachers and doctors.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  4. Health & Medicine

    How two coronavirus drugs for cats might help humans fight COVID-19

    Scientists are exploring if drugs for a disease caused by a coronavirus that infects only cats might help also people infected with the coronavirus.

    By Erin Garcia de Jesús
  5. Anthropology

    Better playground design could help kids get more exercise

    Playgrounds designed for imaginative play can make a difference in how much kids move

    By Emily Anthes
  6. Climate

    Emissions dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic. The climate impact won’t last

    New estimates suggest coronavirus shutdowns cut global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels by nearly 30 percent, on average.

    By Jonathan Lambert
  7. Health & Medicine

    Rogue immune system reactions hint at an early treatment for COVID-19

    A comprehensive look at the immune system shows multiple ways it misfires in COVID-19. Treating with interferon early might prevent trouble later.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  8. Health & Medicine

    Five big questions about when and how to open schools amid COVID-19

    Researchers weigh in on how to get children back into classrooms in a low-risk way.

    By Bethany Brookshire, Aimee Cunningham, Erin Garcia de Jesús, Jonathan Lambert and Laura Sanders
  9. Health & Medicine

    Heavy drinking drove hundreds of thousands of Americans to early graves

    From 2011 to 2015, more than 93,000 U.S. deaths per year could be tied to excessive alcohol use, researchers say.

    By Aimee Cunningham
  10. Health & Medicine

    Hydroxychloroquine can’t stop COVID-19. It’s time to move on, scientists say

    Hydroxychloroquine doesn’t work as antiviral or a treatment for COVID-19, an abundance of scientific data suggest.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  11. Health & Medicine

    Coronavirus outbreak at a Georgia overnight camp infected over 200 kids and staff

    A report documenting a COVID-19 outbreak in Georgia hints that children might play a key role in spreading the virus.

    By Erin Garcia de Jesús
  12. Health & Medicine

    Human sperm don’t swim the way that anyone had thought

    High-speed 3-D microscopy and mathematical analyses reveal that rolling and lopsided tail flicks keep the cells swimming in a straight line.

    By Jack J. Lee