public health (Page 3)

Latest in public health

san francisco bay area golden gate bridge

Living in the same city doesn’t mean breathing the same air

By Ellie Shechet

grassy area burning in a forest fire

Forest fires leave behind charcoal—and it might be toxic for years

By Philip Kiefer

Clean glass of filtered water

Simple filters made from conifer trees could have a huge impact on the clean water crisis

By Shaena Montanari

The next pandemic could be lurking anywhere. Can this wildlife-tracking app help prevent it?

By Brian Barth, Flávia Milhorance

Young person receiving vaccine from healthcare worker while wearing a mask.

COVID-19 vaccines are working in the real world

By Sara Chodosh

These states are on the cusp of another COVID-19 surge

By Erin Fennessy

salmon healthy food

5 heart-healthy foods—and 2 to absolutely avoid

By Sara Chodosh

Vaccine shot vials on pink background.

Vaccines may help alleviate symptoms for people with long-COVID

By Sara Kiley Watson

doctor putting bandaid on arm after person gets a vaccine

COVID vaccine hesitancy is showing up in unexpected places

By Philip Kiefer

Woman applying lotion in mirror

Are ‘clean’ cosmetics better for us than other beauty products?

By Sara Kiley Watson

a person wearing a backpack and holding textbooks against a blue background with several red coronavirus illustrations

Where are we most likely to catch COVID-19?

By Betsy Ladyzhets

a person wearing a mask

Long-term COVID-19 symptoms are even more common than we thought

By Sara Kiley Watson

social distancing

Animals are better at social distancing than we’ll ever be

By Ellie Shechet

Masks, well-ventilated classrooms, and other precautions are key to reopening schools

someone getting a covid-19 vaccine ready

What you can and can’t do after getting a COVID-19 vaccine

By Claire Maldarelli

covid-19 vaccine

Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine just passed the FDA’s final test

By Philip Kiefer

a person who is pregnant

What pregnant, breastfeeding, and prospective parents should know about the COVID-19 vaccines

COVID-19 vaccine vials

Why COVID cases are falling around the world

Doctor administering COVID-19 vaccine to masked patient in medical office.

COVID-19 is shortening US life expectancy—especially for people of color

By Sara Kiley Watson

a vial of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine

Facing COVID-19 variants, vaccine makers are weighing how to tweak their designs

a woman getting ready to get on a mass transit subway

Air pollution in US subway stations is disturbingly high

By Kate Baggaley

A Black middle-aged individual talking on a smartphone in a cafe

One big hiccup in US efforts to distribute COVID-19 vaccines? Poor internet access.

By Tamra Burns Loeb, Et Al./The Conversation

two footballs used in the NFL

Even at half capacity, the Super Bowl could cause COVID-19 outbreaks

By Kate Baggaley

Pregnant woman checking phone notifications.

Pregnant people can—and should—get vaccinated against COVID-19

By Sara Kiley Watson

woman wearing mask in subway station

The US finally has a national mask mandate

The new COVID-19 team has a lot of work to do. Here’s how they should start.

By Erin Fennessy

a healthcare worker wearing a surgical mask

What you can do right now to protect yourself from the new COVID-19 variants

By Claire Maldarelli

vials of COVID-19 vaccines

COVID-19 vaccines could end the pandemic by eliminating severe cases

By Kate Baggaley

Three people in prison jumpsuits behind orange bars and the SARS-CoV-2 virus illustrations superimposed in four spots

On surviving—and leaving—prison during a pandemic

By Sarah Scoles

a person putting a vaccine into a syringe.

To get vaccines to more people, the priority system needs to loosen up

president joe biden looking solemn

What you need to know about Biden’s 5-point COVID-19 relief plan

By Sara Chodosh

a kid sick in bed having his temperature taken

What COVID-19 will look like once the pandemic ends

By Claire Maldarelli

United States capitol building at night.

The attack on the Capitol had all the ingredients of a COVID-19 superspreader event

By Sara Kiley Watson

a person staring at a smartphone screen

How your daily screen time affects your wellbeing

By Claire Maldarelli

Is one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine enough?

a medical syringe

COVID vaccines are getting thrown out thanks to strict distribution rules

By Claire Maldarelli

When it comes to COVID-19 risk, what counts as ‘outdoor’ dining?

By Sara Kiley Watson

In 2021, a new wave of evictions could also fuel a rise in COVID cases

people getting rapid covid testing outside

The new, more-contagious UK COVID-19 strain is officially in the US

By Sara Chodosh

two women wearing masks outside

Can you spread COVID-19 after vaccination? Here’s what we know.

By Kate Baggaley

person preparing a vaccine

What you should know about allergic reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine

By Kate Baggaley

What to know about Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine before it reaches you

By Claire Maldarelli

The FDA just green-lit America’s first COVID vaccine

By Sara Chodosh

smoke rising from smokestack

Cracking down on soot pollution could save thousands of lives—but the EPA won’t do it

Two kids running on a lawn with masks on

Shaming the public into smarter COVID-19 decisions won’t work. This will.

By Maia Szalavitz/Undark

Pad and tampons.

What we can learn from Scotland’s free period products

By Sara Kiley Watson

100 days of wearing masks could make an enormous difference in the pandemic

By Kate Baggaley

We’re just beginning to understand how our genes and COVID-19 mix

Why AstraZeneca’s COVID vaccine is an important addition to the fleet of offerings

a person in the park wearing a mask

That new study saying masks might not be effective? It has a few caveats.

By Kate Baggaley

A doctor wearing a mask and scrubs holds up a syringe with a vaccine inside

You can get COVID-19 and the flu at the same time

By Rachael Zisk

someone reading online news

Biden’s COVID-19 response plan is missing one major component

parent putting mask on their child

A record number of kids got COVID-19 last week

By Sara Chodosh

Pregnant women are at an increased risk of severe COVID-19, but there’s no need to panic

By Claire Maldarelli

women wearing masks at the grocery store

When it comes to airborne COVID-19 transmission, droplet size matters

By Kate Baggaley

halloween decorations

How to safely celebrate Halloween during COVID-19

By Kate Baggaley

map of covid infections among nursing staff at care homes

The current state of the pandemic in five graphs

By Sara Chodosh

2020 is shaping up to be America’s deadliest year in recent memory

By Claire Maldarelli

someone in an airplane seat with a mask on

COVID-19 continues to make flying a risky proposition

smoke stacks from energy plant

Prosecutions under the Clean Air and Water acts dropped in half after Trump took office

older adult men playing chess together

Everyone should have a social life, especially older adults

The ‘near-Herculean’ effort by daycare workers to prevent COVID-19 spread is working

By Kate Baggaley

dentists working with full PPE

Don’t worry. Your dentist probably won’t catch COVID-19.

newborn baby holding mother's finger

COVID-19 doesn’t have to jump from mother to newborn