Health

More women than men skipped health care services during the pandemic, and a disproportionate share of those with prior health or economic issues have experienced worsening health conditions as a result, according to a report released Monday by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The report authors say the gaps in care could result in more women

More and more American schoolchildren are returning to the classroom. In New York, 55,000 of the city’s public school high schoolers returned Monday. (That’s a fraction of the city’s high schoolers, but it’s a start). In Los Angeles, the teacher’s union approved a plan to get elementary school kids back by mid-April and middle and

When officials from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday that they were relaxing the physical distancing guidelines for many schools, White House officials hailed it as another moment when the barriers to in-person instruction were falling. But the persistent tensions between White House officials and teachers’ unions immediately resurfaced, demonstrating the

The European Union aims to vaccinate 70% of its adult population by September. But anxiety over a possible link between the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and reported blood clot cases may put that target in jeopardy. Europe’s vaccine rollout has already been slower than expected. Meanwhile, the continent is confronting a third wave of the pandemic, fueled

Some teachers are grappling with how to protect students and themselves against the coronavirus in light of new guidelines for returning to in-person classes issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Friday’s announcement relaxes recommendations for social distancing to 3 feet from 6 feet and relies heavily on schools using other measures,

A new, more contagious and potentially more deadly variant of the coronavirus is spreading across the US, and health officials are worried. The B.1.1.7 variant, first spotted in the UK, is not only more easily transmitted, but it also appears to be more deadly. Dr. Anthony Fauci warned about it Friday in a White House

As details about the man suspected of fatally shooting eight people at Atlanta-area spas unfold, the controversial concept of sex addiction has resurfaced. Local law enforcement told reporters that shooting suspect Robert Aaron Long had “made indicators that he has some issues — potentially sexual addiction — and may have frequented some of these places

My cousin Iman, who lives in Cairo, Egypt, called me earlier this week to tell me that she had just been offered the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine. I congratulated her upon hearing the news; vaccines are, of course, one of the best available tools to defeat this pandemic and Egypt, like many countries in the Global

The US may be on the cusp of another Covid-19 case surge, one expert says — but the mass vaccination of the most vulnerable Americans is likely to limit its human cost. “I think we are going to see a surge in the number of infections,” emergency physician Dr. Leana Wen told CNN on Wednesday

Coronavirus reinfections are relatively rare, but it’s more common for people 65 and older to get infected more than once, according to a study published Wednesday in the Lancet medical journal. A team of scientists, including some from Denmark’s Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Prevention, noted that most people who have had Covid-19 seemed

With obesity a factor in Covid-19 vaccine eligibility, many Americans are scrambling to find out their body mass index, or BMI. But experts say the meaning behind those numbers — and how to lower them — isn’t always so clear-cut. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists obesity as an underlying medical condition,

Within the space of a few days, the rollout of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine has ground to a standstill in virtually all of western Europe. France, Spain, Germany, Italy and more than a dozen other countries have paused rollout of the shot, calling it a precautionary measure following concerns that it could be linked to

The birds are chirping, the crocuses are sprouting and we have one extra hour of daylight upon us. Spring is within spitting distance (no germs, please) and in this pandemic year, we understand perhaps better than ever how precious our time is. This extra hour of daylight may be more meaningful than ever before, particularly

We’re one year, or roughly 31,536,000 seconds, into this new, strange pandemic life. We’ve missed loved ones and weddings and funerals, dance recitals and baseball playoffs, more “firsts” and simple pleasures than we can even count at this point. We’ve learned how to laugh with our eyes, through masks, from 6 feet away. We’ve learned

Guinness, like other Irish stouts, enjoys a seasonal popularity every St. Patrick’s Day. It has also been touted as being “good for you,” at least by its own advertising posters decades ago. But can this creamy, rich and filling beer really be added to a list of healthy beverages? Or is its reputation just good

Canada has expanded its rollout of Oxford-AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine, reversing an earlier recommendation that it not to be given to seniors, even as more European nations moved to suspend its use. Citing recent real-world evidence from the United Kingdom, a Canadian expert advisory panel on Tuesday updated its recommendation on the vaccine to now include

Strawberries continue to lead the “Dirty Dozen” list of fruits and veggies that contain the highest levels of pesticides, followed by spinach, a trio of greens — kale, collard and mustard — nectarines, apples, and grapes, according to the Environmental Working Group’s 2021 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce. Cherries came in seventh on the

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in mid-February released guidelines for a safe return to school. The agency emphasized five ways to mitigate risk from coronavirus: requiring masks, physical distancing, handwashing, maintaining clean facilities and contract tracing. Since then, the Biden administration has also prioritized vaccination for teachers and school staff. Teachers in

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in mid-February released guidelines for a safe return to school. The agency emphasized five ways to mitigate risk from coronavirus: requiring masks, physical distancing, handwashing, maintaining clean facilities and contract tracing. Since then, the Biden administration has also prioritized vaccination for teachers and school staff. Teachers in

The average number of people getting a Covid-19 vaccination each day is at its highest, but officials are still concerned that many Americans are hesitant to get a shot. National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins said Tuesday that faith leaders can help get more people to be confident in the vaccines. Getting vaccinated

For millions of kids across the country, it may soon be back-to-school time — finally. After a long and incredibly hard year, the pieces of this complex puzzle seem to be falling together. Last month, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put out new guidelines for reopening schools, highlighting five key mitigation strategies

Coronavirus lockdowns led to air quality improvements in most countries, but the level of pollutants will likely rise as governments lift restrictions and economies swing back into gear, according to a new report. IQAir’s 2020 World Air Quality Report said human-related emissions from industry and transport fell during lockdowns, and 65% of global cities analyzed