Health

The Trump administration will purchase an additional 100 million doses of coronavirus vaccine from Pfizer, the US Department of Health and Human Services announced Wednesday. Pfizer will deliver at least 70 million doses by June 30, and the rest will be delivered no later than July 31, according to a news release. With this agreement,

For those folks who may be finding that holiday cheer is harder to come by this year, there is an alternative to the cheery decking of the halls. There is an available option to celebrate a holiday and maintain a healthy dose of grumpiness. That’s right, there is Festivus. December 23 is Festivus, a day

An average of more than 200,000 people have tested positive for coronavirus every day for two straight weeks in the United States, a toll that has led to record numbers of people hospitalized and dying of the virus. The US reported over 195,000 new cases of Covid-19 on Tuesday, putting the seven-day average of daily

The pandemic’s silver linings have been few and far between — reduced work commutes for some, no racist uncle at Thanksgiving and now socially distant Santa. For all of you tearing out your hair over not being able to take pictures of your child on some stranger’s lap at the mall, hear me out. My

In June, Houston’s United Memorial Medical Center was so overwhelmed by the pandemic that two of its wings had been transformed into Covid-19 wards. Now, there are three. Dr. Joseph Varon, chief medical officer, hadn’t had a day off since the virus hit months earlier. He still hasn’t. Back then, ICU nurse Tanna Ingraham was

As so many people around the globe contemplate what their lives might look like after the pandemic, new research on smallpox might help provide insight. Researchers revealed nearly three centuries of data showing repeated smallpox epidemics in London in a study published Monday in the open access journal PLOS One. “This study reveals detailed patterns

Researchers studying the new UK strain of the coronavirus think it likely arrived in the US in mid-November, and that many people in the United States could already be infected. “If I had to guess, I would say it’s probably in hundreds of people by now,” said Michael Worobey, head of the department of ecology

A new strain of coronavirus first detected in the UK has prompted dozens of travel bans and widespread concern about what this means for the world. While scientists dig deeper, here’s what this new strain means for you: Why is this strain important? The new variant has a series of mutations, the US Centers for

Across the country, some state leaders are having to impose stricter health orders as communities deal with the latest surge in coronavirus cases. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker on Tuesday announced statewide restrictions on capacity for businesses and lowered limits for indoor and outdoor gatherings. Beginning Saturday, businesses in “most industries” will need to limit their

In this long and difficult year, pandemic fatigue has caught up with so many people who just want to be with their loved ones during the holiday season. The reality, however, is that even as the vaccine rollout is underway the United States surpassed 18 million reported Covid-19 cases Monday. At least 319,000 people nationwide

It’s been a tough year to be a child. The pandemic shut down schools, took kids away from cherished friends and helpful routines, and made it nearly impossible to visit grandparents or even play outside without social distancing restrictions. Parents are worried about the impact of the pandemic on their children, a new national poll

Pfizer and Moderna are testing their coronavirus vaccines to see if they work against the mutated version of the virus found in the United Kingdom and other countries, the companies said. The variant has not been identified in the United States, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a Tuesday brief, but

If you’re thinking about having a Lean Cuisine meal for dinner tonight, you might want to rethink your dinner plans. After several consumer complaints, Nestlé Prepared Foods is recalling more than 92,000 pounds of its Lean Cuisine Baked Chicken frozen meals. The meals contain white meat chicken with stuffing, red-skinned potatoes and gravy. The US

As vaccine distribution ramps up across the United States, advocates and public health experts are warning that more steps must be taken to make sure millions of undocumented immigrants have access to vaccines — and aren’t too scared to sign up. “I’m very, very concerned,” says Dr. Ranit Mishori, senior medical advisor for Physicians for

With everyday life disrupted due to the ongoing pandemic, stress is at an all-time high. Fears of getting sick, uncertainty of jobs, uneasiness about sending kids to school and cold winter weather (and flu season) all are sources of stress in the lives of many. Add to that the pressures of the holidays and overturned

Even as we count down the final days of December, many of us are still coming to terms with the fact that holiday events and gatherings are looking very different than Christmases past. Christmas 2020, however, isn’t canceled unless you decide it is. This season, don’t say “bah, humbug!” Say “why not?” and start new

Are you finding yourself tossing and turning in the middle of the night, unable to stay asleep? Or maybe you’ve always struggled with falling asleep, but now it’s taking hours instead of 30 minutes for shut-eye to kick in. With a high-stress environment caused by the pandemic, the US presidential election and a world constantly

After 277 consecutive days at work, Dr. Joseph Varon received a very special gift Monday: one of the first public doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine. “This is like having gold,” Varon said, holding a box of doses shortly before he was vaccinated. “I don’t cry, but I came very close … You know how

The overwhelming amount of loss we’ve experienced during this pandemic is in stark contrast to what is supposedly the happiest time of the year. Nine months to a year into the crisis, depending on where you live, nearly 2 million people around the world have died from Covid-19. And that’s in addition to the thousands

As many people face the prospect of being alone for the holidays, new science is showing how loneliness might actually help build structures in the brain tied to imagination. Lonely people were more likely to have increased activity in areas of the brain tied to reminiscing, thinking about others and future planning, according to a

Crown roast of pork? Pass. Beef Wellington? Boring. Clam dip? Well … maybe we’ll keep the clam dip on the menu. In a year that’s been upside down and inside out, why stick with the same old dishes for Christmas dinner? This season, it’s time to lighten up a bit and bend the rules on

First, the good news: The Moderna vaccine will likely be going into people’s arms Monday, boosting the number of Americans who will start getting inoculated against Covid-19. Now, the bad news: Most Americans can’t get vaccinated until next year. In the meantime, new infections, hospitalizations and deaths keep soaring, prompting health experts to urge the

The next time you get your blood pressure taken at the doctor, you might consider asking the nurse to take it in both arms. A significant difference in the systolic, or top blood pressure reading between the two arms could be a warning sign of a future heart attack or stroke, according to a new

It’s another day of self-isolating, which means it’s potentially another day of sitting indoors restlessly taking yet another Zoom meeting. Prolonged sitting is an unavoidable reality for many. And with lots of us spending more time inside, as the pandemic continues, it’s inevitable that we’re spending even more time being sedentary. The irony is that

Scientists at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research expect to know in the next few days if there’s a concern that the coronavirus vaccines might not work against a mutated variant of the virus that’s rapidly spreading in parts of England, according to the institute’s top vaccine researcher. While there’s always a worry that

Vaccine advisers to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted 13-1 on Sunday to recommend that both older adults, ages 75 and older, and “frontline essential workers” including first responders be next in line to receive Covid-19 vaccines. That would put those people in “Phase 1b” of allocating the vaccine nationwide. That committee