Health
Coronavirus hopes and fears center on immunity
Could exposure to the coronaviruses that cause the common cold help protect against COVID-19? Is herd immunity closer than previously thought? As nations lift lockdowns and experts worry about a potential second peak in cases, our ability to ward off infection is one of the hottest topics of scientific debate.… Read
Malaria drug fails to prevent COVID-19 in a rigorous study
A malaria drug President Donald Trump took to try to prevent COVID-19 proved ineffective for that in the first large, high-quality study to test it in people in close contact with someone with the disease. Results published Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine show that hydroxychloroquine was no… Read
Pandemic antibiotics surge will cause more deaths: WHO
Increased antibiotics use in combating the COVID-19 pandemic will strengthen bacterial resistance and ultimately lead to more deaths during the crisis and beyond, the World Health Organization says. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said a "worrying number" of bacterial infections were becoming increasingly resistant to the medicines traditionally used to… Read
Scientists unravel secrets from the faults in our genes
Imagine the body's instruction manual, the genome: here words are genes, letters are DNA, and the equivalent of typos can have disastrous consequences. In recent years, scientists have grown increasingly fluent in the language of genome, but much remains mysterious, including the function of many of our genes. Discovering what… Read
New drugs make headway against lung, prostate, colon cancers
Doctors are reporting success with newer drugs that control certain types of cancer better, reduce the risk it will come back and make treatment simpler and easier to bear. Gentler drugs would be a relief to patients like Jenn Carroll, a 57-year-old human resources director from New Hartford, Connecticut, who… Read
Even mild coronavirus illness may confer some immunity: study
Even people with minor illness from the coronavirus can develop antibodies that could leave them immunised for several weeks or more, according to a French study that tested hospital staff with mild infections. Researchers said the results, which have not yet been peer reviewed, were "encouraging" since little is known… Read
Dangerous blood clots pose a perplexing coronavirus threat
First came a high fever, drenching sweats and muscle aches. Then, almost a month later, a weird numbness that spread down the right side of her body. Darlene Gildersleeve thought she had recovered from COVID-19. Doctors said she just needed rest. And for several days, no one suspected her worsening… Read
Cancer, coronavirus are a dangerous mix, new studies find
New research shows how dangerous the coronavirus is for current and former cancer patients. Those who developed COVID-19 were much more likely to die within a month than people without cancer who got it, two studies found. They are the largest reports on people with both diseases in the United… Read
Mental health matters: Expert advice for expats in despair in Japan
Most of us have lived through a disaster or crisis, so have some understanding of how to cope and stay resilient. But no one is immune to the effects of stress and pressure, and the coronavirus pandemic is a crisis like few in our lifetimes. The disruption and devastation caused by the Great… Read
Scientists fight online virus misinformation war
With cat photos and sometimes scathing irony, Mathieu Rebeaud, a Swiss-based researcher in biochemistry, has nearly tripled his Twitter following since the coronavirus pandemic began. With 14,000 followers, he posts almost daily, giving explanations on the latest scientific research and, in particular, aims to fight misinformation that spreads as fast… Read
