Public Health
Why Deaths from Coronavirus Are So High in Italy
The nation now has the highest number of deaths from COVID-19 outside of mainland China
Stories by Rachael Rettner
Medicine
Despite a “Double-Barreled” Flu Season, the Vaccine Is Mostly Doing Its Job
This year’s flu shot is working relatively well to prevent influenza, particularly among children
Public Health
How Does the New Coronavirus Compare with the Flu?
The flu has already caused about 10,000 deaths this season in the U.S. alone
Public Health
“Flesh Eating” Bacteria May Be Spreading to Beaches Once Thought Off-Limits
The bacteria, which normally live in warmer waters, have caused infections in waters near Delaware and New Jersey
Medicine
Hundreds of Dietary Supplements Are Tainted with Prescription Drugs
Less than half of the products were recalled, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration analysis found
Behavior
When Do Puppies Hit “Peak Cuteness” to Humans?
Nature strategically times this stage of a pup’s development for a good reason
Fitness
Meet Your Interstitium, a Newfound "Organ"
These fluid-filled spaces were found in the body’s connective tissue
Public Health
Can You Get the Flu Twice in 1 Season?
Getting sick with a single strain does not necessarily protect you from others
Medicine
Long Sleeves on Doctors' White Coats May Spread Germs
The UK already has “bare below the elbow” policies
Public Health
Science Says Why We Can't Look at the Sun
It is 93 million miles away but can still do a lot of damage
Biology
3 Human Chimeras That Already Exist
Some people—such as fetuses that absorb a dead twin—have two sets of DNA
Policy
Paper in a Top Medical Journal Has an Unexpected Author: Barack Obama
The JAMA paper highlights some of the successes of the Affordable Care Act
Public Health
No Flu Nasal Spray Next Season: Why Is This Vaccine Not Working?
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) points to new data showing the spray was ineffective from 2013 to 2016
Mind & Brain
"Schizophrenia Gene" Discovery Sheds Light on Possible Cause
Improper "pruning" of neural connections could lead to the development of mental illness
Health
Even Centenarians Are Living Longer
The death rate among Americans who have lived to age 100 or older has decreased
Public Health
Flu Season Will Likely Peak in February, New Model Suggests
Predictions also suggest this flu season will be mild
Health
Tapeworm Spreads Deadly Cancer to Human
A parasite with cancer infected a man, and the tumor cells jumped across the species line
Health
7 More People Sick with Legionnaires Disease in NYC
Officials say the new cases are not related to the city’s summertime Legionnaires outbreak, the largest in the city’s history, which sickened 120 people in the South Bronx
Health
Super-Superbugs: Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria May Be Deadlier
Findings contradict prevailing view that bacteria become less “fit” when they acquire resistance to drugs
Health
When Did Women Start to Outlive Men?
Although a greater life expectancy is seen as normal today, it is a relatively new demographic phenomenon that emerged among people born in the late 19th century
