Public Health

A train carrying toxic and combustible materials derailed recently in Ohio. Here’s what we know about the situation—and what we can’t know yet

Many repeat infections are mild, but some studies suggest people who have been infected with COVID more than once are at a greater risk of severe disease or long COVID

New research links bat habitat destruction with the spillover of their viruses to humans

Urinary tract infections are increasingly becoming resistant to first-line antibiotics, and this may be a warning for our ability to treat other microbial infections

Many countries saw drops in life expectancy during the pandemic, but some populations have suffered more than others

Gas stoves produce emissions that can harm human health and the environment. Experts answer questions about the dangers and how to limit them

Societies that farm rice over wheat tend to be more tight-knit and interdependent, which could protect them from pandemic viruses like the one behind COVID

Clusters of bacteria and fungi seem to be capable of complex movement, setting tooth decay in motion

Respiratory viruses have rebounded hard after COVID seclusion, and masks are one of the best ways to avoid getting them

Our opinion section took us to the front lines of COVID, revealed how racists misuse evolutionary biology, illuminated a mental health epidemic in kids, and more

Public health leader Anthony Fauci advises early-career researchers “not to be deterred” by vitriol

Deaths from heart disease, cancer and COVID are all higher in rural areas than urban ones in the U.S., and the gap is only widening