Public Health
Here’s How Coronavirus Tests Work—and Who Offers Them
PCR-based tests are being rolled out in hospitals nationwide, and the Food and Drug Administration is fast-tracking novel approaches as well
"The Coronavirus Outbreak"
Medicine
Could Chloroquine Treat Coronavirus?
Five questions are answered about a promising yet problematic and unproved use for an antimalarial drug
Public Health
Help Researchers Track COVID-19
By entering your health status, even if you’re feeling fine, at the Web site COVID Near You, you can help researchers develop a nationwide look at where hotspots of coronavirus are occurring...
Public Health
For Budding Researchers like Me, COVID-19 Is a Lesson in Science Communication
The outbreak has made it plain how important it is to explain to the public what we know and what we don’t, clearly and honestly
Behavior
Anthony Fauci Shows Us the Right Way to Be an Expert
He’s grounded in humility and humanity; he uses plain language; he admits uncertainties and failings; and he refuses to make the science overtly political
Public Health
COVID-19 Is No Reason to Abandon Pregnant People
New rules prohibiting spouses or doulas during labor and delivery in many New York City hospitals are putting vulnerable populations at greater risk
Policy
Why Would Hospitals Forbid Physicians and Nurses from Wearing Masks?
They wouldn’t in cases where these professionals are caring for infectious patients, but in other situations, they have
Public Health
A Message from the Front Lines of the Pandemic
I don’t want talk. I don’t want assurances. I want action. I want boxes of N95 masks and other safety gear piling up in hospitals
Medicine
Coronavirus Vaccines May Not Work for the Elderly—and This Lab Aims to Change That
A team at Boston Children’s Hospital is searching for ways to boost a vaccine’s effectiveness for those who need it most
Public Health
The Effects of COVID-19 Will Ripple through Food Systems
Staple crops are likely to be less affected by measures to control the virus, but farmers growing more specialized ones could feel the pinch
Public Health
Some States are Reporting Incomplete COVID-19 Results, Blurring the Full Picture
Collecting only positive test results from certain labs skews the data
Public Health
How Blood from Coronavirus Survivors Might Save Lives
New York City researchers hope antibody-rich plasma can keep people out of intensive care
Public Health
How Do We Prevent the Next Outbreak?
Our planning needs to take account of the complex interconnections among species, ecosystems and human society
The Sciences
Exponential Infection Increases Are Deadly Serious
Listen in as I use two calculators to track the difference in numbers of infections over a short period of time, depending on how many people each infected individual infects on average...
Public Health
COVID-19: Predicting the Path and Analyzing Immunity
Scientific American contributing editor W. Wayt Gibbs continues to report on the coronavirus outbreak from his home in Kirkland, Wash., site of the first U.S. cases. In this installment, he talks with researchers about what their models show for the future of the pandemic and on research to create tests to see who has developed immunity...
Behavior
One Root Cause of Pandemics Few People Think About
It’s our seemingly insatiable desire to eat meat
Biotech
Fast, Portable Tests Come Online to Curb Coronavirus Pandemic
Testing kits delivered by courier and digital tools combine to battle the COVID-19 outbreak
Public Health
U.N. Shifts from Climate Change to Coronavirus
Secretary-General António Guterres still urged countries not to lose sight of the global warming challenge
Behavior
When It’s Safer to Stay Apart
My father is an infectious disease physician in New York City. He needs to do his job, so for our own safety, he can no longer live with the family
Public Health
Lessons from Past Outbreaks Could Help Fight the Coronavirus Pandemic
The 1918 influenza pandemic and 2002–2003 SARS outbreak suggest social distancing measures, communication and international cooperation are the most effective methods to slow COVID-19...
