Public Health
The COVID Lab-Leak Hypothesis: What Scientists Do and Do Not Know
An examination of the arguments that SARS-CoV-2 escaped from a lab in China and the science behind them
"The Coronavirus Outbreak"
Public Health
Why We Don’t Know the Animal Origins of the Coronavirus
Viruses that “spill over” to people do not stick around in animals, so finding true sources takes years of careful work, an expert says
Public Health
A ‘Universal’ Coronavirus Vaccine to Prevent the Next Pandemic
A pan-coronavirus vaccine could be “one vaccine to rule them all,” and so far it has shown strong results in mice, hamsters, monkeys, horses and even sharks.
Public Health
Why India’s Second COVID Surge Is So Much Worse Than the First
Large gatherings and much more lenient restrictions have allowed the virus to spread at devastating levels
Public Health
Covid, Quickly: A Pop-Up Podcast
Every two weeks, Scientific American ’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the essential developments in the pandemic: from vaccines to new variants and everything in between...
Public Health
Coronavirus News Roundup: May 22–June 4
Pandemic highlights for the past two weeks
Public Health
COVID, Quickly, Episode 8: The Pandemic’s True Death Toll and the Big Lab-Leak Debate
Today we bring you a new episode in our podcast series: COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American ’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the essential developments in the pandemic: from vaccines to new variants and everything in between...
Public Health
Excess Deaths Reveal the Pandemic’s Hidden Toll in Some U.S. Counties
A detailed analysis suggests that COVID deaths and other pandemic-related mortality may have been significantly undercounted in the rural South and West
Public Health
See People’s Emotions as They Get Their COVID Vaccinations
At a mass vaccination site in New Jersey, people got a shot of hope
Public Health
Why Deadly ‘Black Fungus’ Is Ravaging COVID Patients in India
Standard treatments such as steroids, as well as illnesses such as diabetes, make the fungal infection worse
Public Health
Divisive COVID ‘Lab Leak’ Debate Prompts Dire Warnings from Researchers
Allegations that COVID escaped from a Chinese lab make it harder for nations to collaborate on ending the pandemic—and fuel online bullying—some scientists say
Public Health
How Dangerous Are New, Fast-Spreading Coronavirus Variants?
Key questions remain about how quickly B.1.617 variants can spread, their potential to evade immunity and how they might affect the course of the pandemic
Policy & Ethics
How COVID Changed Science
What is unprecedented is not just the speed and focus with which the community responded to the pandemic but also the singular willingness of scientists all over the world to share new ideas and data immediately and transparently...
Public Health
Coronavirus News Roundup: May 8–May 21
Pandemic highlights for the past two weeks
Public Health
Should Your Child Get the COVID Vaccine?
A pediatric infectious disease expert answers questions about whether the vaccine is safe and why children need it
Medicine
Mix-and-Match COVID Vaccines Trigger Potent Immune Response
Preliminary results from a trial of more than 600 people are the first to show the benefits of combining different vaccines
Public Health
COVID, Quickly, Episode 7: The Coming Pandemic Grief Wave, and Mask Whiplash
Today we bring you a new episode in our podcast series: COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American ’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the essential developments in the pandemic: from vaccines to new variants and everything in between...
Mental Health
COVID Has Put the World at Risk of Prolonged Grief Disorder
COVID deaths are leaving millions bereaved. For some, the intense grief never recedes, making daily life almost impossible
Public Health
Why Monoclonal Antibody COVID Therapies Have Not Lived Up to Expectations
The drugs used to treat Donald Trump have not been widely administered to other patients, but they still have a role to play
Medicine
Delaying a COVID Vaccine’s Second Dose Boosts Immune Response in the Elderly
People older than 80 who waited 11 to 12 weeks for their second jab had higher peak antibody levels than did those who waited only three weeks
