The Coronavirus Outbreak

Stripping back nearly all public health restrictions comes as the virus still poses a threat

Clear legal pathways exist to move the U.S. closer to herd immunity

The Republican went to Blytheville, Texarkana and other municipalities in the state to allay people’s fears

Getting flu again postinoculation is more common than a return case after a COVID shot

Thanks to a response based on local culture and values, India’s Nicobar islanders haven’t had a single infection during the nation’s horrific second wave

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.

You can listen to all past episodes here.

Mutations that make a virus more transmissible are only part of the equation

The vaccines not only prevent people from getting sick; they also cut down on transmission by those who get infected after immunization

The U.S.’s top infectious disease specialist describes a new Biden administration program to develop and test antivirals—and what he’s most worried about as the nation reopens

Viral load is roughly 1,000 times higher in people infected with the Delta variant than those infected with the original coronavirus strain, according to a study in China

With vaccination campaigns underway in some countries while others weigh the options, Nature looks at the evidence for vaccinating younger people

That’s at a minimum. The real number could be significantly higher