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Public Health

New antifungal medications are sorely needed

Better treatment for Candida auris, Aspergillus and other dangerous fungal pathogens is slow to come, even as rates of drug resistance rise. New therapies are in the pipeline, and hospital practices can help.

How zinc helps you fight off infections

Our bodies require the vital mineral for the healthy functioning of the immune system

Searching for a better treatment for eating disorders

Cognitive behavioral therapy is proving to work well, but only for some patients. Scientists are seeking new innovations to help people grappling with the pervasive and often-hidden problems of anorexia, bulimia and binge eating.

How racism in early life can affect long-term health

OPINION: Excessive adversity activates biological reactions that can lead to lifelong problems in physical and mental wellbeing

What does it mean to have prediabetes?

It’s complicated: Prediabetes has multiple definitions and there may be different subtypes. But for many people who develop it, changes in lifestyle drastically lower the risk of progressing to diabetes.

Let’s change how we pay for hospitals

OPINION: Many health facilities were already in fiscal straits before Covid-19 — except in Maryland. The state’s innovative and sound approach could be the answer to rescuing systems nationwide.

Viral variants: From Covid to the flu

VIDEO: Some variants of SARS-CoV-2, such as Delta, will drive new waves of COVID-19 infections. What can previous studies of the flu, HIV and SARS tell us about the course that this pandemic may take?

Why Covid-19 testing went so wrong in the US, and what to do now

VIDEO: Delays, errors and a fragmented response initially kept public health officials in the dark about the spread of SARS-CoV-2. More tests and easy access could still play a critical role in slowing the virus.

Covid’s main lesson? For this journalist, it’s unpredictability

VIDEO: New York Times science reporter Apoorva Mandavilli chronicles the rise of the delta variant, the latest of many twists in the pandemic that she’s covered since it began. Delta has left parents in an especially tough spot, with schools opening but young children still vulnerable.

Salmonella: Why it’s a chicken and egg thing

Eliminating this food-poisoning bacterium from poultry is tricky — not least because rapid, precise tests are still unavailable. Researchers are looking at vaccines, probiotics, prebiotics and even essential oils as ways to reduce contamination on the farm.

Why don’t kids tend to get as sick from Covid-19?

Some children have been hospitalized and some have died, but at a tiny fraction of the adult rate. As children head back to school, scientists are hoping that research will provide answers.

Tackling the growing problem of overmedication

Polypharmacy — taking five or more meds at a time — leads to side effects, unnecessary hospitalizations and premature deaths. Researchers and pharmacists are seeking solutions to this serious public health problem that disproportionately affects older adults.

Studying poverty through a child’s eyes

Research on early-life adversity should pay more attention to the perspective of children themselves

Building an immune system for the planet could prevent the next pandemic

OPINION: We need a global information network that spans borders so we can spot — and stop — new pathogens before they threaten world health

Foods of abuse? Nutritionists consider food addiction

Cookies, chips, hot dogs and other ultraprocessed fare raise risk of runaway eating

The great sleep divide

Sleep deficits are robbing poor people and racial minorities of health and earning power. What can be done?

Monitoring our health with smartwatches

VIDEO: Wearable devices are increasingly used for tracking health data and identifying problems. Learn from health researchers about exploring the promise and pitfalls of personal tech.

SARS-CoV-2: Evolution of a virus

VIDEO: Scientists expected the novel coronavirus would mutate and change. But its runaway spread means new, more dangerous variants are more likely to emerge. Harvard computational geneticist Pardis Sabeti explains.

Ah, wilderness! Is nature the tonic we’ve needed for pandemic malaise?

As Covid-19 descended across the world, people sought refuge in gardens, parks and the woods. But it’s hard to measure how being in nature affects our well-being — and how we can best reap its rewards.

Yes, all this screen time is hurting your eyes

OPINION: A neuroscientist says that he’s particularly worried about kids, who may have spent much of last year learning online. Some easy hacks can help.

Know thine enemy: Why genetic sequencing is key to tracking Covid-19

The US effort to analyze viral genomes, slow to start, is now picking up speed

How to convince people to accept a Covid-19 vaccine

Hesitancy rates are falling but they’re still sizable, especially among certain groups. Easy access and trusted community messengers are keys to moving the needle.

Growing a more resilient global food system

Covid-19 has been a stress test for the world’s food supply chains — and a preview of looming threats. That’s making efforts to improve the journey from farm to fork more urgent than ever.  

Solving the pandemic’s drinking problem

The Covid-19 lockdown has changed alcohol habits, but public health researchers face a blurred and incoherent picture of who’s been drinking, and how much

Another way that Covid can kill: Car crashes

OPINION: Traffic is down, but deaths are up. Here’s how to stay safe on the road.

How health insurance is faring under Covid

Millions of Americans lost employer-sponsored coverage when Covid-19 disrupted their jobs. Can America come up with a better system?

The varied landscape of universal health care

There’s more than one way for a nation to achieve universal coverage for its residents. Here are the systems of six different countries.

Battling arsenic pollution

Arsenic-poisoned water remains a threat to public health the world over. Scientists hope to change that.

Coronavirus transmission: SARS-CoV-2 in the air

VIDEO: One year into the pandemic, a clearer understanding of how Covid-19 infections spread suggest people need to shift efforts away from cleaning surfaces and toward better ventilation and filtration

How the pandemic could change architecture

COMIC: Covid-19 has inspired a rethink of how we design and use our built environments

Coronavirus evolving: How mutations arise and new variants emerge

COMIC: As it spreads throughout the world, the virus that causes Covid-19 has been changing. Scientists are tracking those changes, hoping to stay one step ahead of worrisome strains.

Don’t let Covid boost another killer

OPINION: The pandemic may be interfering with our fight against drug-resistant bacteria. Luckily, the same tactics can beat back both scourges.

Sounding the alarm: How noise hurts the heart

Loud road and air traffic has been linked to a greater risk of high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes. Scientists are uncovering new details about how what you hear stresses the cardiovascular system.

The challenges of antiviral treatments

Antibiotics abound, but virus-fighting drugs are harder to come by, and Covid-19 amply shows how much we need them. Fortunately, scientists are getting better at making and finding them.

How has the pandemic influenced public attitudes toward science?

VIDEO: Watch our conversation about how understanding and trust in science have changed in the past year, science’s evolving role in society and how group identities shape people’s views.

How enlisting dentists can speed up Covid-19 vaccinations

OPINION: Dental care providers have the skills, the facilities and the trust of patients who might otherwise miss out 

Are too many scientists studying Covid?

The pandemic prompted many scientists to pivot their research to the coronavirus. That’s not an entirely good thing.

How to help Covid-19 long-haulers

OPINION: Patients with lingering symptoms need access to specialized clinics — and so much more

Don’t abandon paid sick leave. It’s a cost-effective tool against Covid-19.

OPINION: Requiring companies to give unwell workers compensated time off isn’t a burden. It’s smart public health policy that reduces the spread of disease.

How to change behavior during a pandemic: From personal habits to public health

VIDEO: Watch our conversation about the science of behavior change — from public health tools to slow the pandemic to keeping New Year’s resolutions <em xmlns="http://pub2web.metastore.ingenta.com/ns/"/><em/>

Virtual agents of change: How computers are mapping Covid-19’s future

Traffic planners, securities traders and military strategists all use it. Simulating the behavior of millions of idiosyncratic individuals also may be the best way to understand complex phenomena like pandemics.

How researchers are making do in the time of Covid

The coronavirus pandemic has shuttered labs and sidelined scientists all over the world. Here’s a look at how some of them have coped.

Preventing the next pandemic: Exploring the origins and spread of animal viruses

VIDEO: Watch our conversation about how infectious agents are transmitted from one species to another, and what can be done to prevent future pandemics

Pandemic puts all eyes on public health

Covid-19 has exposed the weak spots of the US public health system — and that presents an opportunity, says an epidemiologist, for the nation to recognize the problems and act to fix them

Evolution of the US public health system

TIMELINE: From colonial efforts to control smallpox outbreaks to antimalarial campaigns targeting mosquitoes, the American effort grew for centuries. But cutbacks have weakened it in the past decades. 

I got the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine. Or maybe not.

OPINION: Many Americans say they won’t take a vaccine. I am not one of <br xmlns="http://pub2web.metastore.ingenta.com/ns/"/>them — and I have the shots to prove it.

I tested positive for Covid-19 antibodies — what now?

As immunologists struggle to understand the immune response, psychologists want to know how infected people will think and behave after they recover

Getting a Covid-19 vaccine — quickly and safely

Researchers around the globe are working with unprecedented speed to find the vaccines we need to find our way through the pandemic. What’s the bar for safety and effectiveness?

Matching meals to metabolism

Genes, microbes and other factors govern how each person’s body processes nutrients. Understanding the connections could help optimize diets — and health.

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