COVID-19
To Help People With Long Covid, Scientists Need to Define It
Patients with the perplexing syndrome have reported 200 different symptoms. Researchers will have to decide which to study—and rule out.
Austria’s Covid Surge Is a Warning to the World
As the nation locks down and plans a vaccine mandate, a bleak second pandemic winter risks overwhelming Europe and beyond.
New Covid Drugs Are Here—and They Could Change the Pandemic
Two antivirals could help beat Covid-19 in countries that don’t have vaccines yet. They just need to work as promised.
Why Zillow Couldn’t Make Algorithmic House Pricing Work
The real estate site went into the business of buying and selling homes. But the pandemic messed up its predictions.
Moderna's CEO on the Fight Over the Covid-19 Vaccine's Future
The roadblocks to getting the Covid-19 vaccine into poorer countries partially come down to a contentious patent dispute.
Merck’s Antiviral Could Be Just What Covid Was Waiting For
The pharmaceutical giant is making its oral antiviral drug widely available for all the world. But could Covid outsmart it?
The Race Is On to Develop a Vaccine Against Every Coronavirus
A “universal” shot would protect against every branch of Covid’s viral family tree—even future ones. But getting there won’t be easy.
How to Put a Vaccine Card on Your Phone
Is that proof of vaccination card too big to fit in your pocket? Stick it on your phone instead.
How to Find a Halloween Costume in Another Bizarre Year
Should you match your mask? Can you thrift online? Here are our tips for buying or making costumes, including adaptable and accessible ones.
EVE Online Gamers Role-Play as Covid-19 Researchers
A citizen science project based in this MMO space opera has saved scientists almost 500 years of mind-numbing data crunching.
New Booster Approvals, Data on Kids' Shots, and More News
Catch up on the most important updates from this week.
The ‘Broadband Gap’ Is Now a Housing Problem
Many people eligible for Covid-era rent assistance have trouble navigating a “tangled web” of agencies because they don't have reliable internet access.
More Covid Vaccine Boosters Are Coming. Who Should Get Them?
Federal advisers meet again this week to discuss third shots, but it’s still not clear what the best timing is—or what the US owes the world.
FDA Backs Boosters, Travel Restrictions Lift, and More News
Catch up on the most important updates from this week.
Another Global Pandemic Is Spreading—Among Pigs
African swine fever killed half the pigs in China. There is no vaccine and no treatment. Now it’s in the Caribbean and on the doorstep of the US.
Shots for Kids Get Closer, US Strategy Evolves, and More News
Catch up on the most important updates from this week.
What Can Convince People to Just Get Vaccinated Already?
Researchers are struggling to figure out why people don’t get their Covid shots, and what language might persuade them. Saying “You gotta” seems to work.
Religious Exemptions for Vaccine Mandates Shouldn't Exist
Freedom of religion was never meant to excuse people from obligations that apply to everyone.
20 Years After the Anthrax Attacks, We’re Still Unprepared
The first fatal bioterror attack in the US killed five people and caused a national panic—and we’re still short of funding and tech to handle health emergencies.
Vaccinating Kids, Advances in Treatments, and More News
Catch up on the most important updates from this week.
Pandemic Bird-Watching Created a Data Boom—and a Conundrum
Avid amateurs are generating a wealth of information on avian activity. But does that data reflect new trends in bird behavior, or in people’s?
The Llama, the Hamster, and a New Path for Covid Treatment
A set of papers shows that llama-derived antibodies protect the rodent against the virus—which bodes well for making a version for people.
What If Getting a Kids’ Vaccine Approved Is the Easy Part?
Just because something has the FDA’S green light doesn’t mean it’s simple to obtain—or that everyone wants it.
The ‘Forever Virus’ Won't Go Away Until Kids Get Vaccinated
Epidemiologist Larry Brilliant on the Delta surge, chaos at the CDC, and why the under-12s are key to ending the pandemic.