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COVID-19

An analysis of the genome of the B.1.1.7 variant of the coronavirus overlaid on the CDC's map of different states' genome sequencing rates. Darker-shaded states have processed more genomes (relative to their total case count) than lighter, greener states.

Covid-19

Why the U.S. Is Struggling to Track Coronavirus Variants

A scattered and underfunded effort at genomic sequencing has hindered the country’s ability to detect different forms of the virus

In Singapore, a city-state notoriously tight on space, Apollo Aquaculture Group is building an eight-story indoor aquaculture facility.

An Eight-Story Fish Farm Will Bring Locally Produced Food to Singapore

The massive indoor aquaculture facility is an effort to boost food security for the small island city-state

If approved, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine could become available as soon as March.

Johnson & Johnson Applies for FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization for Covid-19 Vaccine—Here’s Why That Takes Time

Independent experts will review data from over 40,000 trial participants and meet on February 26 to make a recommendation

A patient holds a sample test tube for Chlamydia testing.

Covid-19

How Covid-19 Has Hurt the Effort to Track STDs

As gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia have hit their highest marks in decades, many STD contact tracers have shifted to work on the pandemic

The Facebook group "Krewe of House Floats" boasts 12,500 members and counting.

With Mardi Gras Parades Canceled, New Orleans Residents Are Turning Their Houses Into Floats

Louisiana locals have come up with a range of socially distanced alternatives to the city’s traditional festivities

Signals from smartwatches can help catch infections early.

Covid-19

Can Smartwatches Be Adapted to Help Detect Covid-19 Infections?

With new algorithms, wearable devices—collecting vital signs like heart rate and skin temperature—could catch illness early

Passengers need to eat and drink on a long-haul flight, which means they remove their masks and risk spreading or catching Covid-19.

New Research

What One Covid-19 Cluster on an Airplane Tells Experts About Risk Factors While Flying

When one person with Covid-19 took an 18-hour flight from Dubai to New Zealand, several people got sick

Currently accessible Covid-19 vaccines seem to protect people against the emerging variants so far.

What Experts Know About the Current Coronavirus Variants

The appearance of highly transmissible versions of the pandemic coronavirus has the world’s medical community on high alert

Common murres live on rocky cliffs like those at Stora Karlsö, an island in the Baltic Sea.

New Research

Pandemic Reveals Ecological Benefits of Tourists in One Seaside Town

When people stayed home, white-tailed eagles converged on the island of Stora Karlsö in Sweden

The Cultural Office of the Embassy of Spain in Washington is hosting a photography exhibit, PHotoEspaña, posted on the fence surrounding its historic mansion.

Virtual Travel

Their Doors May Be Closed, but Embassies Are Still Showing People the World

From cooking demonstrations to poetry readings to special exhibitions, exploring another country has never been easier

An 1802 engraving, The Cow Pock—or—the Wonderful Effects of the New Inoculation plays on the fears of a crowd of vaccinees.

History Shows Americans Have Always Been Wary of Vaccines

Even so, many diseases have been tamed. Will Covid-19 be next?

Two filmmakers launched a nationwide fundraiser to help save the surviving bars.

LGBTQ+ Pride

The Rise and Fall of America’s Lesbian Bars

Only 15 nightlife spaces dedicated to queer and gay women remain in the United States

A volunteer donates blood during an event at the Field Museum in Chicago in May, 2020.

What Scientists Are Learning About Covid-19 Using the Nation’s Blood Supply

Labs and blood banks collect millions of blood samples each month, offering a distinctive source of data on the disease

Mask wearing and other behaviors developed during the Covid-19 pandemic are largely keeping flu cases low this year.

How Covid-19 Precautions Have Kept Flu Cases Low

By this time last year, the U.S. had recorded over 65,000 cases of influenza

Public health officials are transforming spacious, open-air venues like Disneyland into "mega-site" vaccination centers.

Covid-19

Eight Unusual Covid-19 Vaccination Sites Around the World

From Disneyland to a Singapore airport, these are some of the surprising places being used as immunization centers

Italian company Beeing’s B-Box is small enough to keep on even a modest urban balcony.

Nine Attention-Grabbing Inventions Unveiled at This Year’s CES

Held virtually, the Consumer Electronics Show still debuted plenty of new gadgets, from an easy-to-use beehive to a Bluetooth mask

Three of eight gorillas at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park show mild symptoms of a coronavirus infection

Gorillas at California Zoo Test Positive for Covid-19

Three iconic primates at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park show mild symptoms, including lethargy and runny noses

Intense visions and confusion about the reality of hospitalization can be especially scarring, leaving patients with intrusive thoughts, flashbacks and vivid nightmares. If such responses persist for more than one month and cause functional impairment or distress, it may be diagnosed as PTSD.

Why PTSD May Plague Many Hospitalized Covid-19 Survivors

Scientists warn about the likelihood of post-traumatic stress disorder for patients discharged from the intensive care unit

Shef, which currently operates in the Bay Area and New York City, features meals made by chefs specializing in dozens of cuisines and hundreds of dishes.

Sick of Quarantine Cooking? New Companies Let Chefs Prepare Homemade Meals for You

Startups like Shef and WoodSpoon give Covid-impacted professional chefs and excellent home cooks a platform for sharing their food

(Top row) Jing Liu and Florian Idenburg, Barron Ryan, Arturo Elizondo, (middle row) Samantha Pratt, Gitanjali Rao, Anitra Belle Henderson, (bottom row) Kennyjie, Andrea Ponti and Brett Phaneuf

Innovation for Good: Game Changers

Ten Innovators to Watch in 2021

These visionaries are imagining an exciting future with chicken-less eggs, self-piloting ships and more

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