-
ScienceHealthThe Pandemic Might Have Killed Off Some Flu Strains for Good
Scientists say that two common strains of the seasonal flu have seemingly vanished from circulation, likely due to public health measures like mask-wearing meant to slow the covid-19 pandemic. Though it will take time to confirm the disappearing act, the unexpected good news could make developing next season’s flu shot all the easier. Every year, … Continued
By Ed Cara -
ScienceHealthOfficial Covid-19 Death Toll Undercounting by Millions, WHO Says
According to a new estimate released by the World Health Organization, at least 3 million people worldwide likely lost their lives to the covid-19 pandemic in 2020. The figures are the latest to suggest that many countries’ official counts have substantially underestimated the toll of the pandemic, which is still raging in much of the … Continued
By Ed Cara -
ScienceHealth40,000 Kids in the U.S. Have Lost a Parent to Covid-19, Study Finds
A new study provides a heartbreaking reminder of the pain caused by the covid-19 pandemic. It estimates that nearly 40,000 children in the U.S. have lost at least one parent to the viral illness as of February this year. The study also found that more than 100,000 children would have lost a parent if the … Continued
By Ed Cara -
ScienceHealthDeaths in America Surged in 2020, Well Beyond Official Covid-19 Toll
The covid-19 pandemic drove a horrifying surge in U.S. deaths last year, new research published Friday has shown. According to the study, over half a million more people died than would have been expected during the last 10 months of 2020. Most of these deaths were directly attributed to the viral illness, but some could … Continued
By Ed Cara -
ScienceHealthThe Flu Season That Wasn’t
This winter has been a complete nightmare for Americans, thanks to the raging covid-19 pandemic. But new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to show one bright spot: The flu has been suppressed to some of the lowest levels on record. It’s likely that the interventions meant to slow the spread … Continued
By Ed Cara -
ScienceHealthPandemic-Related Unemployment Linked to 30,000 Excess Deaths in U.S., Study Finds
A new study out Thursday is one of the first to try measuring deaths during the pandemic that were caused not by the virus itself but by the economic devastation it sparked. The study estimates that the spike in unemployment seen last spring helped cause an additional 30,000 deaths among working-age adults in the U.S. … Continued
By Ed Cara -
ReviewsBramble Is the Video-Conferencing Platform I Wish Existed at the Start of the Pandemic
Being a teacher is rough. Being a teacher trying to teach a class of more than 20 students virtually in the middle of a pandemic is even rougher. Not only do you have to come up with clever ways to teach the same material and keep your class engaged, but you often find yourself troubleshooting … Continued
-
ScienceHealthTwo Worrying Coronavirus Variants Local to U.S. Flagged by Researchers in Ohio
Researchers in Ohio say they’ve discovered two new variants of the coronavirus local to the U.S. that may be of concern. One variant appears to contain a mutation found in other troubling variants, while the other has started to spread fast in Columbus, Ohio over the last month and carries its own unique mix of … Continued
By Ed Cara -
ScienceHealthThe New Coronavirus Variant Is in the U.S.—Now What?
Over the past 24 hours, health officials in Colorado have reported finding two suspected cases of covid-19 caused by a worrying new variant of the coronavirus. The variant, first detected in the UK, is strongly believed to be more transmissible than previous strains, though recent data has also suggested that it’s not more likely to … Continued
By Ed Cara -
ScienceHealthYou Think Covid-19 Is Bad?
Experts with the World Health Organization issued a somber warning on Monday: The next pandemic to strike humanity could be even more devastating than covid-19 has been, especially if we don’t learn our lessons this time around. The warning came from Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s health emergencies program, during a press briefing … Continued
By Ed Cara -
ReviewsThe Best and Worst of the World’s Covid-19 Response
On January 7, 2020, I wrote about a mysterious, pneumonia-causing viral illness making people sick in Wuhan, China. It was the first Gizmodo article about what eventually became known as covid-19, the second pandemic to strike humanity in the 21st century. It’s eerie to look back at those early days and weeks, when it still … Continued
By Ed Cara -
ScienceHealthCongress to Employers: You Can Go Back to Not Giving Paid Leave to Covid-Positive Staff
Here’s a big fuck you from Congress to everyone else: The coronavirus relief bill passed this week removes a requirement that employers provide at least two weeks of paid sick leave at full salary if their employees contract the coronavirus. The bill also strips requirements that employers provide two weeks of leave at two-thirds’ salary … Continued
By Tom McKay -
ScienceHealthEbola Species Thought to Be Harmless to Humans Can Sicken Pigs, Raising Alarm Bells
U.S. government scientists have shown in the lab, for the first time, that pigs can become severely sick from a particular species of the Ebola virus, called Reston ebolavirus (RESTV). The virus is known for being the only species of Ebola not to sicken people so far. But the discovery suggests that it can still … Continued
By Ed Cara -
ScienceHealthNervous About Covid-19 Vaccines? Here’s How Scientists Are Feeling
As the first covid-19 vaccines roll out across the U.S., some of us are chanting “inject me now!”, while others are anxious about potential side effects. I reached out to two dozen scientists and public health experts to see how they’re feeling about these vaccines. I asked them if they’re planning to get a vaccine … Continued
By Ed Cara -
io9TelevisionThe Stand Feels Both Timely and Overwhelming
It will never not be spooky that a new adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand came out in 2020. Much like the year itself, the story begins with a pandemic and goes on to showcase some truly awful human behavior. CBS All Access certainly has timeliness on its side—but what about the rest? Note: For … Continued
By Cheryl Eddy
