Health, features and articles | Educational Science

Jul 31, 2020

Why do we develop lifelong immunity to some diseases, but not others?

Some diseases, like the measles, infect us once and usually grant us immunity for life. For others, like the flu, we have to get vaccinated year after year. So why do we develop lifelong immunity to some diseases but not others? And where does the novel coronavirus fit into all...

Jul 31, 2020

Russia approves 'Sputnik V' COVID-19 vaccine with little human testing

Editor's note: According to a report by Science Magazine, the Sputnik V vaccine has actually only been approved for use in a small group of people, including health care workers. Live Science posted a new article on Aug. 13 reflecting this information. Russia just approved a coronavirus vaccine for use...

Jul 31, 2020

Should you ditch your gaiter as a face mask? Not so fast, scientists say.

Face masks play a critical role in helping to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, and could save tens of thousands of lives in the U.S. if everyone wore them in public, experts have said. Yes, some face masks are more protective than others. But that doesn’t mean wearing...

Jul 31, 2020

FDA approves new saliva test for COVID-19 that's simple, cheap and available now

A new saliva test for COVID-19 that can be completed in just a few hours has been authorized for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The test has several advantages over traditional nasal swab tests: It's cheap, less invasive and can be performed without the need for...

Jul 31, 2020

Coronavirus news of the week (VIDEO)

Since the discovery of the virus that causes COVID-19, the daily news cycle has become swamped with updates about how the pathogen spreads, what the bug does to the body and what solutions might finally bring an end to the pandemic. But staying up-to-date on all the latest coronavirus news...

Jul 31, 2020

Health experts frustrated with new CDC coronavirus testing guidelines

In an abrupt switch, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) changed its COVID-19 testing guidance to say that being exposed to a person with the disease doesn't necessarily warrant a test if you're not in a high-risk group or showing any symptoms. But public health officials are criticizing...

Jul 31, 2020

Lab confirms first case of coronavirus reinfection in the US

A young adult in Nevada was confirmed to have been infected with the coronavirus twice, marking the first confirmed case of reinfection in the U.S., and the fourth in the world. This past week, researchers reported cases of reinfection in a patient in Hong Kong and two patients in Europe;...

Jul 31, 2020

Is the Y chromosome dying out?

The sex we're assigned at birth depends largely on a genetic flip of the coin: X or Y? Two X chromosomes and you (almost always) develop ovaries. An X and a Y chromosome? Testes. These packages of genetic material don't just differ in terms of the body parts they give...

Jun 30, 2020

Is it safe to use hair dye?

Dying your hair may be a rite of passage for teenagers testing out their style and a way to cover up grays for older women. But is hair dye bad for your health? There's a lot of controversy in terms of the health risk posed by hair dye, said Dr....

Jun 30, 2020

Is the coronavirus airborne? Evidence is scant, infectious disease experts say

Experts agree that the novel coronavirus behind COVID-19 spreads through direct contact and large droplets that, once sneezed or coughed out, often fall harmlessly to the ground. But a recent letter signed by 239 scientists suggests that the virus may also spread by airborne transmission, lingering in the air for...

Jun 30, 2020

WHO releases new COVID-19 guidance on airborne transmission, but it doesn't change much

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released updated guidance on the role of airborne droplets in transmission of COVID-19, but the institution's stance on the topic remains largely unchanged. Airborne transmission means that the illness might have the potential to spread through particles known as aerosols, which can hover in...

Jun 30, 2020

Heartburn medication tied to higher COVID-19 risk — but don’t panic

Taking a common form of heartburn medication may moderately raise the risk of contracting COVID-19, according to a new study. Based on an online survey of more than 86,600 people, more than 3,300 of whom caught COVID-19, the results suggest that those who take proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) may be...

Jun 30, 2020

Does UV light kill the new coronavirus?

Ultraviolet light has been used to stop pathogens in their tracks for decades. But does it work against SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind the pandemic? The short answer is yes. But it takes the right kind of UV in the right dosage, a complex operation that is best administered by trained...

Jun 30, 2020

Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine shows promise in first published results

An experimental COVID-19 vaccine from the biotech company Moderna showed promising results in an early trial of 45 participants, according to the first trial data from the company to be published in a peer-reviewed journal. After receiving two doses of the vaccine, called mRNA-1273, all participants developed so-called neutralizing antibodies,...

Jun 30, 2020

Contact tracing won't curb COVID-19 spread if testing is too slow

Contact tracing is a key strategy for controlling the spread of COVID-19, but a new study finds that delays in COVID-19 testing will significantly hamper this process. The study researchers found that even the best contact-tracing strategy — where all contacts of an infected person are identified and alerted —...