Viruses, Infections & Disease, features and articles | Educational Science

Mar 17, 2023

Raccoon dog DNA from Wuhan market supports the idea that COVID came from animals

Scientists found the strongest evidence yet that the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 leapt from animals to humans at a market in China, fueling the first reported outbreak of COVID-19. The genetic data was uploaded to a public database and then promptly removed at the request of the Chinese team that first shared...

Apr 6, 2023

China must share data on COVID-19's origins 'immediately,' WHO scientist demands

Scientists in China collected key coronavirus data in 2020 from a market in Wuhan — ground zero of the first reported outbreak of COVID-19 — but didn't share the raw data publicly until March 2023. And experts suspect that China has much more data from the early pandemic that have...

May 5, 2023

COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency, WHO says

COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared. The United Nations agency's announcement, made after a Thursday (May 4) meeting of the WHO's International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee, means that COVID-19 is no longer considered a public health emergency of international concern...

May 16, 2023

'Face blindness' could be rare long COVID symptom, case report hints

Face blindness, or the inability to recognize faces, may be a rare symptom of long COVID, a new case report suggests. A case report published in March in the journal Cortex suggests a possible link between long COVID and selective face recognition problems, but, for now, it's unclear if people...

Jun 14, 2023

Metformin cuts risk of long COVID by 40% in patients with obesity, trial suggests

For potentially millions of people who survive a bout of COVID-19, there are punishing months of chronic symptoms to bear afterward — a syndrome known as long COVID. Now, a study shows that taking the relatively inexpensive drug metformin during a COVID-19 infection can decrease risks of developing long COVID...

Jun 26, 2023

Declassified US intelligence report finds no evidence of coronavirus 'lab leak' from Wuhan institute

A newly declassified U.S. intelligence report states that there's no evidence linking the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to research or biosafety incidents at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, an institute located near the site of the first reported outbreak of the novel coronavirus. The new report, publicly released on...

Jul 19, 2023

Genetic quirk could explain why not everyone shows symptoms of COVID-19

Fever, shortness of breath and cough are all key COVID-19 symptoms we've been told to look out for throughout the pandemic. However, at least 1 in 5 people who test positive for the virus don't develop any symptoms, and the reason why has remained a mystery — until now. In...

Jul 26, 2023

'Excess deaths' tied to COVID have plummeted in America — what does that mean?

During the worst waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, between 30% and 46% more people in the U.S. were dying each week than would have under typical circumstances. But in the past few months, we've seen this excess death rate fall, and now, it's hovering near zero. Does that mean America...

Aug 2, 2023

Can picking your nose raise the risk of catching COVID-19? The answer may (not) shock you

Face mask — check. Goggles — check. Gloves — check. Protective measures like these were all too familiar to health care workers caring for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. But despite all these efforts to reduce the virus' spread, medical providers were still tempted to engage in a likely risky...

Aug 8, 2023

COVID subvariant EG.5 and its spawn 'Eris' now dominant in the US

A version of the coronavirus called EG.5 — an offshoot of which is nicknamed Eris — now accounts for the largest proportion of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. Although EG.5, an omicron subvariant that was first detected in February, is dominating by a slim margin, current data suggest that...

Aug 8, 2023

Coronavirus variants: Facts about omicron, delta and other SARS-CoV-2 mutants

Since the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, the pathogen has given rise to a slew of descendants. By picking up mutations in their genetic code, some of these descendants, known as coronavirus variants, have gained the ability to spread more easily between people, outwit the immune system...

Feb 7, 2019

More Women Reported to Have Rare Cancer Linked to Breast Implants

More cases of a rare cancer linked to breast implants have been reported in the U.S., according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This week, the FDA announced that it had received a total of 660 reports of this cancer — called breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL)...

Feb 26, 2019

At-Home Test for Colorectal Cancer Could Simplify Screening

An at-home screening test for colorectal cancer may be as good an option as a colonoscopy, a new review study finds. The FIT, or fecal immunochemical test, works by determining whether there is blood in a person's stool sample that is not visible to the naked eye. Blood in the...

Feb 26, 2019

What Are Parabens?

Parabens are synthetic chemicals that are used as preservatives in a variety of products, including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and food. As preservatives, parabens give products a longer shelf-life and prevent harmful bacteria and mold from growing in the products, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Parabens are derived...

Feb 28, 2019

Doctors Often Miss Colorectal Cancer in Younger Adults, New Study Suggests

In recent years, there's been a sharp rise in colorectal cancer cases among younger adults — and their doctors may be missing signs of the disease, a new study finds. People under age 50 are more likely to be diagnosed with more advanced stages of colorectal cancer compared with older...