Physician Céline Gounder traveled to India and Bangladesh to bring back unheard stories from the eradication of smallpox, many from health workers whose voices have been missing from the record.
"Long COVID has affected every part of my life," said Virginia resident Rachel Beale said at a recent Senate hearing. "I wake up every day feeling tired, nauseous and dizzy. I immediately start planning when I can lay down again." Beale is far from alone. Many of her experiences have been echoed by others dealing with long COVID. It's a constellation of debilitating symptoms that range from brain fog and intense physical fatigue to depression and anxiety. But there's new, promising research that sheds light onto some symptoms. NPR health correspondent Will Stone talks with Short Wave host Regina G. Barber about the state of long COVID research — what we know, what we don't and when we can expect treatments or even cures for it. Have more COVID questions you want us to cover? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you.
Researchers analyzed a sample of about 221 million prescriptions from 2016 to 2022, in Americans between the ages of 12 and 25. The increase was prominent among young women and girls.
Research shows there are science-backed ways to help students learn to read, but not all teachers are trained in the best way to do so. In response, colleges are reimagining their curriculums.
People who are immunocompromised continue to worry about COVID. A raft of products promise protection. Is there any evidence they can protect from infection or lessen severity of disease?
Thousands of kids went missing from schools during the pandemic. For some who have tried to return, school paperwork has proved a daunting obstacle. In Atlanta, one family's four kids have been home since March 2020, ultimately unenrolled for poor attendance.
The pandemic state of emergency was lifted but there are still plenty of viruses to worry about. Here are some highlights of our viral coverage this year, including NPR's "Hidden Viruses" series.
The federal government has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to boost American production of medical gloves, but some companies say it's not enough when imported gloves have gotten cheaper.
Three school years after classrooms shut their doors in March 2020 following the initial outbreak of COVID-19, Georgia students remain behind in phonics compared to kids in other states. But the data also shows some good news.
School absenteeism was already considered too high before COVID. But there was a surprisingly sharp rise in the number of chronically absent students after things were thought to be getting back to normal.
Two scientists, one Nigerian and one American, created a cutting-edge surveillance network to catch the next emerging disease before it becomes a pandemic.
In 2020, Laura Gao hoped to visit her birthplace, Wuhan, to see her grandparents. The coronavirus caused her to cancel. They beat the virus and say they're now "walking backward" toward the sun.