Health & Safety

Immunity Americans acquired through vaccination or via prior infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus may account for the lighter than expected COVID surge in the U.S. this winter, researchers say.

Health & Safety

This winter's U.S. COVID surge is fading fast, likely thanks to a 'wall' of immunity

2:42pm February 03, 2023

by Rob Stein

The main reason the surge is ebbing now, pandemic experts suspect, is the significant immunity many people in the U.S. have acquired from prior infections and COVID vaccinations many received.

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Health & Safety

Parents worry that their kids might struggle with anxiety and depression, report says

10:36am February 03, 2023

NPR's A Martinez talks to Dr. Pamela Cantor, founder of Turnaround for Children, about a Pew report that finds U.S. parents' biggest concern is the mental health of their children.

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This scanning electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows rod-shaped Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria. U.S. health officials are advising people to stop using the over-the-counter eye drops, EzriCare Artificial Tears, that have been linked to an outbreak of drug-resistant infections of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Manufacturer recalls eye drops after possible link to bacterial infections

10:13am February 03, 2023

by Ayana Archie

EzriCare artificial tears are suspected to be the cause of an outbreak of the VIM-GES-CRPA strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which the CDC said is the first outbreak of its kind in the U.S.

There are now safety guidelines for people who hire domestic workers in California

4:35pm February 02, 2023

by Farida Jhabvala Romero / KQED

California has issued voluntary safety guidelines for employers of domestic service workers. These employees have been historically excluded from basic workplace protections.

COVID's impact on classrooms will linger and must be addressed, according to teachers

4:19pm February 02, 2023

Teachers across the country are facing new obstacles in post-pandemic life as they try and shape young minds at the same time. We catch up with a group of educators to find out what's on their mind.

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Crowd watches as city officials speak about the Winston Weaver fire at a community meeting.

Two-thirds of Winston Weaver fire relief money went undistributed by the city, raising questions about outreach

3:17pm February 02, 2023

by April Laissle

Two-thirds of the city funding set aside to ease the financial burdens of the Winston Weaver Fertilizer plant fire was never distributed to residents.

Yeshnee Naidoo prepares a "flow cell" for analysis by one of the center's many genetic sequencing machines.

Who's most likely to save us from the next pandemic? The answer may surprise you

1:07pm February 02, 2023

by Nurith Aizenman

The South African-based scientist who co-discovered the omicron variant of COVID-19 makes an intriguing argument.

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Each year, RSV infections send up to 80,000 kids under 5 to the hospital for emergency treatment. A new antibody treatment could protect the youngest kids — newborns and up infants up to 2 years old.

A single-shot treatment to protect infants from RSV may be coming soon

1:02pm February 02, 2023

by Tarryn Mento

The illness sends tens of thousands of babies to the hospital each year. If approved, the new injection would be the first broadly available prevention tool.

Winston-Salem Fire Chief Trey Mayo and Governor Cooper

Health & Safety

Winston-Salem Fire Chief Trey Mayo reflects on Winston Weaver fire one year later

8:17am February 02, 2023

by Paul Garber

Winston-Salem Fire Chief Trey Mayo found himself in the national spotlight last year when a potentially explosive fire threatened the community around the Winston Weaver fertilizer plant.

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Health & Safety

Scientists race to detect new pathogens before they can spark another pandemic

5:11am February 02, 2023

by Nurith Aizenman

Disease researchers from South Africa were the first to identify the omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus. Scientists there are racing to detect new pathogens before they can spark another pandemic.