Health & Safety

Collage of gifts, a syringe full of vaccine, a surgical mask, and a calendar set to December, surrounded in a frame made of a hodgepodge of letters and mail

We answered your questions on safety, loneliness and anxiety during the holidays

7:02pm December 18, 2021

We asked for your questions on navigating the holiday blues. Clinical psychologist Andrea Bonior guides us through some rough patches involving family, money, loneliness and safety.

Health & Safety

UCSF Medicine chair answers our omicron questions

5:16pm December 18, 2021

NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer talks with Dr. Bob Wachter to discuss what we know about the omicron variant, how it spreads, and how to stay safe.

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The arrival of the omicron variant in New York City has resulted in a rise in cases and the return of long lines for COVID testing. It has many people comparing this December to March 2020 when the pandemic began.

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Omicron is spreading. Dr. Ashish Jha answers 9 questions about it and what you can do

3:17pm December 18, 2021

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of Brown University School of Public Health, about safely navigating the holidays amid rising COVID case numbers.

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COVID-19 cases are increasing rapidly across the US

8:13am December 18, 2021

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

Coronavirus cases are beginning to surge again in the U.S., just weeks after the discovery of the omicron variant. Data from the U.K. shows it is even more transmissible than delta.

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An FDA decision gives more access to abortion pills by mail, but state laws differ

8:13am December 18, 2021

by Sarah McCammon

It's estimated that abortion pills account for as many as 40% of abortions in the U.S. This week, the FDA made a permanent rule change that eases access to these pills.

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Missouri attorney general tells localities and schools to stop mandating masks

8:13am December 18, 2021

by Sarah Kellogg

After a judge's ruling, the Missouri attorney general ordered schools and health districts to drop their mask mandates. But critics say he's misinterpreting the court decision for political gain.

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U.S. COVID-19 deaths surpasses 800,000

8:13am December 18, 2021

by Scott Simon

As the number of confirmed COVID deaths surpasses 800,000, Scott Simon speaks with Pastor Jesse Rincones of San Antonio about consoling families that have lost loved ones.

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Inflation may be worse in our heads than in reality

8:13am December 18, 2021

by Scott Simon

Scott Simon speaks with University of Chicago economist Stefan Nagel about the psychological effects of inflation.

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People line up to receive a rapid COVID-19 test in an agricultural community in Immokalee, Fla., where the poverty rate is over 40%. Partners in Health is working with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to test, educate and vaccinate the community during

Health & Safety

Rich nation, unequal health care: Why a charity that's helped Haiti is aiding the U.S.

7:01am December 18, 2021

by Maria Godoy

The charity Partners in Health aims to improve health services in lower income places like Haiti and Rwanda. Now it's setting up a permanent presence in the U.S. with an $11 million federal grant.

Health & Safety

Move more, sit less and celebrate outside this holiday season

7:00am December 18, 2021

by Katy Bowman

The holidays don't have to be defined by lazy days in your pajamas. Discover 11 festive ways get your body moving and get outdoors this year.