Health, features and articles | Educational Science

Nov 30, 2020

COVID-19 vaccines: The new technology that made them possible

Days before her 91st birthday, Margaret Keenan became the first person in the world to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine outside of clinical trials. Keenan, who was sporting a polka-dot cardigan over a festive shirt, was given the first dose of a two-dose vaccine at the University Hospital Coventry in...

Nov 30, 2020

Fast-spreading UK coronavirus variant: All your questions answered

Editor's Note: This story was last updated on Feb. 1, 2021. A scary new strain of coronavirus, innocuously named B.1.1.7, has recently exploded across southeast England, prompting the government to tighten lockdowns on the region. Though we don't know all the details, experts are increasingly confident it is more easily...

Oct 31, 2020

Are you genetically more similar to your mom or your dad?

He's the spitting image of his dad! Or: She's her mom's clone — except for the nose. Clearly from her father's side of the family. As we watch kids grow up, we tend to look for likenesses between them and their parents. So which parent contributes more genetically? The answer...

Oct 31, 2020

AI can detect COVID-19 from the sound of your cough

People with COVID-19 who are asymptomatic can spread the disease without any outward signs that they're sick. But a newly developed AI, with a keen algorithmic ear, might be able to detect asymptomatic cases from the sounds of people's coughs, according to a new study. A group of researchers at...

Oct 31, 2020

What are cytokines?

Cytokines are molecules that allow your cells to talk to each other, and are crucial for healthy immune system function. Too many cytokines, however, can have a negative effect and result in what's known as a cytokine storm. These small signaling molecules are produced by many different immune cells, such...

Oct 31, 2020

US tops 10 million coronavirus cases

The United States reached an astonishing milestone today (Nov. 9): 10 million total coronavirus cases have been diagnosed since the start of the pandemic, with case counts accelerating dramatically in recent weeks. The country's total now stands at just over 10 million, according to Johns Hopkins University. It took just...

Oct 31, 2020

Wearing a cloth face mask protects you and others from getting COVID-19, CDC says

Cloth face masks offer two-way protection, benefitting both the wearer and those around them, according to updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Previously, the CDC had emphasized the role of cloth face masks in blocking the release of infectious virus particles when the wearer coughs,...

Oct 31, 2020

COVID-19 reveals how obesity harms the body in real time

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrust the obesity epidemic once again into the spotlight, revealing that obesity is no longer a disease that harms just in the long run but one that can have acutely devastating effects. New studies and information confirm doctors’ suspicion that this virus takes advantage of a...

Oct 31, 2020

Woman's stomach pain turns out to be rare case of 'wandering spleen'

A woman who went to the emergency department with abdominal pain soon learned the source of her discomfort: Her spleen had shifted about a foot out of place, according to a new report of the case. This rare condition, known as wandering spleen, occurs when ligaments that normally hold the...

Oct 31, 2020

Speed of COVID vaccine testing did not compromise safety, Fauci says

Moderna and Pfizer both recently announced that their coronavirus vaccines were around 95% effective in preventing COVID-19. Just one year ago, not a single person knew that the novel coronavirus existed. This incredible speed in vaccine development is unprecedented. But it did not compromise the safety of the vaccine or...

Oct 31, 2020

Rural hospitals are under siege from COVID-19. Here's what doctors are facing, in their own words.

It’s difficult to put into words how hard COVID-19 is hitting rural America’s hospitals. North Dakota has so many cases, it’s allowing asymptomatic COVID-19-positive nurses to continue caring for patients to keep the hospitals staffed. Iowa and South Dakota have teetered on the edge of running out of hospital capacity....

Sep 30, 2020

A virus and bacteria may 'team up' to harm babies' brains

A newly discovered bacteria may be working with a common virus to cause a serious brain condition in infants in Uganda, according to a new study. This brain disorder, called hydrocephalus, involves an abnormal buildup of fluid in the cavities of the brain and is the most common reason for...

Sep 30, 2020

Mysterious inflammatory syndrome tied to COVID-19 strikes adults as well as kids

Months after the discovery of a multisystem inflammatory syndrome tied to COVID-19 in children, health officials are warning that a similar condition can strike adults as well. On Friday (Oct. 2), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report describing a multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults or...

Sep 30, 2020

Are non-stick pans safe?

Spending each morning at the kitchen sink scraping at the charred remains of breakfast gets tedious after a while. Non-stick cookware may seem like an appealing alternative — but is it safe? Usually when people inquire about the safety of their non-stick cookware, they're talking about the brand Teflon, said...

Sep 30, 2020

1 in 4 Americans aren't washing their hands regularly

More Americans are washing their hands amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but 1 in 4 don't lather up when they need to, such as after blowing their nose, according to a new report. The report, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), examined Americans' hand washing behaviors before and...