Health
In Arkansas, Trans Teens Await an Uncertain Future

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — For years, Zara Banks had been looking forward to her 14th birthday — the moment, last June, when her life would no longer be on pause. Ever since Zara, a transgender girl, was 8, she has been certain she wanted to grow up to be a woman. After conversations with her parents […]

Updated: Jan 18, 2022
When Dementia Strikes at an Early Age

In frontotemporal dementia, portions of the brain that lie behind the forehead and ears shrink, resulting in dramatic personality changes, socially inappropriate or impulsive behavior and emotional indifference. Movement and memory problems typically develop later in the course of the disease. According to the Mayo Clinic, frontotemporal dementia often begins between the ages of 40 […]

Updated: Jan 17, 2022
The C.D.C.’s New Challenge? Grappling With Imperfect Science

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was long revered for its methodical and meticulous scientific approach. Agencies in other nations modeled themselves after the world’s most highly regarded public health authority, even adopting the name. At the outset of the pandemic, the C.D.C. moved at its accustomed pace. But this time, with a novel […]

Updated: Jan 17, 2022
US Surgeon General Warns That Omicron Has Not Yet Peaked

Dr. Vivek Murthy, the U.S. surgeon general, warned on Sunday that the Omicron surge of coronavirus cases had not yet peaked nationally, saying that the next few weeks would be very difficult in many parts of the country as hospitalizations and deaths rise. In an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Dr. Murthy noted […]

Updated: Jan 16, 2022
Cloth Masks Do Not Protect Against Virus as Effectively as Others, C.D.C. Says

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday clarified its stance on various kinds of masks, acknowledging that the cloth masks frequently worn by Americans do not offer as much protection as surgical masks or respirators. While this disparity is widely known to the general public, the update marks the first time the C.D.C. […]

Updated: Jan 16, 2022
How The mRNA Vaccines Were Made: Halting Progress and Happy Accidents

“I said, ‘I am an RNA scientist. I can do anything with RNA,’” Dr. Karikó recalled telling Dr. Weissman. He asked her: Could you make an H.I.V. vaccine? “Oh yeah, oh yeah, I can do it,” Dr. Karikó said. Up to that point, commercial vaccines had carried modified viruses or pieces of them into the […]

Updated: Jan 16, 2022
N95, KN95 or KF94? How to Find the Right Covid Mask

The fast-spread of the infectious Omicron variant has prompted many people to try to upgrade to a higher-quality medical mask. But that’s easier said than done. Anyone who has shopped for a mask online or in stores has discovered a dizzying array in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. Knowing which mask to pick […]

Updated: Jan 15, 2022
Martin Shkreli Barred From Drug Industry and Must Repay $64.6 Million

Martin Shkreli, the former pharmaceutical executive best known for unapologetically hiking the price of a lifesaving medication, must pay $64.6 million and will be barred for life from the drug industry for violating antitrust law, a federal court ordered on Friday. Mr. Shkreli is serving a seven-year prison sentence for defrauding investors related to his […]

Updated: Jan 14, 2022
Doctors Debate Whether Trans Teens Need Therapy Before Hormones

But other trans health specialists are concerned by the sharp increase in adolescents who are referred to gender clinics, and worry that the desire for hormones and surgeries may be driven partly by peer influence on social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube. “The kids presenting these days are very different than what I was […]

Updated: Jan 14, 2022
Supreme Court Blocks Biden’s Vaccine Mandate for Large Employers

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday blocked the Biden administration from enforcing a vaccine-or-testing mandate for large employers, dealing a blow to a key element of the White House’s plan to address the pandemic as coronavirus cases resulting from the Omicron variant are on the rise. But in a modest victory for President Biden, […]

Updated: Jan 14, 2022