To make ends meet, Martha Tapia works 64 hours a week at two Orange County, California, nursing homes. She is one of thousands of certified nursing assistants who perform the intimate and physical work of bathing, dressing and feeding the nation’s fragile elderly. “We do everything for them. Everything you do for yourself, you have […]
Home »
Argentina detects first case of British virus variant
Argentina has detected its first case of a British-identified coronavirus variant that appears to be more infectious, authorities said Saturday. The infection was discovered in a man who arrived from Britain in Argentina in late December without symptoms of the disease. Authorities “detected the variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom in a traveler,” science […]
German agency slams too many ‘exceptions’ to virus rules
Germany’s Robert Koch Institute (RKI) health agency on Thursday called for stronger measures to bring down coronavirus infections, noting many people not doing enough to reduce social contacts. “The measures that we are taking now—for me they are not a complete lockdown, there are still too many exceptions,” RKI head Lothar Wieler told a press […]
Saint Petersburg eyes virus lockdown amid record deaths
Russia’s second city Saint Petersburg registered a record number of virus deaths on Tuesday as authorities warned of an imminent lockdown and shuttered restaurants for the New Year’s holidays. Saint Petersburg—one of Russia’s most popular tourist destinations—is struggling with a major health crisis, with hospitals overwhelmed with coronavirus patients but residents flouting social distancing and […]
As virus slams rural California, many still pan restrictions
Brenda Luntey is openly violating California’s order to close her restaurant to indoor dining. But she wants her customers and critics to know she isn’t typically a rule-breaker. It’s a matter of survival. “This is my first episode of civil disobedience in my entire life. My whole family is in law enforcement. I’m a follow-the-rules […]
Thailand urges calm after four test positive for virus
Thai authorities urged calm on Tuesday as they scramble to trace a potential coronavirus outbreak after at least four women tested positive on returning from neighbouring Myanmar. Since detecting the first case outside of China back in January, Thailand has managed to keep COVID-19 infections low, at just over 4,000 cases, in part by imposing […]
International virus sleuths expected to go to China soon: WHO
The World Health Organization said Monday it had received reassurances from Beijing that international experts would soon be able to travel to China to help investigate the animal origins of COVID-19. “We fully expect and have reassurances from our Chinese government colleagues that the trip to the field… will be facilitated, and as soon as […]
German vaccine maker gives hope as US virus deaths top 250,000
The German maker of a top coronavirus vaccine said on Friday its jab could be delivered as early as December, offering more promising news even as virus deaths in the world’s worst affected country, the United States, passed a quarter of a million. A slew of positive clinical vaccine trials is building hope for an […]
How the flu virus spreads within cities
New insights into the local transmission of seasonal influenza may be valuable for planning interventions to combat the spread of respiratory diseases within cities, according to a study published November 19, 2020 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Nicola Müller and Tanja Stadler of ETH Zürich, and colleagues. As shown with the current severe […]
France ‘still far’ from ending partial virus lockdown
French authorities are unlikely to lift a partial coronavirus lockdown any time soon, a government spokesman said Wednesday, even if some restrictions may be relaxed before Christmas. President Emmanuel Macron and top ministers discussed the crisis, including whether to ease some restrictions from December 1 “if conditions allow it,” spokesman Gabriel Attal said. But Attal […]