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ScienceHealthStudy Finds Coronavirus Could Spread Via Poop, Which Is Often Just Floating Through the Air
New research out this week suggests that feces can spread covid-19. The study found that infectious viral particles can survive in fecal matter taken from patients, but it’s still unknown how common a transmission path this might be. Scientists have occasionally reported finding RNA traces of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes covid-19, in the feces … Continued
By Ed Cara -
ScienceHealthSymptom Checker Apps Are Awful at Guessing the Right Illness, Study Finds
Using the internet to diagnose your latest health concern is, perhaps unsurprisingly, not all that effective. A new study from scientists in Australia tested more than two dozen so-called symptom checker apps and found that they correctly diagnosed a hypothetical person’s illness barely over one-third of the time. Apps designed to tell someone if they … Continued
By Ed Cara -
ScienceHealthAn Experimental Vaccine for Covid-19 Shows Early Promise in Human Trial
An experimental vaccine for covid-19 is showing some promising (though still very preliminary) results in people, according to its manufacturer. On Monday, biotech company Moderna announced its incomplete findings from a Phase 1 clinical trial of the vaccine candidate, called mRNA-1273. The trial found that the vaccine was overall tolerable and safe, and many of … Continued
By Ed Cara -
ScienceHealthLatest Coronavirus Science: The Link Between Pandemics and Psychosis
Here are some of the latest developments in covid-19 research, including whether people can develop immunity, the effects of covid-19 on the brain, and the potential for the pandemic to grow even larger than it has already. Covid-19 and psychosis The full range of health effects of the coronavirus, which has infected at least 4.5 … Continued
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ScienceHealthWhat Scientists Know So Far About the Syndrome Affecting Children With Coronavirus
Children across the U.S. and Europe are coming down with a rare but life-threatening condition that appears to be connected to covid-19. But as doctors continue to study the ailment, some experts are arguing that it should stop being compared to another rare disorder in children, called Kawasaki disease. Rather, it seems to be its … Continued
By Ed Cara -
ScienceHealthShady Stem Cell Clinics Are Peddling ‘Immune-Boosting’ Covid-19 Treatments
Some stem cell clinics are trying to take advantage of the covid-19 pandemic, according to an expert who has been tracking the industry. Clinics both in and out of the U.S. are marketing stem cells as a preventative, “immune-boosting” treatment against the coronavirus, with little to no evidence to back up their claims. Stem cell … Continued
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ScienceHealthOne Child Killed, 72 Others Sickened by Coronavirus-Linked Syndrome in New York
Dozens of children in New York are severely ill and at least one child has died due to a dangerous inflammatory condition possibly connected to covid-19, state officials reported this week. Now, health officials are alerting doctors to look out for and test children with these symptoms for the coronavirus that causes covid-19. Doctors and … Continued
By Ed Cara -
ScienceHealthThe U.S. Government Has Abandoned Meatpacking Workers
Though the covid-19 pandemic has affected all walks of life, it’s hit some people in the U.S. much harder than others. That especially includes those working in the meatpacking and processing industry, with factories becoming the epicenters of massive outbreaks across the U.S. But these outbreaks are only the latest sign of a government that … Continued
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ScienceHealthWhy Temperature Screenings Alone Won’t Protect People From Covid-19
As parts of the U.S. begin to reopen and ease restrictions on physical movement, a major looming question is how to prevent new spikes in cases of covid-19. One commonly touted idea is to implement wide-scale temperature screenings at businesses and public places, as some companies like Amazon already are doing. But while such a … Continued
By Ed Cara -
ScienceHealthWhat to Know About That New Paper Claiming the Coronavirus Is Becoming More Contagious
A preliminary scientific paper on covid-19—detailed by the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday—is sure to unnerve people. It argues that the world is now dealing with a mutated, more contagious form of the coronavirus that causes covid-19 than the version that originated in China. But scientists we spoke with are skeptical of the paper’s conclusions. … Continued
By Ed Cara -
ScienceHealthCDC Predicts Daily Coronavirus Deaths to Nearly Double by June as Trump Pushes U.S. to Reopen
The second wave of covid-19 in the U.S. is likely right around the corner, newly leaked projections from the Trump administration predict. By June 1, the country could see 3,000 deaths a day—a new high—along with hundreds of thousands of new cases. The estimates come as parts of the country have already begun to reopen … Continued
By Ed Cara -
ScienceHealthLatest Coronavirus Science: Pinning Down the True Fatality Rate
Every day brings new scientific insights into covid-19 and the coronavirus that causes it. Here are some of the latest studies and developments, including research into the virus’s fatality rate and impacts on children. How extreme social distancing slowed China’s outbreak Most countries have implemented social distancing to keep covid-19 at bay, since there are … Continued
By Ed Cara -
ScienceHealthNo Evidence of Coronavirus Reinfection, South Korean Officials Say
Some recovered covid-19 patients who again tested positive for the coronavirus likely weren’t reinfected after all. On Thursday, South Korean officials stated that there’s no evidence currently that the virus is reinfecting people in the country, and the test results that suggested reinfection were likely false positives finding dead virus particles. South Korea is one … Continued
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ScienceHealthFDA to Allow Emergency Use of Experimental Drug as Studies Show Mixed Results for Treating Covid-19
A wave of results from studies involving remdesivir, an experimental antiviral being used to treat covid-19, has arrived today. The data so far doesn’t provide a concrete answer as to how effective or life-saving the drug truly is for coronavirus patients. Nonetheless, the New York Times reports that the Food & Drug Administration is set … Continued
By Ed Cara -
ScienceHealthDoctors in Europe Warn of Link Between Covid-19 and Toxic Shock Symptoms in Children
Doctors in Europe are warning that they’ve started to see an alarming rise of rare, life-threatening complications among children confirmed or suspected to have covid-19. However, it’s not certain how common these complications are or whether they’re necessarily connected to the novel coronavirus. On Tuesday, Reuters reported that health officials in the UK and Italy … Continued
By Ed Cara -
ScienceHealthFirst U.S. Dog Tests Positive for Coronavirus
Amid more reports of pets and other animals testing positive for the new coronavirus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidelines on social distancing this month to include our furry companions. However, there’s no evidence that pets are playing a major role in spreading the virus to people. Earlier this month, officials … Continued
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ScienceHealthResearchers in Oregon Are Starting Door-to-Door Coronavirus Testing
Medical workers and researchers in states across the U.S. are now gathering the crucial data needed to understand the new coronavirus and its spread. They’re testing large groups of people for the virus, regardless of whether the person feels sick or has reason to believe they’ve been exposed. Over the weekend, Oregon State University announced … Continued
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ScienceHealthThere Probably Won’t Be a Miracle Cure for Covid-19
A string of recent developments in covid-19 research is providing an important, if deeply depressing, lesson about the disease and the coronavirus that causes it. Despite the continued optimism of President Trump, there’s no miracle treatment for covid-19 coming down the pipeline. Last week, scientists in China released data from the largest-yet randomized and controlled … Continued
By Ed Cara -
ScienceHealthDermatologists Report Odd Toe Symptoms Potentially Linked to Covid-19
Dermatologists are starting to report some peculiar symptoms linked to covid-19: discolored and/or rashy patches of skin, often along people’s toes and fingers. At this point, though, it’s not clear just how often these symptoms happen in patients or what exactly causes them. The first reports of a possible connection between covid-19 and the skin … Continued
By Ed Cara
Ed Cara
Ed Cara is a Brooklyn-based writer and pug enthusiast. He spent his early twenties performing theater at various stages across the tri-state area, including off-Broadway. But he eventually caught the reporting bug and transitioned into science journalism, publishing his first feature article at the magazine Pacific Standard (RIP) in 2014. Ed has since written for the Atlantic, Newsweek, Undark Magazine, and Vice, before landing at Gizmodo in 2017. Ed enjoys digging into the latest health advances, the weirdest medical cases, and the occasional animal news. He also still performs regularly in the city as a sketch and improv comedian.
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