Health

ll living things are made of cells. In the human body, these highly efficient units are protected by layer upon layer of defense against icky invaders like the cold virus.

The coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic is impacting every nation on Earth. Whether it is the deadly nature and rapid transmission of this new virus or the life-changing economic impacts being felt around the world, we are being called into action to cure a new disease and to reconsider how we as humans interact.

Since the start of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, the term “herd immunity” has been all over the news. But what does it really mean?

Germs are found on almost every surface we come in contact with, which makes it incredibly common for our bodies to be exposed to them.

The first vaccine was made by injecting cowpox into a person to prevent them from getting small pox. But how does this counterintuitive process work?

The first ventilator was used in the 1500s to keep an animal alive. So how do our modern ventilators work?

How can pathogens from one species infect another, and what makes this jump so dangerous?

When a new pathogen emerges, our bodies and healthcare systems are left vulnerable. And when this pathogen causes the outbreak of a pandemic, there’s an urgent need for a vaccine to create widespread immunity with minimal loss of life. So how quickly can we develop vaccines when we need them most?

In our increasingly globalized world, a single infected person can board a plane and spread a virus across continents. Mark Honigsbaum describes the history of pandemics and how that knowledge can help halt future outbreaks.

You've been told a thousand times: wash your hands to stop the spread of COVID-19. But why does this work so well? Vox explains what makes plain old soap so effective.

Wearing a mask is a cheap and easy way to help stop the spread of airborne infections like COVID-19. It’s also a sign that you want to help protect other people and have them protect you… that we’re all in this together.

Consider the following scenario: a highly infectious, sometimes deadly respiratory virus infects humans for the first time. It spreads rapidly worldwide, and the WHO declares a pandemic. The death toll starts to rise and everyone is asking the same question: when will the pandemic end?

If you touch your face after touching a surface with a virus, the virus can infect you. But there are two extraordinarily simple ways you can keep that from happening: soap and water, and hand sanitizer. So which is better?

Explore the probability of a future pandemic and the steps we can take to reduce its destructiveness.