TimeMagazine

Paramedics are lifelines in U.S communities, responding to all kinds of medical emergencies. And yet, the history of the emergency medical services (EMS) is little-known. In American Sirens: The Incredible Story of the Black Men Who Became America’s First Paramedics, author Kevin Hazzard, a former paramedic, spotlights the Black men in Pittsburgh who pioneered the … Read more

TAIPEI, Taiwan — A nighttime bus crash that killed 27 people in southwest China this week has set off a storm of anger online over the harshness of the country’s strict COVID-19 policies. The initial police report did not say who the passengers were and where they were going, but it later emerged they were … Read more

Is that sniffle a sign of seasonal allergies or COVID-19? It’s a question you’ve likely asked yourself at least once—and perhaps lots of times—over the last few years. Especially during a pandemic, it’s normal to analyze your health. But for some people, those thoughts can cross a line into more problematic territory. At least 4% … Read more

The American crackdown on the drugs that kicked off the modern opioid overdose epidemic—prescription opioids—largely succeeded. According to data released by the American Medical Association (AMA) on Sept. 8, opioid prescriptions have dropped in every state over the last decade, plummeting nearly 50% nationally. The effort to prevent overdose deaths, however, is an abject failure. … Read more

Yesterday on 60 Minutes, in an interview at the auto show in Detroit, Michigan, President Biden stated: “The pandemic is over. We still have a problem with COVID. We’re still doing a lotta work on it. But the pandemic is over.” His pronouncement caught the U.S. public health community, and even some administration officials, off … Read more

When the first cases of COVID-19 began accumulating around the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) was under pressure to declare the disease a pandemic. That announcement unlocked the keys to additional funding, resources, and emergency actions to control cases. Now, in a 60 Minutes interview, President Biden has said that “the pandemic is over.” … Read more

Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel is used to feeling like the only person in the country who still cares about COVID-19. He ignores the side-eye he gets for wearing an N95 mask at parties—a self-imposed policy that makes him “look odd” but kept him safe after a recent work dinner turned into a superspreader event. The oncologist, … Read more

ISLAMABAD — The World Health Organization raised the alarm Saturday about a “second disaster” in the wake of the deadly floods in Pakistan this summer, as doctors and medical workers on the ground race to battle outbreaks of waterborne and other diseases. The floodwaters started receding this week in the worst-hit provinces but many of … Read more

A study published Sept. 16 in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) makes a strong case for an Omicron-based COVID-19 booster shot. But first, a caveat: There are no data available yet demonstrating the effectiveness of the new Omicron booster authorized on Aug. 31, which protects against BA.4 and BA.5. The new study, conducted … Read more

If you haven’t had or been vaccinated against COVID-19 in the last few months, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says you should get a new booster shot this fall. The latest shots, which were authorized in late August and are available now, were designed to target currently circulating Omicron variants. The … Read more