CDC chief Robert Redfield says that earlier testing for the coronavirus would have been like "looking for a needle in a haystack." But other health experts dispute his assertion.
The children and preteens of the U.S. polio epidemic of the 1940s and '50s are once again in a high-risk group, this time for coronavirus. They recall their experiences and the parallels to today.
A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that between 5.7% and 20% of children with COVID-19 end up in the hospital, with 2% or fewer needing intensive care.
Usually in health emergencies — HIV, vaping and more — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is key to shaping policy and explaining it. That's changing to America's detriment, leaders say.
The U.S. has been slow to roll out testing, leaving communities in the dark about the spread of the virus. It was a lost opportunity to stop the virus in its tracks.
China's experience shows how the virus can be stopped. But the World Health Organization's Dr. Bruce Aylward says other countries may be drawing the wrong lessons about how China achieved it.
Carl Goldman tested positive for the new coronavirus after leaving the ship and arriving in the U.S. He is recovering in an isolation unit of the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Dr. Ananda Prasad first turned up zinc's benefits to human growth back in the 1960s. Years later, his study and others found that the right dose of zinc can cut a cold's duration by days.
Scientists are trying to figure out how often people without symptoms can transmit the novel coronavirus. If it happens a lot, that could complicate the response to the outbreak.
Globally, health officials are on high alert, implementing airport screenings, evacuations, border controls and other measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.
In Washington, the local health care system is on high alert after the first case of Wuhan coronavirus was confirmed there last week. But it knows how to respond, thanks to recent measles outbreaks.
A new illness is spreading throughout China and other parts of the world, including one confirmed case in the U.S. As airports ramp up screening efforts, public health experts question if they help.
British doctors report the apparent eradication of HIV from a patient who was undergoing treatment for cancer. It's only the second time this has been accomplished, despite many attempts.
The latest NPR-IBM Watson Health Poll finds that medical visits for symptoms of infections are common and that many people get an antibiotic under those circumstances. But a talk is in order first.
College students are among the least likely to get vaccinated against the flu, which killed more than 80,000 people last winter. Experts say the reasons are a combination of fear and misperception.
Money has poured into Alzheimer's research, but until very recently not much of it went toward investigating infection in causing dementia. A million dollar prize may lead more scientists to try.
The chance of catching Lyme disease from an individual tick ranges from zero to roughly 50 percent. Three factors matter: the tick species, where it came from and how long the tick was feeding.
Nutrients in crops fall as carbon dioxide rises. People who don't get enough of the right nutrients are more likely to get sick. Researchers have now estimated the effects.
About a dozen states have added hepatitis C to the list of medical conditions for which people can face criminal prosecution if they knowingly engage in activities that could spread the disease.
An analysis of mice in the Big Apple finds that many harbor bacteria that can make humans sick if exposed to the animals' droppings. Some of the bacterial strains were resistant to antibiotics.
There's a new fear from climate change: Bacteria and viruses buried in frozen ground coming back to life as the Arctic warms up. We went digging in permafrost to find out how worried we should be.
The 16th century epidemic, likely set off or exacerbated by European invaders, was one of the most deadly in human history. New evidence traces it to a type of salmonella that causes a deadly fever.
The flu season started early this year and is already widespread throughout the country and intense in dozens of states. But it's not too late to get that flu shot, officials say.
