health

Here’s what to know about the new COVID variant ‘razor blade throat’

COVID-19

Cases of the recently identified Covid-19 variant NB 1.8.1. are rising. Some have dubbed the variant “razor blade throat” for one of its notably painful symptoms. The World Health Organization says it’s monitoring the variant. The World’s Marco Werman spoke to Michael Mina, an epidemiologist and immunologist based in Boston.

Ghana battles deadly meningitis outbreak amid shrinking foreign aid and health system struggles

Health & Medicine

Chile’s pet cemeteries are beloved. But they raise environmental and health concerns.

Lifestyle & Belief

UNICEF spokesperson: ‘Children are losing their childhood’ in Gaza

Uncategorized

Counting the civilian death toll in Gaza

Israel-Hamas war

Rising temperatures in India are pushing those who have to be outdoors to adapt to a new reality

Climate Change

Unprecedented temperatures have struck large parts of northern and central India for weeks, killing dozens of people and unleashing a public health crisis.

A new study finds that scientists may be able to detect dementia sooner and faster

Health & Medicine

Dementia is a catch-all term for certain diseases affecting the memory of tens of millions of people. A new study finds that it might be possible now to detect dementia early and within minutes. The World’s host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Charles Marshall, the lead researcher for the study.

Magnified red microbes float among a yellow background

A micro safari through household germs reveals that cleanliness isn’t always a good thing

Medicine

Take a look around — you might not be able to see them, but they are everywhere. We are surrounded by forests of bacteria and microbes. And it turns out, that might not be such a bad thing. But our obsession with cleanliness could be.

Colonies of lab-grown E. coli bacteria similar to a strain carrying a gene that makes it resistant to all known antibiotics. Many bacterial pathogens are developing drug resistance due to the widespread misuse of antibiotics.

Think antibiotic-resistant ‘super-bugs’ are only a distant threat? Think again.

Health

The death of a Nevada woman whose bacterial infection was immune to every available drug in the US is raising new alarms about antibiotic resistance.

French President Francois Mitterrand raises his cap as he goes for a walk in the streets of Chateau-Chinon in 1995.

French politicians have a long history of keeping their serious illnesses secret

Global Politics

An unhealthy penchant for privacy is not unique to US presidential candidates.