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People wearing face masks to curb the spread of COVID-19 walk in downtown Lisbon

A COVID variant of concern or just another ‘scare-iant?’

COVID-19

There have been hundreds and thousands variants of COVID-19. Emma Hodcroft, an epidemiologist at the University of Bern in Switzerland, explained to The World’s host Carol Hills when a variant actually becomes a variant of concern.

President Donald Trump listens during a phone call Oct. 4, 2020, in his conference room at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

Former CDC head: COVID-19’s spread in White House shows ‘testing does not replace safety measures’

The West Virginia State Capitol building in Charleston sits on the Kanawha River, which is fed in part by the Elk River — the main water supply for nearly 300,000 of the state's residents.

Documentary uncovers contaminated truths behind water crisis in West Virginia, other locations

Science
The percentage of parents who refuse to give any vaccines to their children remain at one to two percent of the general public. There is a much larger group of people who have doubts and concerns over certain vaccinations, experts say.

Despite dozens of recent flu deaths among US children, vaccination skeptics remain — and their numbers have grown

Health
Flu vaccine stock photo

Scientists are working on ways of predicting where the flu will strike next

Health
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Attendees line up to meet musician Ted Nugent at a book signing event during the National Rifle Association's annual meeting in Houston, Texas, on May 5, 2013.

Gun owners face much higher murder risks, researchers said. Then the NRA silenced them.

Global Politics

Research commissioned by the CDC in 1993 showed that gun owners faced higher risks for both homicides and suicides. But the NRA quickly moved to silence the studies — and make sure no other similar studies would get federal funding. They succeeded.

Nurse Donna Riccardi administers a shot of Influenze virus vaccine to patient Deanna Joa at the New York Downtown Hospital in New York on January 10, 2013.

The CDC says there’s a flu epidemic raging in America

Health

With flu cases up and medicines getting hard to come by, the CDC declared last week that the US is facing a flu epidemic. But even with cases up, doctors say the health system is prepared.

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How the Spread of COVID-19 Could Impacted the Treatment of Other Global Diseases 2020-04-20
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