Health

The CDC has some additional advice that will make masks more effective against the spread of coronavirus.

The CDC's studies show that the risk of transmission for the coronavirus is significantly reduced when two parties are both wearing fitted and layered masks, echoing earlier recommendations from experts.

A medical professional does the vaccination; your body does the immunization.

If we’re being pedantic here (and we are), ‘vaccination’ and ‘immunization’ shouldn't be used interchangeably.

When she graduated from medical school in 1849, Elizabeth Blackwell earned more than an M.D.: she also earned the distinction of becoming America’s first woman doctor.

Double-masking can offer additional protection.

The practice of doubling up on masks has been gaining attention, but it's not new advice. An expert explains.

While there's no single answer to how long eggs are good after their expiration date, they usually don't spoil right away.

Need to give your glasses a quick cleaning? Dog licks are not recommended.

Using your shirt to clean your eyeglasses may be convenient, but it's also ineffective and can damage your lenses. There's a better way.

The Triumph of Death by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, circa 1562.

COVID-19 restrictions are difficult, but at least we don’t have to carry 6-foot canes to make sure we’re properly social distancing.

In the weeks leading up to his inauguration on March 4, 1857, James Buchanan was recovering from a disease that got hundreds of people sick in Washington, D.C.

Those white spots on your teeth might be trying to tell you something (like that your mouth is suffering a plaque attack).

People turned to unusual remedies to avoid catching the plague.

From fart jars to drinking urine, here are strange, gross, or downright dangerous historical methods people used to prevent catching a plague.

When public trust in the polio vaccine needed to be restored, officials turned to Elvis.

In 1956, the singer agreed to be photographed taking the vaccine in order to drum up public support.

If you touch your video game controller every day, it's probably dirty. Here's the best way to clean it without damaging the device.

A painting of Gouverneur Morris by Pierre Henri, 1798.

There are many weird ways to die. But Gouverneur Morris’s DIY whale-bone catheter might take the cake.

Even reusable masks need to be replaced sooner or later, especially if you're wearing and washing them regularly.

Seventy years ago, a polio epidemic swept through Wytheville, Virginia—and the town went on lockdown.

Though every person and every panic attack is different, there are some simple tricks you can use to help lessen the severity of your symptoms.

This neat trick from Olivia Cuid, M.D makes any disposable or cloth face mask fit better in seconds.

A new at-home test for COVID-19 can provide results in 30 minutes.

The molecular test is highly accurate in detecting coronavirus and can offer results in 30 minutes, but the general public probably won't see it until the spring.

Science is closer to understanding what prompts severe COVID-19 illness.

The "cytokine storms" that precede severe illness in patients with COVID-19 has been poorly understood. New research has traced the risk of lung damage and organ failure to two key proteins that have the potential to be treated with drugs.

The caffeine in Red Bull can compete with your morning coffee, and Red Bull’s taurine has nothing to do with an actual bull.

Breaking bad habits requires a little more than just willpower.

Stopping something as inconsequential as biting your nails or as serious as drinking too much requires perseverance and planning.

President Woodrow Wilson photographed in good health.

Woodrow Wilson never publicly acknowledged the 1918 influenza pandemic—not even after he caught the virus himself.

ScareHouse is serving up a ton of (socially-distanced) terrors in Tarentum, Pennsylvania.

During its first 20 years, every face paint-caked zombie or masked ghoul working at ScareHouse was taught one maxim: Get into people’s personal space. Then the COVID-19 pandemic arrived.

Whether you experience pain with a vaccine shot may depend on what type you're getting.

Some shots can barely be felt while others feel like you've been punched in the arm. Is it technique, the vaccine, or something else?

CDC Updates Coronavirus Mask Guidance, Recommends Tight and Layered Coverings

Vaccination vs. Immunization vs. Inoculation: What's the Difference?

6 Groundbreaking Facts About Elizabeth Blackwell, America’s First Woman Physician

Does Double-Masking for Coronavirus Protection Make Sense? We Asked an Expert

10 Foods You Can Safely Eat After the Expiration Date

The Right Way to Clean Your Glasses

The National Hotel Epidemic: The Mysterious Disease That Nearly Sidelined James Buchanan on His Inauguration Day

Yes, You Can Reverse a Cavity—Here’s How

9 Weird Historical Ways to Ward Off a Plague

Jab Me Tender: How Elvis Presley Eased People's Minds About the Polio Vaccine

Your Video Game Controller Is Gross. Here’s How to Clean It

When a Founding Father Performed His Own Penis Surgery (And Then Died)

When Should You Replace Your Face Mask?

How the Polio Epidemic of 1950 Gave Wytheville, Virginia, a 'Summer Without Children'

6 Effective Tips for Coping With Panic Attacks

Doctor’s 60-Second Trick Makes Any Face Mask Fit Better

The FDA Has Approved the First At-Home COVID-19 Test Kit—Here's What You Need to Know About It

Scientists Come Closer to Understanding COVID-19 'Cytokine Storms'

What's Inside a Can of Red Bull?

The Best Way to Break a Bad Habit, According to the Experts

When Woodrow Wilson Caught the 1918 Flu During a Pandemic, But Hid It From the Public

ScareHouse: How a Famously In-Your-Face Haunted House Is Using the Pandemic to Its Advantage

Why Do Some Vaccines Hurt More Than Others?