Mar 09 What’s the difference between a pandemic, an epidemic and an outbreak? By Rebecca S.B. Fischer, The Conversation Simply put, the difference between these three scenarios of disease spread is a matter of scale. Continue reading
Mar 04 Watch 3:37 As virus deaths rise, Congress agrees on $8.3 billion to fund public response By William Brangham The novel coronavirus has claimed more lives in the U.S., with a total of 10 deaths in Washington state and one in California. As the number of infections also continues to rise, the House and Senate have agreed on a… Continue watching
Mar 03 Watch 7:10 In Iran, government distrust rises amid deadly outbreak of novel coronavirus By Reza Sayah The global spread of novel coronavirus has hit Iran hard. Nearly two dozen members of the nation’s parliament as well as its director of emergency services are infected with the illness, and a third government official died from the virus… Continue watching
Mar 02 Watch 8:23 Why Washington health officials fear novel coronavirus may have been quietly spreading The novel coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. is now blamed for six deaths, all in Washington state. Health officials worry the illness may have been spreading undetected near Seattle for weeks, possibly resulting in many undiagnosed cases. Can hospitals in… Continue watching
Feb 25 Watch 7:14 Why U.S. officials are escalating their concerns over novel coronavirus U.S. health officials are expressing a new level of urgency over the possibility that novel coronavirus could spread extensively within the country. The virus appears to have peaked in China, but other global hotspots are emerging. Lisa Desjardins reports and… Continue watching
Feb 24 Watch 8:41 With new outbreaks of COVID-19, are we on the ‘precipice’ of a pandemic? Will novel coronavirus, now known as COVID-19, morph into a global pandemic? Health officials worldwide are concerned about incidents of human-to-human transmission of the illness, although it continues to have a relatively low death rate. Amna Nawaz reports and Georgetown… Continue watching
Jun 20 Watch 5:21 A universal flu vaccine could finally be within sight By William Brangham, Jason Kane Influenza is a shape-shifter virus that could spark a global pandemic. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health are working to deliver what is referred to as The Holy Grail in the fight: a universal flu vaccine that could protect… Continue watching
Jun 20 To fight the next major pandemic, flu hunters turn to these animals By Nsikan Akpan It takes 600,000 chicken eggs a day to supply the seasonal flu vaccine. That's just one of many ways that animals help fight the next pandemic. Continue reading
Jun 19 Watch 8:25 Why the race to stop the next flu outbreak starts at state fairs and the beach By William Brangham, Jason Kane Public health officials agree the constantly mutating influenza virus has the potential to cause a major outbreak and a deadly global crisis. For the second part of the NewsHour’s series on preparing for such a pandemic, we examine how research… Continue watching
Jun 18 Watch 9:04 Why another flu pandemic is likely just a matter of when By William Brangham, Rachel Wellford Despite the availability of vaccines, the flu still kills tens of thousands of people in the U.S. each year, and hundreds of thousands more worldwide. But public health officials fear that an even graver threat lies ahead: the emergence of… Continue watching