Here’s Why Virus Mutations Worry Scientists
You can count on viruses to change. VOA explains the process and why it could pose problems for researchers who are working on a COVID-19 vaccine. ...
China Reports Spike in New COVID-19 Cases
China’s health commission is reporting a spike in new COVID-19 cases in several provinces, prompting health officials to urge citizens to use personal protection. COVID-19 is the disease caused by the coronavirus.At a Beijing news conference, National Health Commission spokesperson Mi Feng said 17 new…
Virtual Political Conventions Becoming a Realistic Alternative
Events and event planning are among the societal casualties of the coronavirus pandemic. In 2020, in the United States, the biggest among them could be national political nominating conventions. VOA’s Steve Redisch examines what a virtual political convention might look like and how it may change the way American politics is conducted. ...
Mental Health Problems Increase Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage on, an invisible fight is emerging for many at home, triggered by the anxiety, joblessness, death, isolation and uncertainty that accompany the virus.May is mental health awareness month, and never before has the topic of mental health been…
First Trials Race to find Covid-19 Vaccine
A main coronavirus vaccine trial — a joint venture between an American and a German company — got underway this week in the United States. Some participants are U.S. medical students. This trial joins others around the world, as pharmaceutical companies compete to discover the breakthrough for…
Five Players Test Positive for Coronavirus in Spain
Five players in Spain's top two divisions have tested positive for COVID-19 since clubs began testing players and staff members last week, organizing body La Liga said in a statement on Sunday.La Liga said the players would remain at their homes where they would continue…
Pandemic Gives Fresh Momentum to Digital Voice Technology
In a world suddenly fearful of touch, voice technology is getting a fresh look.Voice-activated systems such as Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Apple's Siri have seen strong growth in recent years, and the virus pandemic could accelerate that, analysts say.Voice assistants are not only answering…
Iraq’s Ancient Nineveh Re-created Via VR Technology
Stone by stone, digital artists and game developers from Mosul are rebuilding Nineveh's heritage sites in the digital world.By looking through a virtual reality headset, a person can see the wonders of ancient Iraq. Via VR, it's possible to fly over Nergal Gate, built 2,700…
Cameroon Continues to Suffer Staggering Mother, Child Birth Mortality Rate
Coinciding with Friday’s observance of the African Day for the Reduction of Maternal and Newborn Mortality, Cameroon disclosed that tens of thousands of newborn babies continue to die at birth and thousands of women continue to lose their lives while giving birth each year in…
Smallpox Eradication 40 Years Ago Has Parallels With Coronavirus Pandemic
As the world celebrates the 40th anniversary of the eradication of smallpox, the World Health Organization reports the methods used to rid the world of the devastating disease can be used today to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.In the 20th century alone, more than 300 million…
‘Smart Helmets’ at Rome Airport Check On Passengers’ Temperatures
Fiumicino International Airport in Rome is the first one in Europe to use "smart helmets" to check the temperature of travelers from a safe distance. VOA Correspondent Mariama Diallo explains how the helmets are helping fight against the coronavirus pandemic. ...
Experts Worry CDC Is Sidelined in Coronavirus Response
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has repeatedly found its suggestions for fighting the coronavirus outbreak taking a backseat to other concerns within the Trump administration. That leaves public health experts outside government fearing the agency's decades of experience in beating back disease threats…
No Sure Way to Predict Impact of Loosening COVID Restrictions
As some states moved to open their economies from the pandemic lockdown this week, Salon owner Shelley Luther reacts as supporters chant for her after she was released from jail in Dallas, May 7, 202 for refusing to keep her business closed amid concerns of…
Marine Life Declines for Another Year in Contested, Overfished South China Sea
Marine life in the politically disputed South China Sea took another hit over the past year, researchers said, due to overfishing and lack of international efforts to protect species.Vessels from multiple Asian countries are going farther out into the 3.5 million-square-kilometer sea and casting deeper…
60 years later, Access to Birth Control Pill and Other Contraceptives Still Lacking Worldwide
On May 9th, 1960, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the world’s first commercially produced oral contraceptive. The birth control drug — popularly known as ‘The Pill’ — was hailed by supporters as “revolutionary” but 60 years later, insufficient access to the drug and other methods of birth control around…
Contracts, Black Hole Discovery and Musical Compositions Top This Week in Space
The focus of future U.S. missions to the moon may soon shift from research to commerce. Meanwhile, European scientists have discovered the closest black hole to our solar system. VOA's Arash Arabasadi explores This Week in Space. ...
WHO ‘Deeply Troubled’ by Reports of Spike in Domestic Violence
The World Health Organization says it is “deeply troubled by reports that domestic violence has spiked dramatically in many areas of Europe during COVID-related lockdowns.”Speaking from Copenhagen Thursday, the WHO Europe chief, Dr. Hans Kluge, said he had seen reports of increases in reports of…
COVID-19 Discrimination Against Migrants Threatens Health, Economy, IOM Says
The International Organization for Migration warns growing discrimination against migrants, who often are blamed for spreading the coronavirus, impede efforts to tackle the pandemic.The coronavirus pandemic has dealt a serious blow to global migration. The International Organization for Migration reports work visas for migrants have…
NASA Studies Astronauts’ Own Microbes from Space Station
Microbes carried on the bodies of visiting astronauts are being sampled on board the International Space Station in hopes of learning how to better protect their health and the health of people on Earth.“Microbial tracking” is a series of experiments in which samples are taken…
Foreigners on The Frontlines of Pandemic in Arab Gulf States
As she was treated for COVID-19 in a hospital isolation ward in Kuwait City, Amnah Ibraheem wanted to credit those caring for her. The nurses were all South Asian, the radiologist was African, another of her doctors was Egyptian. The only fellow Kuwaiti she saw,…
Face Masks Make A Political Statement in Era of Coronavirus
The decision to wear a mask in public is becoming a political statement — a moment to pick sides in a brewing culture war over containing the coronavirus. While not yet as loaded as a "Make America Great Again" hat, the mask is increasingly…
European Astronomers Discover Closest Black Hole to Earth So Far
A team of European astronomers has discovered a black hole 1,000 light years from Earth, the closest yet found to our solar system.According to the authors of a study, published Wednesday in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, the black hole is close enough that two…
Celestial Events Liven Up Sky This Week
If life on Earth has become tedious with coronavirus restrictions, celestial activity this week promises some excitement. In addition to an ongoing meteor shower, the year's last supermoon is out and will be seen at its best Thursday.The annual Halley's Comet meteor shower peaked Monday,…
Scientists Find Bug that Completely Protects Mosquitoes from Malaria
British and Kenyan scientists have discovered a microbe that they say has "enormous potential" toward the possible eradication of one of the world's most dreaded diseases — malaria.The study published in the journal Nature Communications says the microbe completely protects mosquitoes from being infected by…
Scientist: Trump Officials Ignored Warnings on Drug, Virus
A government scientist was ousted after the Trump administration ignored his dire warnings about COVID-19 and a malaria drug President Donald Trump was pushing for the coronavirus despite scant evidence it helped, according to a whistleblower complaint Tuesday.Rick Bright, former director of the Biomedical Advanced…
US Study: New Coronavirus Strain Spreading Faster
A new study led by the U.S. government has found that a new strain of the novel coronavirus that is prevailing worldwide is spreading faster than earlier versions.The study led by scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory said the new strain, a mutated form of…
Here Are the Coronavirus Vaccines Undergoing Trials
How close are we to getting a coronavirus vaccine? Trials are underway right now. Here's a breakdown of the top 8 contenders and the countries working to make it happen. ...
US to Rein in Flood of Virus Blood Tests after Lax Oversight
U.S. regulators Monday pulled back a decision that allowed scores of coronavirus blood tests to hit the market without first providing proof that they worked.The Food and Drug Administration said it took the action because some sellers have made false claims about the tests and…