Science
“People Aren’t Going To Realize It Until They Call 911 And No One Comes”: How Omicron Could Push Hospitals Over The Edge
The cruel irony is that what appears to be the mildest widespread variant of the coronavirus is the one that risks pushing the US hospital system to the brink.
David Mack
The Federal Government Is Still Undercounting Extreme Weather And Climate Deaths
NOAA announced that at least 688 people died from extreme weather in 2021, but BuzzFeed News has shown that the true toll is much higher.
Peter Aldhous
We Asked Experts To Tell Us The Most Important Things To Know About Kids And COVID Because Honestly, It’s Confusing
Here’s what to know right now about protecting children from COVID-19, how dangerous it is for them, and the real risk of long COVID in kids.
Theresa Tamkins
The CDC Is Warning That Child Hospitalization Rates Are Breaking Pandemic Records
“Pediatric hospitalizations are at the highest rate compared to any prior point in the pandemic,” the CDC’s director warned.
Dan Vergano
Texas Is Still Not Recognizing The Full Death Toll Of Last Year’s Devastating Winter Storm
The state now says that 246 people were killed in last February’s winter storm. An updated analysis by BuzzFeed News puts the number at more than 750.
Peter Aldhous
Jail Time For An “Imaginary Crime”: It’s Almost Impossible To Overdose Just By Touching Fentanyl, But People Are Being Locked Up For It Anyway
“People should not be in jail for imaginary crimes,” one expert said.
Lindsey Ellefson
The CDC Might Recommend Asymptomatic People Test Negative For COVID-19 Before Breaking Isolation
Anthony Fauci says the CDC is aware of recent pushback to its changes to isolation guidelines and may soon alter them.
David Mack
“This Is Climate Change Barging Through The Front Door”: Water Scarcity Is Forcing Changes In How The Colorado River Is Shared
Huge decisions will be made in the next few years about who gets water from the shrinking Colorado River. Basin tribes are fighting to get their share.
Caitlin Ochs
The White House Is Defending The CDC’s New 5-Day Coronavirus Isolation Guideline For Asymptomatic People
“We are standing on the shoulders of two years of science,” the CDC director said.
Dan Vergano
Boosters Aren’t The Answer To Omicron (or Pi)
Why one global health expert is urging more focus on vaccine sharing.
Seth Berkley
The CDC’s New COVID Isolation Guidance Surprised Experts, Too
Experts welcomed the decision to shorten the isolation period to five days, but many are still concerned testing negative first hasn't been prioritized.
David Mack
We Don’t Know How Many People Are Killed By Extreme Weather. This Means Even More People Will Die.
No one is accurately measuring how many people are dying from climate change and extreme weather. This is a fatal mistake that takes pressure off political leaders.
Peter Aldhous
“Baked From The Inside Out”: 2021 Proved Climate Change Is Here And It Is Deadly
The climate crisis is here, the US is woefully unprepared, and people are already paying with their lives.
Zahra Hirji
E.O. Wilson, Heir To Darwin’s Legacy And King Of The Ants, Has Died At Age 92
He put nature conservation on a scientific footing, battled colleagues who were enraged by his biological explanations of human behavior, and won two Pulitzer prizes — all inspired by ants.
Peter Aldhous
This Is What You Should Know Before Taking A Rapid COVID Test
Every day, decisions are being made based on rapid COVID tests. How common are false negatives, and can you trust the results?
Theresa Tamkins
The Rapid Spread Of Omicron Has Cities Scrambling To Cope With Demand For COVID Tests
“This spreads so fast that if you look at what's going on today, it's actually already happened 10 to 14 days ago,” one expert said.
Dan Vergano
Omicron Now Accounts For The Majority Of New COVID Cases In The US
“The capacity for superspreading events is really extraordinary,” one expert said.
Dan Vergano
A Week After The Deadly Tornadoes, This Is How Kentucky Is Recovering
Multiple tornadoes touched down in several states last Friday, causing widespread destruction and leaving scores of people dead and injured.
Pia Peterson
The FDA Just Lifted A Major Restriction On Abortion Pills. Here’s What You Need To Know
The FDA has permanently lifted a restriction on the mailing of abortion pills. Here’s what that means for the changing rules on abortion access.
Theresa Tamkins
“I Don’t Know How We’ll Keep Going”: A COVID Holiday Surge Is Coming
The US is facing another COVID surge, and Omicron is poised to make it worse. But there is one clear step Americans can take to protect themselves and society at large: get vaccinated.
David Mack
A CDC Panel Is Recommending mRNA Vaccines Over The J&J Shot Due To Rare Side Effects
Rare blood clotting side effects linked to nine deaths triggered the recommendation, which stops short of calling for ceasing use of the one-shot vaccine.
Dan Vergano
The CDC Blames Contamination And Design Flaws For Its First Failed COVID-19 Test Kits
“It felt like we were driving blind, and we really were a little bit,” one expert said.
Dan Vergano
New York City's New Overdose Prevention Centers Have Already Saved Lives. The Biden Administration Should Get On Board.
We are New York district attorneys and health officials. Here’s why New York City is opening sites for people to safely use drugs.
Darcel Clark
800,000 Americans Have Now Died From COVID. It Didn’t Have To Be This Way.
“What makes me most uncomfortable and concerned is that the loss of this much life was preventable.”
David Mack
If Carrie Did These 7 Things, She Might Have Been Able To Save That “And Just Like That” Character
Sure, not everyone is great in an emergency. But here’s how not to be a total Carrie. Caution, spoilers ahead, although everyone is talking about this right now, TBH.
Theresa Tamkins
The Trump Administration Violated Federal Law By Muzzling Personnel During The COVID-19 Outbreak
Trump appointee Michael Caputo warned government employees last year not to speak with the media, records obtained by BuzzFeed News revealed.
Jason Leopold
The Smithsonian’s #MeToo Moment
Many researchers dream of one day working at the Smithsonian’s facility in Panama. But 16 women scientists told BuzzFeed News that their experiences there were nightmares ruled by prominent men who exploited their powers.
Nishita Jha
Some Nations Are Hoarding Vaccine Doses. It's Creating Conditions For New Variants To Emerge.
Vaccine hoarding by rich countries is a big problem. And it’s not the only obstacle to getting shots into arms across the African continent.
Peter Aldhous
The Government Asked Us Not To Release Records From The CDC’s First Failed COVID Test. Here They Are.
Federal investigation records obtained by BuzzFeed News show how one of the most pivotal mistakes of the pandemic fell on an overburdened CDC lab with only three full-time employees.
Dan Vergano
The Omicron Variant Partly Evades Vaccine Antibodies, According To A South African Study
“The data suggests this is a more transmissible virus with significant degrees of immune escape, that is going to render the vaccines less effective,” said one expert.
Dan Vergano
