Tuberculosis Could Be the Next Global Health Crisis. Is the World Ready?

For those living in affluent countries, it’s easy to forget about tuberculosis, which seems like a disease of the Victorian era. In the U.S., thanks to investments in public health and TB surveillance infrastructure, less than 600 people died from the disease in 2020. Compared to COVID-19, which caused 350,000 deaths that same year, it’s … Read more

Does It Matter Which COVID-19 Booster Shot You Get?

Now that it’s fall, it’s time to get updated on your COVID-19 vaccines if you want to stay protected throughout the winter, when infectious diseases flourish. But does it matter which shot you get? For now, there are only two options—both mRNA-based vaccines, made by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) … Read more

What a Doctor Is Seeing In COVID-19 Today

Hospitalizations for COVID-19 have been on the rise since the beginning of July. Then came the identification of the heavily mutated and possibly highly-transmissible BA.2.86 variant by the global surveillance network. Such a variant has the potential to evade our vaccine- and infection-induced antibodies and cause a surge of seasonal hospitalizations. The recommendation by the … Read more

Is It Flu, COVID-19, or RSV? How to Navigate the New World of At-Home Testing

Before COVID-19, figuring out whether a sore throat, fever, and runny nose were caused by a cold, flu, or strep wasn’t a top priority. You either powered through, knowing you’d be miserable for a few days but would probably feel better soon or you visited the doctor’s office, urgent care, or emergency room where you … Read more