Health News

What science says about airborne transmission
What will the pandemic look like in 6 months?
6 months into pandemic: WHO on world's response
Timeline: How coronavirus got started
Experts predict more COVID infections, less deaths
UK slams brakes on reopening as COVID cases surge
Health experts call for national COVID strategy
Vatican: Assisted suicide, euthanasia "intrinsically evil"
Pfizer may struggle distributing a COVID vaccine

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1 hour ago

'Unfathomable': US death toll from coronavirus hits 200,000

The death toll in the U.S. from the coronavirus has topped 200,000, a figure unimaginable eight months ago when the scourge first reached the world’s richest nation
1 hour ago
FILE - In this April 29, 2020, file photo, workers move bodies to a refrigerated truck from the Andrew T. Cleckley Funeral Home in the Brooklyn borough of New York. During the deadliest days of the coronavirus outbreak in New York City, the bodies piled up at the funeral home — and the stench that came with it — at an alarming rate. Cleckley says what happened next made him the scapegoat for an unforeseen crisis — hundreds of COVID-19 deaths a day in New York that overwhelmed funeral homes across the city. Authorities swept in and suspended his license in an episode that made headlines in a city already reeling from other horrors of the pandemic. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
1 hour ago

The Latest: Trump praises his efforts in handling virus

President Donald Trump says he has “done an amazing” and “incredible job” handling the coronavirus, even as the country surpasses 200,000 virus deaths
1 hour ago
A local police stops a vehicle at a checkpoint in the Usera neighborhood in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2020. Madrid is poised to extend its restrictions on movement to more neighborhoods, due to a surge in new cases in other districts and despite an outcry from residents over discrimination. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
3 hours ago

WHO on how the world responded to the coronavirus pandemic

ABC News spoke to the WHO's Dr. Margaret Harris on a range of topics.
3 hours ago
Passengers disembark after their flight landed at Wuhan's Tianhe International Airport in China's central Hubei province, Sept. 16, 2020.
3 hours ago

UK's Johnson slams brakes on reopening as COVID cases surge

British PM Johnson slammed the brakes on the country’s return to offices.
3 hours ago
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street, in London, to go to the Houses of Parliament to make a statement on new coronavirus restrictions Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2020. Johnson plans to announce new restrictions on social interactions Tuesday as the government tries to slow the spread of COVID-19 before it spirals out of control. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
3 hours ago

Timeline: How coronavirus got started

The outbreak spanning the globe began in December, in Wuhan, China.
3 hours ago
Surrounded by members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, President Donald Trump speaks at a press conference on COVID-19, known as the coronavirus, in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, March 13, 2020. Trump is declaring coronavirus a national emergency.
3 hours ago

We've hit 200,000 COVID deaths in 6 months. What will the next 6 months look like?

Experts weigh in on what the future may hold amid the pandemic.
3 hours ago
A health worker takes a patient's temperature before sending them to a tent to be tested at a COVID-19 testing site at St. John's Well Child and Family Center in Los Angeles, California, on July 24, 2020.
3 hours ago

Greece: Prosecutors told to put anti-maskers on trial

Judicial authorities in Greece have received instructions to pursue the prosecution of anti-mask activists with fast-tracked trials and penalties for convictions of up to a year in prison
3 hours ago
3 hours ago

Coronavirus: 6 months later

As the U.S. hits the grim milestone of 200,000 deaths, ABC News takes a look at the last six months of coronavirus -- how we got here, what went wrong and how it’s still impacting us all.
3 hours ago
VIDEO: Coronavirus: 6 months later
3 hours ago

Confirmed US death toll from coronavirus tops 200,000, the highest in world, by Johns Hopkins University's count

Confirmed US death toll from coronavirus tops 200,000, the highest in world, by Johns Hopkins University's count
3 hours ago
3 hours ago

Vatican: Assisted suicide, euthanasia "intrinsically evil"

The Vatican has reaffirmed its stance that euthanasia and assisted suicide are “intrinsically evil.”
3 hours ago
Rome's skyline is seen from the St. Damaso balcony at the Vatican, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
1 hour ago

France's weak spot: Virus infections rise at nursing homes

Confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths are rising again in France’s nursing homes for the first time in months
1 hour ago
A Paris fire fighter collects a nasal swab sample to test for COVID-19 outside a district town-hall in Paris, Monday, Sept.21, 2020. French health authorities have started opening new testing centers in the Paris region to try to reduce queues and delays as the number of infections is steadily increasing in the country. In total, they are planning to open 20 new testing centers in the French capital and in the suburbs this week. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
September 22

Asia Today: Duterte extends virus calamity status by a year

President Rodrigo Duterte says he has extended a state of calamity in the Philippines by a year to allow the government to draw emergency funds faster to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and harness the police and military to maintain order
September 22
A health worker walks inside a quarantine facility for people showing symptoms of the COVID-19 amid the coronavirus outbreak at Patriot Candrabhaga stadium in Bekasi on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2020.(AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
September 22

Some see irony in virus' impact on Mayflower commemoration

A disease outbreak that wiped out large numbers of the Native inhabitants of what is now New England gave the Pilgrims a beachhead in the “New World.”
September 22
Troy Currence is reflected in a photo of himself with his mother, Hazel Harding Currence, left, and his daughter, Kendall Currence, three generations of Herring Pond Wampanoag tribal members, at his home in Bourne, Mass., Monday, Sept. 21, 2020. In August, Native descendants from all over New England and beyond were set to converge on Plymouth for The Ancestors March, listed as a "signature event" on the Plymouth 400 calendar. "We were looking forward to it so we could actually speak our truth," he says. "That we're still here. We're not a destroyed people." The coronavirus, which has disproportionately impacted Native communities across the country, has also put these plans on hold. Currence takes it as a sign. "Eventually, if you don't take care of Mother Earth and live in balance," he says, "the natural law is always going to win." (AP Photo/David Goldman)
September 22

UK leader: Britain at “perilous turning point,” scraps back-to-work drive, tightens restrictions amid virus resurgence

UK leader: Britain at “perilous turning point,” scraps back-to-work drive, tightens restrictions amid virus resurgence
September 22
September 22

As Europe faces 2nd wave of virus, tracing apps lack impact

Mobile apps tracing new COVID cases were touted as a key part of Europe’s plan to beat the coronavirus outbreak
September 22
A man shows the contact tracing app Stayaway Covid on his cellphone, in Lisbon, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020. The smartphone app uses Bluetooth technology to help discover whether people have been in close proximity to someone infected with COVID-19. Mobile apps tracing new COVID cases were touted as a key part of Europe’s plan to beat the coronavirus outbreak. Seven months into the pandemic, virus cases are surging again and the apps have not been widely adopted due to privacy concerns, technical problems and lack of interest from the public. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
September 22

Poland seeks more flu vaccines amid shortage during pandemic

Poland’s health minister says the government is trying to secure more flu vaccines due to a national shortage fueled by higher demand during the coronavirus pandemic
September 22
September 22

Campus outbreak brings uncertainty to San Diego's reopening

Less than a month ago, San Diego was the only county in Southern California to advance to a second tier in the state’s four-tiered reopening template
September 22
FILE - In this Sept. 2, 2020, file photo, a woman wears a mask as she walks on campus at San Diego State University in San Diego. A coronavirus outbreak of more than 700 cases reported at San Diego State University has put all of San Diego County, with more than 3 million people, at risk of having to close indoor dining and shopping, many for a third time under California guidelines. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)
September 22

The Latest: Hollywood unions announce pandemic agreement

Hollywood’s unions have announced that they have reached an agreement on pandemic protocols with major studios that will allow the broad resumption of production of films and television after six months of stagnant sets and widespread unemployment
September 22
Pedestrians wearing face shields and masks walk at an overhead crossing at Sule Pagoda Road in Yangon, Myanmar,Monday, Sept. 21, 2020. Myanmar, faced with a rapidly rising number of coronavirus cases and deaths, has imposed the tightest restrictions so far to fight the spread of the disease in Yangon, the country's biggest city and main transportation hub. (AP Photo/Pyae Sone Win)
September 22

Yemen gets new virus hospital after other facilities close

The Red Cross has announced the opening of a new field hospital in southern Yemen specifically to treat coronavirus patients
September 22
In this photo provided by the International Committee for the Red Cross International and Yemeni staff stand inside a new field hospital for coronavirus patients in the country's main southern city of Aden. The Red Cross announced the opening of the facility on Monday, Sept. 21, 2020 as the virus continues to spread largely unchecked in war-torn Yemen. Many medical facilities in the country have closed as staffers flee or turn patients away. (International Committee for the Red Cross via AP)
September 22

Indian couple run street-side classes for poor students

An Indian couple are conducting free classes for underprivileged children on a sidewalk in New Delhi
September 22
A child takes a pencil during a class conducted by Veena Gupta on a sidewalk in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020. Veena Gupta and her husband are conducting free classes for underprivileged children on a sidewalk in New Delhi. As most schools in India remain shut since late March when the country imposed a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19, many switched to digital learning and taking classes online. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
September 22

Police release footage after officers shoot 13-year-old boy

Body camera footage released Monday from a police shooting that seriously injured a 13-year-old autistic boy in Utah shows that officers shot the boy after his mother asked for help getting him to a hospital and officers agreed to talk to him
September 22
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall speaks during a news conference Monday, Sept. 21, 2020, in Salt Lake City. A 13-year-old Utah boy with autism was shot by police after his mother asked for help getting him to a hospital and officers agreed to talk with him, police footage released showed. She called the shooting a tragedy as she called for a quick but thorough investigation. "I am profoundly heartbroken and frustrated," she said. "It's a tragedy for this young boy, for his mother and for families and individuals who have acute mental health needs." (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
September 22

CDC changes, then retracts, web posting on how virus spreads

The top U.S. public health agency stirred confusion by posting — and then taking down — an apparent change in its position on how easily the coronavirus can spread from person to person through the air
September 22
FILE - In this Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020, file photo, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield puts his mask back on after speaking at a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on a "Review of Coronavirus Response Efforts," on Capitol Hill, in Washington. The CDC has stirred confusion, by posting, and then taking down, an apparent change in its position on how easily the coronavirus can spread through the air. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool, File)
September 21

Here's what science says about airborne transmission of the coronavirus

Evidence is mounting that the virus can linger in the air.
September 21
In this Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, file photo, people sit at tables at San Diego State University in San Diego.
September 21

Ginsburg's death exposes fragility of health law protection

COVID-19 is the newest preexisting medical condition, and the Obama-era health law that protects Americans from insurance discrimination is more fragile following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
September 21
People gather at the Supreme Court to honor the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
September 21

Europe adopts tougher virus restrictions as infections surge

European countries are imposing new coronavirus restrictions as the crisis deteriorates, while the U.S. closes in on 200,000 virus deaths
September 21
A local police stops a vehicle at a checkpoint in Madrid, Spain, Monday, Sept. 21, 2020. Police in the Spanish capital and its surrounding towns are stopping people coming in and out of working-class neighborhoods that have been partially locked down to stem Europe's fastest coronavirus spread. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
September 21

Airline denies mom and son, 2, after he refused to wear mask

A New Hampshire woman was not allowed to stay on an American Airlines flight with her 2-year-old son because he would not wear a mask as the airline requires
September 21
September 21

For most NYC students, back to school but not the classroom

For most schoolchildren in New York City, Monday meant back to school, but not back to the classroom
September 21
FILE - In this Aug. 19, 2020, file photo, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks to reporters after visiting New Bridges Elementary School to observe pandemic-related safety procedures, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. For most schoolchildren in New York City, Monday, Sept. 21, 2020, will mean back to school, but not back to the classroom. Only pre-kindergarteners and some special education students are scheduled to end a six-month absence from school buildings. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, FIle)
September 21

Madrid adopts virus restrictions exposing poor-rich divide

Police in the Spanish capital and its surrounding towns are stopping people coming in and out of some working-class neighborhoods that have been partially locked down to stem Europe’s fastest coronavirus spread
September 21
A local police stops a vehicle at a checkpoint in Madrid, Spain, Monday, Sept. 21, 2020. Police in the Spanish capital and its surrounding towns are stopping people coming in and out of working-class neighborhoods that have been partially locked down to stem Europe's fastest coronavirus spread. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
September 21

Experts call for national COVID strategy rather than current 'whack-a-mole' approach

The plan draws on the Obama administration’s plan for HIV/AIDS.
September 21
A close-up image of a coronavirus particle, which is part of a family of viruses that include the SARS, common-cold and MERS coronavirus.
September 21

Europe scrambles to contain rise in coronavirus cases

Political pressure is growing in Europe for governments to tackle the rising number of coronavirus case without resorting to a spring-style lockdown that would hit the continent’s struggling economies
September 21
A woman talks to a healthcare worker before getting tested for COVID-19 at a sampling station in Prague, Czech Republic, Monday, Sept. 21, 2020. The country coped well with the first wave of the coronavirus infections in the spring but has been facing a record surge of the new confirmed cases last week. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
September 21

U.K. medical experts raise nation’s COVID-19 alert level, say cases are rising “rapidly and probably exponentially.”

U.K. medical experts raise nation’s COVID-19 alert level, say cases are rising “rapidly and probably exponentially.”
September 21
September 21

Saudi Arabia to launch app for Mecca pilgrims amid virus

Saudi Arabia has released new details on how it plans to gradually allow Muslims back to Islam’s holiest site in Mecca to perform the smaller-year-round pilgrimage
September 21
FILE - In this May 25, 2019 file photo, Muslim worshippers circumambulate the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque, during the minor pilgrimage, known as Umrah in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Authorities on Monday, Sept. 21, 2020, released new details on how it plans to gradually allow Muslims back to Islam's holiest site in Mecca to perform the smaller-year-round pilgrimage, which has been suspended for the past seven months due to the coronavirus (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)
September 21

Asia Today: India adds 87K cases, New Zealand easing rules

India has recorded nearly 87,000 new coronavirus infections as it edges closer to the United States in having the most cases in the world
September 21
A small number of tourists visit as the Taj Mahal monument is reopened after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic in Agra, India, Monday, Sept.21, 2020. (AP Photo/Pawan Sharma)
September 21

Czechs replace health minister amid record infection surge

The Czech government is appointing an epidemiologist as the new health minister as the country struggles with a surge of infections
September 21
FILE - In this March 15, 2020 file photo, Deputy Minister of Health Roman Prymula addresses a press conference after the government talks on new measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus in Prague, Czech Republic. Prymula will be the new Czech Health Minister, replacing Adam Vojtech (for ANO), who announced his resignation on Monday, Sept. 21, 2020. (AP Photo via CTK/Ondrej Deml)
September 21

UK medical advisor: COVID cases could rise exponentially

Britain’s top medical adviser says the country has, in a “very bad sense,” turned a corner on COVID-19 infection rates, with figures suggesting there will be an exponential growth in the disease unless action is taken
September 21
September 21

UK chief medical officer says country has, in a 'very bad sense,' turned a corner on COVID-19 infections

UK chief medical officer says country has, in a 'very bad sense,' turned a corner on COVID-19 infections
September 21
September 21

The Latest: New Zealand to end restrictions except in 1 city

All remaining virus restrictions will be lifted across much of New Zealand from late Monday with the exception of the largest city, Auckland, which will continue to have some restrictions for at least another 16 days
September 21
Participants of a demonstration protest with signs on the Rhine meadows against the measures to combat the coronavirus in Duesseldorf, Germany, Sunday, Sept.20, 2020. Sign reads "you and m , we all for truth , freedom, love, peace.".(Roberto Pfeil/dpa via AP)
September 20

Asia Today: Fewer cases in Melbourne, new surge in India

Australia’s second-largest city, Melbourne, has moved close to easing severe lockdown restrictions after recording only 14 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday
September 20
Travelers wearing face masks crowd at Haneda airport in Tokyo Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, on the first day of the 4-day holiday. (Kyodo News via AP)
September 20

Des Moines says no to governor's demand for classroom return

A dispute between Iowa's governor and the state's largest school district could mean summer school for students and crippling bills for the school system
September 20
A sign outside of Greenwood Elementary School promotes mask-wearing on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Des Moines, Iowa. A dispute between Iowa's governor and the state's largest school district could mean summer school for students and crippling bills for the school system. Des Moines school officials have repeatedly refused to abide by Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds' order that districts hold at least half their classes in-person, saying it's not safe. (AP Photo/Scott McFetridge)
September 20

Abbey service, flypast mark 80 years since Battle of Britain

Military jets flew over central London and a memorial service was held at Westminster Abbey to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain
September 20
People attend a service to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain at Westminster Abbey, London, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. (Aaron Chown/Pool Photo via AP)
September 20

Sweden spared surge of virus cases but many questions remain

Sweden’s relatively low-key approach to coronavirus lockdowns captured the world’s attention when the pandemic first hit Europe
September 20
FILE - In this Friday, June 26, 2020 file photo employees socially distance due to the coronavirus as they have a drink after work, in Stockholm. Sweden's relatively low-key approach to coronavirus lockdowns captured the world's attention when the pandemic first hit Europe. Now, as infection numbers surge in much of Europe, Sweden has some of the lowest numbers of new cases and there are only 14 people being treated for the virus in intensive care in the country of 10 million. (Stina Stjernkvist/TT News Agency via AP, File)
September 20

The Latest: South Korea's daily virus total drops slightly

South Korea’s new coronavirus tally has fallen below 100 for the first time in more than a month, as the country’s recent viral resurgence is gradually easing
September 20
A protester holds up a placard in front of police officers during a "Resist and Act for Freedom" protest against a mandatory coronavirus vaccine, wearing masks, social distancing and a second lockdown, in Trafalgar Square, London, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
September 19

Virus measures targeted by protesters despite case spikes

Demonstrators around the world fed up with virus-related restrictions.
September 19
A protester holds up a placard in front of police officers during a "Resist and Act for Freedom" protest against a mandatory coronavirus vaccine, wearing masks, social distancing and a second lockdown, in Trafalgar Square, London, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
September 19

Pandemic retools diplomacy as world leaders gather virtually

With the pandemic still in force, world leaders are skipping the annual U.N. General Assembly gathering in New York
September 19
September 19

Cities creating racial 'healing' committees to confront past

The goal of the committees and task force panels is aimed at racial healing
September 19
Protesters attach a chain to a statue of Spanish conquerer Juan de Oñate in Albuquerque, N.M., Monday, June 15, 2020. One man was shot during an exchange between protesters and armed members of the New Mexico Civil Guard, a civilian group trying to protect the monument. (Anthony Jackson/The Albuquerque Journal via AP)
September 19

Romanian families protest mandatory use of masks in school

Several hundred Romanians, including many families with young children, have protested in the Bucharest against measures to curb the spread of coronavirus, especially social distancing and the mandatory use of masks in schools
September 19
An elderly lady wearing a mask for protection against COVID-19 infection looks at vegetables after the opening of a market selling Romanian food products discounted by 25 percent for pensioners and 15 percent for students living or studying in the district surrounding,in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020. Several community welfare investments were inaugurated in the recent weeks as Romania approaches the end of local elections electoral campaign, although the events were not officially related to the upcoming ballot on Sept. 27. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)
September 19

Democrats face quandary on vaccine support as election nears

President Trump escalates promise for a coronavirus vaccine before Election Day.
September 19
September 19

Police clash with anti-lockdown protesters in London

The group opposes restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus
September 19
Protesters take part in a "Resist and Act for Freedom" protest against a mandatory coronavirus vaccine, wearing masks, social distancing and a second lockdown, in Trafalgar Square, London, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020. (Yui Mok/PA via AP)
September 19

Asia Today: India's cases keep rising; rallies in Melbourne

India has maintained its surge in coronavirus cases, adding 93,337 new confirmed infections in the past 24 hours
September 19
A health worker takes a nasal swab sample of a passenger to test for COVID-19 at a facility erected at a railway station to screen people coming from outside the city, in Ahmedabad, India, Friday, Sept. 18, 2020. India's coronavirus cases jumped by another 96,424 in the past 24 hours, showing little sign of leveling. India is expected to have the highest number of confirmed cases within weeks, surpassing the United States, where more than 6.67 million people have been infected. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
September 19

NYC mayor 'very confident' in new school reopening timeline

New York City’s mayor says he is confident the city will meet a revised timeline to bring public school students back to classrooms within the next two weeks
September 19
FILE - In this Aug. 19, 2020, file photo, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks to reporters after visiting New Bridges Elementary School in the Brooklyn borough of New York, to observe pandemic-related safety procedures. In a Sept. 10, 2020, letter to the mayor by the leaders of a number of businesses, de Blasio was urged "to take immediate action" on public safety and other issues in New York City as part of dealing with the city's longer-term economic concerns. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)
Amira Hassan, of Burnsville, Minn., plays in the waiting room at the specialty clinic at Children's Minnesota in Minneapolis, May 2, 2017. Hassan went to the hospital's clinic for a routine wellness check, but had to wear a mask to protect her from measles after an outbreak has sickened more than 30 children in Minnesota.
Amira Hassan, of Burnsville, Minn., plays in the waiting room at the specialty clinic at Children's Minnesota in Minneapolis, May 2, 2017. Hassan went to the hospital's clinic for a routine wellness check, but had to wear a mask to protect her from measles after an outbreak has sickened more than 30 children in Minnesota.
In Minnesota's worst measles outbreak, a battle of beliefs over vaccines
May 04
Amy Forliti/AP Photo
A doctor talks to an older patient in this undated photo.
A doctor talks to an older patient in this undated photo.
What patients need to know about new recommendations for prostate cancer screening
Apr 11
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