The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering tapping social media platform TikTok to encourage more young Americans to practice public health precautions as coronavirus cases surge among younger people, officials said Thursday.Data indicates that the new infections seen across the country "are targeting younger individuals," CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield said on a conference…

Nearly 300 Portland, Oregon city employees have taken bereavement leave over the past two weeks to mourn the deaths of unarmed black people killed by police officers across the country.Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler announced earlier this month that he would instruct managers to approve a week of leave without question and encouraged private employers to…

Given the current climate — primarily in the United States — of social unrest, injustice, and uncertainty, it may seem strange to read or even think about hopeful or positive things. But scientists are advancing in the fight against the new coronavirus, and this feature rounds up their progress.Share on PinterestScientists continue the fight against…

The authors of a recent paper ask what role gut bacteria might play in COVID-19. They outline strands of existing evidence and conclude that a link between the two is plausible, but that more research is necessary.Scientists have implicated gut bacteria in a number of conditions. From type 2 diabetes to depression, researchers have observed…

Sorry folks, the Justice Department is not in the business of issuing coronavirus mask exemption cards. A U.S. attorney in North Carolina issued an alert this week saying that the cards that have been popping up are bogus, and despite the wording on the card they are not official Justice Department documents. The cards purport…