Coronavirus

BOSTON — Alexandra Cross, a newly minted state public health worker, dialed a stranger’s telephone number Monday, her heart racing. It was Cross’ first day as part of Massachusetts’ fleet of contact tracers, responsible for tracking down people who have been exposed to the coronavirus, as soon as possible, and warning them. On her screen…

EATONTOWN, N.J. -- A dog in New Jersey is in need of a new family after both of her owners died from COVID-19 complications.Che-Che was scared and shaking when she was brought to the Monmouth County SPCA over the weekend. The staff wore full PPE and kept her the 9-pound dog in isolation before giving…

Studies into the mental health impact of previous disease outbreaks, such as the SARS epidemic in the early 2000s, showed a clear increase in suicide rates. Photo: AFPExperts have warned that the coronavirus pandemic is likely to have a "profound and pervasive impact" on global mental health as billions struggle to cope with isolated living…

The seal of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) hangs on a podium during an IRS Criminal Investigation 100th year anniversary event at the agency's headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Monday, July 1, 2019. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesBloombergAn unlikely group counts itself among the recipients of the coronavirus stimulus checks: the dead.The IRS…

It's not unusual to hear patients screaming and crying at Western State Hospital, workers say. But lately, they say it's been worse than normal at the massive psychiatric facility just south of Tacoma, Washington.Since COVID-19 hit the hospital a month ago, its Victorian-era buildings have felt "eerie" and "strange," according to workers.The art room is…