Opinion

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How optimizing indoor humidity can help stop the spread of Covid and flu

OPINION: Recent CDC guidelines for indoor air quality disregard the benefits of humidity. But research shows it can kill viruses and help thwart infections.

Photograph of a small child with a backpack staring through some railings at an empty schoolyard.

Society

How to recover from the Great Education Disruption

OPINION: Children around the world were out of school for months, with big impacts on learning, well-being and the economy. How do we avoid a ‘generational catastrophe’?

Conceptual illustration shows a cityscape, two people staring out of windows and a giant red coronavirus hovering in the sky.

The Mind

Pandemic psychology: Nothing new under the Sun

OPINION: Our behavior during Covid-19 echoes that of individuals, societies and governments during past plagues. We can and should do better.

Photo shows people volunteering after a devastating earthquake in Nepal to recover bricks and heritage items from a destroyed temple in 2015. The volunteers, shown in silhouette, pass items hand to hand from the roof down to the ground.

Society

How to short-circuit short-term thinking

OPINION: Human behavior is fueling major social dilemmas — from climate change to the Covid pandemic to the spread of misinformation. But that means it’s also the solution, if only we can harness psychology for the common good.

Lab researchers wearing full protective suits, supplied with clean air, are shown in a lab.

Society

Question the ‘lab leak’ theory. But don’t call it a conspiracy.

OPINION: If there’s one thing the pandemic has taught us, labels get in the way of facts and make the truth that much harder to find.

Photo shows the exterior of a large building with a sign saying “This Hospital is CLOSED. If this is an emergency, call 911.”

Society

Let’s change how we pay for hospitals

OPINION: Many health facilities were already in fiscal straits before Covid-19 — except in Maryland. The state’s innovative and sound approach could be the answer to rescuing systems nationwide.

Illustration shows a variety of ways that scientists might work in a lab to find potential new therapies.

Health & Disease

Why we are developing a patent-free Covid antiviral therapy

OPINION: During global health crises such as pandemics, drug discovery should be publicly funded and open, with no research secrets locked away

Illustration shows a networked globe with coronavirus particles.

Health & Disease

Building an immune system for the planet could prevent the next pandemic

OPINION: We need a global information network that spans borders so we can spot — and stop — new pathogens before they threaten world health

Panoramic photo shows a green lawn in Central Park, with park-goers, trees and the city skyline visible.

Society

Covid cut pollution and got us outside. Let’s keep it up.

OPINION: Urban planners need to find ways to reduce traffic and provide equal access to green spaces

Health & Disease

Let’s put community health workers to work

OPINION: Covid laid bare the scope of health disparities in the US and around the world. Research shows that trained lay people may be the best way to bring evidence-based care to those who need it most.

Collage shows people's hands using devices such as a phone or laptop in a virtual meeting, with an illustration of the planet superimposed on top.

Food & Environment

Let’s keep meetings virtual after Covid

OPINION: We don’t want to go back to living on planes and out of suitcases. Virtual meetings are cheaper, more accessible and better for the planet.

Health & Disease

Covid job loss: The cause of the next epidemic?

OPINION: Being out of work — even for a just a few months — may be bad for your health

Photo shows a dad seated on the floor with a laptop balanced on his lap and writing in a planning calendar while talking on the phone. A baby sits at his knee, playing with blocks.

Society

Remote work can be a lot better than this

OPINION: Under the right conditions (i.e., not during a pandemic), telework can be great for both employers and employees

Health & Disease

Four ways HIV activists have saved lives during Covid

OPINION: We owe these early fighters a debt of gratitude for transforming our response to public health crises.

Health & Disease

Yes, all this screen time is hurting your eyes

OPINION: A neuroscientist says that he’s particularly worried about kids, who may have spent much of last year learning online. Some easy hacks can help.

Photo shows an unhoused man with his belongings resting in a covered bus stop in Washington, DC, in February 2021. A digital sign in the bus stop tracks upticks in the US national debt.

Society

The danger of high public debt is not what you think

OPINION: An overlooked consequence of huge deficit spending during the Covid-19 pandemic could be further loss of public trust in the government

Photograph of a smashed-up car that ran off the road into a lamppost. A fire truck and police cars are in the background.

Society

Another way that Covid can kill: Car crashes

OPINION: Traffic is down, but deaths are up. Here’s how to stay safe on the road.

Photo illustration of someone looking at information about mifepristone, used to terminate early pregnancies, on their smartphone.

Health & Disease

Abortions can happen safely — and entirely — at home

OPINION: The pandemic has taught us how we can deliver better care to patients who seek to terminate pregnancies. Now if only science could triumph over politics.

This scanning electron micrograph shows Clostridium difficile bacterial cells as they are dividing.

Health & Disease

Don’t let Covid boost another killer

OPINION: The pandemic may be interfering with our fight against drug-resistant bacteria. Luckily, the same tactics can beat back both scourges.

The Mind

Pandemic behavior: 4 takeaways, 2 experts and 1 big opportunity

OPINION: So many things about this global health crisis come down to people’s small, day-to-day actions. What have we learned so far?

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Opinion

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