Health

Vaccine Lottery Tickets Are Sad, but Also Perfect

Incentives may feel condescending, but they are what America does best.

COVID-19 Vaccine Makers Are Looking Beyond the Spike Protein

It’s time for more weapons in the shots-versus-virus arms race.

Podcast: Dealing With Post-pandemic Trauma

The Atlantic staff writer Ed Yong talks with James Hamblin and Maeve Higgins about the ways, large and small, in which we’ve all suffered.

What Happens When Americans Can Finally Exhale

The pandemic’s mental wounds are still wide open.

Restaurants Have a New Problem, and It Has Red Eyes and Is Super Loud

Cicadas could turn outdoor dining into a total nightmare.

No One Actually Knows If You’re Vaccinated

America has always been on the vaccine honor system.

We Can’t Hide in Our Bubble of Immunity Forever

As Americans abandon masks, the world is suffering around them.

Podcast: Share the Vaccine ‘Recipe’

What difference could it make worldwide if the U.S. waived patents for vaccines?

The Doctors Who Bet Their Patients’ Lives on COVID-19 Test Results

Those waiting for an organ transplant are at risk of contracting the coronavirus whether they choose to avoid the health-care system or to interact with it.

There’s a Perfect Number of Days to Work From Home, and It’s 2

The best job perk is self-determination.

The J&J Rescue Mission Starts With a Choice

The reputation of all COVID-19 vaccines hinges on improving perceptions of the Johnson & Johnson shot.

Podcast: Long-COVID Questions Answered

A long-COVID patient and an immunologist help us understand the mysterious condition.

The Era of Mass Vaccinations Is Ending

To reach the remaining holdouts, America’s approach to vaccine distribution is going hyperlocal.

6 Questions for the Boss Who Wants You Back in Your Cubicle

Here’s how to find out if your workplace’s return-to-office plans are actually safe.

Germany’s Anti-vaccination History Is Riddled With Anti-Semitism

Jewish people were blamed for spreading disease, and considered expendable victims.

Indian Americans Don’t Know What to Feel Right Now

The pandemic is ravaging India at the same moment that it is relenting in the United States.

A Year Without Germs

Months of exuberant hand-sanitizing and social isolation during the pandemic have changed our exposure to microbes, in ways good and bad.

Podcast: The Consequences of Vaccine Nationalism

“One country’s crisis is every country’s crisis.”

Post-vaccination Inertia Is Real

Readjusting our ideas about what’s safe is going to take time.

The CDC Is Still Repeating Its Mistakes

The agency’s new guidelines are too timid and too complicated.