In 2021, excess deaths rose in rural America

Despite the presence of vaccines, excess deaths in year two of the COVID pandemic actually increased in rural areas, research finds.

Boston University • futurity
July 19, 2023 ~9 min

Hospitals saw spike in alcohol-related hepatitis during pandemic

Hospital admissions for alcohol-related hepatitis, a life-threatening liver inflammation, increased dramatically during the COVID pandemic.

Sara Zaske-Washington State • futurity
July 14, 2023 ~6 min


Empty office spaces can be converted to residential buildings – but it won't be affordable

With many employers switching to remote work, two engineering experts explain the feasibility of converting office buildings to residential spaces.

Leah Mo, Assistant Professor of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, Iowa State University • conversation
July 14, 2023 ~9 min

Curing America's loneliness epidemic would make us healthier, fitter and less likely to abuse drugs

At least half of surveyed US adults experienced loneliness and social isolation.

Clay Marsh, Chancellor and Executive Dean for Health Sciences, West Virginia University • conversation
July 14, 2023 ~8 min

2 anti-inflammatory drugs prevented COVID deaths

Anti-inflammatory drugs didn't speed recovery for people hospitalized with COVID-19, but they did prevent deaths, researchers find.

Diane Duke Williams-WUSTL • futurity
July 11, 2023 ~7 min

Tuberculosis on the rise for first time in decades after COVID-19 interrupted public health interventions and increased inequality

Tuberculosis is a preventable and curable disease, yet before the pandemic, it killed more people than any other infectious disease.

Carlos Franco-Paredes, Associate Faculty Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Colorado State University • conversation
July 7, 2023 ~8 min

AI is an existential threat – just not the way you think

From open letters to congressional testimony, some AI leaders have stoked fears that the technology is a direct threat to humanity. The reality is less dramatic but perhaps more insidious.

Nir Eisikovits, Professor of Philosophy and Director, Applied Ethics Center, UMass Boston • conversation
July 5, 2023 ~8 min

More than 1.5 million Americans lost Medicaid coverage in the spring of 2023 due to the end of pandemic policies – and paperwork problems

The health coverage program’s enrollment soared during the three years after March 2020 due to temporary policies adopted at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Maithreyi Gopalan, Assistant Professor of Education and Public Policy, Penn State • conversation
June 23, 2023 ~4 min


4 answers about this year’s allergy season

The beginning of summer doesn't mean the end of allergy season. An expert digs into what you need to know.

Stanford • futurity
June 20, 2023 ~4 min

96.4% of Americans had COVID-19 antibodies in their blood by fall 2022

There’s pretty much no one left in the US who hasn’t been exposed to the coronavirus, whether by vaccination, infection or both.

Derek Cummings, Professor of Biology, the Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida • conversation
June 15, 2023 ~5 min

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