Melissa Healy
Los Angeles Times
Bethesda, MD, United States
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Past articles by Melissa:
How the abortion pill mifepristone affects psychological health
Rigorous research tracking the mental health of women who’ve had abortions doesn't support the claim that mifepristone is psychologically damaging. → Read More
Masking up in hospitals didn't stop COVID spread, U.K. study finds
During the Omicron era, rules requiring mask use in U.K. hospitals didn't prevent COVID-19 spread when there were no other pandemic precautions in place, a new study finds. → Read More
Vaccines and trust are key to preventing COVID deaths, study finds
A new study examines the factors that caused some states to have COVID-19 mortality rates that were four times higher than others. → Read More
How immune are we? Why answering this question is essential for post-pandemic life
In order to move through a world where the coronavirus is endemic, we need a reliable way to assess our individual level of immunity. Here's how we can. → Read More
The coronavirus has infected New York City's rats. Why that's bad news for people
Rats living in New York City's sewer system can catch the virus that causes COVID-19. Could they incubate new variants and spread them to people? → Read More
Turkey earthquake: How long can people survive in rubble?
Survivors are still being rescued in Turkey more than a week after a quake killed at least 41,000 people. How long can you live trapped under rubble? → Read More
What happens to COVID vaccines and drugs authorized for emergency use when health emergency ends?
A pandemic allows the Food and Drug Administration to authorize vaccines and drugs for emergency use, even after the health emergency ends. → Read More
FDA revokes authorization for key anti-COVID drug, a blow for vulnerable Americans
Evusheld was designed to protect immunocompromised people from serious cases of COVID-19, but the latest Omicron variants have rendered the drug useless. → Read More
Two mass shootings in three days. Are these copycat crimes?
Suicides tend to occur in clusters that suggest contagion, but there is little evidence that murders or mass shootings follow the same pattern, experts say. → Read More
How scientists trained computers to forecast COVID-19 outbreaks weeks ahead
Imagine a time when your virus-blocking face covering is like an umbrella. Most days, it stays in your closet or is stowed somewhere in your car. But when a COVID-19 outbreak is in the forecast, yo… → Read More
How scientists trained computers to forecast COVID-19 outbreaks weeks ahead
Using machine learning, scientists have trained computers to comb the internet and recognize the early signs of a COVID-19 surge up to 6 weeks in advance. → Read More
First real-world data show Omicron booster kept seniors out of hospitals
A preliminary study finds that seniors who received an Omicron-targeting booster shot were 81% less likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than those who skipped it. → Read More
COVID-19 vaccines didn't cause Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest
After Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the football field, fans have asked whether COVID-19 vaccines could have played a role. Medical experts say the answer is almost certainly no. → Read More
Why the CDC is inviting travelers from China to swab their noses at LAX
The CDC has a new plan to get a jump on new coronavirus variants — asking LAX passengers arriving from overseas to swab their noses for the sake of science. → Read More
Fauci warns of 'a progressively anti-science era' in U.S.
An interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci as he steps down from his role as the U.S. government's top expert on COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. → Read More
Declining U.S. life expectancy fell further in 2021 due to COVID and drug overdoses
U.S. life expectancy, already declining since the onset of the pandemic, fell further in 2021, according to the CDC’s final accounting of death certificates. → Read More
U.S. death toll tied to long COVID exceeds 3,500, CDC report says
Long COVID illnesses contributed to about 3,500 deaths in the U.S. through the end of June 2022, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. → Read More
U.S. death toll tied to long COVID exceeds 4,000, CDC report says
Long COVID illnesses contributed to 4,055 deaths in the U.S. through the end of June 2022, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. → Read More
Experimental decoy drug tricks coronavirus, then destroys it
An experimental decoy drug that's designed to lure the coronavirus away from cells is being readied for tests in humans. → Read More
The more pandemic precautions fall away, the more COVID risk is concentrated on this one group
When everyone around them stops taking pandemic precautions, it gets harder for immunocompromised Americans to protect themselves against COVID. → Read More