Timothy Ray Brown, First Patient Cured of H.I.V., Dies at 54

By BY SAM ROBERTS from NYT Health Known initially as the “Berlin Patient,” he underwent an experimental stem cell transplant 13 years ago that rid his body of the virus. He died of leukemia. https://ift.tt/2Gssl0E

White House Blocked C.D.C. Order to Keep Cruise Ships Docked

By BY SHEILA KAPLAN from NYT Health The C.D.C. director wanted a “no sail” order extended until February, a policy that would have upset the tourism industry in the crucial swing state of Florida. https://ift.tt/3n3Zz7r

Huge Study of Coronavirus Cases in India Offers Some Surprises to Scientists

By BY APOORVA MANDAVILLI from NYT Health The rate of death went down in patients over 65. Researchers also found that children of all ages became infected and spread the virus to others. https://ift.tt/36ltfHy

All Eyes Are on Pfizer as Trump Pushes for Vaccine by October

By BY KATIE THOMAS from NYT Health Despite slim chances that its vaccine will be ready by October, Pfizer has big incentives to hint that it might be. https://ift.tt/3io8DRn

‘Testing Hell’: Gift of Devices to Nursing Homes Brings New Problems

By BY ANDREW JACOBS from NYT Health The federal government sent free rapid-test machines to 14,000 facilities. But they have come with unexpected costs, cumbersome reporting rules and questions about accuracy. https://ift.tt/3n4gW8r

Pandemic Is Far From Over, Experts Say, Despite Trump Allies’ Claims

By BY DONALD G. MCNEIL JR. from NYT Health The C.D.C. and leading experts have concluded, using different scientific methods, that as many as 90 percent of Americans are still vulnerable to infection. https://ift.tt/3n2Dczi

Studies Begin to Untangle Obesity’s Role in Covid-19

By BY KATHERINE J. WU from NYT Health People with extra weight may struggle to mount a robust immune response to the coronavirus — and may respond poorly to a vaccine. https://ift.tt/2GfCVbA

Trump Announces Plan to Ship 150 Million Rapid Coronavirus Tests

By BY KATHERINE J. WU from NYT Health Governors of both parties welcomed the plan, but some health experts noted limitations of the kits made by Abbott Laboratories. https://ift.tt/2FZ2uOo

Some Workers Face Looming Cutoffs in Health Insurance

By BY REED ABELSON from NYT Health Coverage is a major expense for employers, especially those in small businesses, as they deal with the pandemic’s economic fallout. Many may face end-of-year renewal deadlines that are harder and harder to afford. https://ift.tt/343WGuR

A Theory About Conspiracy Theories

By BY BENEDICT CAREY from NYT Health In a new study, psychologists tried to get a handle on the personality types that might be prone to outlandish beliefs. https://ift.tt/338uV52

Some Workers Face Looming Cutoffs in Health Insurance

By BY REED ABELSON from NYT Health Coverage is a major expense for employers, especially those in small businesses, as they deal with the pandemic’s economic fallout. Many may face end-of-year renewal deadlines that are harder and harder to afford. https://ift.tt/338iEh3

A Man Died After Eating a Bag of Black Licorice Every Day

By BY MARIA CRAMER from NYT Health Doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital said the unusual case highlighted the risk of consuming too much glycyrrhizic acid, which is found in black licorice. https://ift.tt/3kW3r8Z

In Isolating Times, Can Robo-Pets Provide Comfort?

By BY PAULA SPAN from NYT Health As seniors find themselves cut off from loved ones during the pandemic, some are turning to automated animals for company. https://ift.tt/2S2PjOy

How Do Children Fight Off the Coronavirus?

By BY APOORVA MANDAVILLI from NYT Health The secret may lie in an “innate” immune response that targets unrecognized invaders, scientists say. https://ift.tt/330vdLb

Blue Cross Insurers Reach Tentative Settlement in Antitrust Lawsuit

By BY REED ABELSON from NYT Health The health insurance group may pay $2.7 billion to resolve allegations that the chain blocked competition. https://ift.tt/3mP1wom

Virus Cases Surged in Young Adults. The Elderly Were Hit Next.

By BY RONI CARYN RABIN from NYT Health Infections among young adults eventually spread to older, more vulnerable people, the C.D.C. reported. https://ift.tt/3mJRxAJ

Novavax Enters Final Stage of Coronavirus Vaccine Trials

By BY KATIE THOMAS AND CARL ZIMMER from NYT Health The Maryland company, which has never brought a vaccine to market, has started its Phase 3 trial in the United Kingdom, with plans to begin in the United States in October. https://ift.tt/3kMg6ei

Emails Show How Pesticide Industry Influenced U.S. Position in Health Talks

By BY ANDREW JACOBS from NYT Health The U.S. insisted that new international guidelines on combating drug resistance omit any mention of fungicides — a demand that the industry made but that ran counter to science. https://ift.tt/3j13yzo

Losing Your Hair Can Be Another Consequence of the Pandemic

By BY PAM BELLUCK from NYT Health Doctors are seeing a huge increase in patients who have been shedding abnormal amounts of hair, and they believe it is related to stress associated with the coronavirus. https://ift.tt/2RVb038

F.D.A. Requires Stronger Warning Label for Xanax and Similar Drugs

By BY SHEILA KAPLAN from NYT Health Benzodiazepines — commonly prescribed for anxiety, insomnia, seizures and panic disorders — are highly addictive and come with health risks, especially when combined with other drugs. https://ift.tt/3kHFGBd

Johnson & Johnson Begins Large Trial of Its One-Shot Vaccine

By BY CARL ZIMMER from NYT Health Unlike some of its competitors, Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine does not need to be frozen and may require just one shot instead of two. https://ift.tt/361SrCM

F.D.A. to Release Stricter Guidelines for Emergency Vaccine Authorization

By BY NOAH WEILAND AND SHARON LAFRANIERE from NYT Health The new guidelines underscore the fact that a vaccine is highly unlikely before the election. https://ift.tt/3hQJbDL

‘I Had Heart Surgery in the Middle of a Coronavirus Hot Spot’

By BY JOHNNY DIAZ from NYT Health Anxiety and uncertainty about the pandemic is leading some patients to delay surgery. But how safe is that when you have an aneurysm in your heart? https://ift.tt/32QEghB

Advice on Virus Transmission Vanishes From C.D.C. Website

By BY APOORVA MANDAVILLI from NYT Health The new guidance, published only on Friday, had acknowledged that fine particles floating in air may spread the virus. https://ift.tt/33QcnFM

Top U.S. Health Officials Tiptoe Around Trump’s Vaccine Timeline

By BY JAMES GORMAN from NYT Health The administration’s experts tried to find a way to support both the president and the reality of scientific and medical constraints he doesn’t always recognize. https://ift.tt/33J5vdn

AstraZeneca, Under Fire for Vaccine Safety, Releases Trial Blueprints

By BY DENISE GRADY, KATHERINE J. WU AND SHARON LAFRANIERE from NYT Health Experts are concerned that the company has not been more forthcoming about two participants who became seriously ill after getting its experimental vaccine. https://ift.tt/3hKkTer

In ‘Power Grab,’ Health Secretary Azar Asserts Authority Over F.D.A.

By BY SHEILA KAPLAN from NYT Health Experts said the memo would make it more difficult for the Food and Drug Administration to issue new rules, but it was unclear how it would affect the vetting of coronavirus vaccines. https://ift.tt/2FWZyRC

C.D.C. Reverses Testing Guidelines for People Without Covid-19 Symptoms

By BY APOORVA MANDAVILLI from NYT Health The agency now says anyone exposed to an infected person for more than 15 minutes needs a test. An earlier guideline saying it might not be necessary had shocked public health experts. https://ift.tt/2RFewOV

‘This Does Not Look Good for Children’: Fires Pose Risk to Young Lungs

By BY MATT RICHTEL from NYT Health The wildfires blazing in the West could hinder developing lungs, worsen asthma and even lead to the condition in those who don’t have it but are genetically disposed to it. https://ift.tt/2RIouio

Coronavirus May Increase Premature Births, Studies Suggest

By BY RONI CARYN RABIN from NYT Health New studies provide more evidence that pregnant women may get severe Covid-19 symptoms and have an increased risk of pregnancy loss. https://ift.tt/2ZL0b82

C.D.C. Didn’t Write Testing Guidance Published on Its Website, Officials Say

By BY APOORVA MANDAVILLI from NYT Health A controversial guideline saying people without Covid-19 symptoms didn’t need to get tested for the virus came from H.H.S. officials and skipped the C.D.C.’s scientific review process. https://ift.tt/32HaOKQ

When Will You Be Able to Get a Coronavirus Vaccine?

By BY KATIE THOMAS AND JESSE DRUCKER from NYT Health Despite the president’s repeated claims that a vaccine will be available in October, scientists, companies and federal officials all say that most people won’t get one until well into next year. https://ift.tt/2Eb19CZ

Moderna Shares the Blueprint for Its Coronavirus Vaccine Trial

By BY DENISE GRADY AND KATIE THOMAS from NYT Health The company hopes to earn the trust of the public and of scientists who have clamored for details of its study. https://ift.tt/32CpL0Q

‘Warp Speed’ Officials Debut Plan for Distributing Free Vaccines

By BY KATIE THOMAS from NYT Health Despite the president’s statements about military involvement in the vaccine rollout, officials said that for most people, “there will be no federal official who touches any of this vaccine.” https://ift.tt/2FyMke4

An Experimental Drug Protects Covid-19 Patients, Eli Lilly Claims

By BY GINA KOLATA from NYT Health A so-called monoclonal antibody lowered blood levels of the coronavirus and prevented hospitalizations. The research has not yet been vetted by independent experts. https://ift.tt/2FD0c77

The Maitre d’ Will Take Your Temperature Now

By BY RONI CARYN RABIN from NYT Health Fever checks are becoming de rigueur in many workplaces and restaurants, even though federal health officials say they are of limited value. https://ift.tt/3mgB1rE

AstraZeneca Partly Resumes Coronavirus Vaccine Trial After Halting It for Safety

By BY CARL ZIMMER, KATIE THOMAS AND BENJAMIN MUELLER from NYT Health The company said tests of its vaccine would start up again in Britain while remaining suspended in the U.S. and other countries. Pfizer, a competitor, announced an expansion of its trials. https://ift.tt/33lks56

Now It’s Not Safe at Home Either. Wildfires Bring Ashen Air Into the House.

By BY MATT RICHTEL from NYT Health Our reporter, a San Francisco resident, describes family life amid a pandemic and a natural disaster. https://ift.tt/3iBBfXS

A Global Health Star Under Fire

By BY APOORVA MANDAVILLI from NYT Health Former and current employees accuse Dr. Lucica Ditiu, leader of Stop TB, of harassment and bullying. The complaints threaten to slow prevention efforts worldwide. https://ift.tt/33lX5Zd

Getting Wise to Fake News

By BY PAULA SPAN from NYT Health Older adults are particularly vulnerable to misinformation on social media. But resources have emerged to help them learn to discern true from false. https://ift.tt/35sQf70

A University Had a Great Coronavirus Plan, but Students Partied On

By BY KENNETH CHANG from NYT Health An unexpected upswing in positive tests at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign showed how even the most comprehensive approaches to limiting the virus’s spread can break down. https://ift.tt/3ikxbv0

Inquiry Begins Into AstraZeneca’s Vaccine Trial

By BY KATHERINE J. WU from NYT Health A participant in the company’s late-stage coronavirus vaccine trial reportedly developed severe neurological symptoms. Now experts must assess whether the vaccine was responsible. https://ift.tt/3bLNuOZ

E-Cigarette Use Falls Sharply Among Teenagers, C.D.C. Finds

By BY MATT RICHTEL from NYT Health The encouraging public health news was tempered by evidence that many high school users were taking advantage of a regulatory loophole to get access to flavored products. https://ift.tt/3haSSfH

How the Coronavirus Attacks the Brain

By BY APOORVA MANDAVILLI from NYT Health It’s not just the lungs — the pathogen may enter brain cells, causing symptoms like delirium and confusion, scientists reported. https://ift.tt/2GBi1nd

AstraZeneca Pauses Vaccine Trial for Safety Review

By BY KATHERINE J. WU AND KATIE THOMAS from NYT Health The company halted late-stage trials of its coronavirus vaccine because of a serious suspected adverse reaction in a participant. https://ift.tt/3m2rO5X

9 Drug Companies Pledge to ‘Stand With Science’ on Coronavirus Vaccines

By BY KATIE THOMAS from NYT Health The joint statement by competitors was seen as an effort to restore public trust as President Trump has pushed for a vaccine before the presidential election. https://ift.tt/3iftdnx

A New Theory Asks: Could a Mask Be a Crude ‘Vaccine’?

By BY KATHERINE J. WU from NYT Health Scientists float a provocative — and unproven — idea: that masks expose the wearer to just enough of the virus to spark a protective immune response. https://ift.tt/327E3GE

How the Aging Immune System Makes Older People Vulnerable to Covid-19

By BY VERONIQUE GREENWOOD from NYT Health As we age, the immune system begins to shift into a heightened state of alert, dialing up inflammation and running out of certain immune cells. https://ift.tt/3ifLXU8

For Long-Haulers, Covid-19 Takes a Toll on Mind as Well as Body

By BY EMMA GOLDBERG from NYT Health “It makes you depressed, anxious that it’s never going to go away.” https://ift.tt/338yoPE

New York Will Test the Dead More Often for Coronavirus and Flu

By BY KATHERINE J. WU from NYT Health New regulations require a ramp-up in testing for patients with symptoms, as well as people who weren’t tested before they died. https://ift.tt/2F85xmy