Maria Godoy

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Maria Godoy and Regina Barber of the Short Wave podcast about a new Nipah virus outbreak, Australian pink diamonds and the mating life of cockatoos.

As COVID-19 cases rise in U.S., new boosters have started to arrive at pharmacies this week. Here's how protective the latest booster is, who should get it and how to schedule it with other vaccines.

Updated versions of the mRNA vaccines roll out this week. Experts say they offer good protection against current COVID variants. Who should get them, and when's the best time to roll up your sleeve?

The CDC is likely to recommend the shots for anyone who's at high risk for serious complications from COVID, such as older people and those with weaker immune systems or other health problems.

While most people aren't getting really sick, hospitalizations are up more than 21% across the country. Elderly people are most at risk.

You don't have to shell out for fancy sodas. It's easy to fill your plate with fiber, a dietary hero that feeds your gut microbes and prevents disease.

Most American's don't eat enough fiber and there are a lot of products out there promising to help boost fiber intake. Why is fiber so important, and how can we eat more?

As part of our series Weekly Dose of Wonder, here's how even brief interactions with dogs can be good for your health. (Story aired on All Things Considered on Aug. 2, 2023.)

You don't even have to own one. Research shows just 5 to 20 minutes interacting with other people's pooches can reduce stress hormones and increase well-being.

What's four-legged, furry and often serves up a mood boost? That's right: dogs. As part of our series Weekly Dose of Wonder, here's how even brief interactions with pups can be good for health.

Little kids are like a "small potato" whose core can heat up faster than an adult's, an expert tells NPR. Here are tips for helping children stay safe in extreme temperatures.

Multiple organ failure, heart attack and kidney failure are the primary ways people die in extreme heat. Read on to find out how to stay safe in the heat wave.

The extreme summer heat impacting millions in the U.S. will likely continue through August. Of all extreme weather conditions - heat is the most deadly.

Living near parks can boost health and well being. But low-income communities and those of color often have less access than wealthier, white ones. Revamping schoolyards could be a game changer.

Living near parks can boost health. But low-income communities of color often have less access than their wealthier, white counterparts. One project aims to change that by revamping schoolyards.

Children in particular face health risks from wildfire smoke. Short-term exposure can trigger coughing and asthma attacks, while repeated encounters may reduce lung function.

Much of the Northeast U.S. is blanketed in a murky haze of wildfire smoke. For most people breathing this air is unpleasant, for others it can be life-threatening. There are ways to reduce the risk.

Kids today live in an ultra-processed world: Nearly 70% of what they eat is packaged, processed and probably not great for them. Here are ways to cut back, without cooking every meal from scratch.

Sure, they're tasty, but packaged snacks and meals can be packed with sugar, salt and a list of unpronounceable ingredients. So what are they doing to your health? Scientists are trying to find out.

The U.S. desperately needs more Black and Hispanic doctors, research shows. But financial pressures and discrimination can keep young people from even applying to med school.