Health

Rapid tests can help you figure out if you have been infected with the coronavirus. But how accurate are they? Scientists trying to find out whether they are less sensitive to omicron and why. JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Rupali Limaye is a behavioral and social scientist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health hide caption

People receive boxes of KN95 face masks during a back to school event offering school supplies, COVID-19 vaccinations, face masks, and other resources for children and their families at the Weingart East Los Angeles YMCA in August. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

People attend the March for Life rally on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Friday. The march, in its 49th year, comes as a Supreme Court decision on abortion rights could unravel Roe v. Wade. Susan Walsh/AP hide caption

The website COVIDTests.gov allows people to order four at-home tests per residence and have them delivered by mail. Now there's a phone number, too. Steven Senne/AP hide caption

This German snowman wears a protective mask over its banana nose and mouth, but experts say the risk of catching COVID outdoors is slim. Peter Kneffel hide caption

President Biden speaks in October about the coronavirus pandemic and encouraged states and businesses to support vaccine mandates. Drew Angerer/Getty Images hide caption

Demonstrators gathered in front of the U.S. Supreme Court as the justices heard arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health, a case about a Mississippi law that bans most abortions after 15 weeks, on December 01, 2021. Experts believe a ruling on this case could undermine or overturn Roe v. Wade. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption

People wearing face masks to help protect against the spread of the coronavirus walk on a street lined with bars and restaurants in Tokyo on Jan. 19, 2022. Koji Sasahara/AP File Photo hide caption

Adele posted a video on her Twitter on Thursday, apologizing for needing to postpone her Las Vegas show. Screenshot by NPR/Twitter hide caption

MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), depicted above in yellow and surrounded by cellular debris, is a staph bacterium that resists treatment by many common antibiotics. The image is from a scanning electron micrograph. NIH/NAID/IMAGE.FR/BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images hide caption

May Nast arrives for dinner at RiverWalk, an independent senior housing facility, in New York, April 1, 2021. COVID-19 infections are soaring again at U.S. nursing homes because of the omicron wave, and deaths are climbing too. That's leading to new restrictions on family visits and a renewed push to get more residents and staff members vaccinated and boosted. Seth Wenig/AP hide caption

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addresses a post-Cabinet press conference at Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, Monday, Oct. 4, 2021. Mark Mitchell/AP hide caption

Staff members rehearse a victory ceremony at the Beijing Medals Plaza last week. The venue will host some medal ceremonies at the upcoming winter Olympics. Ng Han Guan/AP hide caption

Starbucks is no longer requiring its U.S. workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19, reversing a policy it announced earlier this month, saying it was responding to last week's ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court. David Zalubowski/AP file photo hide caption