The Tufts Daily

Stop the genetic swap: Novel omicron variant may bear resemblance to common cold coronavirus strain The omicron variant, the newest COVID-19 strain, may be more contagious but cause milder symptoms than other coronavirus variants, a new study suggests. Venky Soundararajan, a bioengineer who co-wrote the study, explained to the Washington Post that as viruses evolve […]

New COVID-19 variant found across globe, raises questions about transmissibility A new COVID-19 variant labeled omicron has recently emerged in several countries, including South Africa, Botswana and Hong Kong, and contains dozens of mutations from the original alpha variant, leading many scientists to discuss its implications for COVID-19’s future. Although the moment when omicron first […]

Tufts University has had a winter term in place for three years, in which students take credit classes for three weeks in January. With some international students not being able to return home for holiday break and some students wanting opportunities to continue their education, winter term has gained considerable attention. In the past, these […]

DARTing across the cosmos: NASA’s plan to protect planet Earth  NASA plans to launch a spacecraft this week that, in late 2022, will intentionally crash into an asteroid, hopefully changing its trajectory. Planetary defense research has been conducted over the past several years in hopes of preventing foreseeable meteor crashes. Although scientists believe massive meteorites […]

HPV vaccines effective in preventing 87% of cervical cancer cases The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has the potential to reduce cases of cervical cancer by 87% and prevent certain cervical abnormalities by 97%, according to a British study recently published in The Lancet. Researchers examined women a decade after their HPV vaccinations and found that […]

Over the past several years, a new trend of shopping for clothes has emerged: thrifting. People are gravitating toward second-hand stores to reduce carbon emissions, support local communities and buy fashionable clothes for low prices.  Thrift stores sell gently used clothes, furniture and other household items at discounted costs. Unlike typical retailers with dedicated inventory […]

FDA panel recommends authorization of COVID-19 vaccine for younger children A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted on Tuesday to recommend the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11 years old. The FDA is not bound by the panel’s decision, but it is expected to act accordingly and grant emergency-use authorization for the vaccine […]

FDA authorizes e-cigarette marketing for the first time The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted market authorization to an electronic cigarette company for the first time on Tuesday, approving certain products for sale in the United States. The FDA approved three products from R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company’s brand, Vuse, in an effort to diminish the […]

Tufts University resides in the homeland of the Massachusett people and within the territories of the Nipmuc and Wôpanâak (Wampanoag) tribes. They were the original stewards of the land and the relationships between Indigenous peoples, and their traditional territories endure. The university would not exist if it was not for their care.  On Indigenous Peoples’ […]