To help keep weak swimmers safe, stay "touch-close" and don't rely on a busy lifeguard to be the only eyes on a crowded pool or beach. It's best, say experts working to prevent drownings, to designate a nondrinking adult to scan the water at any pool party or beach outing, and to rotate that "watching" shift every 30 minutes to keep fresh eyes on the kids. Imgorthand/Getty Images hide caption

A handheld ultraviolet-C wand is waved over the surface of a computer keyboard. Michele Abercrombie/NPR hide caption

Fear of having to go to the ER during a pandemic might have led kids with asthma to be more careful about regularly using their "controller" inhalers, researchers suspect. But that's likely only one factor in the decline in ER visits. PixelsEffect/Getty Images hide caption

Health care costs — including for things such as an insulin kit, for instance — can be catastrophically high for millions of Americans, even those with health insurance, a study finds. Kerem Yucel/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Is that sneezing or coughing fit a sign of allergies, a cold, the flu or COVID-19? If you also have a fever — a temperature above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher — those symptoms probably signal infection and not just allergies acting up. (Wait 30 minutes after eating or drinking to get an accurate measurement.) sestovic/Getty Images hide caption

Virtual medical appointments are more common since the coronavirus pandemic began. But without physical exams, doctors may miss certain diagnoses and miss out on building relationships with patients. filadendron/Getty Images hide caption