Pandemic News and Research

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A pandemic is a global disease outbreak. During a pandemic, transmission can be anticipated in the workplace, not only from patient to workers in health care settings, but also among co-workers in general work settings. A pandemic would cause high levels of illness, death, social disruption, and economic loss. Everyday life would be disrupted because so many people in so many places become seriously ill at the same time. Impacts could range from school and business closings to the interruption of basic services such as public transportation and food delivery.

Study links pneumonia transmission in seniors to contact with young children

New research being presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April) finds that pneumonia-causing bacteria are common in the over 60s and that contact with pre-school and young school-aged children appears to be the most important factor in the onward transmission of Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) to the over 60s.

3 Apr 2024

Global life expectancy rises by 6.2 years since 1990 despite COVID-19 setbacks

Global life expectancy increased by 6.2 years since 1990 according to a new study published in The Lancet.

3 Apr 2024

UT Health San Antonio launches Be Well Institute for substance use research and treatment

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) is establishing the Be Well Institute on Substance Use and Related Disorders, a pioneering initiative dedicated to advancing research, education and evidence-based treatments.

3 Apr 2024

Wastewater surveillance reveals COVID-19 transmission patterns in unsheltered encampments

To better understand COVID-19's spread during the pandemic, public health officials expanded wastewater surveillance.

3 Apr 2024

Medical debt affects much of America, but Colorado immigrants are hit especially hard

In February, Norma Brambila's teenage daughter wrote her a letter she now carries in her purse. It is a drawing of a rose, and a note encouraging Brambila to "keep fighting" her sickness and reminding her she'd someday join her family in heaven.

3 Apr 2024

Attacks on emergency room workers prompt debate over tougher penalties

Patients hurl verbal abuse at Michelle Ravera every day in the emergency room. Physical violence is less common, she said, but has become a growing threat.

3 Apr 2024

New study reveals increased risk of allergic diseases after COVID-19 infection

The association of COVID-19 with long term allergic conditions.

3 Apr 2024

Rise in severe psychiatric cases among children during the pandemic

A new study found that during the pandemic pediatric emergency departments (EDs) saw more children and adolescents who needed a psychiatric admission, as well as an increase in severe conditions, such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and substance use disorders.

2 Apr 2024

More patients are losing their doctors — and trust in the primary care system

First, her favorite doctor in Providence, Rhode Island, retired. Then her other doctor at a health center a few miles away left the practice.

2 Apr 2024

Rapid increase seen in the diagnosis and treatment of perinatal mental health problems

Mental health issues during pregnancy or the first year of parenthood have a much greater chance of getting detected and treated now than just over a decade ago, a trio of new studies suggests.

1 Apr 2024

Scientists develop trivalent vaccine offering broad protection against coronaviruses

Scientists have been searching for the optimal coronavirus vaccine since the Covid-19 pandemic started.

1 Apr 2024

Ministers of Health commit to accelerated action against malaria in Africa

Ministers of Health from African countries with the highest burden of malaria committed today to accelerated action to end deaths from the disease.

1 Apr 2024

Four years after shelter-in-place, covid-19 misinformation persists

From spring break parties to Mardi Gras, many people remember the last major “normal” thing they did before the novel coronavirus pandemic dawned, forcing governments worldwide to issue stay-at-home advisories and shutdowns.

1 Apr 2024

WHO and IPU renew partnership to promote and protect the health, well-being of all people

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and WHO today signed a new Memorandum of Understanding, reaffirming the critical role that parliamentarians play in enabling good health to foster stable and equitable societies.

30 Mar 2024

Study explores factors contributing to rural-urban difference in cervical cancer screening

Study reveals English proficiency, income, and area-level unemployment are among the influential factors and highlights need for tailored interventions to increase screening rates.

30 Mar 2024

Introducing CoViNet: WHO's global network for coronavirus expertise

WHO has launched a new network for coronaviruses, CoViNet, to facilitate and coordinate global expertise and capacities for early and accurate detection, monitoring and assessment of SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV and novel coronaviruses of public health importance.

29 Mar 2024