Cold, Flu & Cough

What is the Common Cold?

The common cold, also known as rhinopharyngitis, is a type of respiratory tract infection caused by a virus.

Walking Pneumonia Versus Common Cold

Does the 'Stomach Flu' Vaccine Prevent Type I Diabetes?

Walking Pneumonia Versus Common Cold

Influenza Infection in Animals

Risk Factors and Walking Pneumonia Prevention

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

WHO and Government of France host high-level meeting to combat meningitis

Global leaders highlight the need to defeat meningitis – a leading cause of disability – at a high-level meeting co-hosted by the World Health Organization and Government of France, under the High Patronage of Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic.

26 Apr 2024

Study: Antibiotic use in moderate COVID-19 linked to clinical deterioration

Antibiotic treatment of adults hospitalized with moderate COVID-19 is associated with clinical deterioration, despite the drugs being given to over 40% of patients, according to new research being presented at this year's ESCMID Global Congress (formerly ECCMID) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April)

25 Apr 2024

Personalized risk prediction tool helps prioritize high-risk infants for RSV prevention

A new tool to identify infants most at risk for severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) illness could aid pediatricians in prioritizing children under 1 to receive a preventive medication before RSV season (October-April), according to Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) research published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases and to be presented at the American Thoracic Society 2024 International Conference.

25 Apr 2024

Putting genomic surveillance of pathogens at the forefront of future pandemic preparedness

The Covid-19 pandemic turned the world upside down. In fighting it, one of our most important weapons was genomic surveillance, based on whole genome sequencing, which collects all the genetic data of a given microorganism.

25 Apr 2024

Bivalent COVID-19 vaccine boosts immunity but needs to be updated

A major bivalent COVID-19 vaccine induces production of neutralizing antibodies against the coronavirus that circulated at the start of the pandemic as well as subvariants of omicron, albeit less abundantly, according to a Brazilian study reported in the Journal of Medical Virology.

25 Apr 2024

Machine learning system offers new hope for diagnosis of rare genetic disorders

Diagnosing rare Mendelian disorders is a labor-intensive task, even for experienced geneticists. Investigators at Baylor College of Medicine are trying to make the process more efficient using artificial intelligence.

25 Apr 2024

154 million lives saved: Landmark study highlights power of vaccination

A major landmark study to be published by The Lancet reveals that global immunization efforts have saved an estimated 154 million lives – or the equivalent of 6 lives every minute of every year – over the past 50 years.

25 Apr 2024

MSU team creates a promising vaccine candidate for antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Driven by the overuse of antimicrobials, pathogens are quickly building up resistances to once-successful treatments.

24 Apr 2024

Anesthetic midazolam boosts survival after cardiac arrest

If a patient is successfully resuscitated after a cardiac arrest and circulation resumes, they are not out of the woods yet.

24 Apr 2024

Repurposed nasal antibiotic neomycin shows promise in preventing and treating respiratory viral infections

Intranasal administration of neomycin sulfate in murine models shows promise as a prophylactic and therapeutic agent against respiratory viruses like influenza A and SARS-CoV-2 by inducing interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) expression, independent of microbiota and interferon activation.

24 Apr 2024

Global study reveals mismatch in COVID-19 treatment guidelines with WHO standards

Study assesses global discrepancies in COVID-19 management guidelines across WHO member states, revealing that many national guidelines do not fully align with WHO recommendations, especially in lower-resource countries.

23 Apr 2024

Unsheltered people are losing Medicaid in redetermination mix-ups

On a cold February morning at the Flathead Warming Center, Tashya Evans waited for help with her Medicaid application as others at the shelter got ready for the day in this northwestern Montana city.

23 Apr 2024

Risks of antipsychotic use in dementia extend beyond previous alerts, study shows

Antipsychotic use in people with dementia is associated with higher risks of a wide range of serious health outcomes compared with non-use, according to a new study from a collaboration across the Universities of Manchester, Nottingham, Edinburgh and Dundee.

23 Apr 2024

Review: Facilitators and barriers to vaccination uptake in pregnancy

Researchers from St George’s, University of London have identified key barriers to vaccine uptake for whooping cough, flu and Covid-19 in pregnant women, and outline recommendations for addressing vaccine hesitancy. The results are from the first review of its kind and published today in the journal PLOS ONE.

23 Apr 2024

Understanding measles and the role of vaccination

With measles cases rising in Canada and internationally, it is important for clinicians to understand the disease and the role of vaccination against measles.

22 Apr 2024

WHO publishes report introducing updated terminology for airborne pathogens

Following consultation with public health agencies and experts, the World Health Organization (WHO) publishes a global technical consultation report introducing updated terminology for pathogens that transmit through the air.

22 Apr 2024

UC Riverside nematologist receives NIH award to study parasite-host interactions

To study how parasites evolve to break the defenses of their hosts, the National Institutes of Health has granted UC Riverside nematologist Simon "Niels" Groen a $1.9 million Outstanding Investigator Award.

18 Apr 2024

Study shows antipsychotic drugs increase health risks in dementia patients

Study found that antipsychotic drug use in dementia patients is linked to increased risks of stroke, heart failure, and other serious conditions.

18 Apr 2024

UCSF study identifies cells responsible for cough reflex

When a mouthful of water goes down the wrong pipe – heading toward a healthy person’s lungs instead of their gut – they start coughing uncontrollably.

18 Apr 2024

Metabolic health determines effectiveness of influenza vaccination

Metabolic health (normal blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels, among other factors) influences the effectiveness of influenza vaccinations. Vaccination is known to be less effective in people with obesity compared to those with a healthier body mass index (BMI), but St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have found it is not obesity itself, but instead metabolic dysfunction, which makes the difference.

18 Apr 2024