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.

New EHR-based marker flags transplant patients at high risk for organ rejection

A new multicenter study led by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai suggests that a novel electronic health record-based marker can help clinicians identify transplant patients at high risk for organ rejection due to not taking their medications as prescribed-and intervene before the rejection happens.

15 Jun 2026

New mRNA flu vaccine offers broader protection against influenza strains

A new study led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has found that an investigational mRNA influenza vaccine helps the immune system recognize a wider range of influenza viruses than today's standard flu shot, offering stronger and potentially longer-lasting protection.

15 Jun 2026

New poll reveals how politics reshaped trust in U.S. public health

A Harvard Chan/de Beaumont national poll of 2,205 U.S. adults found CDC trust dropped to 50% one year into new federal public health leadership, while state and local health agencies remained more trusted.

14 Jun 2026

Progress and gaps shape India's tuberculosis control strategy

Announcing a new article publication for Zoonoses journal. Tuberculosis (TB) is among the main infectious diseases responsible for global mortality worldwide. Cases in India, markedly contribute to the global TB burden.

12 Jun 2026

Study supports atropine drops for managing childhood short-sightedness

Low concentration atropine eye drops are a safe and effective treatment for short-sightedness (myopia) in UK children, although the effects are small, suggests a clinical trial published by The BMJ today.

11 Jun 2026

Metformin reduces long COVID risk according to ACTIV-6 clinical trial

New findings from the ACTIV-6 randomized clinical trial provide important confirmation of prior clinical trial results that metformin, a widely available and inexpensive medication with an established safety record, reduced the risk of clinician-diagnosed long COVID when started during acute COVID-19 infection.

11 Jun 2026

BU professor to examine the role of postpartum hypertension on recurrent HDP risk

Samantha Parker Kelleher, along with researchers at BU School of Public Health and Boston Medical Center, will examine the role of high blood pressure during the postpartum period on the risk of developing recurrent hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, such as preeclampsia and gestational hypertension.

11 Jun 2026

Remote work is reshaping social life and mental health in America

Zang and O’Brien’s Science Perspective highlights evidence that the post-pandemic rise in remote work has increased time spent alone and contributed to higher psychological distress among US workers. Drawing on findings from Emanuel et al., the article argues that workplaces provide an overlooked form of social infrastructure, making hybrid scheduling and institutional support important for preserving flexibility without deepening isolation.

10 Jun 2026

Remote work explains part of the post-pandemic rise in mental distress

Researchers found that workers in remote jobs spent more time alone after the COVID-19 pandemic and experienced greater psychological distress than those in non-remote jobs. The effects were strongest among people living alone, suggesting that reduced everyday social contact may be an important cost of remote work.

10 Jun 2026

Quality of life for working-age Japanese adults declines steadily

The COVID-19 pandemic upended many aspects of everyday life, including socialization, office work, and medical care, but little data was available to quantify how those changes affected quality of life both during the pandemic and over the long term, particularly on a national scale.

10 Jun 2026

Social anxiety disorder now affects one in seven Canadian adults

A new Canadian study has found that social anxiety disorder (SAD) now affects nearly 1 in 7 adults - a 71% increase since 2002 - making it one of the most common mental health challenges in the country.

10 Jun 2026

Why Andes hantavirus is not the next COVID-19

Research highlights fundamental differences between Andes hantavirus and SARS-CoV-2, emphasizing distinct transmission routes and public health implications.

10 Jun 2026

Food security review shows how countries can protect staple crops from global shocks

A systematic review of 105 studies found that climate change, water scarcity, land-use change, biofuel demand, trade disruptions, pandemics and conflict are major threats to maize, rice and wheat supplies. The authors identify international trade, agricultural innovation, virtual water trading and well-managed food stockpiles as practical ways to strengthen food security.

9 Jun 2026

Experimental two‑in‑one vaccine shows success in human LASSARAB trial

Researchers from Thomas Jefferson University and the University of Maryland School of Medicine have reported encouraging results from the first human clinical trial of LASSARAB, an experimental vaccine designed to protect against Lassa fever and rabies in a single formulation.

9 Jun 2026

Study links menstrual cycle timing to COVID vaccine side effects

A study of 1,474 Clue app users found that women vaccinated against COVID-19 during the follicular phase had higher odds of self-reported side effects than those vaccinated during the luteal phase.

8 Jun 2026

New project launches to advance chikungunya vaccine in Africa

Funded by the Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking, a new €15.3 million project coordinated by Institut Pasteur brings together seven partners across four continents to advance clinical trials and prepare for the manufacturing of a chikungunya vaccine in Africa.

8 Jun 2026

Melanoma disproportionately impacts Florida's senior population

Florida's year-round sunshine and intense ultraviolet (UV) exposure help drive one of the nation's heaviest skin cancer burdens, with older adults shouldering much of the impact.

8 Jun 2026

Antibiotic by-products in waterways continue promoting bacterial resistance

Antibiotics continue to drive resistance to bacteria, even after they are broken down in wastewater treatment plants and discharged into rivers and seas, new research published on World Oceans Day has shown for the first time.

8 Jun 2026

NHS online diabetes program improves blood sugar and pressure

NHS England's Healthy Living program offers modest diabetes improvements; addressing engagement and access could enhance its public health effectiveness.

8 Jun 2026

New open-access COVID-19 dataset supports reproducible clinical research

The Biostatistics Unit at the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), in collaboration with researchers from several Catalan healthcare and research institutions, has published the DIVINE study database in Scientific Data, a Nature Portfolio journal.

5 Jun 2026