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.

Analysis finds significant variations in national COVID-19 treatment recommendations

National clinical guidelines for the treatment of COVID-19 vary significantly around the world, with under-resourced countries the most likely to diverge from gold standard (World Health Organization; WHO) treatment recommendations, finds a comparative analysis published in the open access journal BMJ Global Health.

23 Apr 2024

Cost becomes a significant factor in smoking cessation efforts

Health concerns are still the primary motive for more than half of those who say they want to stop smoking in England, but cost is now a key factor for more than 1 in 4, finds an analysis of national survey responses, published in the open access journal BMJ Public Health.

23 Apr 2024

U-M launches interprofessional digital wellness class for sixth graders

Sixth grader Sera Bergman confesses she spends a significant amount of time watching reels—and enjoys it, like most kids her age.

23 Apr 2024

New QR4 algorithm outperforms previous models in predicting cardiovascular disease risk

A new cardiovascular risk prediction algorithm.

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

California legislators debate froot loops and free condoms

California state lawmakers this year are continuing their progressive tilt on health policy with dozens of proposals including a ban on a Froot Loops ingredient and free condoms for high schoolers.

23 Apr 2024

Rising costs fuel quit-smoking surge in England amid health advice dip

Researchers investigate the factors that motivate smokers to quit smoking to ultimately determine the influence of COVID-19 on smoking cessation.

23 Apr 2024

Study discovers hidden mechanism behind rapid COVID variants

The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID has the unsettling ability of often generating variants of itself. Other viruses also mutate, but as SARS-CoV-2 quickly spread throughout the entire human population during the pandemic, killing millions, the virus' dynamic evolution posed a serious problem: it repeatedly challenged our bodies' immune response fighting the virus and hindered the process of getting updated vaccines ready.

23 Apr 2024

Healthy plant-based diets cut mortality risks for Spain's seniors

A study spanning 12 years reveals that moderate adherence to a healthful pro-vegetarian diet significantly reduces mortality risks from cardiovascular disease and all causes among Spanish adults over 65.

23 Apr 2024

Does diabetes increase the risk of long COVID?

A recent study in eClinicalMedicine assesses whether individuals with diabetes are more susceptible to developing long COVID, analyzing a UK cohort to explore the prolonged impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection in this population.

22 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

Modest effects on child development from COVID-19, Johns Hopkins study shows

Infants and children 5 years old and younger experienced only "modest" delays in developmental milestones due to the COVID-19 pandemic disruptions and restrictions, a study led by Johns Hopkins Children's Center finds.

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

New insights to optimize telehealth for diabetes care

Grocery stores, airports and beaches aren't great places to have telehealth visits with your endocrinologist.

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

Study identifies key factors influencing NHS hospital staff retention

Age-related and contractual factors seem to be stronger drivers of NHS hospital clinical staff retention than organizational factors, suggests research published in the open access journal BMJ Open.

18 Apr 2024

Seasonal influenza triggers significant school closures, especially in southern states, study finds

Study examined closures of United States (US) schools due to 11 influenza seasons between 2011 and 2022.

18 Apr 2024

The path to a better tuberculosis vaccine runs through Montana

A team of Montana researchers is playing a key role in the development of a more effective vaccine against tuberculosis, an infectious disease that has killed more people than any other.

18 Apr 2024

Global disease burden study highlights COVID-19 impact and health inequities

Rates of early death and poor health caused by HIV/AIDS and diarrhea have been cut in half since 2010, and the rate of disease burden caused by injuries has dropped by a quarter in the same time period, after accounting for differences in age and population size across countries, based on a new study published in The Lancet. The study measures the burden of disease in years lost to early death and poor health.

17 Apr 2024

New vaccine promises broad protection against SARS-CoV-2 and other sarbecoviruses

Researchers at Georgia Tech and the University of Wisconsin have created a broad-spectrum vaccine capable of defending against various SARS-CoV-2 variants and related bat coronaviruses.

17 Apr 2024