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.

Tracking arboviruses by nanopore sequencing of mosquitoes

The technology used to sequence SARS-CoV-2 at record speed early in the COVID-19 pandemic has been successfully tested as a technique to monitor arboviruses and diseases transmitted mainly by mosquitoes.

17 Apr 2024

1 in 5 older Canadian adults with diabetes developed functional limitations during the pandemic

Researchers found that approximately 1 in 5 older Canadian adults with diabetes and no pre-pandemic functional limitations developed functional limitations for the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic.

17 Apr 2024

New study sheds light on the relationship between race and mental health stigma in college students

A new study by a counseling researcher at New York Institute of Technology sheds light on the relationship between race and mental health stigma.

17 Apr 2024

Kidney-CHAMP framework provides equitable access and overcomes barriers to kidney disease care

Manisha Jhamb, M.D., launched the Kidney-CHAMP study five years ago because she saw a looming tsunami of chronic kidney disease cases. She was pulled to find a way to assist the primary care physicians upon whom this burden would fall.

16 Apr 2024

Oregon study finds no clear link between mRNA vaccines and sudden cardiac deaths in young people

Study in Oregon finds no definitive link between mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and sudden cardiac deaths among residents aged 16-30, emphasizing vaccine safety amidst ongoing public health discussions.

15 Apr 2024

Study shows potential for universal flu vaccine with broad antibody response

Study discusses the potential of universal influenza vaccines, emphasizing the importance of antibody breadth and Fc receptor (FcR) effector functions in protecting against various influenza strains, including those with pandemic potential.

15 Apr 2024

AI messaging boosts communication quality between patients and doctors

As one of the first health systems in the country to pilot the use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) to draft replies to patient messages inside the Epic Systems electronic health record, UC San Diego Health is a pioneer in shaping the future of digital health.

15 Apr 2024

Study reveals shocking rise in opioid deaths among Canadian youth

Premature deaths related to opioids doubled between 2019 and 2021 across Canada, with more than 1 in 4 deaths among young adults aged 20–39 years attributable to opioids, according to new research published in CMAJ.

15 Apr 2024

Study reveals lasting lung damage in tuberculosis survivors

New research being presented at this year's ESCMID Global Congress (formerly ECCMID) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April) has found compelling evidence that tuberculosis (TB) can have a lasting impact on the lungs of individuals who have been successfully treated for the disease.

15 Apr 2024

Netherlands and WHO forge stronger partnership in global health agenda

The WHO and the Netherlands convened in The Hague on 10 April 2024, to discuss joint priorities and alignment between the Dutch Global Health Strategy and WHO's key strategic goals, marking a new milestone in their longstanding partnership.

15 Apr 2024

SARS-COV-2 infection not linked to increased risk of asthma development in pediatric patients

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many families worried about the long-term effects posed by the SARS-COV-2 virus.

13 Apr 2024

Cas13d-NCS: A game-changer in RNA virus defense

The rise of RNA viruses like SARS-CoV-2 highlights the need for new ways to fight them. RNA-targeting tools like CRISPR/Cas13 are powerful but inefficient in the cytoplasm of cells, where many RNA viruses replicate.

13 Apr 2024

Childhood verbal abuse costs global society $300 billion annually, study finds

Childhood verbal abuse by adults costs society an estimated $300 billion (£239 billion) a year globally, show findings presented at the first international conference on childhood verbal abuse, hosted by UCL, Words Matter and the World Health Organization (WHO).

13 Apr 2024

Wearable devices reveal stress-related changes during sleep

What if changes in a person's stress levels could be detected while they sleep using wearable devices? A new study by University of Vermont researchers published today in PLOS Digital Health is the first to find changes in perceived stress levels reflected in sleep data - an important step towards identifying biomarkers that may help flag individuals in need of support.

13 Apr 2024

Older adults embrace non-traditional medical care, poll finds

When today's older adults were growing up, urgent care centers and clinics inside retail stores didn't exist. But most of them have now embraced these non-traditional sites for getting medical care, a new national poll finds.

13 Apr 2024

Nanopore sequencing unveils novel telomere length patterns

We depend on our cells being able to divide and multiply, whether it's to replace sunburnt skin or replenish our blood supply and recover from injury.

12 Apr 2024

Nearly 1 in 4 adults dumped from Medicaid are now uninsured, survey finds

Nearly a quarter of adults disenrolled from Medicaid in the past year say they are now uninsured, according to a survey released Friday that details how tens of millions of Americans struggled to retain coverage in the government insurance program for low-income people after pandemic-era protections began expiring last spring.

12 Apr 2024

California fails to adequately help blind and deaf prisoners, US judge rules

Thirty years after prisoners with disabilities sued the state of California and 25 years after a federal court first ordered accommodations, a judge found that state prison and parole officials still are not doing enough to help deaf and blind prisoners — in part because they are not using readily available technology such as video recordings and laptop computers.

12 Apr 2024

Quality dementia care in nursing homes: Lessons from the pandemic

No one associated with nursing homes – as residents or their families, friends, staff or administrators – is unaware of the massive impact of the pandemic on these facilities which provide essential services to a growing number of older adults, many living with cognitive impairment.

12 Apr 2024

Researchers call for a revamped fungal priority list to combat regional disease burdens

Study critiques the World Health Organization's fungal priority pathogens list for not fully reflecting the global burden of fungal diseases, advocating for a revised list that considers regional disparities and elevates the priority of pathogens like Mucorales and Histoplasma spp. to better align with their impact on public health.

11 Apr 2024