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.

Why are most Americans skipping the COVID-19 booster?

A study in the journal Vaccine reveals that misinformation and concerns about side effects are leading reasons why over 80% of eligible Americans have skipped the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine booster. The research underscores the need for more public education about the vaccine's benefits in combating severe COVID-19 infections.

5 Oct 2023

Disinfectants used in food production may exacerbate antibiotic resistance

Yes, say researchers - who suspect that disinfectants used in food production may in fact be exacerbating a global public health problem.

5 Oct 2023

Strict pandemic-related IPC interventions reduced healthcare-associated infection rates, study shows

A new study conducted by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center suggests that enhanced infection prevention and control (IPC) measures implemented to address the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to a significant decrease in many healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and a reduction in respiratory viral infections (RVIs).

5 Oct 2023

Concert-goers sync up physically and emotionally in fascinating study

Researchers examined physiological and motor synchronization in audiences during live classical concerts and explored their correlation with aesthetic experiences and individual personality traits.

5 Oct 2023

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': An encore: 3 HHS secretaries reveal what the job is really like

This week, while KFF Health News' "What the Health?" takes a break, here’s an encore of a favorite episode this year: Host and chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner leads a rare conversation with the current and two former secretaries of Health and Human Services.

5 Oct 2023

Study finds increase in mental health spending for children, adolescents since the beginning of pandemic

Spending on mental health services for children and adolescents has risen by more than one-quarter since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, continuing to rise even as the use of telehealth plateaued, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

4 Oct 2023

Independent physician practices more resilient during COVID-19, study finds

Large health systems are acquiring smaller physician practices at what some consider an alarming rate, leaving fewer independent practices.

4 Oct 2023

Australia's Long COVID response falling behind global standards, research finds

New research by RMIT University and Northern Health has examined Australia's Long COVID services, guidelines and public health information, compared with international standards.

4 Oct 2023

Study demonstrates the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on young people’s mental health

Young people's mental health deteriorated during COVID-19, with higher levels of depression and social, emotional and behavioral difficulties than before the pandemic hit, a comprehensive new study has shown.

4 Oct 2023

Prioritising Lung Health: How FeNO can help to tackle Lung Conditions, the UK's 3rd Largest Threat

A new report from PwC commissioned by Asthma+Lung UK has highlighted the alarming crisis surrounding Lung Health in the UK.

From NObreath 4 Oct 2023

Walking and Mediterranean diet may be the ticket to reducing dementia risk

The study explores the MedWalk intervention, promoting a Mediterranean-style diet and regular walking, to potentially slow cognitive decline in older adults without existing impairments. Despite COVID-19 disruptions, progress with 157 participants suggests this approach, rooted in psychosocial techniques, could offer a lifestyle-based deterrent against dementia and cognitive deterioration.

4 Oct 2023

Can viruses in our gut be a game changer for health?

Bryan Hsu, funded by a $1.9 million award, aims to explore the role of lytic bacteriophages in mammalian guts, specifically focusing on their interaction with gut bacteria. Through innovative models, the study seeks to elucidate whether phages, known to infect bacteria, could significantly impact gut health or be leveraged to combat antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.

3 Oct 2023

Record uptake of HIV testing among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men

2022 saw the highest ever uptake of HIV testing among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM), with diagnoses in this group continuing to fall, according to the latest HIV surveillance update for the UK.

3 Oct 2023

Eating disorder emergency room visits and hospitalizations increased during COVID-19 pandemic

Emergency department (ED) visits and hospital admissions for eating disorders increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in adolescents aged 10–17 years, as did ED visits among young adults and older adults, according to new research published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.221318.

3 Oct 2023

Could a Poria cocos extract be the key to conquering insomnia?

The study reveals that Poria cocos extract significantly improves sleep quality in insomniacs, increasing total sleep time and enhancing REM sleep duration. While promising, further investigations are needed to validate these findings and explore the effects of other active compounds within P. cocos.

3 Oct 2023

Pharmacists can play key role in boosting HPV vaccination rates

HPV, or human papillomavirus, is the most common sexually transmitted infection. It is also the leading cause of cervical cancer.

3 Oct 2023

SARS-CoV-2 infection in coronary vessels linked to cardiovascular complications

Researchers reported that the increased long-term risk of acute cardiovascular complications associated with COVID-19 is linked to SARS-CoV-2 infecting coronary vessels and inducing the formation of plaques.

3 Oct 2023

How lifestyle tweaks could be the new shield against memory loss: U.S. POINTER study dives in

The U.S. POINTER study aims to explore if lifestyle changes like exercise, diet, and social activities can help preserve cognitive function in older Americans at risk for dementia. Modeled after Finland's successful FINGER study and set to complete in 2025, this extensive research will involve 2,000 participants and focus on diverse and culturally informed strategies.

2 Oct 2023

GPT-4 beats human doctors in medical soft skills

Researchers evaluated how well AI models GPT-4 and ChatGPT perform on the US Medical Licensing Examination questions focused on soft skills like judgment and empathy. GPT-4 outperformed both ChatGPT and human test-takers, answering 90% of questions correctly, while ChatGPT had a 62.5% accuracy rate.

2 Oct 2023

Long COVID unmasked: Patients share varied physical, mental, and social challenges

Patient experiences of the post-acute sequelae of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) or long COVID.

2 Oct 2023

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

Why are most Americans skipping the COVID-19 booster?

Disinfectants used in food production may exacerbate antibiotic resistance

Strict pandemic-related IPC interventions reduced healthcare-associated infection rates, study shows

Concert-goers sync up physically and emotionally in fascinating study

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': An encore: 3 HHS secretaries reveal what the job is really like

Study finds increase in mental health spending for children, adolescents since the beginning of pandemic

Independent physician practices more resilient during COVID-19, study finds

Australia's Long COVID response falling behind global standards, research finds

Study demonstrates the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on young people’s mental health

Prioritising Lung Health: How FeNO can help to tackle Lung Conditions, the UK's 3rd Largest Threat

Walking and Mediterranean diet may be the ticket to reducing dementia risk

Can viruses in our gut be a game changer for health?

Record uptake of HIV testing among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men

Eating disorder emergency room visits and hospitalizations increased during COVID-19 pandemic

Could a Poria cocos extract be the key to conquering insomnia?

Pharmacists can play key role in boosting HPV vaccination rates

SARS-CoV-2 infection in coronary vessels linked to cardiovascular complications

How lifestyle tweaks could be the new shield against memory loss: U.S. POINTER study dives in

GPT-4 beats human doctors in medical soft skills

Long COVID unmasked: Patients share varied physical, mental, and social challenges

Best practices - optimize qPCR processes for pathogen detection eBook

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

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