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.

Blue Zones longevity claims may rest on flawed records, essay argues

Essay challenges the scientific validity of the Blue Zones concept and Ancel Keys’ Lipid Hypothesis, arguing that both rest on biased data, weak records, and methodological flaws. The authors say some longevity claims may reflect clerical errors, poverty, and unreliable vital records rather than uniquely healthy lifestyles.

26 Apr 2026

COVID-19 patients with STEMI show higher one-year mortality rates

Findings from the North American COVID-19 Myocardial Infarction (NACMI) registry demonstrate significantly higher one-year mortality rates in patients with COVID-19 and ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) compared to patients with STEMI alone.

24 Apr 2026

WHO reports measurable health gains but warns of unmet goals

The World Health Organization (WHO) today released its Results Report, highlighting measurable improvements in people's health worldwide in 2025, despite funding cuts affecting both the organization and the broader global health sector.

24 Apr 2026

The Big Catch-Up reaches millions of children with life-saving vaccines

The Big Catch-Up (BCU), a historic multi-year, multi-country effort to address vaccination declines driven largely by the COVID-19 pandemic, has reached an estimated 18.3 million children aged 1 to 5 across 36 countries with more than 100 million doses of life-saving vaccines, helping to narrow critical immunity gaps, announced Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), WHO, and UNICEF at the start of World Immunization Week.

24 Apr 2026

U.S. dentists still prescribe opioids at higher rates globally

People getting their teeth pulled or drilled by dentists in the United States are still much more likely to get powerful opioid medications than dental patients in other developed countries or even the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, a new study finds.

23 Apr 2026

Kenyan bat coronavirus uses human CEACAM6 to enter cells, raising spillover concerns

Researchers screened a phylogenetically diverse panel of alphacoronavirus spike proteins and found that a heart-nosed bat coronavirus from Kenya can use human CEACAM6 to enter cells.

23 Apr 2026

Long COVID in children doubles risk of poor grades

Findings indicate long-COVID leads to academic and social difficulties in children, highlighting the importance of addressing their unique educational needs.

23 Apr 2026

Virtual neurology visits match in-person care outcomes

For people who see a neurology clinician for the first time, a new study has found that being seen virtually vs. in-person made no difference in how soon they needed more care.

22 Apr 2026

Paxlovid speeds recovery but does not reduce severe COVID outcomes in vaccinated adults

Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir-ritonavir) does not reduce hospital admissions or deaths in vaccinated adults at higher risk of severe COVID-19, despite helping them recover faster, according to results from two national trials published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

22 Apr 2026

COVID-19 virus not retained in placenta after maternal recovery

A new Yale study published in JAMA Network Open finds that the virus that causes COVID-19 does not linger in placental tissue weeks to months after a pregnant woman recovers from infection - offering important reassurance for clinicians and patients alike.

22 Apr 2026

Millions of Americans with hepatitis C still remain untreated, analysis reveals

Millions of Americans are still battling potentially deadly hepatitis C even though they could be cured with antiviral drugs they are not receiving, a new analysis reveals.

21 Apr 2026

Study links long COVID in kids to worse grades and attention problems

A large NIH-funded RECOVER-Pediatrics study found that children and adolescents meeting the long COVID research threshold were more likely to have caregiver-reported worsening grades, attention difficulties, reduced enjoyment with friends, and greater IEP involvement than peers below the threshold. The findings suggest that pediatric long COVID may affect school and social functioning during key developmental years, although the cross-sectional design does not establish causation.

20 Apr 2026

Why Japan saw a major pertussis surge in 2025 while other countries peaked earlier

This study found that pertussis cases fell across Japan, Australia, New Zealand, China, and the USA during COVID-19 restrictions, then resurged afterward, with most countries peaking in 2024 but Japan showing a delayed major outbreak in 2025. In Japan, the surge was concentrated in school-aged children and adolescents, highlighting possible gaps in booster protection and the need to reassess immunization strategies.

20 Apr 2026

What still drives childhood vaccine gaps in the United States

A nationwide analysis of provider-verified NIS-Child data from 2010 to 2023 found that US childhood vaccination coverage remained generally high but was consistently shaped by social and structural factors such as maternal education, income, insurance, language, and region. The study also showed that coverage of the combined seven-vaccine series rose over time, yet persistent disparities remained, especially for vaccines such as influenza, hepatitis A, and rotavirus.

19 Apr 2026

New handbook aims to improve pandemic modeling and decision making

As the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc and lives were at stake, the advice experts gave to decision-makers became indispensable.

17 Apr 2026

What the Health? From KFF Health News: A new CDC nominee, again

President Donald Trump this week nominated a former deputy surgeon general who has expressed support for vaccines to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

17 Apr 2026

Scientists find unexpected immune pathways for mRNA cancer vaccines

The advent of mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 in 2020 changed the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

17 Apr 2026

Childhood flu infection leaves lasting immune imprint

A study reveals how childhood flu infections impact long-term mortality risk, highlighting implications for vaccination and future outbreak management.

17 Apr 2026

Medi-Cal immigrant enrollment is dropping. Researchers point to Trump’s policies.

For months, a cloud of fear has hovered over the immigrant community in San Bernardino, California, making it hard for María González to do her job as a community health worker in this city where almost a quarter of residents are foreign-born.

15 Apr 2026

ProImmune collaborates with The University of Texas Medical Branch to advance infectious disease research

ProImmune, Ltd., a global leader in immunological reagents and services, today announced a collaboration with The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) Galveston National Laboratory (GNL), a high-containment, infectious disease research facility, to develop innovative tools for studying high-consequence emerging and endemic infectious diseases.

From ProImmune Ltd. 15 Apr 2026