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.

European initiative aims to advance the understanding of RNA communication

RNA, which stands for ribonucleic acid has become a mainstream word in society due to the COVID-19 RNA vaccine - yet the value of this biomolecule to society could extend to numerous sectors including food security and personalized medicine.

5 Mar 2024

COVID booster in lactating mothers can provide antibodies for infants

Lactating mothers who get the COVID-19 booster pass along the antibodies to their children via their breast milk – and potentially protect babies too young to receive the vaccine, a study from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and the UF College of Medicine found.

4 Mar 2024

COVID-19 linked to long-lasting cognitive deficits, study finds

Study in England suggests that COVID-19 may lead to long-term cognitive deficits, with more severe impacts observed in individuals infected early in the pandemic or with prolonged symptoms.

4 Mar 2024

Inexpensive liquid works as well as dental sealants to keep tooth decay at bay

An inexpensive, cavity-fighting liquid called silver diamine fluoride (SDF) works as well as dental sealants to keep tooth decay at bay in a school cavity prevention and treatment program, according to a new study by researchers at NYU College of Dentistry.

4 Mar 2024

Iron dysregulation identified as potential trigger for long COVID

Problems with iron levels in the blood and the body's ability to regulate this important nutrient as a result of SARS-CoV-2 infection could be a key trigger for long COVID, new research has discovered.

4 Mar 2024

How long do cognitive and memory dysfunctions persist after SARS-CoV-2 infection?

Whether cognitive deficits can be measured after severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

4 Mar 2024

Empathetic correction of misinformation can improve attitudes towards vaccination, study shows

An international study has shown for the first time how empathetic correction of misinformation among vaccine-hesitant patients can significantly improve attitudes towards vaccination – and potentially boost vaccine uptake.

4 Mar 2024

Broad-spectrum neutralizing antibody mAb-39 targets conserved S2 epitope in SARS-CoV-2

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has caused serious damage to public health and the global economy, and one strategy to combat COVID-19 has been the development of broadly neutralizing antibodies for prophylactic and therapeutic use.

1 Mar 2024

Newly identified antibodies target a hard-to-spot region of the influenza virus

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have identified antibodies targeting a hard-to-spot region of the influenza virus, shedding light on the relatively unexplored "dark side" of the neuraminidase (NA) protein head.

1 Mar 2024

Loneliness negatively affects the physical health of older adults

The loneliness often experienced by older people in our society has a negative effect on their physical health, according to researchers from Amsterdam UMC and the University of Glasgow. Emiel Hoogendijk, epidemiologist at Amsterdam Public Health, analyzed research results from more than 130 studies and found that loneliness led to an increase in physical frailty, which in turn increases the risk of adverse health outcomes such as depression, falls and cognitive decline.

29 Feb 2024

Global obesity rates surpass one billion, analysis finds

The total number of children, adolescents and adults worldwide living with obesity has surpassed one billion, according to a global analysis published in The Lancet.

29 Feb 2024

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Alabama’s IVF ruling still making waves

Reverberations from the Alabama Supreme Court's first-in-the-nation ruling that embryos are legally children continued this week, both in the states and in Washington.

29 Feb 2024

Newly identified Enterococcus species shed light on antibiotic resistance spread

Antibiotic-resistant infection is projected to catch up to cancer as the leading cause of death by 2050, making understanding and limiting the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria a priority worldwide.

29 Feb 2024

10 insights to tackle vaccine hesitancy driven by misinformation on social media

Effective population level vaccination campaigns are fundamental to public health. Countercampaigns, which are as old as the first vaccines, can disrupt uptake and threaten public health globally.

29 Feb 2024

Higher COVID-19 death risk found in sickle cell disease and trait patients

UdeM's Stéphanie Forté and co-researchers in Canada and Brazil have shown how people with sickle cell disease or sickle cell trait have a higher chance of dying from COVID-19 than the general population.

29 Feb 2024

Association of estrogen-containing menopause hormonal therapy with COVID-19 mortality

Researchers evaluated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related mortality among perimenopausal women.

29 Feb 2024

'Pandemic babies' show altered gut microbiome development and lower allergy rates, study finds

Lockdowns imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the gut microbiome development of babies born during these periods according to new research from RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Children's Health Ireland and APC Microbiome Ireland (APC), a world leading SFI Research Centre, based in University College Cork.

29 Feb 2024

H5N1 variant spreads between species, endangering wildlife

The highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 has adapted to spread between birds and marine mammals, posing an immediate threat to wildlife conservation, according to a study from the University of California, Davis, and the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) in Argentina.

29 Feb 2024

Hospital privatization leads to lower quality care, study reveals

A new review has concluded that hospitals that are privatized typically deliver worse quality care after converting from public ownership. The study, led by University of Oxford researchers, has been published today in The Lancet Public Health (video summary available in the notes section).

28 Feb 2024

Study reveals a safe path to overcoming food allergies for older children

New research from the University of British Columbia reveals a safe path to overcoming food allergies for older children and others who can't risk consuming allergens orally to build up their resistance.

28 Feb 2024