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.

Public health workers are quitting over assignments to Guantánamo

Rebekah Stewart, a nurse at the U.S. Public Health Service, got a call last April that brought her to tears. She had been selected for deployment to the Trump administration's new immigration detention operation at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

9 Feb 2026

Large Swedish study finds COVID-19 vaccination unrelated to fertility or childbirth rates

A Swedish registry-based cohort study evaluated whether COVID-19 vaccination affected childbirth rates among women aged 18 to 45 years during the pandemic period. No statistically significant association was found between vaccination, childbirth, or recorded miscarriage rates, suggesting demographic and socioeconomic factors likely explain observed fertility trends.

8 Feb 2026

American women show varied preferences for in-clinic versus at-home cervical cancer screening

American women now have the option of screening for cervical cancer at home, using newly approved self-collection tools.

7 Feb 2026

Paid sick leave emerges as key workplace support for frontline workers, new study shows

Access to paid sick leave among South Korean in-home service workers during COVID-19 was associated with lower perceived infection risk, reduced job stress, and higher job satisfaction. Workers without paid leave reported greater perceived risk and stress, with indirect negative effects on job satisfaction, highlighting paid leave as an important workplace resource.

5 Feb 2026

Review highlights smarter medicine delivery as key to better adherence

Health system design plays a major role in medication adherence for chronic diseases, with delivery models influencing access, affordability, and continuity of care. Flexible, well-regulated dispensing systems that address structural barriers can improve long-term treatment outcomes across diverse populations.

5 Feb 2026

Weak governance hinders One Health outbreak response in Africa

Across Africa, One Health is endorsed at the top but often breaks down where outbreaks start, writes Albert Ansah.

5 Feb 2026

Air conditioning in nursing homes lowers heat-related risk

Air conditioning is linked to lower mortality rates in nursing homes during extreme heat, underscoring the importance of climate control for vulnerable seniors.

5 Feb 2026

New card deck helps children manage stress and build resilience

A Case Western Reserve University professor has developed an innovative card deck designed to help children manage stress and build emotional resilience in today's challenging world.

4 Feb 2026

Post-thrombectomy alteplase linked to better stroke outcomes

Giving the clot-busting medication alteplase at the site of a blocked brain artery after blood clot removal may increase the number of patients who fully recover, according to preliminary late-breaking science presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2026.

4 Feb 2026

COVID vaccination not linked to reduced childbirth

COVID-19 vaccination is not the cause behind a decrease in childbirth, according to a study from Linköping University, Sweden.

4 Feb 2026

Study links paid sick leave to lower infection risk

Home service workers-those who provide care, inspections, or repairs inside private homes-can often lack paid sick leave, making illness a direct financial risk.

3 Feb 2026

A common diabetes drug may prevent long COVID when taken early

Research supports metformin's efficacy in reducing long COVID symptoms, suggesting its use in acute COVID-19 cases could alleviate long-term health impacts.

3 Feb 2026

Six years after COVID-19: Lessons learned and pandemic preparedness

Six years ago, the Director-General of the World Health Organization sounded the highest global alarm available under international law at the time, declaring the outbreak of a new coronavirus disease (later known as COVID-19) a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

3 Feb 2026

Study finds five distinct human sleep chronotypes

The familiar labels "night owl" and "early bird," long used in sleep research, don't fully capture the diversity of human internal clocks, a new study has found.

2 Feb 2026

Overlooked animal viruses slipping past global disease surveillance

The study on Influenza D and Canine Coronavirus HuPn-2018 underscores urgent needs for targeted surveillance and diagnostics in infectious disease research.

2 Feb 2026

How the CDC prepares influenza vaccines for pandemics

CDC scientists outline the comprehensive methodology involved in the development of influenza candidate vaccine viruses.

2 Feb 2026

Religious faith linked to lower psychological distress during Covid-19 lockdown

Two Cambridge-led studies suggest that the psychological distress caused by lockdowns (UK) and experience of infection (US) was reduced among those of faith compared to non-religious people.

1 Feb 2026

African investment vital for medical research and innovation

Africa’s health future hinges on its ability to finance and commercialise its own medical innovations, rather than rely on increasingly uncertain international funding, African science leaders have warned.

31 Jan 2026

Sporadic Nipah virus cases highlight importance of global surveillance

The Global Virus Network (GVN), representing eminent human and animal virologists from more than 90 Centers of Excellence and Affiliates in over 40 countries dedicated to advancing research, collaboration, and pandemic preparedness, is monitoring reports of a Nipah virus outbreak in India and emphasizes that such cases, while very concerning and serious, are not unexpected or unprecedented. Sporadic Nipah virus infections have occurred almost annually in parts of South Asia, particularly in India and Bangladesh, and do not indicate a new or escalating global threat.

30 Jan 2026