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.

Children face greater heart and inflammatory risks after COVID-19 infection than vaccination

The study is the largest of its kind in this population, and is published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health.

4 Nov 2025

New research sheds light on E. coli spread in human communities

Bacteria that often cause urinary infections can spread as rapidly as swine flu. But E. coli that are resistant to several classes of antibiotics behave differently.

4 Nov 2025

Daily vaping and failed quit attempts rise sharply among U.S. youth

Since 2019, overall rates of nicotine vaping have declined among U.S. youth, but those who continue to vape are showing signs of worsening addiction, according to new USC research.

3 Nov 2025

COVID-19, RSV, and flu vaccines remain safe and effective

The systematic review provides crucial insights into the efficacy and safety of respiratory virus vaccines, supporting evidence-based immunization practices.

3 Nov 2025

Longer distance between family physicians and patients can be potential barrier to receiving care

Living farther than 30 km from a family physician can negatively affect access to health care, found a new Ontario study published in CMAJ.

3 Nov 2025

Familiar voices help reduce the risk of delirium in ICU patients

The innovative use of recorded messages from a family member to provide reorientation information to a critically ill patient receiving mechanical ventilation helped reduce the risk of developing delirium, according to new research published in American Journal of Critical Care (AJCC).

3 Nov 2025

Mutated RIG-I receptor causes kidney inflammation through Y-RNA activation

Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn have discovered how a small, naturally occurring RNA molecule in the kidney activates a mutated immune receptor, triggering a chain reaction.

31 Oct 2025

At the hollow in Florida, the ‘medical freedom’ movement finds its base camp

MAGA and MAHA are happily married in Florida, and nowhere more at home than in Sarasota County, where on a humid October night a crowd of several hundred gathered to honor state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, his wife, and an unlicensed Canadian radiologist who treats cancer with horse paste.

31 Oct 2025

Common viruses sharply raise heart attack and stroke risk, major global review shows

In the largest synthesis to date, researchers reviewed 155 studies linking viral infections, including influenza, SARS-CoV-2, HIV, hepatitis C, and shingles, to increased risks of coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart failure. The findings highlight viral infection prevention and vaccination as underappreciated strategies for cardiovascular protection.

30 Oct 2025

Global Virus Network announces the addition of three new Centers of Excellence

The Global Virus Network (GVN), a coalition of leading medical virologists representing 80+ Centers of Excellence and Affiliates in 40+ countries, today announced the addition of three new Centers of Excellence: the USF Health Institute for Translational Virology and Innovation at the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa, Florida, USA, the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology at the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) in Brazil, and the Pathogen Research Centre (PaRC) at Western University in Canada.

30 Oct 2025

Low-cost biosensor identifies altered protein levels associated with psychiatric disorders

Brazilian researchers have developed a low-cost, portable biosensor that can quickly identify a protein whose altered levels are associated with psychiatric disorders, such as depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder.

30 Oct 2025

WHO’s new pandemic measures may ignore lessons from COVID-19

Analysis of WHO's pandemic response highlights inconsistencies in new guidelines, raising concerns about the evidence base for public health measures.

30 Oct 2025

Diabetes remission possible with GLP-1 drugs, Italian study confirms

In a large real-world Italian cohort, GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy led to measurable rates of type 2 diabetes remission, depending on how remission was defined. The most pragmatic definition (Remission 3) was linked to improved glycemia, weight, and a lower risk of microvascular and cardiovascular events.

29 Oct 2025

Purdue researchers develop 30-second vaccine quality tool

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the need to rapidly develop, produce and distribute large quantities of new vaccines. A team of researchers at Purdue University and Merck & Co. Inc., known as Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. outside of the U.S. and Canada, has now introduced a new analytical tool that could help pharmaceutical companies boost vaccine production with rapid monitoring and analysis.

29 Oct 2025

Plant-based diets could curb climate change and infectious diseases, experts say

A new review in Open Forum Infectious Diseases links animal agriculture to climate change, antimicrobial resistance, and infectious disease spread. The authors urge healthcare providers to promote plant-based diets as a practical step to protect planetary and public health.

28 Oct 2025

Lessons from COVID-19 could help communities better prepare for the next pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has provided researchers with a wealth of information on contemporary successes and failures in combating an emerging pathogen.

28 Oct 2025

COVID-19 pandemic linked to diminishing public trust in childhood vaccines

An international study led by the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee at Bar-Ilan University reveals that the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to a diminishing public trust in childhood vaccines, resulting in declining vaccination rates and a resurgence of preventable, life-threatening diseases such as measles.

28 Oct 2025