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.

Study finds significant uptick in chronic digestive disorders during COVID-19 pandemic

A study led by Cedars-Sinai investigators uncovered a significant uptick in chronic digestive disorders, like irritable bowel syndrome, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

3 Jul 2025

Looking for a natural way to lower blood pressure? Whole grains might be the answer

A new meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies found that higher whole grain intake is linked to a significantly lower risk of developing hypertension, with a 26% risk reduction observed between highest and lowest intake groups. In contrast, refined grain consumption showed no clear association with hypertension risk.

2 Jul 2025

Mediterranean diet wins on weight but misses on memory in diverse aging population

A 14-month randomized trial in older African American adults with obesity found that adopting a Mediterranean diet, with or without calorie-restricted weight loss, significantly improved diet quality and reduced body weight and visceral fat. However, no cognitive benefits were observed compared to usual diet.

2 Jul 2025

New study questions the universal benefits of pet ownership on well-being

A new study challenges the belief in a universal "pet effect" on human well-being. Using data collected during COVID-19 lockdowns, researchers found no significant change in respondents' well-being when they acquired or lost a pet in their household.

2 Jul 2025

Republican megabill will mean higher health costs for many Americans

President Donald Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" cuts federal spending on Medicaid and Affordable Care Act marketplaces by about $1 trillion over a decade, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, threatening the physical and financial health of tens of millions of Americans.

2 Jul 2025

USAID funding cuts could cost millions of lives worldwide, study warns

A new study published in The Lancet has raised urgent concerns about the global health consequences of recent cuts to U.S. foreign aid.

1 Jul 2025

How underreporting masks the real impact of RSV in older populations

Research shows RSV leads to high hospitalization rates in adults, emphasizing the importance of enhanced surveillance and diagnostic measures in healthcare.

1 Jul 2025

Genetic bottlenecks limit the rise of pandemic cholera strains

A new study by the Genomics and Microbial Evolution Group at the Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) together with the Department of Host-Microbe Interactions at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, USA, sheds light on one of the great enigmas of microbiology: why only certain strains of common bacteria become pandemic pathogens.

30 Jun 2025

WHO Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens reports on SARS-CoV-2 origins

The WHO Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO), a panel of 27 independent, international, multidisciplinary experts, today published its report on the origins of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.

27 Jun 2025

Most Medicaid plans cover naloxone but barriers still exist

A new study found that almost all plans in 40 states and Washington, DC covered at least one form of the opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone, although certain restrictions and quantity limits may still prevent people from accessing this life-saving drug.

27 Jun 2025

Kennedy’s vaccine advisers sow doubts as scientists protest US pivot on shots

As fired and retired scientists rallied outside in the Atlanta heat, an advisory panel that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. handpicked to replace experts he'd fired earlier met inside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's headquarters to plan a more skeptical vaccine future.

27 Jun 2025

America slashes heart attack deaths but faces surge in deadly heart failure and arrhythmias

U.S. heart disease mortality has dropped 66% since 1970, mainly due to fewer ischemic heart disease deaths. However, deaths from heart failure, arrhythmias, and hypertensive heart disease have risen sharply, signaling a new public health challenge.

26 Jun 2025

Poor diet quality weakens resilience and mental health in food insecure populations

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 13.5% of American households experienced food insecurity at some time during 2023. That means 18 million families didn't have enough to meet their needs and often didn't know where the next meal would come from.

26 Jun 2025

Sleep patterns change with geography, seasons, and daily schedules

A new international study drawing on 73 million nights of data reveals that our sleep patterns are seriously shaped by the day of the week, the season, and where we live.

26 Jun 2025

NANOSPRESSO device brings precision medicine to hospital pharmacies

A new gene therapy delivery device could let hospital pharmacies make personalized nanomedicines to order.

26 Jun 2025

Dual threats from Trump and GOP imperil nursing homes and their foreign-born workers

In a top-rated nursing home in Alexandria, Virginia, the Rev. Donald Goodness is cared for by nurses and aides from various parts of Africa.

26 Jun 2025

Gut microbe emerges as a promising tool in the fight against COVID-19

Researchers found that Akkermansia muciniphila boosts lung-specific antiviral immunity against SARS-CoV-2 in mice by modulating the gut–lung axis. This commensal gut bacterium shows promise as a potential biomarker and biotherapeutic candidate for COVID-19 and other respiratory infections.

25 Jun 2025