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.

Many Americans turn to AI for health answers despite accuracy warnings

Traditionally, individuals asked health questions of their primary health care provider. Confidence in that provider as a source of trustworthy health information has been consistently high in recent years and was at 90% in April, according to survey data from the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania.

14 Jul 2025

Canadian obesity trends accelerated after the start of COVID-19 pandemic

Did the COVID-19 pandemic affect obesity rates in Canada? A new study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.241421 found obesity rates based on body mass index (BMI) increased faster in the 4 years after the start of the pandemic than in the previous 11 years, especially in younger adults.

14 Jul 2025

Vested interests. Influence muscle. At RFK Jr.’s HHS, It’s not pharma. It’s wellness.

On his way to an Ultimate Fighting Championship event, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stopped by the home of podcaster Gary Brecka.

14 Jul 2025

In rush to satisfy Trump, GOP delivers blow to health industry

Doctors, hospitals, and health insurers for weeks issued dire warnings to Republican lawmakers that millions of people would lose health coverage and hospitals would close if they cut Medicaid funding to help pay for President Donald Trump's big tax and spending bill.

14 Jul 2025

Social isolation in older adults linked to higher diabetes risk

Socially isolated older adults are at increased risk of developing diabetes and high blood sugar, according to a study being presented Sunday at ENDO 2025, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in San Francisco, Calif.

13 Jul 2025

Social media analysis reveals emotional burden of children with multiple health conditions

Children with multiple long-term health issues undergo severe emotional stress at the same time as they are trying to cope with the physical challenges of their condition, a study has found.

12 Jul 2025

WHO honors global leaders for driving Pandemic Agreement adoption

The World Health Organization has formally recognized the pivotal role of a number of heads of state and government in securing the adoption of the WHO Pandemic Agreement by the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly in May 2025.

12 Jul 2025

New microchip tracks antibody-virus interactions from a single drop of blood

A new microchip invented by Scripps Research scientists can reveal how a person's antibodies interact with viruses-using just a drop of blood.

12 Jul 2025

Nearly one-third of UK maternal deaths tied to involvement of children's social care services

The involvement of children's social care services was a common factor in nearly a third of UK maternal deaths occurring during, or within a year of, pregnancy between 2014 and 2022, finds research published in the open access journal BMJ Medicine.

12 Jul 2025

WHO maintains global emergency status for mpox following June 2025 IHR Emergency Committee meeting

The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) is hereby transmitting the report of the fourth meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) Emergency Committee (Committee) regarding the upsurge of mpox 2024, held on Thursday, 5 June 2025, from 12:00 to 17:00 CEST.

12 Jul 2025

WHO Pandemic Agreement moves forward with member state meeting

WHO Member States have held their first meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) on the WHO Pandemic Agreement, formalizing next steps on implementing key provisions of the historic legal instrument to make the world safer from future pandemics.

11 Jul 2025

Socioeconomic gaps revealed in emergency visits for concussion among youth

A new study finds socioeconomic disparities in rates of emergency department (ED) visits for concussion among children and youth.

11 Jul 2025

Powerful new AI tool help doctors read chest X‑rays better

Can artificial intelligence, or AI, potentially transform health care for the better?

11 Jul 2025

Early-onset diabetes rates soar among young adults in Sweden

Early-onset type 2 diabetes nearly doubled in Sweden between 2006 and 2021, with the sharpest increases among young adults, ethnic minorities, and those with lower education. Projections show early-onset T2D could triple by 2050, posing a major public health challenge.

10 Jul 2025