Pandemic News and Research

RSS

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.

WHO Member States take major step forward in making the world safer from pandemics

After more than three years of intensive negotiations, WHO Member States took a major step forward in efforts to make the world safer from pandemics, by forging a draft agreement for consideration at the upcoming World Health Assembly in May.

17 Apr 2025

RFK Jr. struggles to navigate frustrated supporters and a demanding boss

After the Senate voted to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services secretary, supporters of his "Make America Healthy Again" movement cheered at having a champion in the federal government.

17 Apr 2025

Dr. Hayre warns of mental health crisis for children after COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic deepened existing health disparities and thrust children into a mental health epidemic, altering the landscape of health and wellbeing for a generation.

16 Apr 2025

Congenital heart surgery in children remained safe during the COVID-19 pandemic

Major reallocation of healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic meant that elective surgery in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) was significantly reduced, so that those needing urgent, lifesaving and emergency surgery could be treated.

15 Apr 2025

Do disasters delay early cancer diagnoses?

Rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnoses dropped during and shortly after Hurricanes Irma and Maria and the COVID-19 pandemic in Puerto Rico, according to a recent analysis. However, late-stage diagnoses eventually exceeded expectations, suggesting that limited access to cancer screening services due to these disasters likely hindered timely CRC diagnoses. The findings are published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

15 Apr 2025

#RareDiseases - The EU Action Plan must step up European-national cooperation

A high-level conference convened in Warsaw under the auspices of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union highlighted the importance of adopting a comprehensive Europe-wide policy framework on rare diseases.

15 Apr 2025

Why measles is back in the U.S. and what doctors must know now

Measles is making a troubling comeback in the U.S., driven by declining vaccination rates and rising vaccine hesitancy. Pediatric infectious disease experts provide clinical guidance to help healthcare providers recognize, manage, and prevent measles in today’s outbreak-prone environment.

14 Apr 2025

Limited health care access during disasters may hinder timely colorectal cancer diagnoses

Rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnoses dropped during and shortly after Hurricanes Irma and Maria and the COVID-19 pandemic in Puerto Rico, according to a recent analysis.

14 Apr 2025

Adolescent obesity in England rises by 50% over 15 years

New research to be presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2025, Malaga, Spain, 11-14 May) shows that the proportion of adolescents living with overweight or obesity in England has increased by 50% from 2008-2010 (22%) to 2021-2023 (33%).

12 Apr 2025

Genetic diversity of malaria parasite challenges one size fits all strategies

Despite decades of efforts focused on mosquito eradication, drug therapies, and vaccines, malaria remains hard to beat, especially in Africa.

11 Apr 2025

IL-6 emerges as early sepsis indicator in high risk groups

A pioneering study presented today at ESCMID Global 2025 has uncovered the potential of interleukin-6 (IL-6) as a powerful diagnostic biomarker for the early detection of sepsis in high-risk patient groups, including neonates, children and pregnant women.

11 Apr 2025

Abortion rates remain stable in Ontario despite global spike

A new study finds that, unlike countries across the UK and Europe, abortion rates did not spike in Ontario, Canada from 2020-2022.

11 Apr 2025

COVID-19 treatments show minimal serious side effects

Numerous treatment options for COVID-19 have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration over the last four years, including antiviral drugs and monoclonal antibodies that suppress an excessive immune response.

11 Apr 2025

HPV vaccine uptake rises with help from AI chatbot

The first trial of an AI (Artificial Intelligence)-powered chatbot designed to inform parents about the HPV vaccine has shown that it increases vaccine uptake and engagement with health professionals.

11 Apr 2025

WHO warns of health service disruptions due to ODA cuts

The World Health Organization (WHO) issues warning on health service disruptions reported in 70% of its surveyed country offices as a result of sudden suspensions and reductions in official development assistance (ODA) for health.

11 Apr 2025

More psych hospital beds are needed for kids, but neighbors say not here

In January, a teenager in suburban St. Louis informed his high school counselor that a classmate said he planned to kill himself later that day.

11 Apr 2025

ChatGPT improves exercise for neurodivergent kids

A University of Michigan research team has used AI to help deliver exercise "snacks" to kids with autism.

11 Apr 2025

England faces persistent rise in alcohol deaths

The persistent higher rate of alcohol deaths in England since the pandemic in 2020 is an "acute crisis" requiring urgent action from government, according to a new study led by researchers at UCL and the University of Sheffield.

10 Apr 2025

RFK Jr.’s purge of FOIA staff at FDA Spares people working on covid vaccine lawsuits

Mass firings at the FDA have decimated divisions tasked with releasing public records generated by the agency's regulatory activities in sectors including tobacco, food, medical devices, and veterinary medicine.

10 Apr 2025