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.

Tax time triggers fraud alarms for some Obamacare enrollees

Because of past fraud by rogue brokers, some Affordable Care Act policyholders may get an unexpected tax bill this season.

10 Apr 2025

New quinoline-based antiviral shows strong promise against SARS-CoV-2

Researchers develop quinoline-based drug with inhibitory activity against the SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease (PLpro).

10 Apr 2025

Study shows wisdom of early US investment in COVID-19 vaccines

Five years ago, volunteers rolled up their sleeves in the first clinical trial of a vaccine against COVID-19, as the new pandemic surged around them. By a year later, 66 million American adults had gotten at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, at no cost to them. Now, a new study shows how wise that national investment in testing, buying and delivering the first vaccines was.

10 Apr 2025

U.S. physician burnout rates decline but remain higher than other workers

First, some good news: In late 2023 and early 2024, significantly fewer U.S. physicians reported symptoms of job burnout than they did a few years earlier.

9 Apr 2025

Slashed federal funding cancels vaccine clinics amid measles surge

More than a dozen vaccination clinics were canceled in Pima County, Arizona.

9 Apr 2025

Rural hospitals and patients are disconnected from modern care

Leroy Walker arrived at the county hospital short of breath. Walker, 65 and with chronic high blood pressure, was brought in by one of rural Greene County’s two working ambulances.

9 Apr 2025

Call for urgent support as US funding cuts threaten HIV/AIDS programs

In the face of ongoing funding disruptions to US foreign assistance programmes, a group of international experts calls for urgent action to ensure the continuation of life-saving interventions and support for children and families affected by HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.

9 Apr 2025

New drug compound prevents long COVID symptoms in mice

Researchers have shown a new drug compound can prevent long COVID symptoms in mice – a landmark finding that could lead to a future treatment for the debilitating condition.

8 Apr 2025

GP38 identified as key viral toxin and vaccine target in Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus research

A recent study published in Science Translational Medicine involving scientists from the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases in collaboration with scientists from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the University of California-Berkeley have advanced discoveries surrounding the viral glycoprotein GP38 expressed by the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV).

8 Apr 2025

Understanding the origins of health disparities through historical data

Over the past century, health inequalities have shifted from being driven mainly by infectious diseases, poor sanitation, and hazardous working conditions to being shaped by chronic diseases, lifestyle factors, and unequal access to modern healthcare.

7 Apr 2025

Firings at federal health agencies decimate offices that release public records

Public access to government records that document the handling of illnesses, faulty products, and safety lapses at health facilities will slow after mass firings at the federal Department of Health and Human Services swept out staff members responsible for releasing records, according to transparency advocates and health experts.

7 Apr 2025

New antibody research sparks hope for better whooping cough vaccines

Whooping cough, or pertussis, was once a leading cause of death for children in the U.S. and worldwide before the introduction of vaccines in the 1940s.

7 Apr 2025

UN sounds alarm over funding cuts impacting maternal health

Women today are more likely than ever to survive pregnancy and childbirth according to a major new report released today, but United Nations (UN) agencies highlight the threat of major backsliding as unprecedented aid cuts take effect around the world.

7 Apr 2025

Mpox virus poses rising global epidemic and pandemic threat

Insufficient research on mpox hinders effective control strategies, emphasizing the need to understand its transmission and immune response mechanisms.

7 Apr 2025

WHO tests new global coordination mechanism for health emergencies

Over the past two days, WHO convened more than 15 countries and over 20 regional health agencies, health emergency networks and other partners to test, for the first time, a new global coordination mechanism for health emergencies.

7 Apr 2025

Study: Rural cancer patients cross state lines for specialized care

In a federally funded study, researchers from Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah (the U) found that 7% of Medicare patients cross state borders for cancer care, and rates were nearly double for those who lived in rural areas.

4 Apr 2025

New approach to combat influenza and herpes with bean-based gum

In today's interconnected world, infectious diseases pose an escalating threat, as demonstrated by the coronavirus pandemic and outbreaks of H1N1, SARS, Ebola, Zika, and H5N1 (bird flu) viruses-all of which have had significant global health and economic impacts.

4 Apr 2025

Study: Trust in personal doctors divided along political lines

Democrats are more likely to trust their personal doctors and follow their doctors' advice than Republicans, new research from the University of Oregon finds.

4 Apr 2025

Older adults embrace digital health portals despite billing concerns

When today's older adults were growing up, the only way to get information to your doctor or their clinic was a phone call. And getting more than a simple answer probably meant going in for an appointment.

4 Apr 2025

Small molecular shifts can drastically alter encephalitis virus behavior

New research shows how small shifts in the molecular makeup of a virus can profoundly alter its fate. These shifts could turn a deadly pathogen into a harmless bug or supercharge a relatively benign virus, influencing its ability to infect humans and cause dangerous outbreaks.

4 Apr 2025