covid 19 News and Research

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Cambridge launches program to tackle engineered pandemic risks

Covid-19 showed us how vulnerable the world is to pandemics – but what if the next pandemic were somehow engineered? How would the world respond – and could we stop it happening in the first place?

27 Feb 2025

WHO Director-General issues revised recommendations on mpox emergency

The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), following the third meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) Emergency Committee regarding the upsurge of mpox 2024, held on 25 February 2025, from 12:00 to 17:00 CET, concurs with its advice that the event continues to meet the criteria of a public health emergency of international concern and, considering the advice of the Committee, he is hereby issuing a revised set of temporary recommendations.

27 Feb 2025

How social media spreads diet misinformation—and what experts say must change

Systematic review reveals Instagram and YouTube as primary hubs for nutrition misinformation, notably promoting unverified "miracle diets" linked to orthorexia and COVID-19, urging public health institutions and healthcare professionals to prioritize digital literacy and evidence-based content.

27 Feb 2025

Wealth disparities impact telehealth access for mental health care

A new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that mental health visits for patients with depression from high-wealth neighborhoods in Maryland were significantly more likely to happen via telehealth compared to patients with depression from low-wealth neighborhoods in Maryland from mid-2021 through mid-2024.

27 Feb 2025

Virtual lactation support shows promise in increasing breastfeeding rates

Mothers who were given access to virtual breastfeeding support (or telelactation) through a free app tended to report more breastfeeding than peers who did not receive such help, with a more-pronounced effect observed among Black mothers, according to a new RAND study.

27 Feb 2025

Study highlights increase in VZV-induced CNS infections and dementia risk

Researchers from Fujita Health University, Japan, observed a rise in adult central nervous system (CNS) infections, primarily aseptic meningitis caused by the varicella zoster virus (VZV), post-2019. The researchers highlighted the potential of zoster vaccination to reduce CNS infections.

27 Feb 2025

Young children rapidly adapt to new social norms during the pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic had a major and sudden effect on all aspects of life, requiring children and their families to rapidly change their habits and adopt new behaviors to stay healthy.

27 Feb 2025

Air sampling detects 70–90% of poultry viruses and reveals 50 more hidden threats

Researchers found that environmental sampling in live-bird markets detects 70–90% of poultry viruses, often outperforming traditional swab methods, and identified 50 additional viruses, some from non-avian sources.

26 Feb 2025

Discovery of stable genes offers insights into aging and longevity

A new research paper was published in Aging (Aging-US) on January 27, 2025, in Volume 17, Issue 1, titled "Age-invariant genes: multi-tissue identification and characterization of murine reference genes."

26 Feb 2025

NSHAP study examines cognition and aging in post-COVID era

A new supplemental issue of The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences presents new measures, methods, and data collected during Round 4 (2021 to 2023) of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) - with a focus on cognition and how researchers adapted to working with participants as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

26 Feb 2025

Why life expectancy gains in Europe stalled—and how some countries stayed ahead

Life expectancy gains in Europe slowed after 2011, with the COVID-19 pandemic further accelerating declines—while some countries maintained progress through sustained public health policies.

25 Feb 2025

Advanced MRI uncovers lung abnormalities in children and teens with long COVID

An advanced type of MRI uncovers significant lung abnormalities in children and adolescents with long COVID, according to a new study published today in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America .

25 Feb 2025

Routine psychological screening can improve maternal cardiovascular health

Integrating routine psychological health screening and treatment during and after pregnancy may reduce the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes and improve maternal cardiovascular health, according to a new scientific statement published today in a Go Red for Women spotlight issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

25 Feb 2025

Excessive screen time linked to manic symptoms in teens

Researchers examine the association between excessive screen time and manic symptoms in early adolescence.

25 Feb 2025

Can AI predict the next pandemic? A new study says yes

Researchers explore how artificial intelligence is transforming infectious disease modeling

25 Feb 2025

Machine learning algorithm decodes immune system’s hidden data for disease detection

Your immune system harbors a lifetime's worth of information about threats it's encountered - a biological Rolodex of baddies.

24 Feb 2025

Telemedicine adoption leads to fewer low-value medical tests

Low-value care-medical tests and procedures that provide little to no benefit to patients-contributes to excess medical spending and both direct and cascading harms to patients.

24 Feb 2025

Study unlocks key differences in heart inflammation

A group of Berlin researchers in collaboration with international scientists have found differences in heart inflammation caused by COVID-19, anti-COVID-19 vaccination, and non-COVID-19 myocarditis.

24 Feb 2025

Montana’s Medicaid expansion conundrum

Despite concerns about what Congress and the Trump administration might have planned for Medicaid, Montana's Republican-led legislature and GOP governor appear ready to keep the state's Medicaid expansion program in place beyond its scheduled end date this summer.

24 Feb 2025

Why over 5 billion people still lack access to life-saving medical oxygen

The Lancet Global Health Commission highlights severe inequities in medical oxygen access, urging systemic reforms to ensure universal availability and affordability.

23 Feb 2025