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.

Happy at work, better at the job? A study of young employees offers clues

Researchers studying 412 employees aged 35 or younger in Spain found that higher job satisfaction was associated with better task and contextual performance. Work that negatively affected mental health and personal life was associated with poorer contextual performance and more counterproductive behavior, while supervisor emotional accessibility and organizational respect showed no significant direct links to performance.

24 Sep 2026

Nurses in Latin America faced severe systemic violence during the pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented challenges for health professionals around the world. A new study published in the journal Nursing Inquiry describes violence that nurses and midwives in Latin America endured-not only physical aggression, but also ethical and emotional harm.

24 Sep 2026

Sudden unexpected infant deaths drive widening Black-white mortality gap

After years of declines in sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUID), rates have been ticking up again, particularly among babies born to Black mothers, new research shows.

23 Sep 2026

Semaglutide’s heart benefits may extend beyond weight loss

Semaglutide is known to reduce the risk of serious heart disease. However, a new study published in the European Heart Journal today (Thursday) suggests that this effect cannot not be entirely explained by patients losing weight on the drug.

23 Sep 2026

US mortality rates outpace peer nations as young adult deaths rise

Research in The Milbank Quarterly reveals that for decades, US mortality rates have exceeded rates in peer countries and have been increasing across many causes of death, especially in young adults and people living in certain regions of the country.

23 Sep 2026

A 30-day benznidazole regimen offers safer Chagas disease treatment option

A 30-day course of benznidazole taken once a day could offer people with chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infection a safer and more practical option than the current standard treatment, taken twice a day for 60 days.

22 Sep 2026

Updated clinical guideline offers strategies to reduce vaccination distress

A comprehensive guideline update with 16 recommendations to reduce vaccination distress, with suggestions ranging from applying topical pain relief to distractions, has been published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

21 Sep 2026

Measles outbreaks may reveal more than gaps in vaccination

A commentary in Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics argues that measles outbreaks can serve as a sensitive indicator of weaknesses in vaccination coverage, surveillance, health equity, community trust, and broader immunization systems. The authors contend that pursuing measles eradication could also strengthen routine immunization, laboratory capacity, outbreak preparedness, and health-system resilience.

21 Sep 2026

A 194-country analysis reveals gaps in how late childhood vaccinations are tracked

A global analysis of WHO/UNICEF data from 194 countries found wide variation in countries’ ability to record delayed childhood vaccinations, with 64% of reporting countries saying they could capture late doses in 2022. Following birth cohorts over time and adding delayed MCV1 doses raised median coverage estimates by 3.6 to 5.1 percentage points across available cohort years, though incomplete and inconsistent reporting limited confidence in some estimates.

21 Sep 2026

New mRNA vaccine expands flu protection options for older adults

Every fall, millions of Americans heed the call to get their annual flu shot. Getting vaccinated reduces the risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death from influenza.

20 Sep 2026

CPS-involved students face higher rates of school absenteeism

Across the country, kids are settling into new school year routines. Parents buy backpacks, teachers arrange desks and lesson plans, and friends reconnect.

18 Sep 2026

SARS-CoV-2 protein ORF8 drives macrophage infection and lung inflammation

In the sickest COVID-19 patients, the SARS-CoV-2 virus doesn't just cause severe damage by directly infecting airway cells.

18 Sep 2026

Machine learning predicts psychosocial resilience among healthcare workers

A team of researchers trained three machine learning models-Logistic Regression, Random Forest, and Support Vector Machine (SVM)-to classify healthcare workers according to their level of psychosocial resilience, using information collected during the COVID-19 pandemic.

18 Sep 2026

Global Virus Network monitors spreading avian influenza in Australian mammals

The Global Virus Network (GVN) is closely monitoring detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1), commonly known as bird flu, in several mammal species in Australia as the virus continues to spread among birds and mammals worldwide.

18 Sep 2026

US health officials knowingly relied on flawed vaccine safety algorithm

US health officials knowingly relied on a compromised algorithm to detect signals of harm from mRNA covid-19 vaccines and silenced efforts to fix it, finds an investigation published by The BMJ today.

17 Sep 2026

Hedgehog coronaviruses reveal potential pathways for cross-species transmission

Washington State University researchers have discovered how a group of coronaviruses circulating in hedgehogs invades host cells, a key to understanding their potential to jump between species and their risk of causing a pandemic in humans.

16 Sep 2026

College BORG drinking associated with blackouts and other alcohol-related harms

A newly popular college drinking trend, the blackout rage gallon (BORG), fosters binge drinking and can lead to a host of alcohol-related harms, according to a new study in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, published at Rutgers University.

15 Sep 2026

Adolescent cannabis use disorder diagnoses rise after legalization

New diagnoses of cannabis use disorder (CUD) among adolescents in Northern California began climbing after recreational cannabis was legalized in California in 2016, reversing a steady decline in the three years prior, according to a new study published in the journal Addiction.

15 Sep 2026

Smartphone imaging accurately supports remote cataract referral decisions

Researchers have found a high level of agreement between cataract referral decisions based on smartphone images reviewed remotely and those made by ophthalmologists examining patients in person at rural eye camps.

15 Sep 2026

Finnish study finds working from home increases sedentary behavior

According to a Finnish study, people sleep slightly longer when they work from home. However, they also sit more and are less physically active than on days when they work in the office.

11 Sep 2026