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.

Seasonal influenza triggers significant school closures, especially in southern states, study finds

Study examined closures of United States (US) schools due to 11 influenza seasons between 2011 and 2022.

18 Apr 2024

The path to a better tuberculosis vaccine runs through Montana

A team of Montana researchers is playing a key role in the development of a more effective vaccine against tuberculosis, an infectious disease that has killed more people than any other.

18 Apr 2024

Global disease burden study highlights COVID-19 impact and health inequities

Rates of early death and poor health caused by HIV/AIDS and diarrhea have been cut in half since 2010, and the rate of disease burden caused by injuries has dropped by a quarter in the same time period, after accounting for differences in age and population size across countries, based on a new study published in The Lancet. The study measures the burden of disease in years lost to early death and poor health.

17 Apr 2024

New vaccine promises broad protection against SARS-CoV-2 and other sarbecoviruses

Researchers at Georgia Tech and the University of Wisconsin have created a broad-spectrum vaccine capable of defending against various SARS-CoV-2 variants and related bat coronaviruses.

17 Apr 2024

Tracking arboviruses by nanopore sequencing of mosquitoes

The technology used to sequence SARS-CoV-2 at record speed early in the COVID-19 pandemic has been successfully tested as a technique to monitor arboviruses and diseases transmitted mainly by mosquitoes.

17 Apr 2024

1 in 5 older Canadian adults with diabetes developed functional limitations during the pandemic

Researchers found that approximately 1 in 5 older Canadian adults with diabetes and no pre-pandemic functional limitations developed functional limitations for the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic.

17 Apr 2024

New study sheds light on the relationship between race and mental health stigma in college students

A new study by a counseling researcher at New York Institute of Technology sheds light on the relationship between race and mental health stigma.

17 Apr 2024

Kidney-CHAMP framework provides equitable access and overcomes barriers to kidney disease care

Manisha Jhamb, M.D., launched the Kidney-CHAMP study five years ago because she saw a looming tsunami of chronic kidney disease cases. She was pulled to find a way to assist the primary care physicians upon whom this burden would fall.

16 Apr 2024

Oregon study finds no clear link between mRNA vaccines and sudden cardiac deaths in young people

Study in Oregon finds no definitive link between mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and sudden cardiac deaths among residents aged 16-30, emphasizing vaccine safety amidst ongoing public health discussions.

15 Apr 2024

Study shows potential for universal flu vaccine with broad antibody response

Study discusses the potential of universal influenza vaccines, emphasizing the importance of antibody breadth and Fc receptor (FcR) effector functions in protecting against various influenza strains, including those with pandemic potential.

15 Apr 2024

AI messaging boosts communication quality between patients and doctors

As one of the first health systems in the country to pilot the use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) to draft replies to patient messages inside the Epic Systems electronic health record, UC San Diego Health is a pioneer in shaping the future of digital health.

15 Apr 2024

Study reveals shocking rise in opioid deaths among Canadian youth

Premature deaths related to opioids doubled between 2019 and 2021 across Canada, with more than 1 in 4 deaths among young adults aged 20–39 years attributable to opioids, according to new research published in CMAJ.

15 Apr 2024

Study reveals lasting lung damage in tuberculosis survivors

New research being presented at this year's ESCMID Global Congress (formerly ECCMID) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April) has found compelling evidence that tuberculosis (TB) can have a lasting impact on the lungs of individuals who have been successfully treated for the disease.

15 Apr 2024

Netherlands and WHO forge stronger partnership in global health agenda

The WHO and the Netherlands convened in The Hague on 10 April 2024, to discuss joint priorities and alignment between the Dutch Global Health Strategy and WHO's key strategic goals, marking a new milestone in their longstanding partnership.

15 Apr 2024

SARS-COV-2 infection not linked to increased risk of asthma development in pediatric patients

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many families worried about the long-term effects posed by the SARS-COV-2 virus.

13 Apr 2024

Cas13d-NCS: A game-changer in RNA virus defense

The rise of RNA viruses like SARS-CoV-2 highlights the need for new ways to fight them. RNA-targeting tools like CRISPR/Cas13 are powerful but inefficient in the cytoplasm of cells, where many RNA viruses replicate.

13 Apr 2024

Childhood verbal abuse costs global society $300 billion annually, study finds

Childhood verbal abuse by adults costs society an estimated $300 billion (£239 billion) a year globally, show findings presented at the first international conference on childhood verbal abuse, hosted by UCL, Words Matter and the World Health Organization (WHO).

13 Apr 2024

Wearable devices reveal stress-related changes during sleep

What if changes in a person's stress levels could be detected while they sleep using wearable devices? A new study by University of Vermont researchers published today in PLOS Digital Health is the first to find changes in perceived stress levels reflected in sleep data-;an important step towards identifying biomarkers that may help flag individuals in need of support.

13 Apr 2024

Older adults embrace non-traditional medical care, poll finds

When today's older adults were growing up, urgent care centers and clinics inside retail stores didn't exist. But most of them have now embraced these non-traditional sites for getting medical care, a new national poll finds.

13 Apr 2024

Nanopore sequencing unveils novel telomere length patterns

We depend on our cells being able to divide and multiply, whether it's to replace sunburnt skin or replenish our blood supply and recover from injury.

12 Apr 2024