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.

Study: Empagliflozin shows mixed results in heart attack patients

Use of the sodium glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor empagliflozin following a heart attack did not show a significant benefit in reducing overall heart failure hospitalizations or death from any cause, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session.

8 Apr 2024

MADs show comparable blood pressure reduction to CPAP in hypertensive patients with sleep apnea

People with hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea were no less likely to see their blood pressure drop over six months if they used a mandibular advancement device (MAD), which is inserted onto the teeth similar to a bite guard.

8 Apr 2024

COVID-19 shatters decades of global health progress, slashing life expectancy

Study in The Lancet reveals COVID-19 as the second leading cause of death in 2021, disrupting three decades of progress in global health and reducing life expectancy by 2.2 years from 2019 to 2021 despite previous gains.

7 Apr 2024

Gold nanoparticle adorned polymers boost infectious disease testing

By harnessing the power of composite polymer particles adorned with gold nanoparticles, a group of researchers have delivered a more accurate means of testing for infectious diseases.

5 Apr 2024

Mass General Hospital develops clinical decision support tool for mpox diagnosis

Diagnosing infectious conditions can be challenging. Diagnosis is especially challenging for uncommon and emerging infectious diseases for which there's limited clinical experience.

5 Apr 2024

Feeling lonely? It may affect how your brain reacts to food, new research suggests

The associations between individuals’ perceived levels of social isolation and brain patterns related to food cues.

5 Apr 2024

Study highlights COVID-19 challenges for perinatal women in Latino communities

Public policies blocked many families of Mexican descent living in the U.S. from accessing vital services such as food and mental health care during the COVID-19 pandemic, even though these communities experienced some of the highest infection and mortality rates.

5 Apr 2024

Novel SARS-CoV-2 mutations found in floodwaters near homeless communities

Study highlights the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and novel spike gene mutations in flood control channels affected by homeless populations, demonstrating the value of environmental surveillance in understanding public health dynamics.

4 Apr 2024

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Florida limits abortion — for now

Florida this week became a major focus for advocates on both main sides of the abortion debate.

4 Apr 2024

The horrors of TMJ: Chronic pain, metal jaws, and futile treatments

A TMJ patient in Maine had six surgeries to replace part or all of the joints of her jaw.

4 Apr 2024

WHO launches AI-powered empathetic digital health promoter

Ahead of World Health Day, focused on 'My Health, My Right', the World Health Organization (WHO) announces the launch of S.A.R.A.H., a digital health promoter prototype with enhanced empathetic response powered by generative artificial intelligence (AI).

4 Apr 2024

End of internet subsidies for low-income households threatens telehealth access

For Cindy Westman, $30 buys a week's worth of gas to drive to medical appointments and run errands.

4 Apr 2024

Study links pneumonia transmission in seniors to contact with young children

New research being presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April) finds that pneumonia-causing bacteria are common in the over 60s and that contact with pre-school and young school-aged children appears to be the most important factor in the onward transmission of Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) to the over 60s.

3 Apr 2024

Global life expectancy rises by 6.2 years since 1990 despite COVID-19 setbacks

Global life expectancy increased by 6.2 years since 1990 according to a new study published in The Lancet.

3 Apr 2024

UT Health San Antonio launches Be Well Institute for substance use research and treatment

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) is establishing the Be Well Institute on Substance Use and Related Disorders, a pioneering initiative dedicated to advancing research, education and evidence-based treatments.

3 Apr 2024

Wastewater surveillance reveals COVID-19 transmission patterns in unsheltered encampments

To better understand COVID-19's spread during the pandemic, public health officials expanded wastewater surveillance.

3 Apr 2024

Medical debt affects much of America, but Colorado immigrants are hit especially hard

In February, Norma Brambila's teenage daughter wrote her a letter she now carries in her purse. It is a drawing of a rose, and a note encouraging Brambila to "keep fighting" her sickness and reminding her she'd someday join her family in heaven.

3 Apr 2024

Attacks on emergency room workers prompt debate over tougher penalties

Patients hurl verbal abuse at Michelle Ravera every day in the emergency room. Physical violence is less common, she said, but has become a growing threat.

3 Apr 2024

New study reveals increased risk of allergic diseases after COVID-19 infection

The association of COVID-19 with long term allergic conditions.

3 Apr 2024

Rise in severe psychiatric cases among children during the pandemic

A new study found that during the pandemic pediatric emergency departments (EDs) saw more children and adolescents who needed a psychiatric admission, as well as an increase in severe conditions, such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and substance use disorders.

2 Apr 2024