Cold, Flu & Cough

What is the Common Cold?

The common cold, also known as rhinopharyngitis, is a type of respiratory tract infection caused by a virus.

Does the 'Stomach Flu' Vaccine Prevent Type I Diabetes?

Risk Factors and Walking Pneumonia Prevention

Influenza Infection in Animals

Walking Pneumonia Versus Common Cold

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Walking Pneumonia Versus Common Cold

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

$52 million study to investigate why some infants develop lasting lung infections

A Michigan Medicine-led research consortium has secured approval for up to $52 million in federal funding to launch a multicenter study examining why some young children recover fully from viral lower respiratory tract infections while others develop severe illness or lasting problems such as asthma.

20 Oct 2026

Scientists find a way to boost the body's natural viral defenses

Washington State University researchers have discovered how to "crank up" a natural defense system in the body to combat viral infection, potentially opening a new door for treating virus infections, cancer, neurological disorders and other diseases.

20 Oct 2026

Perceptions of science and scientists shape partisan views on common vaccines

How Americans view science and scientists is strongly associated with whether they think vaccines are safe and effective - and helps explain partisan differences in perceptions of some vaccines, according to a new study led by a team from the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania.

20 Oct 2026

New AI model detects hidden diseases in routine CT scans

When analyzed by a new artificial intelligence model developed at Penn Medicine, CT scans reveal much about a patient's health beyond the specific condition they were originally ordered for, according to a new study published in NPJ Digital Medicine.

20 Oct 2026

GLP-1 medications linked to reduced postoperative infections and heart complications

GLP-1 medications, widely prescribed for diabetes and weight loss, may also help protect people from serious complications after surgery.

19 Oct 2026

AI study of 101,000 patients links brown fat to heart and mental health

In a retrospective analysis of PET-CT records from 101,243 patients, researchers found that detectable brown fat was associated with lower prevalence of cardiometabolic and psychiatric conditions, while greater activity, particularly in the axillary region, was linked to more favourable metabolic outcomes. Medication screening identified losartan, which increased brown fat thermogenic activity in laboratory experiments and energy expenditure in mice, although its effects on human brown fat remain unproven.

15 Oct 2026

Mount Sinai wins NIH grant to test community-based hypertension care model in rural Ghana

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have received a $3.3 million, five-year grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, to test an innovative community-based primary care model for high blood pressure in rural Ghana.

15 Oct 2026

Highly sensitive people react to social cues over physical environments

Environmental sensitivity may be a misleading name for a personality trait that appears to have less to do with how people respond to their physical environments and more to do with how they are affected by social experiences and perceived threats.

15 Oct 2026

Breast milk antibodies show promise against multiple respiratory viruses

Yona Tugg and colleagues show that a polyclonal secretory immunoglobulin A preparation, purified from breast milk pooled from multiple donors, neutralized respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human adenovirus type 5, and H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A viruses in laboratory assays.

14 Oct 2026

Does the type of hand sanitizer matter? A study involving 568 people suggests it might

In a 72-day randomized trial involving 568 participants in Japan, an experimental hand sanitizer containing ethanol, benzalkonium chloride, and lactic acid was associated with a 40% lower cumulative incidence of upper respiratory symptoms than a commercial ethanol-based sanitizer. Participants using the experimental formulation also experienced fewer illness-related work restrictions, although infections were not laboratory-confirmed and the proposed residual antimicrobial mechanism was not directly tested.

14 Oct 2026

CSHL researchers find way to make immunotherapy effective against colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer has become the leading cause of cancer-related death for people under 50. Its most common forms generally aren't treatable, either through conventional means like chemotherapy or newer immunotherapy drugs.

14 Oct 2026

Researchers improve CRISPR technology for detecting HIV and other RNA viruses

Scientists have long used a powerful gene-editing tool called CRISPR to make precise changes to DNA. But a different version of the technology, known as Cas13a, targets RNA, the genetic material found in viruses such as HIV.

13 Oct 2026

Think raw milk is better for you? Pediatricians have a warning

Pediatricians urge against raw milk, highlighting its link to foodborne illnesses and advocating for pasteurized alternatives to safeguard children's health.

12 Oct 2026

Diet drinks showed no clear weight-loss edge over water after two years

In a two-year randomized trial combining assisted weight management with an unassisted follow-up year, completers maintained average weight losses of 4.8 kg with diet drinks and 3.7 kg with water. Researchers found no significant difference between groups, but fewer than half of the 493 participants completed follow-up.

11 Oct 2026