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.

Influenza Infection in Animals

Walking Pneumonia Versus Common Cold

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

Risk Factors and Walking Pneumonia Prevention

Walking Pneumonia Versus Common Cold

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Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Can AI find drugs to fight infection?

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a bacterial pathogen that causes life-threatening infections, including pneumonia and meningitis.

17 Sep 2026

Cold plunges may boost your mood, but the evidence is still on thin ice

A Molecular Psychiatry review examined evidence linking cold exposure with mood and mental health outcomes, alongside proposed roles for catecholamines, the HPA axis, and immune-inflammatory pathways. Early studies report short-term mood improvements and physiological changes, but clinical evidence remains limited, and the proposed mechanisms have not been established as drivers of lasting psychiatric benefits.

16 Sep 2026

Imperial College London chemical engineer develops new technology to tackle global inequalities in vaccination coverage

A new technology that allows vaccines to be stored at room temperature in liquid form could tackle global health inequalities.

16 Sep 2026

Harvard scientists design evolutionary traps to stop viral mutations

When a virus mutates, the world usually finds out the hard way. Variants of influenza and SARS‑CoV‑2 can slip past vaccines and antibody drugs before scientists fully understand what has changed.

15 Sep 2026

Nighttime coughing could be due to air pollution levels, research suggests

Has your partner ever woken you up at night with their coughing? Has your coughing ever woken them up? New research suggests it could be due to air pollution levels in your area, even if those levels are low.

15 Sep 2026

Optimizing respiratory virus research workflows with VACUBOY

UTS researchers utilize the VACUBOY and VACUSAFE systems to enhance respiratory health studies, streamlining cell culture workflows and improving productivity.

15 Sep 2026

Bacterial strains determine pneumonia and meningitis risk from air pollution

Air pollution leads to different risk of bacterial pneumonia, sepsis, and meningitis, depending on the subtype of bacteria a person has, new research suggests.

15 Sep 2026

More hospitals are adopting AI, yet the access gap is proving hard to close

A national analysis of 6,166 US hospitals found that specific workflow AI capabilities were associated with higher sepsis bundle completion rates and lower 30-day pneumonia mortality, whereas robotics showed narrower procedural associations. Geographic access remained highly uneven, with about 114.6 million people in the access-analysis population living more than 30 minutes from an AI-enabled hospital, although the observational design prevents causal conclusions.

14 Sep 2026

Study shows mRNA vaccines trigger more diverse flu antibody responses

Influenza remains a major global health challenge as continual antigenic drift can limit the breadth and durability of vaccine-induced antibody responses, requiring frequent vaccine updates.

11 Sep 2026

Shade and protective clothing best protect young babies from the sun

When you go outdoors with your infant, whether for a quick stroll in the park or a day at the beach, it's important to keep your little one out of the sun. But should you put sunscreen on your baby to protect them from the sun's bright rays? Not usually.

10 Sep 2026

Autistic people face a fourteen-year deficit in life expectancy

People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the United States face a 14-year deficit in life expectancy, according to a new study by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and University of Colorado Anschutz.

10 Sep 2026

Laser-carved microvalves prevent hazardous backflow in medical microcatheters

A single cough, deep breath, or shift in posture can turn life-saving medical microcatheters into hazardous two-way streets.

9 Sep 2026

Weakened form of Mpox drove the 2022 global outbreak

The strain of Mpox behind the 2022 outbreak was a weakened form of the virus, which may have helped to spread it faster, a new study from the University of Surrey reports.

9 Sep 2026

New AI method tracks immune responses without known antibody databases

A research team comprising Associate Professor FUNAKOSHI Yohei, Associate Professor YAKUSHIJIN Kimikazu, Professor MINAMI Hironobu, and Associate Professor OHJI Goh of Kobe University, together with graduate student MASUDA Genki, then-graduate student IIZUMI Shunsuke, Associate Professor OHUE Masahito, and colleagues at the Institute of Science Tokyo, has developed a new analysis method, LM-QASAS.

9 Sep 2026

New AI tool automates colonoscopy quality assessment at scale

Colonoscopies are one of the most effective ways to prevent colorectal cancer, which is surging among young adults in the U.S. Yet, the quality of each procedure can vary substantially from one physician to another.

8 Sep 2026

High-dose flu vaccine protects older adults with lung disease

The risk of being hospitalized for flu or pneumonia can be reduced with a high-dose flu vaccine for older people with chronic lung disease, according to the combined results of two large clinical trials presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

8 Sep 2026

Severe asthma inflammation linked to structural changes in the brain

People living with a severe form of asthma show subtle differences in the structure of their brains compared with people whose asthma is well controlled, according to new research presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

8 Sep 2026

Scientists discover new mechanism for bacterial fosfomycin resistance

Bacteria can survive antibiotics in several ways, including by pumping the drugs out of their cells before they can take effect.

7 Sep 2026

Psilocybin protects sensory nerves from chemotherapy damage in preclinical study

In mouse models, prophylactic psilocybin prevented or reduced multiple features of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, with cycle-matched dosing sustaining protection during repeated cisplatin exposure without measurably affecting tumor growth. Experiments in human-derived sensory neurons and ex vivo peripheral nerves linked the effect to 5-HT2A-dependent preservation of mitochondrial trafficking and local axonal energy supply, while a nonhallucinogenic 5-HT2A agonist reproduced protection against mechanical hypersensitivity.

6 Sep 2026

Independent review reinforces value of vaccines across all ages

The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) supports the 2026-27 respiratory season vaccine evidence review released on September 2, 2026, by the Vaccine Integrity Project (VIP) in collaboration with the American Medical Association.

4 Sep 2026