Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Dead birds forecast unexpected impact of climate change

A new study published Wednesday in the journal Ecology Letters reports that its look at the physical data of thousands of dead American migratory birds collected off the busy streets of high-rise Chicago shows a surprising fact. Namely, the average size of birds of all sorts has been shrinking over the forty years since the collection began, while their wingspan has increased. The scientists say these changes are adaptations to climate change. Is this a taste of things to come – for humans as well as for birds?

5 Dec 2019

CDC cautions people to avoid e-cigarette products

Although e-cigarettes have been on the market for years, recent reports of vaping-linked illnesses have brought serious attention to these products.

5 Dec 2019

Important opportunity to act on gaps and challenges in seasonal influenza outbreaks

Today's subcommittee hearing on U.S. preparedness and responses for the 2019-2020 flu season offers an important opportunity to examine and act on gaps and challenges exacerbating the public health threats of seasonal influenza outbreaks.

5 Dec 2019

An Atlanta nonprofit brings medical care and connection to the homeless

Herman Ware got his seasonal flu shot while sitting at a small, wobbly table inside a mobile health clinic.

4 Dec 2019

Common cold virus could infect fetus via placenta

According to researchers, the common cold viruses are capable of infecting human placental cells and may thus transmit the infection to the fetus in the womb during pregnancy. The new study was published in the journal PLOS ONE, and provides the first concrete proof that this type of carriage is possible.

3 Dec 2019

Samoa shuts down country for mass measles vaccinations

The Pacific island nation of Samoa will shut down its government services for two days while officials try to stem a deadly measles outbreak that killed 53, 48 of whom were children between 0 and 4 years old and sickened 3,728 people.

3 Dec 2019

Virtual reality as communication tool for improving flu vaccination rates

Using a virtual reality simulation to show how flu spreads and its impact on others could be a way to encourage more people to get a flu vaccination, according to a study by researchers at the University of Georgia and the Oak Ridge Associated Universities in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

3 Dec 2019

Simple ways to make the holidays safe for seniors

The menu is planned, the table is set, and the guests are invited. But if you're hosting older relatives and friends this holiday season, you'll also need to prepare your home inside and out to make sure their visit is comfortable and safe.

3 Dec 2019

Isolated components of Saussurea have positive effect on bone tissue regeneration

Saussurea controversa is a perennial herbaceous plant that has been traditionally used by the people of the Far East, Siberia, Tibet, and Mongolia to treat liver, kidney, digestive tract, and locomotive diseases. Its dried leaves are sold in pharmacies because their decoction is widely used as a medicine against cold and bronchitis. To understand what substances this plant owes its medicinal properties to, a team of scientists from Siberian State Medical University and Tomsk Polytechnic University extracted individual components from the plant and determined their composition.

3 Dec 2019

Deep learning shows potential to improve chest X-ray interpretation

A sophisticated type of artificial intelligence can detect clinically meaningful chest X-ray findings as effectively as experienced radiologists, according to a study published in the journal Radiology.

3 Dec 2019

KHN’S ‘What the health?’: How’s that open enrollment going?

Open enrollment for 2020 health coverage under the Affordable Care Act is halfway over. So far, sign-ups appear to be lagging behind last year’s, but not dramatically.

3 Dec 2019

Study suggests two new approaches against bone metastases from prostate cancer

When prostate cancer spreads, it most often spreads to bone. And while the 5-year survival rate for prostate cancer that has not spread is nearly 100 percent, once the disease reaches bone, the 5-year survival rate is only 29 percent.

2 Dec 2019

Common clinical indicators of immune status and inflammation can predict mortality

A new collaborative study led by Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals has found that commonly used clinical indicators of immune status and inflammation can predict mortality in the general population.

2 Dec 2019

Climate change and children’s health

UNICEF says that climate change is posing an immense challenge to the health of children worldwide. Though children commonly have the least to do with the actions and attitudes that lead to climate change, they are the ones who will have to bear the brunt of it.

2 Dec 2019

Study: Most Australian GPs widely use placebos

Most Australian GPs have used a placebo in practice at least once, with active placebos (active treatments used primarily to generate positive expectations) more commonly used than inert placebos, according to a new study.

2 Dec 2019

New medicine could reduce number of infants dying from AIDS

A new, strawberry-flavored, granule-form medicine may be a solution for treating infants with AIDs.

2 Dec 2019

New medicine could reduce number of infant deaths from AIDS

A new, strawberry-flavored, granule-form medicine may be a solution for treating infants with AIDs.

2 Dec 2019

Air pollution could be associated with more health problems than previously thought

A new study reveals that several more problems could be associated with air pollution than previously believed. The problems associated with air pollution are not just limited to the respiratory ailments but go deeper say researchers from Harvard University and others.

28 Nov 2019

Health organizations urge people to get vaccinated against the flu

Health organizations are urging people to get their flu shot soon to protect themselves during the upcoming influenza season.

28 Nov 2019

NewPneu: A cost-effective solution for detecting childhood pneumonia in low-resource communities

A device designed by a team of faculty and student researchers at Sheridan's Centre for Mobile Innovation (CMI) has the potential to impact the diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia - a significant cause of death for children worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

27 Nov 2019