Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Combination therapy shows promise for transplanting HCV-infected organs

Data from a new study presented this week at The Liver Meeting – held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases – found that combination therapy with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) and ezetimibe.

8 Nov 2019

New vaccine strategy shows promise against HIV

A collaborative team of scientists has made a successful proof-of-principle demonstration of an advanced HIV vaccine strategy--an approach that may also work in protecting people from an array of other deadly infectious diseases.

7 Nov 2019

Insomnia maybe a significant risk factor for heart attacks and strokes

A new study published this week says that persons who suffer from insomnia or sleep difficulties are more likely to suffer from heart disease or get a heart attack or a stroke. Researchers from Peking University in Beijing published their study titled, “Insomnia symptoms and risk of cardiovascular disease among 0.5 million adults: A 10 year cohort” in the latest issue of the journal Neurology.

7 Nov 2019

Bfr advises e-cigarette consumers to avoid products of uncertain origin

This is pointed out by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) following the frequent occurrences of severe lung disorders amongst "vapers" in the USA. "According to current understanding, e-cigarette consumers in Germany do not face any increased risks, provided they continue to use products that comply with European and German regulations," says BfR President Professor Dr. Dr. Andreas Hensel."

6 Nov 2019

NLCRT expands portal of resources to help Americans fight lung cancer

The National Lung Cancer Roundtable has expanded its portal of resources to help Americans fight lung cancer. The updated Resource Center includes new videos, infographics, research, and more.

6 Nov 2019

As states with legal weed embrace vaping bans, black-market risks linger

Cannabis shops around Washington state are now required to hang signs warning customers of “severe lung injuries” and “deaths” associated with vaping.

6 Nov 2019

Record number of Legionnaires’ cases in 2018 risk lives, cause cleanup headaches

Cases of Legionnaires' disease reached a record high in 2018 — a more than eight-fold increase since the numbers began to climb nearly two decades ago.

5 Nov 2019

New analysis offers an alternative explanation for decline in hospital admissions

The decline in hospital readmission rates that occurred following the launch of a federal program designed to improve quality of care and reduce repeat hospitalizations has been lauded as proof of the program's effectiveness.

5 Nov 2019

Facts about lung cancer and ways to reduce your risk

Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in both men and women in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society, about 13% of all new cancers are lung cancers. There will be an estimated 228,000 new cases of lung cancer this year, with more than 142,000 deaths. Moreover, the 5-year survival rate is less than 20%.

4 Nov 2019

Some older adults engage in risky use of antibiotics, poll finds

Half of older Americans got help from the infection-fighting power of antibiotics in the past two years, a new poll finds, but a sizable minority didn't follow the instructions on their pill bottle.

4 Nov 2019

San Diego-based Predictive Science releases first forecast for influenza season

San Diego-based Predictive Science, Inc. this week released their first forecast for the 2019-2020 influenza season, which typically runs from November through March.

4 Nov 2019

Measles wipes out other immune memories

Thanks to misinformation and anti-vaccination campaigns in some pockets, United States and several nations of Europe have seen a massive outbreak of vaccine preventable measles infection over the recent years.

3 Nov 2019

Study finds cross-species filovirus transmission from bats to humans

Infectious diseases spilling over from wildlife are not new - as of 2008, approximately 70 per cent of all known emerging diseases are thought to have originated from wild animals.

1 Nov 2019

Low blood oxygen more common in sick children than previously thought

Low blood oxygen is more common in sick children than previously thought, and strongly increases children's risk of death, Australian-led research has found.

1 Nov 2019

If power outages are California’s new normal, what about home medical needs?

Fern Brown, 81, sat in the rear of a tent on the windswept fairgrounds of this historic Gold Rush town, drawing deep breaths through the mouthpiece of a nebulizer plugged into a power strip atop a plastic folding table.

1 Nov 2019

Good news, bad news: lower antibiotic use, more antibiotic resistance in UK

Public Health England (PHE) is cheering about a significant fall in the number of antibiotic prescriptions in England over the five years between 2014 and 2019, when it has dropped by 17%. However, with more and more bacterial infections showing antibiotic resistance every single year, there is no room for complacency.

31 Oct 2019

Chest infections cause 1 in 7 child deaths

The number of deaths in children due to lower respiratory infections (LRIs) such as pneumonia and influenza has come down considerably. Yet, they still account for the highest number of deaths in children under 5 years of age, at one in seven of all deaths in this age group, according to a detailed study published in the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

31 Oct 2019

Discovery of first blue light emitting South American insect

A rainforest reserve, bordering the mighty Atlantic, in the Sao Paulo state of Brazil, is now in the news because scientists saw a flash of blue while they were gathering mushrooms. Indeed, this privately-owned Reserva Betary park can boast the honor of being host to the newly discovered species of fungus gnat, named Neoceroplatus betaryiensis, the larva of which is the first bioluminescent creature found in the Neotropics that emits blue light.

31 Oct 2019

Study shows how measles virus causes immune amnesia

Over the last decade, evidence has mounted that the measles vaccine protects in not one but two ways: Not only does it prevent the well-known acute illness with spots and fever that frequently sends children to the hospital, but it also appears to protect from other infections over the long term.

31 Oct 2019