Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

High-fat diet impairs neutrophil function in obesity

A new study in The Journal of Immunology reveals how a high-fat diet may impair the immune system's ability to respond to infection by impacting the function of neutrophils, one of the first immune cells to respond to bacteria or viruses.

20 Mar 2025

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Federal health work in flux

Two months into the new administration, federal workers and contractors remain off-balance as the Trump administration ramps up its efforts to cancel jobs and programs — even as federal judges declare many of those efforts illegal and/or unconstitutional.

20 Mar 2025

Smartwatch data provides key insights into persistent COVID symptoms

Between April 2020 and December 2022, over 535,000 people in Germany downloaded and activated the Corona Data Donation App (CDA).

20 Mar 2025

A global movement to address the health impacts of air pollution

In an unprecedented show of unity, more than 47 million health professionals, patients, advocates, representatives from civil society organizations, and individuals worldwide have signed a resounding call for urgent action to reduce air pollution and to protect people's health from its devastating impacts.

18 Mar 2025

Keto controversy? Experts say it’s here to stay

Low-carb and ketogenic diets offer sustainable solutions for chronic disease, enhancing metabolic health and supporting weight loss through dietary changes.

18 Mar 2025

Current antivirals not successful in treating severe H5N1 bird flu infections

As the H5N1 avian influenza outbreak continues, scientists are working to better understand the virus's threat to human health.

17 Mar 2025

Dry air exposure linked to dehydration and inflammation in human airways

In a recent, cross-institutional study partially funded by the National Institutes of Health, researchers report that healthy human airways are at higher risk for dehydration and inflammation when exposed to dry air, an occurrence expected to increase due to global warming.

17 Mar 2025

Uncertainty increases pain perception in the brain

When we accidentally touch something familiar, like a warm pan, our brains already know what feeling to expect and how much it might hurt.

17 Mar 2025

Scientists say NIH officials told them to scrub mRNA references on grants

National Institutes of Health officials have urged scientists to remove all references to mRNA vaccine technology from their grant applications, two researchers said, in a move that signaled the agency might abandon a promising field of medical research.

17 Mar 2025

U.S. consumers still unaware of raw milk risks despite bird flu findings

Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) located H5N1 bird flu virus in samples of raw, or unpasteurized, milk in tests in four states in April 2024, and bird flu has been detected in commercially sold raw milk, many Americans do not know that consuming raw milk and its products poses greater health risks than consuming pasteurized milk and its products, especially for children.

14 Mar 2025

Advances in organ preservation techniques and future prospects

A review article published in Engineering delves into the crucial field of organ preservation, exploring its history, current techniques, and future prospects.

14 Mar 2025

Breakthrough peptide inhibitor effective against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants

SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, infects cells by binding its spike protein to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors.

14 Mar 2025

Fighting cancer, inflammation and unlocking dementia diagnostics

In recognition of their discovery of one of our immune system’s foundations, physician Andrea Ablasser, virologist Glen Barber and biochemist Zhijian J. Chen will be awarded the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize 2025, endowed with €120,000, in Frankfurt’s Paulskirche today.

14 Mar 2025

Engineered nano-aircraft carrier enhances tumor targeting and immune response

The researchers designed an efficient approach for fabricating engineered Pts-based nano-aircraft carriers with graded drug delivery and ECM degradation for precise cancer chemoimmunotherapy.

14 Mar 2025

Denoised ultra-low dose CT offers safe pneumonia diagnosis for immunocompromised patients

Denoised ultra-low dose CT can effectively diagnose pneumonia in immunocompromised patients using only 2% of the radiation dose of standard CT, according to a study published today in Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America.

13 Mar 2025

Older adults may have stronger immunity to bird flu, Penn study finds

Prior exposures to specific types of seasonal influenza viruses promote cross-reactive immunity against the H5N1 avian influenza virus, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

13 Mar 2025

Scientists reveal how Epstein-Barr virus reactivation triggers MIS-C in children

Scientists reveal that reactivation of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), driven by TGFβ-induced immune suppression, is a key driver of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) following COVID-19. Blocking TGFβ may offer a potential new treatment for this life-threatening condition.

13 Mar 2025