Sugar coatings aren't only for candies; they also help viruses, like the ones that cause COVID-19, hide from their hosts' immune system. Now, researchers have developed a universal vaccine that targets coronaviruses and the sugars that they use as cover. As demonstrated in animal studies, the vaccine removed sugar molecules from an area of a…

Screen time and reduced outdoor activity during the pandemic may have lasting effects on children’s eye health, including changes in corneal curvature. Study:  Prevalence and Severity of Astigmatism in Children After COVID-19 . Image Credit: Jelena Stanojkovic/Shutterstock.com A recent study posted in JAMA Ophthalmology explores changes in astigmatism rates among children…

Could your gut bacteria decide how well vaccines work? A new study reveals how diet and probiotics could hold the key to stronger, longer-lasting immune protection. Study: Diet, microbiome, and probiotics establish a crucial link in vaccine efficacy. Image Credit: Helena Nechaeva / Shutterstock A recent study published in the journal Critical…

Struggling with long COVID symptoms? New research confirms that pulmonary rehabilitation can restore lung function, reduce fatigue, and improve quality of life—especially with targeted exercises over 4-8 weeks. Find out how rehabilitation could be the key to regaining your health! Study: Effect of pulmonary rehabilitation for patients with long COVID-19: a…

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. The mRNA technology is under study at the NIH for prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, including…

New research uncovers the hidden cost of the pandemic: millions of years of healthy life lost, with poorer countries and older adults hit hardest. Study: Direct and indirect impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on life expectancy and person-years of life lost with and without disability: A systematic analysis for 18 European…

Why are bacterial outbreaks climbing despite pandemic precautions—and could your dinner plate be at risk? New CDC data uncovers rising animal/environmental contamination and a hidden 'glove-handoff' in food safety failures. Report: Contributing Factors of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks — National Outbreak Reporting System, United States, 2014–2022. Image Credit: Pol Sole / Shutterstock In…

Why are some children devastated by mysterious post-COVID inflammation? Scientists uncover how a ‘silent’ virus awakens – and a promising path to stop it. Study: TGFβ links EBV to multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. Image Credit: Kateryna Kon / Shutterstock A new study published in the journal Nature reveals a potential mechanism…

MIS-C is a serious inflammatory shock that affects children. It can occur several weeks after a COVID infection and can be life-threatening. Until now, however, the precise cause of the condition was unknown. Researchers at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the German Rheumatology Research Center (DRFZ), an institute of the Leibniz Association, have identified that…

Researchers at UZH have studied the impact of pandemics on the birth rate in Switzerland for the first time. While the number of births unexpectedly rose initially during COVID-19, it fell significantly during previous pandemics in history. Birth rates are currently declining in Switzerland, just like they are in other European countries. It is well…