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…

Millions of children are slipping through the cracks of global vaccination efforts — and measles, one of the deadliest and most contagious diseases, is being overlooked. New research calls for urgent action to put measles vaccination at the center of global health priorities. Commentary: Missed Measles Immunisations Places Individuals and Communities…

Researchers racing to develop bird flu vaccines for humans have turned to a cutting-edge technology that enabled the rapid development of lifesaving covid shots. There's a catch: The mRNA technology faces growing doubts among Republicans, including people around President Donald Trump. Legislation aimed to ban or limit mRNA vaccines was introduced this year by GOP…

Panelists at a covid conference last fall were asked to voice their regrets — policies they had supported during the pandemic but had come to see as misguided. Covid contact tracing, one said. Closing schools, another said. Vaccine mandates, a third said. When Marty Makary's turn came, the Johns Hopkins University surgeon said, "I can't…

A large-scale French study finds that patients hospitalized with COVID-19 face a significantly higher risk of long-term organ disorders, hospitalization, and mortality for up to 30 months post-infection. Study:  Long-term health outcomes following hospitalisation for COVID-19: a 30- month cohort analysis .  Image Credit: Ground Picture / Shutterstock.com A…

Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most challenging tumors to treat, partly because it is often discovered at advanced stages when the disease has already spread, or metastasized. About half of pancreatic cancer patients experience metastasis to the liver, which worsens the prognosis for an already life-threatening disease.  However, a new technology from researchers at…