Category: Uncategorized
NZ’s 9th COVID‑19 wave: why infections are rising – and how booster shots still help
The Conversation Six years after COVID-19 first reached New Zealand, the country is experiencing its ninth wave of infections. But the virus we are living with today behaves very differently from the one that caused the global emergency in 2020–22. Large outbreaks can still occur, but thanks to widespread immunity built through vaccination and infection, COVID […]
Mar 18, 2026
Madagascar: Dozens more mpox cases reported
Outbreak News Today The Madagascar Ministry of Health reported an additional 55 laboratory confirmed mpox cases since late February, bringing the the outbreak total to 387 lab confirmed cases and no deaths since the outbreak began in December 2025. Cases have been reported in 27 of Madagascar’s 114 health districts. Clade 1b was isolated from […]
Mar 11, 2026
Recent pandemic viruses, including SAR-CoV-2, spread directly to people without adaptation, researchers say
CIDRAP Contrary to prevailing belief, an evolutionary analysis finds no evidence that most viruses with epidemic or pandemic potential that jumped from animals to people were shaped by selection in a lab or prolonged evolution in an intermediate host—challenging claims that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, was engineered in a lab. A University of California (UC) […]
Mar 11, 2026
COVID survivors may be at higher risk for obstructive sleep apnea for up to 4.5 years post-infection
CIDRAP Patients with both severe and nonsevere COVID-19 infections are at higher risk for both new-onset obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and related serious complications than their uninfected peers, Albert Einstein College of Medicine researchers report in a study published this week on the preprint server medRxiv. The retrospective study, which has not been peer-reviewed, involved 910,393 patients […]
Feb 18, 2026
In 2026, Kennedy’s MAHA vision gets put to the test. Here are 3 issues to watch
STAT In many ways, it’s been a banner year for chronic disease. America’s enduring ailments became a central theme of the Trump administration, with health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wielding his influence over the president. Trump created a commission focused on childhood chronic illnesses, which issued two reports on the matter. Statehouses across the country passed Make America […]
Dec 30, 2025
New clues about long covid’s cause could unlock treatments
Washington Post The latest research signals progress in understanding a condition that is afflicting millions of people. Why some people experience long-lasting physical and mental effects from covid-19 could be linked to chronic inflammation, according to new research that experts say could help develop new treatments for the confounding condition that continues to afflict millions. […]
Dec 17, 2025
Mexico confirms new screwworm case in northern border state Nuevo Leon
Reuters Mexico’s agriculture ministry said on Monday another case of the flesh-eating screwworm parasite was detected in Nuevo Leon, which borders the United States, marking the state’s second confirmed case in about two weeks. The infested calf had originated from the south of Mexico and was intercepted in the town of Montemorelos, south of Monterrey. […]
Oct 8, 2025
Epidemiologist breaks down new restrictions on COVID shots
PBS News Many Americans who want to get the newest COVID vaccines may now have a harder time doing so. The Food and Drug Administration limited approval for the shots to adults 65 and older or those who are “high risk” for severe disease. The vaccine was previously available to individuals six months of age […]
Sep 3, 2025
Eight things you need to know about the new “Nimbus” and “Stratus” COVID-19 variants
Gavi The NB.1.8.1 and XFG sub-variants are rapidly spreading and competing for global dominance. COVID-19 may have faded from news headlines, but it hasn’t gone away – or stopped evolving. The World Health Organization (WHO) currently lists six ‘variants under monitoring’ — meaning they may require prioritised attention and tracking by health authorities due to their increased […]
Jun 17, 2025
Many Older People Embrace Vaccines. Research Is Proving Them Right.
NYT Newer formulations are even more effective at preventing illnesses that commonly afflict seniors — perhaps even dementia.Kim Beckham, an insurance agent in Victoria, Texas, had seen friends suffer so badly from shingles that she wanted to receive the first approved shingles vaccine as soon as it became available, even if she had to pay […]
Jun 17, 2025