Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Study confirms face masks' effectiveness in reducing disease transmission, calls for improved public understanding

Researchers reviewed the benefits, practicalities, and harms of masks and masking, finding that masks are effective in reducing respiratory disease transmission despite some adverse effects, and emphasized the need for improved public understanding and policies.

23 May 2024

Clues from bird flu’s ground zero on dairy farms in the Texas Panhandle

In early February, dairy farmers in the Texas Panhandle began to notice sick cattle. The buzz soon reached Darren Turley, executive director of the Texas Association of Dairymen: "They said there is something moving from herd to herd."

23 May 2024

Study reveals ferroptosis as a major driver of severe COVID-19 lung damage

Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent cell death mechanism, is identified as a key factor in severe COVID-19 lung disease, suggesting potential new therapeutic targets.

22 May 2024

New survey reveals alarming lack of emergency preparedness among Americans

If someone collapsed after going into cardiac arrest, would you be prepared to help? For nearly half of Americans, the answer is no.

22 May 2024

Extreme heat and cold linked to increased risk of stroke mortality

Extreme heat and extreme cold are both associated with increased risks of death from ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, according to a new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

22 May 2024

100-year-old BCG vaccine protects individuals with type 1 diabetes from infectious diseases

In new research, investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) show that the 100-year-old Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, originally developed to prevent tuberculosis, protects individuals with type 1 diabetes from severe COVID-19 disease and other infectious diseases.

22 May 2024

4 ways vaccine skeptics mislead you on measles and more

Measles is on the rise in the United States. So far this year, the number of cases is about 17 times what it was, on average, during the same period in each of the four years before, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

22 May 2024

Health experts call for tighter biosecurity measures to monitor avian influenza

Health experts are calling for tighter biosecurity measures in global poultry production, from farms to markets, to monitor bird flu (avian influenza) following its spread among 888 cases of human infection with the avian influenza virus, also known as H5N1, have been reported from 23 countries, of which 463 were fatal, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

21 May 2024

New drug-like molecules show promise in preventing influenza by blocking virus entry

Currently available flu medications only target the virus after it has already established an infection, but what if a drug could prevent infection in the first place?

21 May 2024

Watch: Medical residents are increasingly avoiding abortion ban states

On KFF Health News' "What the Health?," chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner sat down with Atul Grover of the Association of American Medical Colleges to talk about its recent analysis showing that graduating medical students are avoiding training in states with abortion bans and major restrictions.

21 May 2024

Dupilumab shows promising results in Phase 3 trial for COPD with type 2 inflammation

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with type 2 inflammation may soon gain access to a new drug -; dupilumab -; that showed rapid and sustained improvements in patients in a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial, researchers report in the New England Journal of Medicine.

20 May 2024

Columbia researchers link ferroptosis to COVID-19 lung disease

In some severe cases of COVID-19, the lungs undergo extreme damage, resulting in a range of life-threatening conditions like pneumonia, inflammation, and acute respiratory distress syndrome.

20 May 2024

Breakthrough study shows benefits of diagnosing hidden respiratory diseases

Finding and treating people with undiagnosed asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) improved their health and reduced their healthcare visits for respiratory symptoms in the year after diagnosis, according to a world-first clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

20 May 2024

Hospital diversity linked to higher mortality rates for ventilated patients

The odds of death for patients receiving mechanical ventilation for pneumonia or sepsis increase along with the diversity of hospitals' patient populations, suggesting more systemic factors such as lack of resources and income levels may be to blame, according to research published at the ATS 2024 International Conference.

20 May 2024