A pandemic is a global outbreak of a disease that spreads rapidly across a large region, crossing international boundaries and typically affecting a significant portion of the population. Unlike an epidemic, which is confined to a specific area or country, a pandemic spans multiple countries or continents. Pandemics can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or other pathogens that are easily transmitted from person to person, often through respiratory droplets, direct contact, or contaminated surfaces. Historical examples include the 1918 influenza pandemic and the H1N1 influenza outbreak in 2009. The most recent example is the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which emerged in late 2019 and led to widespread health, economic, and social disruptions globally. Managing a pandemic involves coordination of international public health responses, including disease surveillance, testing, containment measures, vaccination programs, and public education on hygiene practices to mitigate the spread of the disease.
A new study indicates that face masks did not significantly lower Covid-19 infection risk after the initial Omicron wave, highlighting the need for adaptable strategies…
Understanding the ancestry of virus families may assist researchers in pinpointing which variants possess the potential to become Disease X, the elusive pathogen responsible for…
Specimens obtained from the seabed offer the inaugural detailed local climatic history and establish a connection to widespread disease outbreaks. Is there a link between…
New research suggests that the Second Plague Pandemic might have influenced the development of oral microbiomes that contribute to modern-day chronic disease. The mid-14th century…
A recent study discovered that neural activity during online interactions is significantly reduced compared to when people converse face-to-face. When Yale neuroscientist Joy Hirsch used…
Risk factors may include unhealthy pandemic-related lifestyle changes. According to a recent study published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society, the number of girls…
New insights are enhancing scientists’ efforts to stay ahead of COVID-19 and the next pandemic. Unexpected new insights into the ways COVID-19 infects cells could…
SARS-CoV-2 lineage EG.5.1 has an advantage at evading neutralizing antibodies. When vaccinated or infected, our immune system creates antibodies that target the spike protein of…
Researchers from China and Nottingham have identified mutational changes occurring in a subtype of avian flu virus endemic in poultry farms in China. These alterations…
A recent study by Harvard Law School and New York University highlights the potential threat of future pandemics from animal industries in the United States….
After the initial U.S. stay-at-home directives to counteract the spread of COVID-19, gastrointestinal viruses like norovirus, rotavirus,, and adenovirus virtually vanished from Californian communities, maintaining…
A group of researchers from Kiel University and MPI-EB has identified genetic factors that the pathogen Yersinia pestis acquired during its recent evolution. This discovery…
A recent paper in the journal The Lancet Planetary Health advocates for a universal agreement to avoid disturbing bats and their habitats as a measure…
Scientists have illuminated the process by which a highly infectious virus, recently transmitted from animals to humans, gains entry into human cells. Dr. Ariel Isaacs…
A new study from the University of Wyoming suggests that frequent diagnostic testing and self-isolation may be more effective than shutting down schools and businesses…
Researchers estimate that 500,000 individuals were unable to receive blood pressure-lowering medications during the pandemic. According to a study recently published in Nature Medicine and…
A recent study has uncovered a strong correlation between a nearly 20% decrease in business at Chinese restaurants and political rhetoric that placed blame on…
New research reveals the mechanisms behind pathogen spillovers and a way to predict and prevent them. Preserving and restoring natural habitats could help prevent the…