Ebola Virus Disease

As a medical historian, I have never been busier. Over the past 20 months, journalists and policy makers have reached out in an effort to understand what past infectious diseases might teach us about this one. These exchanges almost always end with questions about how this pandemic is similar to the influenza pandemic of 1918–19, which, until COVID-19, was the worst pandemic in human history. The truth is we have no historical precedent for the moment we're in now. We need to stop thinking back to 1918 as a guide for how to act in the present and to start thinking forward from 2021 as a guide to how to act in the future. This is the pandemic I will be studying and teaching to the next generation of doctors and public-health students. Some similarities exist between now and 1918—the economic costs of quarantine and the fears that each virus inspired worldwide, for example. And before the Delta variant came along, when everyone was looking forward to a "hot vax summer," tr...

Cold, Flu and COVID-19 are all respiratory viruses that may differ in their degree of risks, but are transmitted in the same way. The infectious transmission either takes place in the form of droplets or is airborne in nature. SARS-COV-2, influenza flu or a common cold is spread through large droplets and causes infections in the respiratory route either directly by contact or through a contaminated surface. However, while a cold or a flu fades away in a matter of a few days, COVID can have a long lasting impact. Vector-borne, monsoon diseases often are accompanied by high-fever, fatigue, joint and muscle pain, which are extremely prevalent in COVID-19 too. Respiratory complications like dry cough, sore throat, loss of sense of smell and taste are all symptoms of COVID-19, which are less likely to be found in dengue patients and those suffering with malaria. Viral fever and other diseases like typhoid and cholera also trigger fever, muscle and joint pain, fatigue and weakness, chills, ...

First, a quick look at the basics. All three illness are caused by different viruses that behave similarly and primarily attack your respiratory system. Swine Flu was first broke out in the US in 2009 where the viral infection jumped from pigs to humans. According to Mayo Clinic , it is caused by the H1N1 strain of the flu (influenza) virus. COVID-19 on the other, was first identified in China, is caused by the SARS CoV-2 virus and is thought to have dumped from bats to humans. It was declared a global pandemic by the WHO on 11 March 2020. Infectiousness COVID-19 is far more infectious than swine flu and common seasonal flu. But, it is hard to compare the COVID caseload to that of the flu as, for one there is no reliable data on the global caseload of swine flu, and secondly, cases of the flu aren't always reported or recorded. Deaths According to the US CDC's estimates between 1,51,700 to 5,75,400 people worldwide have died from swine flu. Compare that to the devastating de...

Your little one feels warm to the touch. After taking their temperature, you realize it's 103°F — a fever! Even if this scenario sounds super familiar, it can still catch you off guard. Before you race to the doctor, though, take a deep breath. It's helpful to familiarize yourself with fever, its function in the human body, and any warning signs that may mean it's serious — or, alternatively, when you can relax. Related: What you should do if your newborn has a cold Normal body temperature is around 98.6°F, though it may fluctuate slightly higher or lower throughout the day. A fever starts with any temperature that reaches 100.4°F or above. A temperature between 100.4°F and 102.2°F is considered a low-grade fever; a temperature above 102.2°F is considered a high fever. A fever isn't a sickness in itself. Instead, elevated body temperature is a sign that your child's immune system is hard at work fighting off some type of invader — usually an illness or infection. Al...

Credit: MathieuMD / Wikimedia Commons If you feel like spring allergy season never ends or your colds always turn into sinus infections, you may have the potential to develop nasal polyps. Although you may not know they are there, nasal polyps can block your nasal passages and impact your breathing, among other symptoms. Patients often ask me about what could be causing their chronic congestion or sinus issues, so I wanted to share some information on what nasal polyps are and how they may impact your life. What are nasal polyps? Nasal polyps are soft, teardrop-shaped growths of inflamed tissue that can grow in your nasal cavity or sinuses. The sinuses are air-filled spaces connected to your nasal cavity. Nasal polyps may grow large enough to bloc...

IMAGES PROVIDED BY: alfexe / Getty Images Hill Street Studios / Thinkstock KatarzynaBialasiewicz / Thinkstock SciePro / Thinkstock peterschreiber.media / Getty Images Image Studios / Getty Images SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Science Source AndreyPopov / Getty Images Conor Caffrey / Science Source XiXinXing / Thinkstock     SOURCES: Cleveland Clinic: "Rectal Bleeding." National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: "Gastrointestinal Bleeding," "Symptoms and Causes of GI Bleeding." American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy: "Understanding Minor Rectal Bleeding." Mayo Clinic: "Hemorrhoids," "Rectal Cancer," "Proctitis," "Colon Polyps," "Colon Cancer," "Diverticulitis,"...

With the transmission of various mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria and chikungunya, several questions related to their fatalities and risk groups often re-surface. Apprehensions are common in cases when the infectious disease does not have any type of vaccine to protect the individuals at risk. Mosquito bites may lead to mild or long-term illness in a few cases, but it can also cause death if proper medical treatment is not given. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Chikungunya is caused by the chikungunya virus(CHIKV) and is a viral disease, similar to dengue and malaria, transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes. People infected with Chikungunya develop fever, severe joint pain, muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue and rash. In cases of chikungunya, joint pain is often debilitating and can differ in duration. At present, there is no vaccine or specific drug to cure the disease and its treatment is focused on relieving the symptoms. Can Chikungunya be ...

According to the American Migraine Foundation, migraine is one of the most disabling illnesses on Earth, affecting 1 in 7 people worldwide. Migraine episodes can cause a variety of symptoms, from light sensitivity to dizziness, and more. Some people even experience body chills. These are most likely due to changes in your brain that can happen when a migraine episode is developing. Read on to explore the science behind migraine chills, as well as other potential causes of chills, and how to treat migraine and migraine symptoms at home. Migraine can cause a wide range of symptoms. Many of these vary from person to person. Common symptoms during a migraine attack may include: throbbing or pulsing pain pain in different areas of the head lightheadedness or dizziness nausea or vomiting sensitivity to light and sound In some people, chills can develop as a migraine symptom during any stage of a migraine episode. Chills may come on a few hours or even a few days before a migraine episode dev...

New daily persistent headache (NDPH) is a type of headache disorder that starts abruptly and continues daily for at least 3 months. Usually, people with NDPH can clearly recall the exact moment or date when the pain began. The pain may resemble a tension headache, a migraine headache, or a mixture of the two. Doctors tend to diagnose NDPH if someone does not meet the criteria for another type of headache disorder, and there is no underlying cause for the pain. This article looks at NDPH, including its symptoms, treatments, and other potential causes for a daily headache. NDPH is a primary headache disorder, which means it does not occur due to another health condition. It is rare but can be debilitating. A unique characteristic of the disorder is that the person usually recalls the specific date or onset of the first headache. After onset, the headache becomes persistent within 24 hours. Further headaches then continue daily for an extended period of time. Often, NDPH occurs in people ...

Awareness of autism and its symptoms has grown in the past decade. However, many individuals still face autism discrimination in the workplace. Autism, also called autism spectrum disorder (ASD), may mean an individual experiences social awkwardness, difficulty communicating, or difficulties understanding people's emotions and points of view, to name just a few symptoms. Legally, employers in the United States cannot discriminate against an individual because they have a disability. As per this law, employers cannot refuse to hire qualified, capable job candidates because they have autism. That said, for individuals with autism, the workplace can still be challenging to navigate. Employers must understand how to treat employees with autism, and accommodate them and their needs. Keep reading to learn more about autism discrimination in the workplace, including the rights of autistic people, some examples of reasonable adjustments employees can make, and some tips on how to deal with...

Ruby Samim, a junior majoring in public health, said she was isolating in her house last spring when she had eaten so little that she didn't even have the energy to go on a walk in her neighborhood. Samim, who suffered from binge eating disorder before the pandemic, said she stopped eating regular meals during the pandemic after comparing herself to celebrities on social media while living at home with no social outlets. "I was just not happy to be at home and I felt like I was spending a lot of time on social media and TikTok especially and just comparing myself all the time," she said. "All that was on my phone was just celebrities, influencers. Of course I'm going to compare myself to them because there was no outlet." Samim said she would encourage other students facing eating disorders to take a break from social media or to avoid following people who make them feel bad about themselves. She added that students should be aware of what they say to ...

A pandemic happens when a disease spreads across many different countries or continents, impacting a large number of people. When you think of a pandemic, COVID-19 probably comes to mind. However, in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, we've also experienced another pandemic relatively recently: the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. You may be curious how these two pandemics compare with each other. Keep reading as we break down their similarities and differences below. Before we go on to compare the two pandemics in more detail, here are some fast facts about each of them. Let's look at some of the similarities between the 2009 H1N1 influenza and COVID-19 pandemics. Transmission Both 2009 H1N1 influenza and COVID-19 can be transmitted in similar ways. These include: Respiratory droplets. These are tiny droplets that are made when a person who has the virus talks, sneezes, or coughs. If you inhale these droplets, you can contract the virus. Contaminated objects. Respiratory drople...

The flu is a contagious respiratory illness that's caused by influenza viruses. While some people experience mild symptoms, others can become seriously ill. Each year, a seasonal flu vaccine is available to help protect you from becoming sick with the flu. There are different types of flu vaccines that you can get, one of which is the flu shot. As with any vaccine, it's possible that you'll experience mild side effects after receiving the flu shot. One of these is a sore arm, which we'll discuss in more detail in this article. Having a sore arm after getting the flu shot is very normal. The soreness or discomfort typically goes away after a few days. Why is your arm sore? The flu shot introduces influenza virus components into your body. This can be in the form of an inactivated ("dead") virus or single viral proteins. The goal is for your immune system to make antibodies to fight off these viral components. These antibodies can then protect you against an act...

[unable to retrieve full-text content] Another pandemic like COVID-19 likely to strike within 60 years, study warns    WGN TV Chicago Statistics say large pandemics are more likely than we thought: Most people are likely to experience an extreme pandemic like COVID-19 in their lifetime    Science Daily The historical background and initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic    WSWS Scientists Have Calculated The Probability of Another COVID-Level Pandemic Emerging    ScienceAlert Next major pandemic will hit 'by 2080 at the latest'    The Week UK View Full Coverage on Google News

[unable to retrieve full-text content] Protection by vaccination of children against typhoid fever with a Vi-tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine in urban Bangladesh: a cluster-randomised trial    The Lancet

A health worker administers the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in Mexico City. Some countries have restricted its use. Credit: Leonardo Montecillo/Agencia Press South/Getty It was when the second person with unusual clots came in that Phillip Nicolson knew something was wrong. Blood clots are uncommon in young people, and it's even rarer to see a combination of blood clots and alarmingly low levels of platelets — cell fragments that help to form clots. Yet in the space of one week in March, two young people with this pairing of symptoms had arrived at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, UK, where Nicolson works as a haematology specialist. And both had recently been given the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. Nicolson had been on call at the hospital all weekend, and had been looking forward to a rest on Monday. Instead, he found himself rushing around to get consent to collect samples to study in the laboratory. By the time he arrived a...