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After years of intensified focus on <keyword id="19897423" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="COVID-19" source="keywords">COVID-19</keyword>, <keyword id="19992404" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Tuberculosis" source="keywords">tuberculosis</keyword> (TB) has once again emerged as the leading <keyword id="20564668" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="infectious-disease" source="keywords">infectious disease</keyword> killer worldwide. This resurgence is a sobering reminder that despite our pandemic response, TB has continued to claim lives, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where resources are often stretched thin. According to the latest <keyword id="19896311" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Health-Organization" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="World Health Organization" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="World Health Organization">World Health Organization</keyword> (<keyword id="19895006" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="WHO" source="keywords">WHO</keyword>) report, approximately 8.2 million people were diagnosed with TB in 2023, marking the highest number of cases recorded since global monitoring began in 1995. <h2><keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword> and Indonesia</h2>The recent spike in TB cases is largely driven by increases in two countries — India and Indonesia. Together, they accounted for 45% of the global rebound in TB diagnoses between 2021 and 2023, underscoring their critical role in the worldwide fight against TB. Three other countries, the Philippines, Nigeria, and Pakistan, also made significant contributions, collectively accounting for another 32% of the increase. This means that more than three-quarters of the global resurgence in TB can be traced to these five countries alone. One key reason for these increases is the “backlog” effect created by COVID-19 disruptions. During the pandemic, healthcare systems in many countries, including India and Indonesia, had to shift focus to COVID-19, which delayed TB diagnosis and treatment. In 2023, as these countries ramped up recovery efforts, many previously undetected TB cases surfaced, creating an apparent spike in reported numbers. This trend highlights the importance of sustainable healthcare infrastructure capable of handling simultaneous health crises. <h2>Gaps in TB case detection</h2>Despite the daunting increase in TB cases, some countries have made notable progress in <keyword id="23741990" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="treatment-coverage" source="keywords">treatment coverage</keyword>. Among the 30 high-burden TB countries, those with the highest levels of treatment coverage in 2023 included Brazil, India, Mozambique, Papua New Guinea, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Zambia, with coverage rates surpassing 80%. India’s <keyword id="21052657" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="national-tuberculosis-elimination-program" source="keywords">National Tuberculosis Elimination Program</keyword> (NTEP) has undoubtedly played a pivotal role in this, aiming to eradicate TB by 2025 — five years ahead of the global target. By focusing on expanded testing, improved diagnostic tools, and more accessible treatment options, India has achieved high treatment coverage levels despite the challenges. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="114732986" title="Air Quality Alert: Nearly 30% of asthma cases tied to fine particulate matter exposure from bad air" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>However, a significant treatment gap remains. The difference between estimated TB incidence and actual diagnoses still affects millions, especially in countries with large populations like India, Indonesia, Pakistan, China, and Myanmar. These five nations together account for about 50% of the global gap in reported TB cases, with India alone responsible for 16% of the discrepancy. <h2>India’s unique position in the global TB fight</h2>As the nation with the largest share of global TB cases, India has a unique and critical responsibility in addressing the disease. The high TB burden in India is tied to several factors, including undernutrition, poverty, and limited access to healthcare in rural areas. Moreover, with 26% of all TB cases globally, India’s battle against TB will significantly impact the global fight. The government’s financial support for TB-affected households also aims to reduce the economic burden of treatment. However, challenges remain, especially with <keyword id="22004277" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="multidrug-resistant-TB" source="keywords">multidrug-resistant TB</keyword> (MDR/RR-TB). While treatment success rates for MDR/RR-TB have reached 68%, diagnosing and treating all drug-resistant cases is an ongoing challenge. In 2023, India’s coverage of preventive treatment for TB among people living with HIV and close contacts of TB patients also saw improvements, but underfunding continues to limit the full scope of TB elimination efforts. <h2>Global funding gaps</h2>Global funding shortages for <keyword id="21039793" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="TB-prevention" source="keywords">TB prevention</keyword> and treatment are a significant hindrance to progress. Only $5.7 billion of the targeted $22 billion in funding was met in 2023, and for LMICs — where nearly all of the TB burden lies — the available funding falls well short of their needs. The United States remains the largest bilateral donor, and contributions from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria are crucial. However, these funds are not enough to meet essential TB service requirements, leaving healthcare systems under-resourced. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="114646545" title="Doctors struggle to treat long Covid patients in India; researchers point to inadequate studies" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>Even in 2022, only one-fifth of the $5 billion target for research funding was achieved, as per the report. This underfunding hampers the development of improved diagnostics, drugs, and vaccines, which are crucial to TB prevention and treatment. Moreover, many of the drivers of TB are related to social factors, such as undernutrition, smoking, alcohol use, and diabetes, making it imperative to address these root causes. For instance, almost half of the TB-affected households globally face what the WHO calls "catastrophic costs" in seeking treatment. This burden is particularly severe in India, where low-income families often forgo treatment due to financial constraints. As WHO’s Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus puts it, "The fact that TB still kills and sickens so many people is an outrage, when we have the tools to prevent it, detect it, and treat it.” The WHO’s Global tuberculosis report 2024 can be accessed <a href="https://www.who.int/teams/global-tuberculosis-programme/tb-reports/global-tuberculosis-report-2024">here</a>.

Tuberculosis dethrones COVID-19 as world’s top infectious killer again; Half of all new cases from India, Indonesia

As many as 290 cases of <keyword id="21545939" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="KP-2" source="keywords">KP.2</keyword> and 34 cases of <keyword id="21748081" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="KP-1" source="keywords">KP.1</keyword>, both sub-lineages of COVID-19 that are responsible for surge in cases in Singapore, have been found in India, according to official data. However, a source in the Union health ministry told PTI that they are all sub variants of <keyword id="20115417" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="JN1" source="keywords">JN1</keyword> and there is no associated increase in hospitalisation and severe cases. "So there is no reason for concern or panic. The mutations will keep happening at a rapid pace and this is the natural behaviour of viruses like SARS-CoV2," the source said. The source further said that the INSACOG surveillance is sensitive and is able to pick up the emergence of any new variant and samples are also picked from hospitals in a structured manner to detect any change in the severity of disease due to virus. Data compiled by the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) showed that 34 cases of KP.1 have been found across seven states and UTs with 23 cases registered from West Bengal. The other states are Goa (1), Gujarat (2), Haryana (1), Maharashtra (4) Rajasthan (2) and Uttarakhand (1). As many as 290 cases of KP.2 have been registered with Maharashtra reporting the highest number at 148, according to the data. The other states and Union territories are Delhi (1), Goa (12), Gujarat (23), Haryana (3), Karnataka (4), Madhya Pradesh (1), Odisha (17), Rajasthan (21), Uttar Pradesh (8), Uttarakhand (16) and West Bengal (36). Singapore is seeing a new COVID-19 wave as the authorities recorded more than 25,900 cases from May 5 to 11 with KP.1 and KP.2 accounting for over two-thirds of cases in Singapore. Globally, the predominant COVID-19 variants are still JN.1 and its sub-lineages, including KP.1 and KP.2. KP.1 and KP.2 belong to a group of COVID-19 variants scientists have nicknamed 'FLiRT', after the technical names of their mutations. The strains in FLiRT are all descendants of the JN.1 variant, an offshoot of the Omicron variant. KP.2 was classified by the World Health Organization as a Variant Under Monitoring.

290 cases of COVID-19 variant KP.2, 34 cases of KP.1 detected in India: INSACOG data

A recent study suggests that lingering <keyword id="23667455" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SARS-CoV-2-proteins" source="keywords">SARS-CoV-2 proteins</keyword> in the blood of <keyword id="20537242" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="long-COVID" source="keywords">long COVID</keyword> sufferers could be a key factor in their ongoing symptoms. This discovery offers new insights into the complex nature of long COVID and potentially points towards new treatment strategies. Researchers at Harvard-affiliated <keyword id="23667458" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Brigham-and-Womens-Hospital" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Brigham and Women’s Hospital" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Brigham and Women’s Hospital">Brigham and Women’s Hospital</keyword> analysed blood samples from 706 individuals who had previously tested positive for COVID-19. They found that those experiencing a wide range of long COVID symptoms were twice as likely to have traces of SARS-CoV-2 proteins in their blood compared to those without symptoms. The study, published in the journal <keyword id="23667460" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="clinical-microbiology" source="keywords">Clinical Microbiology</keyword> and Infection, focused on individuals with long COVID symptoms affecting three major body systems: cardiopulmonary, musculoskeletal, and neurologic. A staggering 43% of these patients tested positive for viral proteins within 1 to 14 months of their initial COVID infection. These findings suggest that a persistent viral infection may be contributing to long COVID symptoms in some patients. If this is the case, <keyword id="23667457" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="antiviral-treatments" source="keywords">antiviral treatments</keyword> could potentially alleviate their suffering. The study’s lead author, Zoe Swank, emphasised the importance of identifying patients who may benefit from such interventions. However, the researchers also noted that persistent viral proteins were not detected in all long COVID patients. This suggests that other factors, such as <keyword id="21736950" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="immune-system-dysfunction" source="keywords">immune system dysfunction</keyword>, may also play a role in the development of long COVID symptoms. To better understand the mechanisms underlying long COVID, researchers are conducting further studies to analyse blood samples and symptom data from larger groups of patients. These efforts aim to identify specific factors that may predispose individuals to persistent viral infections and long COVID symptoms. The discovery of a potential <keyword id="23667459" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="viral-reservoir" source="keywords">viral reservoir</keyword> in long COVID patients offers hope for the development of targeted treatments. By addressing the underlying cause of symptoms, antiviral medications could provide relief for many individuals suffering from this debilitating condition. As research continues, a clearer picture of long COVID and its potential treatments is emerging, offering hope for a future where this persistent illness can be effectively managed. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="105896840" title="Covid virus can persist in lungs for up to two years: Study" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

SARS-CoV-2 proteins have been found hiding in blood of long COVID patients. Can this explain the persistent infection?

Doctors in India are grappling to diagnose and treat unexplained and persistent symptoms of <keyword id="9814327" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="long-covid" source="Orion">long Covid</keyword> patients due to limited guidelines, whereas researchers have flagged inadequate studies on the condition. With the <keyword id="19896311" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="world-health-organization" source="keywords">World Health Organization</keyword> declaring an end to <keyword id="19896627" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid" source="keywords">Covid</keyword> as a global <keyword id="416511" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="health-emergency" source="Orion">health emergency</keyword> in May last year, focused efforts are underway around the world to estimate the burden of long Covid among the population. The condition refers to the set of lingering symptoms affecting varied body parts and persisting well beyond the acute Covid infection period, including cough, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, brain fog and difficulty in focusing. The viral disease is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. While studies have suggested that about a third of those moderately or severely infected are likely to suffer from long Covid, region-wise though, incidence could vary. A study by researchers, including those from <keyword id="19988007" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="harvard-medical-school" source="keywords">Harvard Medical School</keyword>, US, estimated that 31 % of the once-infected people in North America, 44% in Europe, and 51% in Asia, have long Covid, which is "challenging the healthcare system, but there are limited guidelines for its treatment". It was published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases in September. In India, however, studies on long Covid are few and far between. One such study by Maulana Azad Medical College in New Delhi, conducted from May 2022 to March 2023 on 553 patients who had recovered from Covid, found that about 45% had lingering symptoms, persistent fatigue and dry cough being the most common. "There is limited exploratory research on the long Covid syndrome with scarce data on long-term outcomes," the authors wrote in the study published in the journal Cureus in May this year. Understanding the long-term effects of the virus is important for developing management strategies, optimising healthcare delivery, and providing support to recovered Covid patients in the community, they said. Dr Rajesh Sagar, Professor of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, said, "Looking at the current state of long Covid studies in India, it is too premature to say that we understand the condition well enough to know how to diagnose or treat it." Animesh Samanta, assistant professor at School of Natural Sciences in <keyword id="19897094" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="shiv-nadar-university" source="keywords">Shiv Nadar University</keyword>, Greater Noida, said, "While studies in India highlight the growing recognition of neurological complications in long Covid patients, more focused research on neuroinflammation is needed." Doctors, too, have reported a rise in patients complaining of symptoms that they did not have pre-Covid. "People who never had <keyword id="6465125" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="asthma" source="Orion">asthma</keyword> in the past, post-Covid, with every viral infection, they get a long cough, shortness of breath and wheezing, which require the use of <keyword id="31257" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="inhalers" source="Orion">inhalers</keyword> or nebuliser," senior consultant Dr Neetu Jain, who runs a post-Covid care clinic at Pushpawati Singhania Hospital and Research Institute, New Delhi, said. Dr Arun Garg, chairman, Neurology and Neurosciences, Medanta-The Medicity, Gurugram, said he was noticing a spike in stroke cases among young patients not suffering from known risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity. "Similarly, we are seeing more cases of encephalopathy (swelling of the brain) without reason and having a confused state of mind following one or two days of fever. Their MRI scans show no changes. These patients have increased significantly after Covid," he said. In the absence of medical guidelines to diagnose long Covid, doctors are having to resort to broad, non-specific tests and questionnaires to gauge a patient's 'quality of life'. Studies have shown that the fatigue experienced in long Covid is similar to that in cancer patients, with a quality of life similar to patients of Parkinson's disease. "We really do not have any test to diagnose long Covid, even though it is definitely a clinical diagnosis. We diagnose long Covid for people who had at least moderate to severe infection, following which they could never regain the quality of life pre-Covid. Checking for inflammatory markers like C-reactive proteins (CRP) can support the diagnosis," Dr Jain said. "Other than routine blood tests that measure inflammation, we do antibody tests to look for direct markers. In many of these patients, we are finding rare antibodies which are very new to us and were not there pre-Covid," Dr Garg said. Inflammation persisting despite recovery from acute Covid infection is thought to lie at the heart of long Covid. However, tests to measure this specific immune response are lacking, even as researchers have been working in this direction worldwide. One such effort comes from Shiv Nadar University, where a team led by Samanta has developed a fluorescent probe capable of detecting inflammation in brain cells that can arise due to Covid infection. The probe measures nitric oxide levels in brain cells, especially in human microglia cells, where increased NO levels are linked to the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Microglia are immune cells in the brain that fight disease and help maintain brain health. Lysosomes within microglia, which help clear foreign disease-causing agents like the SARS-CoV-2 virus, produce nitric oxide as part of an immune response to infection. The probe detects nitric oxide produced in lysosomes in response to infection and thereby allows for a measurement of inflammation levels. This examination method can provide "qualitative information on infection status", said Samanta, corresponding author on the study published in the journal Analytical Chemistry in American Chemical Society. He explained that patients with pre-existing conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis (an autoimmune disorder) could exhibit prolonged neuroinflammation and loss of brain cells following Covid infection. While the probe has shown efficacy in cell cultures, animal studies would need to be done, before testing it in humans, Samanta said. Looking at the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, the study by Harvard Medical School had found that 587 clinical studies were conducted on long Covid, of which about 53% (312) were testing potential treatments. Most of these were found to be conducted in the US (58), followed by India (55) and Spain (20). The trials looked at interventions including physical exercise, psychotherapy, and pharmacological ones such as paxlovid and fluvoxamine. However, "to date, only 11 of these 312 studies have published their results that were not confirmative," the researchers wrote. The team called for studies to look into sleep disorders which were rarely included in the registered clinical studies. Further, interventions targeting the biological processes responsible for long Covid are needed but currently lacking, they said.

Doctors struggle to treat long Covid patients in India; researchers point to inadequate studies

<keyword id="19897423" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="COVID-19" source="keywords">COVID-19</keyword>, the unwelcome guest that never quite leaves, may well be in the process of ushering in a fresh global wave, with <keyword id="6356662" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="singapore" source="Orion">Singapore</keyword> potentially on the front lines. The Singapore government is on alert, with its Ministry of Health reporting a significant rise in COVID-19 cases. There was a doubling of infections in the first half of May, with the numbers increasing from 13,700 in the first week of this month to 25,900 in the second (May 5 to 11). Hospitalisations have also spiked, with average daily admissions rising from 181 to around 250 in the same period. To manage hospital bed capacity, public hospitals have been directed to reduce non-urgent elective surgeries and transfer suitable patients to care facilities. Health Minister <keyword id="19895083" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ong-Ye-Kung" source="keywords">Ong Ye Kung</keyword> has indicated that Singapore is in the early stages of this wave, which is expected to peak between mid- and end-June. Recognising Singapore's role as a major transport and communications hub, Ong has acknowledged that the city-state is likely to experience COVID-19 waves earlier than other regions. An uptick in infection numbers has also been observed in the neighbouring countries as well, including Philippines. However, no alarming rise in hospitalisation has been reported yet. Regional reports are attributing this surge to new COVID-19 variants, collectively termed FLiRT. This name is based on the technical names for their mutations, one of which includes the letters "F" and "L", and another, the letters "R" and "T". The FLiRT group comprises of variants KP.1, KP.2, KP.3, JN.1.1 and JN.1.7. At present, KP.1 and KP.2 make up over two-thirds of cases in Singapore. While the WHO has classified KP.2 as a variant under monitoring, there is no evidence suggesting these variants are more transmissible or cause more severe illness than existing strains. Nevertheless, Ong has urged high-risk groups, including those aged 60 and above, medically vulnerable individuals, and residents of aged care facilities, to receive an additional COVID-19 vaccine dose if they haven't been vaccinated in the past year. The public has also been advised to consider wearing masks again. Ong emphasised that there are no current plans for social restrictions, as Singapore treats COVID-19 as an <keyword id="21743830" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="endemic-disease" source="keywords">endemic disease</keyword>. He noted that additional measures would only be considered as a last resort. “COVID-19 is just something that we have to live with. Every year, we should expect one or two waves,” he said. Meanwhile, 91 cases of the <keyword id="21640619" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="FLiRT-variants" source="keywords">FLiRT variants</keyword> have been detected in India. However, there have been no reports of severe cases or unique symptoms associated with these variants so far. (With inputs from TOI)

FLiRT-ing with pandemic! With a sharp rise in COVID cases, could Singapore be witnessing the start of a global wave?

Anyone following the rhetoric around <keyword id="107950" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Artificial-Intelligence" source="Orion">artificial intelligence</keyword> in recent years has heard one version or another of the cl<keyword id="6355999" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AI" source="Orion">ai</keyword>m that AI is inevitable. Common themes are that AI is already here and indispensable, and people who are bearish on it harm themselves. In the business world, AI advocates tell companies and workers that they will fall behind if they fail to integrate generative AI into their operations. In the sciences, AI advocates promise that AI will aid in curing hitherto intractable diseases. In higher education, AI promoters admonish teachers that students must learn how to use AI or risk becoming uncompetitive when it comes time to find a job. In national security, AI's champions say that either the nation invests heavily in AI weaponry, or it will be at a disadvantage against the Chinese and Russians, who are already doing so. The argument across these different domains is essentially the same: The time for AI skepticism has come and gone. The <keyword id="6355118" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="technology" source="Orion">technology</keyword> will shape the future, whether you like it or not. You have the choice to learn how to use it or be left out of that future. Anyone trying to stand in the technology's way is as hopeless as the manual weavers who resisted the mechanical looms in the early 19th century. In the past few years, my colleagues and I (Nir Eisikovits, Professor of Philosophy and Director, Applied Ethics Center, UMass Boston) have been studying the ethical questions raised by the widespread adoption of AI, and I believe the inevitability argument is misleading. <h2>History and hindsight</h2> This claim is the most recent version of a deterministic view of technological development. It's the belief that innovations are unstoppable once people start working on them. In other words, some genies don't go back in their bottles. The best you can do is harness them for your good purposes. This deterministic approach to tech has a long history. It's been applied to the influence of the printing press as well as to the rise of automobiles and the infrastructure they require, among other developments. But I believe that when it comes to AI, the technological determinism argument is both exaggerated and oversimplified. <h2>AI in the field(s)</h2> Consider the contention that businesses can't afford to stay out of the AI game. The case has yet to be made that AI is delivering significant productivity gains to the firms that use it. A report in The <keyword id="20856675" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="economist" source="keywords">Economist</keyword> in July 2024 suggests that so far, the technology has had almost no economic impact. AI's role in higher education is also still very much an open question. Though universities have, in the past two years, invested heavily in AI-related initiatives, evidence suggests they may have jumped the gun. The technology can serve as an interesting pedagogical tool. For example, creating a Plato chatbot that lets students have a text conversation with a bot posing as Plato is a cool gimmick. However, AI is already starting to displace some of the best tools teachers have for assessment and for developing critical thinking, such as writing assignments. The college essay is going the way of the dinosaurs as more teachers give up on the ability to tell whether their students are writing their papers themselves. What's the cost-benefit argument for giving up on writing, an important and useful traditional skill? In the sciences and medicine, the use of AI seems promising. Its role in understanding the structure of proteins, for example, will likely be significant for curing diseases. The technology is also transforming medical imaging and has been helpful in accelerating the drug discovery process. But the excitement can become exaggerated. AI-based predictions about which cases of COVID-19 would become severe have roundly failed, and doctors rely excessively on the technology's diagnostic ability, often against their own better clinical judgment. And so, even in this area, where the potential is great, AI's ultimate impact is unclear. In national security, the argument for investing in AI development is compelling. Since the stakes can be high, the argument that if the Chinese and the Russians are developing AI-driven autonomous weapons, the United States can't afford to fall behind has real purchase. But a complete surrender to this form of reasoning, though tempting, is likely to lead the <keyword id="19899807" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="u-s-" source="keywords">U.S.</keyword> to overlook the disproportionate impact of these systems on nations that are too poor to participate in the AI arms race. The major powers could deploy the technology in conflicts in these nations. And, just as significantly, this argument de-emphasizes the possibility of collaborating with adversaries on limiting military AI systems, favoring arms race over arms control.<h2> One step at a time</h2> Surveying the potential significance and risks of AI in these different domains merits some skepticism about the technology. I believe that AI should be adopted piecemeal and with a nuanced approach rather than subject to sweeping claims of inevitability. In developing this careful take, there are two things to keep in mind: -First, companies and entrepreneurs working on artificial intelligence have an obvious interest in the technology being perceived as inevitable and necessary, since they make a living from its adoption. It's important to pay attention to who is making claims of inevitability, and why. -Second, it's worth taking a lesson from recent history. Over the past 15 years, smartphones and the social media apps that run on them have come to be seen as a fact of life - a technology as transformative as it is inevitable. Then data started emerging about the <keyword id="6354774" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mental-health" source="Orion">mental health</keyword> harms they cause teens, especially young girls. School districts across the United States started to ban phones to protect the attention spans and mental health of their students. And some people have reverted to using flip phones as a quality of life change to avoid smartphones. After a long experiment with the mental health of kids, facilitated by claims of technological determinism, Americans changed course. What seemed fixed turned out to be alterable. There is still time to avoid repeating the same mistake with artificial intelligence, which potentially could have larger consequences for society.

Is AI dominance inevitable? A technology ethicist says no, actually

New York [US], April 5 (ANI): The <keyword id="10561122" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bird-flu-pandemic" source="Orion">bird flu pandemic</keyword> with the potential to be "<keyword id="21202249" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="100-times-worse" source="Orion">100 times worse</keyword> than COVID" may be on the horizon after a rare human case was discovered in Texas, experts have warned, the New York Post reported on Thursday. The <keyword id="21202246" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="H5N1-avian-flu" source="keywords">H5N1 avian flu</keyword> has spread rapidly since a new strain was detected in 2020 affecting wild birds in every state, as well as in commercial poultry and backyard flocks. But the recent cases detected in mammals, with cattle herds across four states becoming infected and on Monday, federal health officials announced that a dairy worker in Texas caught the virus. "This virus [has been] on the top of the pandemic list for many, many years and probably decades," Suresh Kuchipudi, a <keyword id="95867" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="bird-flu" source="Orion">bird flu</keyword> researcher from Pittsburgh, said at a recent panel discussing the issue, the New York Post reported citing the Daily Mail. "And now we're getting dangerously close to this virus potentially causing a pandemic." He noted that the <keyword id="565908" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="H5N1-virus" source="Orion">H5N1 virus</keyword> has already been detected in species throughout the world and "has shown the ability to infect a range of mammalian hosts, including humans." "So therefore, in my view, I think this is a virus that has the greatest pandemic threat [that is] playing out in plain sight and globally present," Kuchipudi said. John Fulton, a pharmaceutical industry consultant for vaccines and the founder of Canada-based BioNiagara who organized the meeting, also expressed his concerns, the Mail reports, the New York Post reported. "This appears to be 100 times worse than COVID -- or it could be if it mutates and maintains its high case fatality rate," he said. "Once it's mutated to infect humans, we can only hope that the [fatality rate] drops." Around 52 per cent of humans who have contracted H5N1 since 2003 have died, according to the World Health Organization. For comparison, COVID currently kills less than 0.1% of those it infects -- though at the start of the pandemic, the fatality rate was around 20 per cent. Symptoms of the bird flu are similar to those of other flus, including cough, body aches and fever, the New York Post reported. Some people may not develop noticeable symptoms, but others can develop severe, life-threatening pneumonia. The dairy worker in Texas who was infected has reported "eye redness (consistent with conjunctivitis)" as their only symptom, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted. "The patient was told to isolate and is being treated with an antiviral drug for [the] flu," the CDC said. The agency and "the whole US government is taking this situation very seriously," CDC Director Mandy Cohen told the Washington Post. She maintained that the virus does not pose much of a risk to the general public, noting that the dairy worker was in direct contact with infected cattle, and the US Department of Agriculture has said there are currently no changes that would make it more transmissible to humans. "While cases among humans in direct contact with infected animals are possible, this indicates that the current risk to the public remains low," the department said in a statement over the weekend. But the fact that the virus has been found in cattle could mean it is starting to mutate, Cohen told the Washington Post. "We had not seen avian flu in cattle prior to last week. That is new," she said. "It is a reservoir for [the] virus to circulate and potentially change." If the virus does mutate enough to infect humans, it could spread rapidly, the European Food Safety Authority warned on Wednesday, according to Fox News. "If avian A [H5N1] influenza viruses acquire the ability to spread efficiently among humans, large-scale transmission could occur due to the lack of immune defences against H5 viruses in humans," the Food Safety Authority said. To prevent any potential spread, the US is already testing components used to create a vaccine for the virus, and two candidate vaccine viruses appear to be well-matched to protect against H5N1, the Washington Post reports. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also said the Biden administration is monitoring the threat. "We take the health and safety of the American people seriously," she said at her briefing on Wednesday. "It is very important to this president. Our top priority is to keep communities healthy, safe and informed."

Scientists warn of bird flu pandemic that could be '100 times worse' than COVID after rare human case found in US

A week or two of cold and cough can make you conjure up some pretty odd conspiracy theories. The freshest one that I cooked up this week is that 'Big Tissue' wishes to keep everyone sick, and therefore they collaborate with 'The Scientists' to keep them from making a cure. After all, the world witnessed researchers demonstrate incredible and hasty success in combating <keyword id="19897423" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="COVID-19" source="keywords">COVID-19</keyword>, and yet, the <keyword id="20237676" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="common-cold" source="keywords">common cold</keyword> remains an seemingly elusive target. But far from being an actual conspiracy, there are several real reasons why we haven’t yet cracked the code to curing the cold, despite decades of research. So grab your tissues, folks, and let's get into them. <h2><keyword id="23387393" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="viral-diversity" source="keywords">Viral diversity</keyword></h2>One major hurdle in curing the common cold is the sheer diversity of viruses involved. Over 200 viruses can cause cold symptoms, with <keyword id="23387392" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rhinoviruses" source="keywords">rhinoviruses</keyword> responsible for up to 75% of cases. Rhinoviruses alone consist of more than 160 known strains. This viral diversity makes it extremely difficult to develop a universal vaccine or treatment. Unlike SARS-CoV-2, which has one main spike protein target, cold viruses come in a dizzying array of structures and behaviours, requiring a vast array of medical solutions. In contrast, when COVID-19 emerged, researchers focused primarily on one virus and one major target — its spike protein. That focus allowed for the rapid development of <keyword id="19953288" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vaccines" source="keywords">vaccines</keyword> using mRNA technology, like those from Pfizer and Moderna. For the common cold, a similar solution isn’t feasible due to the multiple viral families involved. <h2><keyword id="20862236" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mutations" source="keywords">Mutations</keyword> and adaptations</h2>Another issue is how quickly cold viruses mutate. Rhinoviruses, for example, are known for their high mutation rates. This rapid evolution allows them to evade the immune system, which is why even if you’ve had a cold before, you're not immune to future infections from different strains. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113757960" title="Healthcare in India faces massive strain as costs rise by 14% annually; most expenses paid out-of-pocket" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>This rapid mutation is akin to how COVID-19 has evolved into variants, but with cold viruses, it happens on an even greater scale. Scientists fear that if they developed a vaccine, new strains would quickly render it ineffective, much like how seasonal flu vaccines must be reformulated annually. <h2>Mildness of the illness</h2>Ironically, one reason the common cold hasn’t been cured is because it’s too mild to warrant massive investment. Most people recover from a cold without medical intervention. While cold symptoms are annoying — runny nose, sore throat, cough — they rarely escalate into serious illness. As a result, pharmaceutical companies and governments have little financial incentive to pour billions into research for a disease that poses no significant threat to public health. COVID-19, on the other hand, caused severe illness and death on a global scale, spurring massive investment from both the public and private sectors. Governments and companies alike invested heavily in research and fast-tracked vaccines, which led to solutions much quicker than we’ve seen for colds. <h2>Complex, complex immune system</h2>The immune system’s response to cold viruses is also a significant factor. Studies have shown that repeated exposure to cold viruses over a lifetime results in limited immunity. For instance, research from Harvard points out that even though the body produces antibodies after a cold, the <keyword id="20082133" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="immune-response" source="keywords">immune response</keyword> isn't strong enough to prevent future infections from slightly different strains. This is in stark contrast to diseases like measles, where one infection can result in lifelong immunity. COVID-19 benefitted from its novelty. The immune system had never encountered SARS-CoV-2 before, making it easier to target with vaccines that produce a strong and specific immune response. Here’s an additional fun fact: because there are SO many different strains of common cold-causing viruses, research says that it is unlikely that you will be infected with the same strain of common cold twice throughout your life! <h2>Attempts to develop treatments</h2>There have been attempts to develop treatments for the common cold. Some researchers have targeted the way viruses enter and replicate in human cells. For example, a 2018 study explored inhibiting the protein that cold viruses use to replicate, showing some promise in early trials. However, most of these treatments are in the experimental phase, and none have been widely successful yet. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113284254" title="Gastro problems could heighten Parkinson&amp;#39;s disease risk by 76%, study finds" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>In recent years, attention has shifted towards using broad-spectrum antiviral drugs that can target multiple viruses at once, similar to how some antibiotics work against a range of bacteria. However, this approach has yet to yield a major breakthrough. The idea of a universal cure for the common cold remains distant, but advances in genetic research and vaccine technology offer some hope. For example, CRISPR technology may allow scientists to edit out the genetic components that cold viruses rely on to replicate. Additionally, the mRNA technology used for COVID-19 vaccines has opened new possibilities for antiviral treatments, although these applications are still in early stages. Research continues, but for now, humanity may have to continue battling sniffles and coughs the old-fashioned way: with rest, fluids, and time.

How did we manage to deal with COVID-19 so quickly, but the common cold still remains a persisting problem?

Incidence of stroke and related deaths are rising substantially around the world, with <keyword id="19900550" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="air-pollution" source="keywords">air pollution</keyword>, <keyword id="21334318" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="high-temperatures" source="keywords">high temperatures</keyword> and metabolic risk factors such as high blood pressure and physical inactivity, driving these increases, according to estimates published in The Lancet Neurology journal. Researchers found that the contribution of high temperatures to poor health and early death due to stroke has increased 72% since 1990 and is likely to continue increasing in the future, thereby highlighting how environmental factors can impact growing stroke burden. Further, for the first time, particulate matter or PM air pollution was found to have the same contribution as smoking towards causing a fatal form of brain bleed, according to the researchers forming the <keyword id="20691740" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Global-Burden-of-Disease" source="keywords">Global Burden of Disease</keyword>, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) group. The GBD study, the "largest and most comprehensive effort to quantify health loss across places and over time", is coordinated by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), University of Washington, US. Globally, the number of people experiencing a stroke for the first time rose to 119 lakh in 2021 -- up by 70% since 1990 -- while deaths related to stroke rose to 73 lakh, which was up by 44% since 1990, making the neurological condition the third leading cause of death after ischaemic heart disease (short supply of blood to heart) and COVID-19. They added that over three-fourth of those affected by strokes live in low- and middle-income countries. According to lead author Valery L. Feigin from Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand, the rapid growth in the number of people affected by stroke strongly suggested that <keyword id="23228151" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="stroke-prevention" source="keywords">stroke prevention</keyword> strategies currently used are not sufficiently effective. "New, proven effective population-wide and motivational individual prevention strategies that could be applied to all people at risk of having a stroke, regardless of the level of risk, as recommended in the recent Lancet Neurology Commission on Stroke should be implemented across the globe urgently," said Feigin. The researchers also estimated that stroke-related liabilities attributable to 23 modifiable risk factors, including air pollution, excess body weight, high blood pressure, smoking and physical inactivity, increased from 100 million years of healthy life lost in 1990 to 135 million in 2021. These risk factors are present in huge numbers in Eastern Europe, Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, they said. The authors also acknowledged substantial progress made in reducing the global stroke burden from risk factors linked to poor diet, air pollution and smoking. Poor health resulting from diets high in processed meat and low in vegetables declined by 40 % and 30%, respectively, while that due to PM air pollution and smoking fell by 20 % and 13%, respectively, they found. The results suggested that strategies for reducing exposure to these risk factors over the past three decades such as clean air zones and public smoking bans have been successful, the authors said. They called for implementing and monitoring the evidence-based recommendations set out in the 2023 World Stroke Organization-Lancet Neurology Commission on stroke for drastically reducing the global burden of stroke in the years to come and improving brain health and overall well-being of millions of people around the world. The recommendations include stroke surveillance programmes that monitor indicators of stroke such as incidence, recurrence, death rates and risk factors in a country, and care and rehabilitation services for people affected by stroke.

You Searched For "covid cases" and got 9 results

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