Although it is a very common phenomenon, many people don’t really know why it’s easier to catch a cold, the flu, or COVID in the winter. It is clearly known that being cold won’t give you a cold. Then why does the spread of so many respiratory viruses peak during winter? This wintertime seasonality has puzzled common people and scientists alike for a very long time, thousands of years. Evidence suggests winter’s shorter days coupled with less sunlight, less activity and more indoor times may make people more susceptible to infection. One of the reasons for this is the diminished synthesis of ..read more

Because of an increasing number of immunocompromised people with underlying diseases and treatments for other diseases like transplantation and cancer, fungal infections (mycosis), and diseases caused by fungus (yeast or mold) are increasing. Fungal infections are most common on our skin or nails and are easy to treat. However, some fungi can also cause deep infections in the mouth, and throat, or life-threatening systemic infections in the lungs, urinary tract, and many other body parts, mostly among immunocompromised individuals. Moreover, the rise of multidrug-resistant fungal infections ..read more

We are witnessing a unique situation of ‘Tridemic’ with increased hospitalizations for seasonal flu and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) infections along with ongoing COVID-19. This has provided scientists with an opportunity for an in-depth study of a long-known but not well-studied phenomenon called ‘Viral Interference,’ where one infection can interfere with another. Scientists are trying to get answers on what happens if more than one virus infects an individual simultaneously. As of now, most of the knowledge about infections, their pathogenesis, and epidemiology are mostly based on one ..read more

First, let’s start with what Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing is. A PCR test is a laboratory technique used to amplify small amounts of DNA to make it easier to detect and analyze. The test works by using a specific enzyme called polymerase to make many copies of a specific region of the DNA. The PCR process includes three basic steps. Denaturation: The DNA is heated to a high temperature, causing the double helix to separate into two single strands. Annealing: A specific primer is added to the sample. The primer is a short piece of DNA that is complementary to the target region of th ..read more

Substance Use Disorder (SUD is a growing public health problem with an estimated 165 million people among 12 and older in the US using some sort of substances (Cannabis, tobacco, alcohol, kratom, an illicit drug, etc.). About 18% of people in the US (~48.2 million) used cannabis products at least once in 2019. Frequent use leads to Cannabis Use Disorders (CUD) if continued its use despite causing health and social problems in their lives. The CDC data estimated that approximately 3 in 10 people who use Cannabis have CUD. Along with several challenges they are already facing, a recent study sh ..read more

An off-season outbreak of the Strept A infection is troubling the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). These infections are caused by the bacteria Streptococcus pyogenes, a harmless normal flora of the skin or respiratory lining. Since Streptococcus comes in various forms and can trigger an array of symptoms from a mild sore throat to pneumonia, life-threatening blood and organ infections like necrotising fasciitis ("flesh-eating disease"), streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, or autoimmune diseases like rheumatic fever and post-streptoco ..read more

Although the overall cases of COVID-19 seem to be falling, the mixes of variants, including the unprecedented diversity seen with immunity-dodging offshoots of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, it is very hard to predict the upcoming waves of infection. Because of such an intense proliferation by descendants of Omicron with the same mutations coming up over and over, scientists worry about the possibility of some ‘double waves’ in some places, as first one variant and then another overtaking a population subsequently. Amidst such uncertainty, the available data are leading to some patterns ..read more

Completing the vaccination has remained key in preventing severe COVID-19 in every age group. Amidst these ongoing waves of ‘Tri-demic’ where hospitals across the country are filing with children infected with three viruses [Influenza, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and SARS-CoV-2], the importance of complete vaccination in younger children is more important than ever. Despite being extremely safe for kids and good at preventing severe disease, the vaccination among kids aged 5 – 11 varies widely across the globe with as low as only 3% vaccination in some European countries. The most wide ..read more

Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) involve the infection of any part of the urinary system including kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. American Urological Association estimates that 150 million UTIs occur worldwide annually and cost up to $6 billion in healthcare costs. Unfortunately, UTIs can be difficult to diagnose and most often patients are treated based on symptoms alone which has an error rate of approximately 33%. Recent data reiterates that the antibiotic regimen for UTIs should be tailored to ensure an appropriate 'bug-drug match'. A recent study involving over 670,000 young wome ..read more

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), specifically the multidrug resistance (MDR), is the biggest public health threat of the era with projections for ~10 million deaths per year by 2050. Severe infections like nosocomial pneumonia, sepsis, and complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI) remain associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The AMR among many pathogens encountered in all types of infections has exploded over the last 2 decades. Although the organisms like Staphylococcus aureus mostly posed the threat of AMR traditionally, AMR in Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) like Enterobactera ..read more