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Public Health

Animal Tranquilizer ‘Xylazine’ Is Making the Fentanyl Crisis Even Worse

In recent years, the devastating impact of the fentanyl crisis has been felt by many Americans. The opioid epidemic, led by this potent synthetic drug, has claimed thousands of lives and shows no signs of abating. But now, a new threat lurks in the shadows, poised to exacerbate an already dire situation — a veterinary […]

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COVID-19 Public Health

COVID Disease Severity Lower Than Ever, Most People Infected Unaware of Status

As the omicron BA.5 subvariant has become dominant, many countries are heading into their third wave of Omicron cases. Japan reports its largest-ever surge in cases, recording over 200,000 new cases in one day. Though omicron BA.5 has become the most dominant subvariant of COVID (accounting for 88% of new cases in the US) and […]

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Immunotherapy Public Health

How Bacteriophages Could Save Humanity from Antibiotic Resistance

“Thanks to penicillin… he will come home!” pronounced a Life magazine advertisement published in 1944. At this time, penicillin, the first true antibiotic drug, had just been discovered and made commercially available. Antibiotics are drugs that prevent or treat bacterial infections. Before the advent of penicillin, the leading causes for death were bacterial infections resulting […]

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COVID-19 Public Health

Recovered Patients of Severe COVID-19 Infection 233% More Likely To Die Within Year Than Negative Counterparts

Research published by University of Florida scientists in Frontiers in Medicine reported that patients (aged 18-65) who recovered from severe COVID-19 infection were 233% more likely to die within 12 months than COVID-19-negative counterparts. Methodology The study analyzed 13,638 patients in the University of Florida Health system over a 12-month period, including positive (mild, severe) […]

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Public Health

Study Shows Reddit’s Potential as an Early Warning System for New Designer Drugs

In a new study, researchers demonstrated the use of data mining of social networks like Reddit to predict increased use of novel psychoactive substances (NPS). Reddit is a social network and media aggregator divided into subreddits pertaining to certain topics, like college football, art, movies, and world news. Niche subreddits exist for many topics, including […]