Global measles cases spiked 140% in 2019 amid falling vaccinations in many nations, study estimates A new study from Columbia University shows that measles cases around the world surged 140% from 2010 to 2019, with declining vaccination rates in 59 of 194 nations fueled by socioeconomic factors in some low-resourced countries and vaccine reluctance in wealthier nations. CIDRAP

...

The results were published yesterday in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases.

Study: Pandemic widened global economic disparities The COVID-19 pandemic hit low-income countries harder than wealthier nations, according to a new study in PLOS One, further slowing progress toward health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  CIDRAP

...

On average, the pandemic caused low-income countries to experience an average progress loss of 16.5% across all health indicators, whereas high-income countries have seen losses as low as 3%, the authors said.

If You're Experiencing Any Of These COVID Symptoms, Doctors Say You Should Seek Medical Attention ASAP There are some COVID-19 symptoms that aren’t normal. View Entire Post › BuzzFeed

...

Experts share what COVID-related issues should be instant red flags, plus some advice on what to do:

Research on bird flu in cows shows how efficiently it has spread among mammals The more the virus spreads uncontrolled in mammals, the higher the chance it could evolve to be transmitted to humans. NBC News

New research into the ongoing bird flu outbreaks on dairy farms describes in unprecedented detail how efficiently the virus has spread among cows, and from cows to other mammals, including cats and a raccoon. 

The CDC’s Test for Bird Flu Works, but It Has Issues - KFF Health News The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention promises better tests are being developed, but the episode points to vulnerabilities in the country’s defense against emerging outbreaks. Terry Byrne KFF Health News

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says a glitch in its bird flu test hasn’t harmed the agency’s outbreak response. But it has ignited scrutiny of its go-it-alone approach in testing for emerging pathogens.

Earth lost some ability to absorb carbon dioxide last year, study says - The Washington Post

Climate change causing more change in rainfall, fiercer typhoons, scientists say | Reuters

Extreme Heat | United Nations

In response to the rapid rise in the scale, intensity, frequency and duration of extreme heat, UN Secretary-General António Guterres on 25 July 2024 called for an urgent and concerted effort to enhance international cooperation to address extreme heat in four critical areas:

Caring for the vulnerable - Protecting workers - Boosting resilience of economies and societies using data and science - Limiting temperature rise to 1.5°C by phasing out fossil fuels and scaling up investment in renewable energy.

...

Extreme heat: How does it affect medicines and those taking them? | Reuters

I

In Northeast Ohio, Hello to Solar and Storage; Goodbye to Coal - Inside Climate News IRA funding will help a city shut down a very old power plant in favor of something cleaner. Derek Harrison Inside Climate News

A coal-fired power plant that started running more than a century ago is about to get a long-overdue retirement, and its electricity will be replaced by a solar farm and a battery storage system on an existing brownfield.

Cost-effectiveness of natural forest regeneration and plantations for climate mitigation | Nature Climate Change

Cost-effectiveness of natural forest regeneration and plantations for climate mitigation Nature Climate Change - It is important to understand the cost-effectiveness of natural regeneration and plantations, which are common reforestation methods for mitigation. The authors estimate and... Nature

...

COVID-19 Can Increase During Any Season of the Year