#COVID19

A new psychological study has found that everyday sounds of illness, such as coughing and sniffling, may disturb learning more than we realize—by subtly distracting students and impairing their academic performance. The research, published in Evolutionary Psychological Science and reported by PsyPost, reveals that exposure to common pathogen-related sounds during a learning task results in statistically significant declines in test scores, raising questions about classroom environments and the human mind’s sensitivity to signs of disease (psypost.org).

Reports from the United States reveal a significant increase in digestive health problems, with up to 66% of Americans estimated to now live with some form of gut issue. This trend is prompting growing concern among health authorities and experts. The most common conditions prompting emergency care include abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, noninfectious gastroenteritis/colitis, constipation, and gastrointestinal bleeding—a pattern that experts say may signal similar risks for Thais, given shifting lifestyles and comparable risk factors across both nations.

A new comprehensive study published in The Lancet has sounded a worldwide alarm: after five decades of progress, childhood vaccination coverage is stagnating or even retreating, leaving millions of children increasingly vulnerable to deadly yet preventable diseases. The analysis, released this week and drawing on 50 years of country-level data, warns that the number of “zero-dose” children—those missing even the most basic vaccines—remains distressingly high, with global immunisation efforts hampered by growing inequalities, the lasting shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic, and an upsurge in vaccine hesitancy and misinformation (Washington Post; The Lancet).

The safety and efficacy of mRNA vaccines have returned to the spotlight following new regulatory actions and heightened public debate, but the scientific community continues to reaffirm their vital role in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent scrutiny, triggered by policy changes from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is prompting fresh discussion amid persistent misinformation and growing public concerns—even as evidence underscores overwhelming benefits for both individuals and public health at large (ABC News).

The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally redefined family life across the globe, with Thailand seeing its own transformation as fathers take on more active roles in childcare and family routines. Recent reports, including an op-ed from The New York Times, highlight a growing trend: dads are spending more time with their children since the pandemic, and this pattern appears to be holding steady post-pandemic (nytimes.com). This shift has significance not only for families but for the broader social fabric, raising questions about the future of parenting roles in Thailand and beyond.

Concerns about men’s reproductive health are spurring a wave of recent research, with studies confirming that male fertility has become a significant public health issue worldwide, including in Thailand. New findings reveal that sperm health is highly sensitive to lifestyle, metabolic health, and even infectious diseases like COVID-19, underscoring the urgent need for greater awareness and proactive measures among Thai men and their families.

For decades, discussion around infertility has focused disproportionately on women. Yet, male factors are implicated in nearly half of all infertility cases, according to global health experts and major clinics such as Banner Health in the United States. New research reviewed by leading Australian reproductive health experts has revealed that male sperm counts worldwide have halved since the 1980s—a phenomenon attributed to complex, multifactorial causes that are only now being unraveled (Banner Health).

Depression has reached record highs in the United States, with new research from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealing a stark increase in prevalence and persistent disparities in access to treatment. Drawing data from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, the recent survey—conducted between August 2021 and August 2023—sheds light on both the growing scale of the problem and the obstacles many face in seeking help. As similar trends emerge in Thailand and across Asia, the findings carry important lessons for the Kingdom and the broader region amidst evolving mental health challenges.

For 16-year-old Molly from Weymouth, every day presents a battle—one that began four years ago when she first developed long Covid. From severe fatigue and heart palpitations to fainting spells, seizures, and even allergic reactions, Molly describes her experience as “horrible”, with basic activities now requiring a wheelchair and “two good days a week, maybe three”. With dedicated NHS long Covid support for young people in Dorset shuttered, Molly is preparing to journey 300 miles to Liverpool for private treatment, illuminating a broader crisis faced by young long Covid patients and raising urgent questions about national and global responses to this lingering pandemic (BBC).

A major hospital network in New York’s Hudson Valley has agreed to overhaul its mental health services amid findings of serious care lapses during a state investigation—a move being closely watched by healthcare advocates internationally, including in Thailand, as systems globally grapple with post-pandemic gaps in psychiatric care (Gothamist). The action underscores both ongoing struggles in mental healthcare access and increasing government pressure for reform in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic’s disruptions.

The past five years have seen an alarming surge in anxiety among children and young adults, with mental health referrals for anxiety in youth in the UK more than doubling since 2019—from about 99,000 to over 204,000 cases annually (The Times). Yet as society scrambles to address this crisis in children, a critical—and less visible—public health problem is emerging right alongside it: children’s anxiety often triggers or worsens anxiety and distress in their parents, creating a ripple effect through families. Recent studies suggest it may be impossible to fully address childhood anxiety unless parents’ mental well-being is considered too.

A new wave of scientific concern is growing over emerging evidence that COVID-19 may be accelerating cognitive decline, raising the question: Is the coronavirus fundamentally changing the way we age? Doctors and researchers worldwide are alarmed by signs that surviving COVID-19 could hasten processes typically associated with aging brains—including earlier onset and greater severity of memory loss, confusion, and other neurological symptoms. These revelations, based on increasingly robust research, are already reshaping conversations about health, aging, and long-term care in Thailand and worldwide (WSJ).

From humble village markets to the shelves of contemporary pharmacies, Fah Talai Jone, known by its scientific name Andrographis paniculata, continues to captivate the Thai public and the medical community alike. Revered in traditional Thai medicine for centuries as a remedy for fever and respiratory illnesses, this distinctly bitter herb—also called “Green Chiretta” or by local nicknames such as น้ำลายพังพอน and หญ้ากันงู—has recently emerged at the forefront of public health debates, propelled by renewed scientific scrutiny and the COVID-19 crisis. But does modern research uphold the wisdom of ancient herbalists, or is the popularity of Fah Talai Jone a testament more to cultural faith than pharmacological fact?