Health IQ: Disease X warning from international leaders

Decoding the meaning of a lingering cough

Canada is fully immersed in respiratory illness season, and that persistent cough might be sticking around longer than you’d like. Even after the sniffles bid farewell, this lingering cough might last weeks after.

While it’s often harmless, Nicholas Vozoris, an assistant professor and staff respirologist at Saint Michael’s Hospital, University of Toronto, warned that sometimes there could be an underlying issue to consider.

Known as the “post-infectious cough,” Vozoris said it usually happens after a viral or bacterial respiratory tract infection and sticks around after other symptoms settle down.

“It can be annoying, but usually it’s not concerning. It typically peters out on its own with time without other interventions. Usually what’s done for post-infection is just reassurance and waiting,” he said.

However, he said if you are experiencing a prolonged cough, it’s always a good idea to see a health-care provider, who can rule out any other issues.

For example, he said, the lingering cough may be the emergence of a chronic respiratory disease, such as asthma, as a result of the infection. Another reason could be chronic bacterial sinusitis, which is long-term inflammation of the sinuses, usually lasting for around 12 weeks.

Read more about lingering coughs and ways to treat them.

What is Disease X?

Global health experts gathered in Davos, Switzerland this week at the World Economic Forum to discuss the reality of the next big pandemic, and the culprit is called Disease X.

Disease X is a hypothetical illness with the potential to cause more fatalities than the COVID-19 pandemic. Although it is currently unknown, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed during a panel discussion on Jan 17, the need to have “a placeholder for diseases we don’t know” to be adequately prepared for their arrival.

“Of course there are some people who say, ‘Oh, this may create panic,’” Tedros said. “No. It’s better, actually, to anticipate something that may happen – because it has happened in our history many times – and prepare for it.”

Approximately 1.67 million unidentified viruses are thought to exist in mammals and birds, up to half of estimated to have the potential to spill over into humans, according to a 2021 study published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research.

Recognizing the importance of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs), the WHO first highlighted Disease X as a target for research and development back in 2018.

“Disease X has been getting a lot of attention but it’s not a new idea,” Tedros said Wednesday. “Although COVID came immediately, we were preparing for a COVID-like disease,” Tedros said. “You may even call COVID … the first Disease X. And it may happen again.”

Read more about what critics are saying about Disease X.

— THE TOPIC —

Drinking 100% fruit juice linked to weight gain

— WHAT EXPERTS ARE SAYING —

Drinking a daily glass of 100 per cent fruit juice is linked with weight gain in both children and adults, according to a recent study.

The peer-reviewed research published in the JAMA Pediatrics journal on Jan. 16, found that each additional serving of eight ounces of fruit juice with no added sugar per day was associated with a 0.03 increase in BMI, or body mass index, among kids.

Children younger than 11 years old showed a greater BMI gain than older children, the study revealed.

Overall, the researchers didn’t find a strong link between weight gain and fruit juice consumption for adults due to differences in how calories were measured. But some studies that did not account for the intake of calories showed a weight gain of 0.21 kilograms in adults.

“Hundred per cent fruit juices is, of course, a healthier alternative to a fruit drink or a sugar-sweetened beverage, like (pop), but the issue with these 100 per cent fruit juices is they contain little or no fibre compared to your whole fruit form,” said Michelle Nguyen, lead study author and a Ph.D. candidate in the department of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto.

Overconsumption is the main concern here, said Nguyen. For instance, a typical glass of orange juice will contain about three oranges and two glasses would contain six oranges – something one would be less likely to eat in one sitting.

Health Canada and the World Health Organization recommend adults and children limit consuming free sugars, including those found in 100 per cent fruit juices, to less than 10 per cent of total energy intake.