Trending News: WHO to Reconvene International Emergency Committee Surrounding Novel Coronavirus

Body mass index (BMI) and low vitamin D are casual factors for multiple sclerosis (MS), according to The American Journal of Managed Care. Researchers conducted primary analyses of a random-effects inverse-weighted meta-analysis and secondary sensitivity analyses in a 2-sample Mendelian randomization. The researchers found novel evidence that BMI before 10 years of age and vitamin D are independent casual risk factors for MS.

The World Health Organization (WHO) will reconvene the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee to discuss whether the current novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, according to Contagion Live. The decision to reconvene this week was based on the documentation of more than 6000 cases of 2019-nCoV worldwide. According to the WHO, there have only been 68 cases (1%) of the virus recorded outside of China, but person-to-person transmission outside of China has been confirmed.

Chronic cough is associated with more severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among patients suffering from both respiratory conditions, according to MD Magazine. A new study from Denmark-based investigators showed that patients with comorbid chronic cough and COPD are significantly more likely to report respiratory symptoms related to severe COPD. Comorbid chronic cough in individuals with COPD is associated with more severe disease in terms of more respiratory symptoms and health care use, lower lung function, and increase inflammation in blood.