Telangana, a southern state in India has launched a Polio Drive from October 12 to 15 with Hyderabad administering oral polio drops to 5,17,238 children. This is part of Telangana's Pulse Polio Immunisation Drive, 2025. Hyderabad is one of six districts participating in this nationwide effort to prevent polio resurgence.

What Is Happening In Hyderabad?

Hyderabad has set up 2,843 vaccination booths which will operate from 7am to 6pm at health centers, schools, transport hubs, and high footfall areas.

Over 11,200 health workers, including ASHA and Anganwadi staff, will also conduct door-to-door visits from October 13 to 15, targeting 164 high-risk localities to ensure full coverage. Around 9.36 lakh households are expected to be reached during the campaign.

The drive is part of India’s ongoing national effort to maintain its polio-free status, especially amid reports of poliovirus cases in neighboring countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan. Officials have urged parents to ensure that children receive both required doses, stressing that even a single missed child can pose a risk to the wider community.

Parents can visit nearby booths or contact local health workers for information. Assistance is also available via helplines 1070 (State Control Room) and 1098 (Child Line) for guidance on immunisation schedules.

What Is Polio?

The World Health Organization (WHO) notes that it is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus that invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis in matter of hours. The virus is transmitted by person to person spread mainly through the fecal-oral route, or less frequently, by a common vehicle, which could be either from contaminated food or water. The virus also multiplies in the intestine.

The National Institute of Health (NIH), US, notes that the virus responsible for causing Polio belongs to the Picornaviridae family.

Read: Polio Cases Reported In Pakistan And Nigeria, More Details Inside

Common Symptoms of Polio

The NIH notes that the maximum excretion of the virus is seen in 2 to 3 days prior and 1 week after appearance of symptoms. The spread is especially rapid in areas with poor sanitation, and among the nonimmune population. The rise in cases could be seen in summer months and temperate regions.

As per the WHO, the common Polio symptoms are:

• Fever
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Vomiting
• Stiffness of the neck a
• Pain in the limbs

The WHO also notes that 1 in 200 infections leads to intervisible paralysis, usually in legs, and among 5 to 10% of those paralyzed do not survive.

Who Are Most At The Risk Of Polio?

As per the WHO, Polio mainly affects children under 5 years of age, however, it can happen to anyone of any age who is unvaccinated and may have come in contract with the disease.

Is There Any Cure For Polio?

While there is no cure for Polio, it can very well be prevented. Polio vaccines, which can be administered multiple times, can protect a child for life. There are two vaccines available:

• Oral Polio Vaccine
• Inactivated Polio Vaccines

Tiger Woods, American professional golfer has announced that he underwent a back surgery on Friday. This was to addressed his collapsed disc in his spine.

The 15-time major winner shared on his social media that he had a lumbar disk replacement surgery after he experienced in his back. The operation went successful, he said. The 49-year-old is undergoing a back surgery for the second time in over a year. Earlier, he had a surgery done on his lumbar spine in September 2024 to relieve nerve impingement of his lower back.

A statement by Wood's X account read: “After experiencing pain and lack of mobility in my back, I consulted with Doctors and Surgeons to have tests taken. The scans determined that I had a collapsed disc in L4/5, disc fragments and a compromised spinal canal. I opted to have my disc replaced yesterday, and I already know I made a good decision for my health and my back. On Friday, Tiger underwent lumbar disc replacement surgery in his L4/5 Lumbar spine for lower back symptoms. The surgery was deemed successful and performed by Dr Sheeraz Qureshi and his team at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.”

Woods had earlier ruptured his left Achilles while training at home this year in March.

What Does It Mean To Have A Collapsed Disc?

Spinal discs sit between the 33 vertebrae that provide cushioning to vertebrae and absorb shock and pressure. They also help with flexibility, mobility and are made of tough outer layer of cartilage, surrounded with a soft jelly-like inner layer.

However as we age, our spinal disc also age with us. They become drier, stiffer, and less flexible over time, which makes it prone to injury and damage. This natural wear and tear can cause discs to tear or to slip out of place. A collapsed disc destabilizes the spine and hinders the discs’ ability to protect vertebrae.

Collapsed discs occur more frequently in cervical and lumbar spine. This is where vertebrae bear more body weight and have a wide range of motion, which makes them more prone to injury or damage.

What Are The Common Symptoms?

In a Lumbar Spine, the common symptoms of collapsed disc are:

• low back pain
• pain that radiates down the buttocks, thighs, legs and feet
• weakness and numbness or tingling in the back, legs, and feet
• reduced movement in the back

In Cervical Spine, this is what the symptom of collapsed disk feels like:

• neck pain
• pain that radiates down the shoulders, arms, hands, and fingers
• weakness and numbness or even tingling in arms, hands, and fingers
• reduced range of motion in the neck

What Could Be Causing Disc To Collapse?

Spinal Osteoarthritis: This happens when the cartilage that cushions the spine’s joints wears down, leading to pain, stiffness, and reduced movement. Over time, it can weaken nearby structures and cause the discs between the vertebrae to collapse.

Herniated Disc: A herniated disc occurs when the outer layer of a spinal disc tears, allowing the inner gel-like material to leak out. This can cause pain, pressure on nerves, or even break the disc into smaller pieces.

Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD): DDD refers to age-related wear and tear of spinal discs. It can lead to back pain, disc collapse, nerve compression, and spinal instability.

Other causes include traumatic injuries (from falls, accidents, or sports), repetitive strain (from heavy work or high-impact activities like running), and obesity, which adds pressure to the spine.

Is there a new pandemic lingering over us? Is Japan at the brink of declaring a health epidemic? After the COVID-19 pandemic, this question has been looming over everyone for a while now. However, it is an undeniable fact that with climate change, illness are now staying all round the year, talking about the COVID-19 virus specifically, it too has now become a seasonal-like virus. However amid this, Japan has declared a nationwide flu outbreak, which has a high rise in hospitalization, school closures and has left public healthcare system under a lot of pressure.

What Is Happening In Japan?

As per the media reports in Japan, the Health Ministry has confirmed the national average has surpassed the epidemic threshold reaching 1.04 patients per medical institution.

Typically, Japan's flu season is in late November or December, however, this year, it seems to have arrived sooner.

The Health Ministry also noted on October 3 that more than 4,000 people have been hospitalized with influenza and that there was a four-fold increase seen in Japan in the previous week. As of now, 28 of the 47 prefectures in Japan has reporting rise in cases, especially in Tokyo, Okinawa and Kagoshima. It has forced over 130 schools and childcare centers to close. Okinawa reported the highest numbers.

Read: Covid, Cold, Or Flu: How To Differentiate Between These Infections?

Is The Flu Happening Only In Japan?

Similar trends have been reported in Singapore, Thailand, and India. In northern India, the H3N2 strain—descended from the 1968 Hong Kong flu virus, has been spreading, while Thailand recorded more than half a million flu cases this year with 59 deaths. Singapore also saw a steady rise in flu and respiratory infections as inter-monsoon rains forced people indoors.

Climate Change Could Lead To Virus' New Variant

Experts suggest that changes in weather patterns, global travel, and evolving viral strains could be contributing to these early and frequent outbreaks. Warmer climates and extreme weather may be influencing how and when flu viruses spread, with studies hinting that heavy rainfall and higher humidity could drive people indoors, creating ideal conditions for transmission. Climate change could also affect virus survival and migration patterns of wild birds, further influencing outbreaks.

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) latest vaccine guidelines for the Southern Hemisphere introduced new H1N1 and H3N2 strains, indicating that mutated versions are circulating. Experts are particularly monitoring subtypes like H5, H7, and H9 in animals, as new strains could potentially trigger another pandemic similar to the 1957 H2N2 “Asian Flu.” The recent detection of bird flu strains in mammals has raised further concerns about possible cross-species mutations.

While there’s no evidence that influenza viruses are mutating faster than before, experts agree the virus continues to evolve in ways that challenge immunity from previous infections or vaccines. Regular flu vaccination remains the best defense, especially for the elderly and vulnerable. Experts also stress the need for better awareness, improved hygiene practices, and policies that discourage working while sick. A universal flu vaccine that covers multiple strains could offer a long-term solution—but it’s still in development.

A recent pediatric study suggests that repeated COVID infections increase the likelihood of developing long COVID. According to the research, children and young people infected a second time were twice as likely to experience lingering symptoms compared to those who only had the virus once. Long COVID after a reinfection was linked to higher risks of heart problems, kidney damage, cognitive difficulties, and other complications, according to an analysis published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.

“Many believed that reinfections would be milder or carry fewer long-term consequences, but we found that the risks extend across a range of health issues, challenging assumptions that children recover quickly,” said Bingyu Zhang, a PhD student in Applied Mathematics & Computational Science at Penn. “These findings can help guide clinical decisions, encourage vaccination, and inform how resources are directed to care for COVID patients.”

The study examined health records from around 407,000 children across 40 pediatric hospitals. Among those with just one documented COVID infection, there were roughly 904 cases of long COVID per million over a six-month period. However, for children who had contracted the virus twice, that number jumped to 1,884 per million, effectively doubling the risk.

Focusing On The Youngest Patients

Most research on long COVID, also known as post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), has focused on adults. This study aimed to understand the long-term effects on children and adolescents under 21, particularly during the omicron wave, which predominated between late 2021 and early 2022. Omicron and its subvariants continue to circulate, causing infections and reinfections in young populations today.

“The findings reinforce one of the strongest reasons I give families and physicians for vaccination: fewer infections mean lower chances of long COVID,” said Dr. Ravi Jhaveri, head of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

Heightened Risk For Serious Conditions

The researchers also analyzed the likelihood of specific complications after a second infection. Children who had COVID twice were more than three times as likely to develop myocarditis, a potentially dangerous inflammation of the heart muscle. Other significant risks included a doubled chance of blood clots, severe kidney damage, abnormal heart rhythms, heart disease, and extreme fatigue.

“Examining the public health consequences of COVID, including long COVID, helps us pinpoint which children are more vulnerable and ensures they receive proper monitoring and care,” explained Dr. Jeffrey Morris, director of Biostatistics.

The importance of large-scale studies

This study is part of the NIH-funded RECOVER initiative, which investigates COVID’s long-term impacts. Pooling data from multiple hospitals and patients across the country allows researchers to study trends and outcomes in diverse populations, creating a clearer picture of long COVID in children.

According to senior author Yong Chen, PhD, the project’s scale and coordination are crucial. “Without this infrastructure and sustained support, we wouldn’t have access to such comprehensive pediatric data or be able to evaluate long COVID rigorously,” he said.

Next steps for research

The team plans to continue tracking pediatric patients over longer periods, study whether new COVID variants affect long-term risks, and explore ways to prevent severe complications. They also aim to identify which children are most at risk, so families and clinicians can better protect them from the lasting effects of reinfections.