Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine's Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health (CVD) have identified key social and environmental factors that influence how climate change affects childhood diarrheal diseases in sub-Saharan Africa. An August study published in Nature Communications found that while rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns are likely to alter disease risks, factors such as vaccination, access to transportation, and other indicators of socioeconomic resilience can help reduce the impact of climate-related health threats. A second study that did an initial analysis of the data was published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases in June.

A newly published Viewpoint article in the journal BioScience argues that the contentious debate over the origins of SARS-CoV-2 could benefit from a well-established scientific approach for weighing competing explanations. Multiple working hypotheses and strong inference, argues author Alan B. Franklin (formerly of the USDA National Wildlife Research Center) could break the logjam of single-hypothesis reasoning that has marked the politically charged accusations that the SARS-CoV-2 originated from either an intentional or unintentional release from the Wuhan Institute of Virology versus from the proximate live animal market.

People participating in a new study of state-regulated psilocybin services reported relief from symptoms of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder — with almost two-thirds declaring the experience to be among the most meaningful of their life.