Birthdays are exciting for everyone. There's celebration, a cake, and balloons. But what if it goes wrong? This is what happened with Giang Pham, from Vietnam, who was celebrating her 33rd birthday on February 14, when a hydrogen balloon in her hand touched the flame from the candle on the cake and exploded on her face.

This incident was also captured on camera. The footage clearly shows how the balloon blew up as soon as it touched the flame. Her friends were shocked and can be heard gasping in the background as they saw this.

In the days following the incident, she also shared photos on her Instagram showing her bandaged face, and revealed the first-degree burns on her hand and second-degree burns on her face. However, the good news was that her vision was unaffected, though for her face to recover, it would take months.

She is now also warning others about the risks of using highly inflammable hydrogen balloons. The other alternative could be a helium balloon, which you could fly higher and they remain on the ceiling.

Health Update

She revealed that her doctor estimated up to six months for her skin to recover. She would still have to go to the hospital for dressing and treatment. Another such case happened with a woman named Tine from Australia, when on her son's 7th birthday, the balloon exploded and "shook her house". Her son was burned in the forearm.

Such incidents happen because decorators want to save the cost by replacing helium with hydrogen, which is highly inflammable.

In Healing

Giang shared that she experienced second-degree burn on her face and first-degree burn on her hands. As per John Hopkins Medicine, first degree burns affect only the epidermis, or the outer layer of skin. The burn site becomes red, painful, dry, however, there are no blisters. A mild sunburn could be an example of such a burn. This is also called superficial burns.

Whereas, second degree burns involve the epidermis and part of the dermis layer of the skin. The burn site appears red, blistered and could also be swollen and painful. This is also known as partial thickness burn.

Then comes the third degree burns, also known as full thickness burn. This destroys the epidermis and dermis and could also damage the underlying bones, muscles, and tendons. However, when the bones and muscles are burned, it could be referred to as a fourth degree burn. The burn sit appears white or charred and there is no feeling in the area since the nerve endings are destroyed.

How burns are treated?

The right way to treat a burn depends on its depth and how much of the body it covers. While minor, superficial burns can be managed at home, deeper or larger burns may need medical attention. Keep these essential guidelines in mind:

Do:

• Remove the source of the burn immediately – For example, take off clothing soaked in hot liquid to prevent further damage.
• Run cool water over the burn – This helps soothe the skin, except in cases of certain chemical burns.
• Keep the burn clean and protected – Cover it with a clean, non-stick bandage when possible.
• Seek medical help – If the burn is deeper than a superficial layer, larger than your hand, or full-thickness, see a doctor.

Don’t:

• Use home remedies like bleach or butter – These can make the burn worse.
• Apply ointments or creams on deep burns – They can trap heat and worsen the injury.
• Put ice on the burn – It can cause more damage to the skin.
• Pop blisters – This increases the risk of infection.

Knowing these simple steps can make a big difference in burn care and healing.

A new study has found out what researchers call the strongest evidence yet that long COVID may directly injure the brain's dopamine system, offering an explanation for symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, poor memory, slowed movement, and lack of motivation that persist long after the initial infection.

Long COVID’s Effect On Dopamine System

While it has been a long time since the end of the COVID pandemic, its effects continue to linger even today. Several patients who contracted COVID continue to suffer. This is known as long COVID.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in movement, motivation, learning, reward, and memory.

The study, conducted by researchers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto and published in the journal eBioMedicine, used advanced positron emission tomography (PET) scans to examine the brains of people living with long COVID.

They found significantly lower levels of a marker that reflects the health of dopamine-producing systems across key regions of the brain compared with healthy participants.

The researchers discovered that reductions in dopamine markers were closely tied to patients' symptoms. Lower dopamine activity in one region of the brain, known as the ventral striatum, was associated with a greater loss of motivation.

Reduced dopamine markers in the dorsal putamen were linked to slower movement, while declines in the caudate putamen correlated with memory problems.

"Our findings provide compelling evidence that long COVID involves the loss of dopamine-releasing neurons," said senior author Dr. Jeffrey Meyer. "We know that inflammation can injure dopamine neurons. While our earlier research showed high levels of inflammation in those regions, this study provides direct evidence that the dopamine neuron marker is reduced in the same regions, and that this loss correlates with patients' symptoms."

Also read: Who Was Martha Lillard? Last U.S. Polio Survivor To Depend On An Iron Lung Who Breathed Her Last At 78

Turning Point In Long COVID Research

Long COVID affects an estimated five percent of the global population and continues to leave millions struggling with persistent symptoms for months or even years after recovering from the initial infection.

Despite its widespread impact, there are currently no evidence-based treatments specifically approved for the condition because its underlying biological mechanisms remain poorly understood.

According to Dr. Meyer, the findings could mark a turning point in long COVID research. "These results indicate that long COVID is, at least in part, a disorder of the brain's dopamine system," he said. "This suggests that repurposing medications that augment the function of dopamine-releasing neurons, including dopamine precursors and inhibitors of dopamine metabolism, could be a promising approach."

The research also provides validation for many patients who have struggled to have their symptoms recognized.

"For five years I have been seeking answers on what happened to me after I contracted COVID in 2021," said Susan Deuville, a lived-experience research advisor involved in the project. "It was a crushing loss of the life I had and the person I was before. The research of Dr. Meyer brings hope. It also validates what long COVID sufferers have always known, long COVID is real and the effects are devastating."

The team plans to launch a clinical trial in the coming months to test whether existing medications that enhance dopamine function can improve memory, fatigue, and motivation in people with long COVID.

One of New York City's most iconic cultural landmarks has unexpectedly become part of an ongoing disease investigation.

Amid the current Legionnaires' disease outbreak on Manhattan's Upper East Side, the officials flagged Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum after Legionella bacteria was detected in its rooftop cooling tower.

NYC’s Guggenheim Museum Part Of Legionnaires Investigation

While the discovery has raised concerns, authorities stress that the museum has not been identified as the source of the outbreak.

The investigation began after a cluster of Legionnaires' disease cases were reported in the Upper East Side neighborhoods of Carnegie Hill and Yorkville.

Since then, the New York City Department of Health has expanded testing across the area, identifying 31 buildings with cooling towers that tested positive for Legionella bacteria. The world-famous museum is among those properties.

Despite the positive test, officials emphasize that detecting Legionella in a cooling tower does not mean the building caused the outbreak.

Further laboratory testing is required to determine whether the bacteria found in a particular cooling tower genetically match the strain infecting patients, a process that can take several weeks.

Also read: US Hospital Performs World's First HIV-to-HIV Lung Transplant, Offering Fresh Hope for HIV Patients

Guggenheim Museum Takes Immediate Action

The museum acted quickly after receiving the test results, disinfecting and cleaning its cooling tower in accordance with city regulations.

Health officials said the building does not pose an ongoing risk to visitors, and the museum has remained open to the public.

A Guggenheim spokesperson said, “The city has confirmed that there is no additional action needed at this time, and this poses no risk to anyone inside the building,” adding that the museum conducts monthly cooling tower testing and treatment.

The spokesperson added, “The safety of our staff and the public are the utmost priority, and we are continuing to follow all city guidelines.”

As per NY Post, at least 46 people have been diagnosed with Legionnaires, including 22 who remain hospitalized. New York City Health Commissioner Alister Martin said the bacteria were detected in 31 towers and 19 had already been disinfected.

Martin said, “What we have in front of us is 160 cooling towers across this region that we are looking at, and we are not waiting.”

Why Cooling Towers Are Breeding Grounds For Legionella?

Cooling towers have been recognised as one of the most common sources of large Legionnaires' disease outbreaks as they contain warm water that can allow Legionella bacteria to thrive.

Fans in these systems can release fine mists into the surrounding air, exposing people nearby if the water becomes contaminated. This is why New York City requires routine inspection, testing and disinfection of cooling towers, regulations that were strengthened following previous outbreaks in the Bronx and Harlem.

Also read: At 2026 NATO Summit, Trump's Neck Rash and Bruised Hand Draw Attention; White House Responds

List of Buildings Infected With Legionella Bacteria

Besides Guggenheim Museum, here are the other prominent buildings that are currently compromised due to Legionnaires' Disease:

• 180 East End Avenue
• 1750 York Avenue
• 1660 Second Avenue
• 1438 Third Avenue
• 1511 Third Avenue
• 1551 Third Avenue
• 1071 Fifth Avenue
• 1080 Fifth Avenue
• 1001 Fifth Avenue
• 240 East 82nd Street
• 8 East 83rd Street
• 145 East 84th Street
• 117 East 85th Street
• 125 East 87th Street
• 152 East 87th Street
• 120 East 87th Street
• 501 East 87th Street
• 168 East 88th Street
• 160 East 88th Street
• 1875 Second Avenue
• 1110 Fifth Avenue
• 153 East 78th Street
• 135 East 79th Street
• 300 East 79th Street
• 238 East 81st Street
• 160 East 84th Street
• 114 East 85th Street
• 401 East 88th Street
• 333 East 91st Street
• 354 East 91st Street
• 312 East 95th Street

About Legionnaires' Disease

Symptoms typically develop two to 14 days after exposure and include fever, cough, muscle aches, chills, shortness of breath and, in severe cases, pneumonia.

Health officials continue to investigate the Upper East Side cluster and are urging anyone who visited the affected area and develops flu-like symptoms or pneumonia to seek medical attention promptly.

Martha Lillard, the last person in the United States to rely on an iron lung for breathing, passed away, making the end of a chapter in American medical history that goes back to the devastating polio epidemics of the 20th century.

Martha Lillard’s Demise

According to her kin, Martha Lillard, 78, died on June 26, 2026, at her home in Shawnee, Oklahoma.

She had spent close to 73 years living with the effects of paralytic polio, a disease that permanently damaged the muscles needed for breathing, leaving her dependent on an iron lung, a medical device that has now become obsolete.

According to reports, chronic pulmonary failure and post-polio syndrome were listed among the causes of her death. Her family also said she experienced long COVID, which further worsened her lung function, increasing the amount of time she needed to spend inside the iron lung.

Also read: Donald Trump Says Physical Checkup At Walter Reed 'Checked Out Perfectly' Amid Recent Health Scrutiny

Martha Lillard’s Post-Polio Syndrome

Lillard contracted polio in 1953 when she was just five years old, during one of the worst outbreaks in U.S. history.

Before effective vaccines became available, the virus infected tens of thousands of Americans each year. While many people recovered, some developed paralytic polio, in which the virus attacks the nervous system, leading to paralysis and, in extreme cases, respiratory failure.

Doctors placed Lillard inside an iron lung, a large cylindrical machine that uses negative air pressure to help patients breathe by expanding and contracting the chest.

Although hospitals gradually replaced iron lungs with ventilators in the 1960s, Lillard continued using the ancient device because it proved to be the most effective method of respiratory support for her.

Her family said maintaining the iron lung became increasingly challenging as replacement parts and technicians familiar with the obsolete technology became hard to find. Still, Lillard continued using the machine well into her seventies.

Martha Lillard Refused To Let It Define Her

Despite spending most of her life inside the machine, Lillard refused to let it define her. According to her family members and previous interviews, she attended school from home through an intercom system connected to her classroom.

She also became fond of painting, writing poetry, composing music, and caring for rescued animals. She also volunteered with community organizations, including the Humane Society.

Lillard's passing comes more than 70 years after Jonas Salk's polio vaccine was introduced in 1955, followed by Albert Sabin's oral vaccine in the early 1960s. Widespread immunisation campaigns in the US significantly polio cases. The epidemic was eliminated from the country in 1979.

As one of the last survivors to depend on an iron lung, Martha Lillard's life serves as a reminder of both the devastating impact of vaccine-preventable diseases and the extraordinary developments made in public health.