Many of us believe that we are great drinkers and that alcohol does not affect us as much. People who are able to drink without showing any sign of inebriation are known as social drinkers. In short, they are not addicted to alcohol but will not turn down the opportunity to have a good time! While it may seem like it doesn’t affect you, new studies suggest that it is just an illusion, even if you have high tolerance, alcohol affects your cognitive and motor functions more than you think.

The study reveals the below implications and techniques:

• Researchers used a new MRI technique to precisely measure brain electrical activity.
• By comparing brain scans before and after drinking, scientists identified specific areas affected by alcohol and how much brain activity slowed down.
• Participants were chosen to be regular social drinkers without alcohol addiction, ensuring the study focused on the effects of alcohol alone.
• MRI technology provided reliable data on brain activity changes caused by alcohol consumption.

How does the brain react to alcohol?

Think of it as the foundation for your brain's performance. When brain conductivity is high, information flows smoothly, and that helps your brain in rapid processing and response. On the other hand, low conductivity can hinder cognitive function, leading to slower thinking, impaired memory, and difficulties with coordination.

A study conducted at the Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) and UNSW Science unveiled a startling connection between alcohol consumption and brain conductivity.

What is the connection between alcohol consumption and brain activity?

While many people brush off the effects of alcohol as temporary changes in behaviour, the reality is much more complex. Beyond the obvious impacts on coordination and judgment, alcohol significantly alters brain function. Alcohol dramatically slowed down brain activity, especially in areas responsible for decision-making, planning, and physical coordination. This decline was so significant that it resembled the brain changes seen in normal ageing. This means even one drink could temporarily accelerate the ageing process of your brain.

Alcohol and Brain activity: What does the study Imply?

The implications of this research are far-reaching. It provides compelling evidence that alcohol consumption has a direct and measurable impact on brain function. The discovery that alcohol can significantly reduce brain conductivity opens new avenues for understanding the neurocognitive effects of alcohol abuse and dependence. While you may not feel like alcohol is affecting you and you have a high tolerance, it most definitely changes and affects your decision-making abilities and impulse control.

Furthermore, the MRI technique employed in the study could be a valuable tool for assessing the impact of other substances on the brain and for developing interventions to mitigate alcohol-related brain damage.

The US is seeing a significant rise in measles cases, with three deaths reported among unvaccinated people in Pennsylvania. The surge has also raised concerns about the country’s measles elimination status and whether people who have already been vaccinated can still catch the highly infectious virus.

While two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine can prevent measles by up to 97%, breakthrough infections can still occur. Pennsylvania has reported four measles cases among people who were fully vaccinated this year.

What Happened In Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania is among the worst-hit states, with the measles virus having sickened 676 people, with the state adding 108 cases in the last seven days.

Although the US CDC is yet to update its website, Pennsylvania health officials have confirmed three deaths — two babies and one adult.

But more concerning is the fact that four residents who were fully vaccinated against measles have fallen ill with the virus this year.

According to health officials, of the four individuals, three are adults and one is a child. None of them were hospitalized.

While measles infection among vaccinated individuals is unusual, cases can occur as community transmission rises and overall case numbers increase, they said.

“As community transmission rises and our overall case numbers increase, we see a handful of people who were vaccinated will get measles,” state Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen said, LancasterOnline reported.

However, measles is not expected to be as severe in people who are vaccinated.

“Their illness will be much more mild and less likely to cause serious illness than if they had not received two vaccines,” Dr. Pia Fenimore, chief and vice chair of pediatrics at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, was quoted as saying to LancasterOnline.

How Effective Is The MMR Vaccine?

The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is recommended for infants. The first dose is given at age 12-15 months, followed by a second dose between ages 4-6 years.

The measles vaccine is 97% effective when a person receives two doses. However, three out of 100 people who have received both doses of the MMR vaccine will get measles if exposed, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

Among people who have received one dose of the vaccine, seven out of 100 will get measles following an exposure.

Can Measles Vaccine Effectiveness Wane?

The measles vaccine is safe, and most people can receive it. Exceptions include people who have had allergic reactions or those with a weakened immune system.

“Adults and children who are immunocompromised due to cancer or other illnesses should be very careful since these treatments and conditions can weaken the efficacy of their vaccines,” Dr. Fenimore said.

According to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID), most vaccinated adults are immune to measles and do not need further vaccines.

People born before 1957 likely had measles disease and developed lifelong immunity, and do not need MMR vaccines.

Those vaccinated between 1963 and 1968 may have received a measles vaccine that was found to have lower effectiveness. Those who have received two doses of the measles vaccine are not considered to be at risk.

How Big Is The Measles Outbreak In The US?

As per the CDC, there have been 3,294 confirmed measles cases reported in the United States so far in 2026.

There have been 38 new outbreaks reported this year, with 95% of confirmed cases associated with outbreaks — 1,748 from outbreaks that started in 2026 and 1,375 from outbreaks that started in 2025.

For comparison, a total of 2,289 confirmed measles cases were reported in the US during the full year of 2025.

Being infected with SARS-CoV-2 two or more times may be associated with a higher likelihood of developing new health conditions. According to a study published in Canada Communicable Disease Report, repeated COVID-19 infections were associated with higher odds of new diagnoses, including respiratory, back and mental health problems.

It is well known that pre-existing health conditions can increase the risk of severe COVID-19. But the new research suggests that the relationship between COVID-19 and chronic health conditions may run in both directions.

The findings reinforce “the continued importance of public health efforts to prevent infection,” the researchers said.

What Are The Newer Health Risks?

For the study, researchers from the Public Health Agency of Canada and Statistics Canada analysed data collected between April 2022 and June 2023 from nearly 9,000 respondents to the Canadian COVID-19 Antibody and Health Survey and Follow-up Questionnaire.

Also read: COVID-19 Rising In 35 US States: Sore Throat, Diarrhea Among Key Symptoms

Nearly 50% of participants reported having one COVID-19 infection, while about 20% reported two or more infections.

The researchers found that people who reported two or more infections had 76% higher odds of receiving a new diagnosis than those who reported no infections.

The new health conditions included:

• Respiratory conditions
• Cardiovascular conditions
• High blood pressure
• Musculoskeletal conditions
• Arthritis
• Back problems
• Sleep apnea
• Mental health conditions

Respiratory Diagnoses Had The Strongest Association

People with repeat infections had five times the odds of receiving a respiratory diagnosis and nearly four times the odds of developing back problems.

Participants who experienced acute symptoms that interfered with daily activities during their first infection were also 63% more likely to receive a new diagnosis.

Those who experienced symptoms three or more months after an infection had more than three times the odds of receiving a new diagnosis.

The researchers cautioned that the health information was self-reported, which means participants may not have accurately remembered the severity of their symptoms.

In addition, some people who reported having no infections may have had asymptomatic or undiagnosed COVID-19.

“Continued investigation into the long-term sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infections, particularly reinfections, and the biological, behavioral and systemic factors that may mediate the effects of these infections is needed,” said the researchers in the paper.

“Such investigations could assist healthcare practitioners in tailoring COVID-19 vaccine recommendations and post-COVID-19 monitoring for new health conditions and guide public health practice and messaging when promoting COVID-19 vaccine uptake and personal protective measures (e.g., masking) to prevent and minimize the severity of infections, as well as the potential development of new health conditions,” they added.

COVID Status Worldwide

Global COVID-19 transmission has experienced a distinct late-summer wave through August and September 2026. Several countries, including Canada, the US, South Korea and Japan, have reported increased COVID-19 activity.

The current circulation includes variants such as XFG (Stratus), BA.3.2 (Cicada), LF.7 and NB.1.8.1 (Nimbus). The continued circulation of SARS-CoV-2 and the possibility of repeat infections make research into the longer-term health effects of reinfection particularly relevant.

Nearly 3 in 4 US adults felt very tired or exhausted on at least some days, according to a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) survey.

The report from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) analyzed data from the 2024 National Health Interview Survey, which included approximately 27,000 adults aged 18 and older.

Fatigue is generally defined as physical or mental tiredness or exhaustion that does not improve with additional sleep or rest.

However, it should be distinguished from sleepiness, which is the experience of feeling drowsy or having difficulty staying awake, the report stated.

How Common Is Fatigue Among US Adults?

• 28.5% never felt very tired or exhausted.
• 54.9% felt very tired or exhausted on “some days.”
• 10.7% felt this way on “most days.”
• 5.9% felt very tired or exhausted “every day.”

About 1 in 6 adults experienced frequent fatigue, defined as feeling very tired or exhausted on “most days” or “every day.”

Also read: That 3 PM Energy Crash May Be More Than Work Stress: Are You Missing Key Nutrients?

Who Is Most Affected?

• Women were more likely than men to report frequent fatigue (20% vs. 13%).
• American Indian and Alaska Native adults had the highest rate of frequent fatigue (25.5%), followed by White adults (18%), Black adults (17.3%) and Hispanic adults (12.9%). Asian adults had the lowest rate (9.1%).
• Frequent fatigue was highest among adults aged 18–34 years (19.5%) and lowest among those aged 65 and older (12.9%).

What Other Difficulties Are Linked To Frequent Fatigue?

The report showed that among adults with frequent fatigue, 69.6% reported symptoms of anxiety, 46.1% reported cognition difficulty and 45% reported symptoms of depression.

Compared with adults without frequent fatigue, those with frequent fatigue were more than three times as likely to have symptoms of depression, more than twice as likely to have cognition difficulty and twice as likely to report symptoms of anxiety.

How Does Fatigue Affect Daily Life?

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Fatigue also affected work and social activities, with 36% of adults with frequent fatigue reporting work limitations, compared with 15.3% of those without frequent fatigue.

Meanwhile, 16.2% of adults with frequent fatigue reported some difficulty with social activities, compared with 5.3% of those without frequent fatigue.

Another 12.8% reported a lot of difficulty with social activities or said they could not engage in them at all, compared with 2.6% of adults without frequent fatigue.

What Experts Say About Fatigue

“Fatigue is one of the most frequently reported health concerns in primary care,” Natalie A.E. Young, the report’s author, said.

She added that people who report regular fatigue “are at higher risk of activity limitations and disability, including permanent work disability,” while pointing out that there had not been much attention to the frequency of general fatigue symptoms in the US adult population.

While fatigue symptoms can be associated with various conditions, Young noted that some may not be linked to a specific medical condition.

“Stress can cause surges in hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which can wear a body down. That increasing stress contributes to an uptick in fatigue,” Jennifer Caspari, a clinical psychologist licensed in Denver and Vancouver, British Columbia, was quoted as saying to NBC News.