Smokers who make the decision to quit will experience immediate health benefits, including a rapid reduction in their risk of atrial fibrillation (A-Fib), according to new research published in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology. The study, conducted by Dr. Gregory Marcus, a cardiologist at the University of California, San Francisco, offers compelling evidence for smokers to quit, showing that it’s never too late to avoid the damaging effects of smoking on heart health.

Dr. Marcus, the senior author of the study, emphasized that A-Fib can be prevented even in individuals who have smoked for years. "The findings provide a compelling new reason to show current smokers that it’s not too late to quit, and that having smoked in the past doesn’t mean you’re ‘destined’ to develop A-Fib," Marcus explained. "Even for the current and longtime smoker, A-Fib can still be avoided."

What is Atrial Fibrillation (A-Fib)?

"There’s strong evidence that smoking increases the risk of A-Fib," Marcus said. "But the benefits of quitting smoking have been less certain." With this in mind, his team sought to determine whether quitting could significantly lower a person’s risk of developing A-Fib, or if the risk would remain the same.

The research team analyzed data from over 146,700 current and former smokers, tracking their smoking habits and health over a 12-year period using data from the UK Biobank database. The results were promising: former smokers had a 13% lower risk of developing A-Fib compared to current smokers, while those who quit during the study saw an 18% reduction in their risk.

"This is likely a testament to the potency of reducing atrial fibrillation risk pretty shortly after quitting," Marcus said in a statement from the American College of Cardiology.

The findings highlight the importance of quitting smoking, not only for general health but specifically for reducing the risk of serious heart conditions like A-Fib.

Tips for Quitting Smoking

Quitting smoking is one of the most effective ways to lower the risk of A-Fib and improve overall heart health. While it can be challenging, the benefits of quitting are clear and immediate. Here are some tips to help you quit smoking successfully:

1. Choose a specific date to quit smoking and stick to it. Prepare yourself mentally and physically for this change.

2. Reach out to family, friends, or a support group to help keep you accountable. Sharing your goals with others can provide encouragement.

3. Options like nicotine patches, gum, or lozenges can help ease withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings.

4. Identify situations that make you want to smoke, such as stress or social gatherings, and find healthy ways to cope with them.

5. Regular exercise can help distract you from cravings and improve your mood during the quitting process.

6. Drinking water can help flush nicotine out of your system faster, reducing cravings.

7. Activities like yoga, meditation, or deep breathing exercises can help manage stress, a common trigger for smoking.

Quitting smoking offers immediate and significant benefits, particularly in reducing the risk of atrial fibrillation. The latest research provides smokers with more motivation to quit, showing that it's never too late to take control of their heart health.

India’s first indigenously developed gender-neutral quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, Cervavac, has received prequalification from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Serum Institute of India announced today.

WHO prequalification marks an important regulatory milestone and opens the possibility of UN agencies procuring Cervavac and supplying it to eligible countries. It could also expand access to HPV vaccination for both boys and girls globally.

“WHO prequalification of Cervavac is an important step in strengthening the global response to HPV. This milestone reflects the effectiveness of the vaccine and creates the opportunity for countries to prevent HPV-related risks. We are pleased to see this indigenously developed vaccine reach this achievement, and look forward to contributing to immunization coverage, advancing global healthcare,” said Adar Poonawalla, Chief Executive Officer, Serum Institute of India, in a statement.

What Is Cervavac?

Cervavac is a recombinant quadrivalent HPV vaccine that targets HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18.

India’s drug regulator, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), has already approved Cervavac vaccine for girls and boys aged 9 to 26 years. HPV types 16 and 18 are associated with several cancers, while types 6 and 11 are responsible for most genital warts.

In girls and women, Cervavac is indicated for the prevention of cervical, vulvar, vaginal and anal cancers caused by HPV types 16 and 18, as well as genital warts caused by types 6 and 11.

In boys and men, it is indicated for the prevention of anal cancer caused by HPV types 16 and 18 and genital warts caused by types 6 and 11.

The vaccine was developed with support from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), in collaboration with the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the Gates Foundation.

The WHO prequalification is the 32nd received by the Serum Institute for its products and biologicals.

Who Is Eligible for Cervavac?

Cervavac is approved in India for girls and boys aged 9 to 26 years.

Children aged 9 to 14 years receive the vaccine as a two-dose schedule, with doses given at 0 and six months. Those aged 15 to 26 years receive three doses at 0, two and six months.

The vaccine is administered intramuscularly and is available in 0.5 mL single-dose and 1 mL two-dose vial presentations.

Could Cervavac Join India’s Vaccination Program?

Cervavac is yet to be incorporated into India’s Universal Immunization Program (UIP).

The vaccine is currently being studied as a single-dose vaccine. An ongoing study led by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is assessing whether one dose produces sufficient and sustained antibody protection compared with a single dose of Gardasil.

The results are expected in 2027. Evidence from the study could help determine whether Cervavac can be recommended as a single-dose vaccine and considered for inclusion in India’s national immunization program.

Rajesh Gokhale, secretary of the Department of Biotechnology, said Cervavac was initially not introduced into the national program because it required two doses. “The single-dose will come in (to the national program) after it has been clinically tested,” he was quoted as saying.

Cervavac currently costs around Rs 2,000 in the private market, although its potential price for government procurement has not been disclosed.

India’s HPV Vaccination Drive And Cervical Cancer Burden

India launched a nationwide HPV vaccination campaign for 14-year-old girls in February 2026, using Gardasil-4, developed by Merck.

Cervavac was launched in India in September 2022 after Phase 2/3 trials found it to be non-inferior to Gardasil. At the time, Serum Institute had indicated that the vaccine could potentially be supplied to the government at a substantially lower price through public procurement.

Cervical cancer remains a major public health concern in India, with about 80,000 new cases reported annually and more than 42,000 deaths. India accounts for roughly one-fifth of the global cervical cancer burden.

An experimental antiviral drug, obeldesivir, is being tested in the Democratic Republic of Congo to assess whether it can prevent Ebola from developing further after a person has been exposed to the virus.

As the country continues to fight the deadliest Ebola outbreak, more than 250 people have now enrolled in the EBO-PEP trial, which is testing obeldesivir, an oral antiviral developed by Gilead Sciences.

The trial is being conducted in Ituri province, the epicentre where the outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola is concentrated.

According to Congolese health authorities, until now, more than 8,300 confirmed cases and 4,000 deaths across seven provinces have been recorded.

More About Obeldesivir Trial

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Obeldesivir is not being given to people who are already sick with Ebola in this trial. Instead, researchers are testing it as post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP.

PEP means treating someone after they have been exposed to an infection but before they develop symptoms.

The EBO-PEP trial is enrolling people who have had high-risk contact with a confirmed Ebola patient within the previous five days but do not have symptoms. Participants are randomly assigned to receive either obeldesivir or a placebo and are monitored for 21 days, with follow-up continuing to 42 days. The obeldesivir study is designed to include 998 people.

The ongoing Ebola outbreak in Ebola is caused by Bundibugyo ebolavirus, a strain for which there is currently no licensed vaccine or approved treatment.

In May, WHO experts identified obeldesivir as a candidate for testing as post-exposure prophylaxis. They recommended that it be studied to establish whether it can actually prevent people exposed to the virus from developing Ebola.

WHO chief scientist Dr Sylvie Briand said at the time, “This is a promising treatment drug, but it has still to be implemented under a very, very strict protocol.”

The clinical trials are crucial as obeldesivir is still experimental for this Ebola strain. It was originally developed as an oral antiviral for COVID-19 and has shown promise against filoviruses, including Bundibugyo virus, in preclinical research.

Trial Began Three Months Ago

Also read: Congo Ebola Cases Top 8,000; Deaths Near 4,000 As Treatment Delays Remain A Concern

The EBO-PEP trial began enrolling participants in July 2026, just after WHO experts recommended obeldesivir. By September 18, more than 200 high-risk participants had enrolled. According to latest numbers, there are now more than 250+ people in the trial.

Gilead donated 2,400 bottles of obeldesivir to support the research. The company also donated remdesivir, which is being made available under a compassionate-use protocol for certain exposed children and pregnant or breastfeeding women who cannot participate in the obeldesivir trial.

The obeldesivir study is separate from the PARTNERS trial, which is testing treatments for people who already have Bundibugyo Ebola disease. That trial is evaluating MBP134, a monoclonal antibody, and remdesivir, including whether the two can be combined to improve survival. WHO launched patient enrolment for the trial in July.

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “Even without approved therapeutics, people are recovering from this disease, but of course, we could save many more lives with safe and effective therapeutics in our toolkit.”

He added, “The PARTNERS trial, established with national authorities and scientific partners in record time, offers real hope that we can deliver concrete results for – and with – the communities at the heart of the outbreak.”

The two trials therefore target different stages of infection. PARTNERS is studying treatment after Ebola develops, while EBO-PEP is asking whether obeldesivir can stop disease from developing after exposure.

Obeldesivir Trial's Goals

Participants are monitored closely to see if symptoms could emerge. The trial's goal is to determine whether people who receive obeldesivir are less likely to develop symptomatic Bundibugyo Ebola disease than those receiving placebo. Researchers will also assess the drug's safety.

The study is being conducted by ALIMA with the Democratic Republic of Congo's National Institute of Biomedical Research and France's ANRS Emerging Infectious Diseases, alongside other national and international partners.

The COVID-19 pandemic may be over, but its health effects continue to be studied. Now, a new study suggests that SARS-CoV-2 infection may be associated with an increased risk of developing six allergic conditions in children and adults.

The study, published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, examined the potential burden of allergic diseases following COVID-19 infection among people aged 1 to 64 years.

Which Allergic Conditions Were Linked To COVID?

Researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study using 1:2 propensity-score matching to assess the association between COVID-19 infection and the development of allergic conditions over 18 months.

The study found that COVID-19 infection was associated with an increased risk of six allergic conditions:

• atopic dermatitis,
• asthma,
• food allergy,
• rhinoconjunctivitis,
• medication allergy
• urticaria (hives).

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Among the active-duty subgroup, asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis were significantly associated with previous COVID-19 infection.

Among children, all the conditions except food allergy showed a significant association with infection.

The researchers also found that higher sponsor rank, evaluated as a potential indicator of socioeconomic status, was associated with a slight protective effect against developing asthma.

What's the Link Between COVID And Allergies?

Researchers from the Division of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, said the findings highlight a potential public health burden from allergic diseases following COVID-19 infection.

They emphasized the importance of monitoring for allergic conditions after infection so they can be identified and treated promptly.

The findings could point toward a possible link between SARS-CoV-2 infection and type 2 inflammation, an immune pathway involved in several allergic diseases.

Further, the researchers explained that SARS-CoV-2 was found to disrupt the immune system and affect multiple organs during and after infection.

This was seen early in the pandemic with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). Later, long COVID emerged, with symptoms including fatigue, persistent cough, breathlessness, nasal congestion, runny nose and rash.

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In a blogpost, Dr. Alan Khadavi, an allergy and asthma specialist in Los Angeles, described that several factors could explain the association between COVID-19 and allergic disease. These include

1. Changes In Type 2 Inflammation

SARS-CoV-2 may alter immune regulation and promote type 2 inflammation, an immune pathway involved in several allergic conditions.

2. Mast Cell Activation

COVID-19 may activate mast cells, which release histamine and other inflammatory chemicals. This can contribute to symptoms such as itching, hives, nasal congestion and wheezing.

3. Respiratory Changes

Inflammation in the nose, sinuses and lungs following COVID-19 could potentially make the respiratory system more sensitive to environmental triggers.

4. Increased Indoor Exposure

Pandemic-related lifestyle changes also increased time spent indoors, potentially increasing exposure to dust mites, pets, mold, cockroach allergens and indoor air pollutants.

Can COVID Make Existing Allergies Worse?

Respiratory viruses are known to trigger asthma flare-ups. According to Dr. Khadavi, COVID-19 could add to this risk because immune changes may persist in some people after infection.

However, the study found an association, not causation. Its retrospective design means it cannot prove that COVID-19 directly causes allergic disease or that type 2 inflammation is the underlying mechanism.