The current measles outbreak has gripped US states like Texas and New Mexico leaving people worried whether it would become a new pandemic. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services as of February 21, 90 cases were diagnosed in the last month in the South Plains area, with at least 77 of them were reported in children and teens under 17.

Measles is highly contagious and can be deadly. The outbreak, which started spreading in late January, has resulted in multiple hospitalizations, with at least nine confirmed cases and three probable cases as of early February. Health officials caution that at least one in five infected individuals will have to be hospitalized, highlighting the severity of the situation.

Misinformation surrounding vaccines and with the new Trump administration anti-vaccine campaigs, has causing parents to hesitate or refuse vaccination.

Furthermore, the country down under Australia is also witnessing a surge in measles cases as health officials in Sydney have issued an urgent alert, urging residents to watch for measles symptoms after an infected individual visited several places in Sydney over the last seven days.

Authorities report that the traveller had returned from South East Asia where there are ongoing outbreaks of measles.

What Are The Symptoms Measles?

Key symptoms of measles include fever, a runny nose, sore eyes, and a cough. Typically, a red, blotchy rash appears three to four days later, spreading from the head down to the body. Symptoms can manifest between 7 and 18 days after exposure.

Anyone who experiences these symptoms after potential exposure should immediately contact their doctor or emergency department. It is crucial to call ahead before visiting to avoid potentially exposing others in the waiting room. Dr. Selvey also highlighted that ongoing measles outbreaks are occurring in various parts of the world, making awareness and prompt action essential.

Why It Is Important To Get Vaccinated?

According to CDC everyone should get the MMR vaccine. It protects you from measles, mumps, and rubella. Getting vaccinated helps stop these diseases from spreading. There are two safe MMR vaccines available. They work the same way, so it doesn't matter which one you get. Kids can also get a shot that protects against chickenpox too, but this is only for children.

Who Should Get Vaccinated?

Kids Need Two Shots

All children should get two MMR shots. The first shot should be given when they are between 12 and 15 months old. The second shot should be given when they are between 4 and 6 years old. If needed, the second shot can be given earlier, but it must be at least 28 days after the first shot.

College Students Need to Be Protected

Students going to college or other schools after high school, need two shots if they are not already immune. The shots must be at least 28 days apart.

Adults Need at Least One Shot

Most adults need at least one MMR shot. Some adults need two shots, especially those who work in healthcare, travel a lot, or go to college. These people should get two shots, with 28 days between them.

Travelers Need to Be Extra Careful

Anyone traveling to other countries should make sure they are protected. Babies 6 to 11 months old should get one shot before traveling. Kids 12 months and older, teens, and adults need two shots, with 28 days between them.

Healthcare Workers Must Be Immune

People who work in healthcare should have proof that they are immune to measles, mumps, and rubella. If they are not immune, they need two MMR shots, spaced 28 days apart.

Women Thinking About Having Babies

Women who might get pregnant should talk to their doctor about the MMR vaccine. It's safe to get the shot while breastfeeding.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved pirtobrutinib as a first-line treatment for adults with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) who do not have a known deletion of chromosome 17p.

The approval expands the use of the targeted cancer drug, which was previously approved for certain patients whose CLL or SLL had returned or stopped responding to earlier treatment. It is developed by Eli Lilly and Company and will be sold under the brand name Jaypirca.

More About Pirtobrutinib

CLL is a type of blood cancer in which the bone marrow produces too many abnormal B lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. These abnormal cells can build up in the blood, bone marrow and lymph nodes.

SLL is closely associated with CLL, but the cancer cells are found mainly in the lymph nodes. CLL can progress slowly in some people, while others may develop more aggressive disease.

Pirtobrutinib is a Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, a type of targeted therapy. BTK is a protein that helps B cells receive signals needed for their growth and survival. By blocking BTK, pirtobrutinib interferes with signals that cancerous B cells depend on.

Unlike older covalent BTK inhibitors, pirtobrutinib is a non-covalent, reversible BTK inhibitor, meaning it binds to BTK differently.

A dose of 200 mg once a day is recommended for newly diagnosed patients covered by this approval. It should be taken until the cancer progresses or side effects become severe.

Also read: 2 Indians Charged In US Over Fake Ozempic Scheme: How To Spot Counterfeit GLP-1 Drugs

Findings From Pirtobrutinib's Trial

The FDA based its decision on the BRUIN CLL-313 trial, which included 282 adults with previously untreated CLL or SLL without a 17p deletion.

Participants were randomly assigned to receive either pirtobrutinib or the chemotherapy combination bendamustine plus rituximab.

After a median follow-up of 28 months, the median progression-free survival could not yet be calculated for patients receiving pirtobrutinib because enough disease-progressing events had not occurred. In the bendamustine-rituximab group, median progression-free survival was 33.5 months.

The risk of disease progression or death was 80% lower with pirtobrutinib than with bendamustine plus rituximab in the trial, based on the reported hazard ratio of 0.20.

However, overall survival data are still not 100% reliable. There were 13 deaths at the time of the primary analysis - three in the pirtobrutinib group and 10 in the comparison group.

Also read: 21% In 80 Weeks: Lancet Study Finds Lilly’s Retatrutide Delivers One Of The Biggest Weight Losses Ever

Pirtobrutinib's Side Effects

The most common non-laboratory side effects reported with pirtobrutinib included:

• Upper respiratory tract infections
• Rash
• COVID-19

According to the FDA, side effects also include infections, bleeding, reduced blood cell counts, abnormal heart rhythms, other cancers, liver toxicity and harm to an unborn baby. Serious adverse reactions occurred in 28% of patients receiving pirtobrutinib in the trial.

The approval gives eligible people with previously untreated CLL or SLL another targeted treatment option that can be taken as a daily oral medicine.

Jennifer A. Woyach, MD, director of the Division of Hematology at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, said, “This approval is grounded in data from BRUIN CLL-313, which showed a significant delay in disease progression for pirtobrutinib compared to chemoimmunotherapy, along with safety and tolerability consistent with its established profile.”

The FDA's decision applies specifically to adults with previously untreated CLL or SLL without a known 17p deletion. It therefore does not mean that pirtobrutinib is automatically the first treatment for every person newly diagnosed with CLL.

UK hospitals are seeing an increase in COVID-19 activity as the SARS-CoV-2 XFG variant, dubbed “American Covid” or “Stratus,” circulates in the country.

According to the latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), COVID positivity in hospital settings increased from 5.9% to 7.0%. The weekly hospital admission rate also rose from 0.81 to 1.20 per 100,000, an increase of about 48%.

London recorded the highest increase among regions, with its COVID hospital admission rate rising by 79%.

More than half of the sequenced positive samples were reported to be XFG. Among people aged over 85, hospital admission rates increased from 7.08 to 12.43 per 100,000.

However, the true number of infections could be higher because fewer people are testing for COVID-19 than during the pandemic.

Also read: Flu 2026: Symptoms To Watch For As New Season Begins

What Is the XFG Variant?

XFG is a recombinant SARS-CoV-2 variant formed from Omicron subvariants LF.7 and LP.8.1.2. The WHO records the earliest documented XFG sample on January 27, 2025, and designated it a variant under monitoring in June 2025.

The variant has since been detected in multiple countries and remains among the SARS-CoV-2 variants being monitored by WHO.

What Are the Symptoms of XFG?

COVID symptoms can vary between individuals. Reported symptoms associated with the current circulation of XFG include:

• Cough

• Fever

• Sore throat

• Headache

• Runny nose

• Fatigue

Some people may also experience muscle and joint aches, gastrointestinal symptoms as well as eye or chest infections, while others may have no symptoms.

London GP Dr Renée Hoenderkamp has highlighted symptoms including sore throat, headache, runny nose, fatigue and flu-like aches, Daily Mail reported.

Read More: WHO Sets 2027 Flu Vaccine Strains; US States Can Now Order Free COVID Shots For Kids

Does XFG Cause More Severe Disease?

There is currently no evidence that the variants circulating in the UK are causing more severe disease.

“There is no evidence that variants currently circulating in the UK are causing more severe disease,” Dr Siggins said. “However, COVID can still cause serious illness in those at greatest risk.”

The latest available figures cited in reports recorded seven deaths involving COVID in England in the week ending August 28, compared with six the previous week.

Older adults and people with underlying conditions remain more vulnerable to severe COVID.

How Worried Should We Be?

The current increase is not comparable with the waves seen during the height of the COVID pandemic. UKHSA classifies the current hospital admission rate as being at a baseline level.

“COVID is increasing, but from a low level, which is not unexpected at this time of year,” said Dr Matthew Siggins, lecturer in immunity and infection biology at the University of Surrey, according to reports.

WHO has assessed the additional public health risk posed by XFG as low at the global level. Current evidence does not indicate that XFG causes more severe illness or deaths than other circulating variants.

How Can You Protect Yourself?

People who develop a high temperature or feel particularly unwell should stay home and avoid contact with others while they recover.

People eligible for the autumn COVID vaccination are advised to get vaccinated to maintain protection against serious illness.

Most people have some immunity from previous infection, vaccination or both. However, immunity may decline over time and does not always prevent infection. Protection against severe disease is generally stronger.

WHO has said currently approved COVID vaccines are expected to continue providing protection against symptomatic and severe disease from XFG.

Robotic technology is set to become an accelerating tool across every specialty of medicine, covering diagnostics, treatment and therapy in India, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh said.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the International Conference of the Society of Robotic Surgery in New Delhi, Singh said robotics should not be viewed as technology limited to surgery but as a tool that could increasingly be used across different branches of medicine.

“It’s a tool. It will happen everywhere,” he said, adding that the future could see the emergence of robotic medicine, robotic endocrinology and robotic cardiology, just as AI is finding applications across medical specialties.

Robotics, AI and Precision Medicine

Singh said robotics, artificial intelligence (AI) and nanoscience could create a larger ecosystem for precision health delivery and precision medicine.

Emerging technologies, he said, could enable increasingly personalized healthcare based on an individual's genetic profile, environmental conditions, lifestyle and dietary patterns.

He said the next phase of medicine could see greater use of genetically driven diagnostics alongside advances in quantum technologies, nanomedicine, AI and robotics.

Gene Sequencing for Every Newborn

Singh also expressed a desire to launch gene sequencing for every newborn. Referring to the Genome India Program, he said 10,000 individuals have already been sequenced and that AI and robotics could support detailed genetic sequencing across India's population of 1.4 billion.

He also highlighted the potential of tele-robotics, sharing his experience of performing an ultrasound on a person located 10,000 kilometers away in Antarctica.

How Robotics Is Changing Surgery

The shift toward robotic medicine is already visible in surgery. AIIMS experts recently explained how robotic technology is changing gallbladder surgery, building on the transition from open surgery to laparoscopy and now robotic-assisted procedures.

Professor Hemanga K Bhattacharjee, Department of Surgical Disciplines, AIIMS New Delhi, said inflammation, adhesions, scarring and unexpected anatomy can make gallbladder surgery difficult.

“What the surgeon encounters once the procedure begins can be very different from what was expected. In such situations, robotic-assisted surgery can be an ideal option, as the enhanced visualization and instrument control can help the surgeon navigate difficult anatomy with greater precision,” Bhattacharjee said.

The AIIMS Department of Surgical Disciplines uses the da Vinci robotic system, which provides a high-definition 3D view and wristed instruments for controlled movements. The department has performed more than 1,500 robot-assisted surgeries across specialties, according to hospital authorities.

Will Robotics Replace Laparoscopy?

Dr. Sunil Chumber, Head of the Department of Surgical Disciplines at AIIMS, Delhi, has worked through the evolution from open surgery and mini-laparotomy to laparoscopy and robotic-assisted surgery.

He described robotic-assisted surgery as “a significant step forward” and said he considers it “a superior surgical platform” based on his experience.

“My expectation is that, eventually, gallbladder surgery will be performed robotically and conventional laparoscopy will be phased out,” Chumber said.

“Every generation of surgery builds on what came before it. Laparoscopy was a major advancement in its time, but having worked with robotic-assisted surgery, I believe robotics is the next step in that evolution.”