As per the latest data released by Transforming Access to Student Outcomes in Higher Education (TASO) and the Policy Institute at King's College London, the number of UK students reporting mental health difficulties tripled. The estimate reveals that around 300,000 students could now be experiencing mental health struggles. Of the total, 18% of students reported some kind of mental health issue in 2024.

As per the reports, this estimate is triple what was reported in 2017, where it was at 6%. Experts also say that Covid-19 pandemic is "often considered to have contributed to this, it does not explain the ongoing rise in mental health difficulties." Another reason could also be the "changing definition and increasing openness about mental health" which has led to a rise in numbers. The report notes, "This trend pre-dates the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis. Although these factors play a part in students' deteriorating mental health, they cannot therefore be the only explanation."

How Did The Report Conclude?

The report drew data collected over the latest Student Academic Experience Survey of 93,212 students. From the survey, it was found that there exist significant disparities between demographic groups, with women being twice as likely to report mental health difficulties, about 22% as compared to men, at 11%.

What Did The Results Reveal?

The results revealed that students who identified as LGBTQ experienced the highest rates of mental health challenges. This has actually lessened the hope that conditions for LGBTQ students are improving, which may not have been a positive case.

Of them, 42% are bisexual and lesbian students, whereas last year it was 35% and 32% respectively. The report also noted that mental health difficulties among lesbian women and gay men rose three times the rate of straight people, and among bisexual and asexual people, it was twice as high. For trans students, the number jumped from 25% in 2023 to 40% in 2024.

Is The LGBTQ+ Prone To Mental Health Crisis?

As per the Child Mind Institute, being LGBTQ+ does not cause mental health problems, but because these kids often face factors like rejection, discrimination and violence, they are at a higher risk of challenges including depression, anxiety, and even attempting suicide.

A UTAH Health study quotes Anna Docherty, PhD, LP, assistant professor of psychiatry at Huntsman Mental Health Institute that, "likely with any identity, feeling different - or worse, unaccepted as you are is a significant risk factor of mental health struggle." The data reveals that LGBTQ+ teens are six times more likely to experience symptoms of depression than non-LGBTQ+ identifying teens. They are also more than twice as likely to feel suicidal and more than four times as likely to attempt suicide. In the US alone, 48% of transgender adults report that they have considered suicide in the last year, compared to 4% of the overall population.

What Do These Findings Mean?

TASO's academic lead and professor of public policy at King's College London, Michael Sanders said, "LGBTQ students and women bear the brunt of the rise in declining mental health and urgent action is needed to understand and address these trends."

Canada federal government issued an advisory that travellers going to Cuba should aim to prevent mosquito and midges bites, these are the insects transmit chikungunya and Oropouche.

Cuba right now is battling a "surge" of several infectious diseases. This has been the most serious crisis in the recent decades. These infections are chikungunya, dengue, and Oropouche. Hospitals as well as mortuaries are overwhelmed with the number of patients and deceased, noted a peer-review medical journal BMJ, the piece was reported by journalist Luke Taylor.

More than 38,000 suspected cases of diseases were reported, noted the study, spread by different injects, which cause fever and joint pain.

Cuba's Deputy Minister of Public Health Carilda Peña García also confirmed that 12 people have died from dengue and 21 people from chikungunya this year, BMJ reported.

Public health authorities in Cuba are facing criticism for playing down how serious the current surge of illnesses really is. Journalist Taylor cited experts who claimed official figures cannot be fully trusted, with some describing hospitals and funeral homes as overflowing.

In October, Cuban Minister of Public Health José Ángel Portal Miranda acknowledged an increase in disease circulation but suggested it was expected due to summer heat and wet weather. He said these illnesses were neither new nor unusual.

The problem is not limited to Cuba. Countries such as Brazil, Colombia and Peru have also reported spikes in dengue, chikungunya and other mosquito-borne diseases, according to the article.

Canadian travel guidance for Cuba

Canadian authorities have updated travel advisories for Cuba, warning visitors to take extra precautions against mosquito and midge bites. These insects are known to spread diseases such as chikungunya and Oropouche.

Travellers are advised to use approved insect repellents on exposed skin and to wear loose, light-colored clothing made from tightly woven fabrics like nylon or polyester. Hats, socks, closed-toe shoes, long trousers and long-sleeved shirts are also recommended to reduce skin exposure.

Officials also suggest staying in accommodations that limit insect entry, such as rooms with closed windows and air conditioning. In places that are not fully enclosed, using insecticide-treated mosquito nets is advised.

The Canadian government recommends speaking with a healthcare provider at least six weeks before travel to understand potential health risks and necessary precautions. It has also noted that cases of hepatitis A have been reported among travellers returning to Canada.

Read: What Makes Malaria Different From Other Mosquito-borne Diseases?

Dengue vs Chikungunya vs Oropouche

Dengue

Dengue is a type of viral infection most common in tropical and subtropical countries worldwide. The disease is usually transmitted through infected mosquitoes, causing the virus to enter the body of humans upon getting bitten. Some of the common symptoms of dengue include nausea, body aches, rashes, and so on. Upon noticing the symptoms, you must immediately visit the doctor for a prompt diagnosis and treatment.

Chikungunya

Chikungunya virus infection is a disease that spreads to people after they get bitten by infected mosquitoes. An RNA virus from the alphaviruses group is transferred to the vector mosquito. This mosquito then contaminates a healthy individual's blood by feeding on a part of their body.

Oropouche

The oropouche virus is primarily transmitted through the bites of infected midges (tiny flies) and mosquitoes. It shares similarities with other arboviruses like dengue and Zika, causing symptoms such as fever, headache, and muscle aches. In severe cases, the virus can lead to meningitis, an inflammation of the brain's protective membranes.

Trump takes more aspirin than his doctor recommend. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, US President Trump said that he will continue doing it. He claimed that it was not old or deteriorating age, but aspirin that caused the bruising on his hand. He has repeatedly said that his health is in "excellent" condition.

In the interview, he said, "They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood and I don't want thick blood pouring through my heart."

Trump, now, 70, was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a condition that occurs when veins have trouble moving blood back to the heart. He also showed signs of bruising on his hand, which many attributed was a result of frequent handshaking, and to the use of aspirin.

A decade ago, evidence suggested that taking aspirin routinely could lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes in people without heart disease by preventing blood clots. However, three major randomized trials published in 2018 challenged this view, showing limited benefit and a higher risk of serious bleeding and cancer-related deaths, especially gastrointestinal cancers.

“We’ve really changed how we think about and recommend aspirin,” said Dr Alex Krist, a family physician at Virginia Commonwealth University and Inova Health System, who helped update the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s aspirin guidelines in 2022, reported The New York Times.

How Safe Is This Habit Of Taking Aspirin Daily?

Aspirins work by inhibiting the action of platelets, which are the cell fragments that stick together to form clot and prevent bleeding. Clots are in fact the reason of heart attacks. However, at the same time, it is the same anti-clotting effect that causes aspirin to increase the risk of bleeding, a risk that increases with age.

Doctors are most concerned about rapid internal bleeding that can be fatal, such as gastrointestinal bleeding or sudden brain hemorrhages. While the overall risk remains low, recent preventive health recommendations note that it rises with age, especially in adults over 60.

Some studies suggest aspirin may help lower the risk of colorectal cancer, but current evidence is not strong enough to support its use for cancer prevention alone.

Read: Trump Denies Health Concerns, Says Hand Bruise Was Caused By Aspirin

Should You Be Taking Aspirin Daily?

Medical guidelines have shifted on aspirin use, especially for older adults. Groups like the preventive services task force and major heart associations now advise against starting or routinely taking aspirin to prevent heart disease in people over 60 or 70 who have never had a heart attack or stroke. For this group, the bleeding risks often outweigh the benefits.

Daily aspirin is still clearly recommended for people who already have cardiovascular disease, such as those who’ve had a heart attack, an ischemic stroke, or peripheral artery disease. In these cases, aspirin helps prevent another serious event, making the risk–benefit balance more favorable.

Recent health disclosures have shown no history of heart attack or stroke in some high-profile cases, though the presence of arterial plaque alone is fairly common with age and does not automatically justify aspirin use.

For those who do need aspirin to prevent a second heart attack or stroke, the usual dose is a low-dose or “baby” aspirin of 81 milligrams. Higher doses are generally not recommended unless specifically advised.

Aspirin may still be considered for some people under 60 or 70 who have a higher risk of heart disease, but this decision should be made carefully. Factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking history, or a strong family history can influence whether aspirin makes sense for an individual.

Flu cases are surging in the US, and New York has reported the highest number of cases, including hospitalizations recorded in a single week. The state's health department said on Friday. During the week ending December 27, 4,546 people were hospitalized with flu, a 24% increase from the 3,666 who were hospitalized the previous week, as per the data from the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH). This report has come after the State reported a record-breaking number of flu cases in a single week with 72,133 infections during the week ending December 20.

"We are having a more severe flu season than prior years, almost 1,000 more people were admitted to a hospital during this most recent seven-day period compared to the prior week," Dr. James McDonald, the state's health commissioner, said in a statement on Friday.

NYSDOG also issued a declaration last month and stated the influenza is prevalent in New York. This requires health care facilities and agencies to ensure any staff who has not yet received this year's flu vaccine, must wear masks whenever they are in the area with patients.

Will The Old Vaccine Work Against This New Strain?

"The vaccine remains the most effective means to prevent disease. We still want to encourage people to get the vaccine," said Professor Antonia Ho, Professor and Honorary Consultant in Infectious Diseases at the University of Glasgow. Experts have stressed enough on the immunity that one can receive from the vaccine that that these flu jab remain the best defense against the flu, even though the current strain circulated may have drifted away from the strain included in this year's jab.

The flu vaccine is currently also available to New Yorkers who are aged 2 years and older at a health care provider's office or participating pharmacies while children aged 6 months and older can receive the flu vaccine at a health care provider's office, according to the state health department.

Can You Die From Flu?

As per the infectious physician at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, as reported in Scientific American, "Dying from the flu is not like dying from a bullet or a black widow spider bite. The presence of the virus itself isn't going to be what kills you. An infectious disease always has a complex interaction with its host.”

More Updates On Flu Cases

Meanwhile, flu cases are surging across the country. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates at least 7.5 million illnesses, 81,000 hospitalizations and 3,100 flu-related deaths so far this season.

New York is among 20 states reporting “very high” respiratory illness activity, the latest CDC data shows.

Public health experts say a significant share of infections is being driven by a new flu strain known as subclade K, a variant of the H3N2 virus under influenza A. The strain has been circulating internationally since summer and previously fuelled spikes in Canada, Japan and the UK.

CDC testing found that around 92% of flu samples were H3N2, with nearly 90% classified as subclade K.