Credit: Canva
Low-dose CT chest scans could help detect pneumonia in at-risk patients while exposing them to only small amounts of radiation, a new study has found. The research, published in Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging, shows that ultra-low-dose scans can effectively detect pneumonia in patients with compromised immune systems, enabling doctors to treat the infection before it becomes life-threatening. According to the researchers, these scans expose patients to just 2% of the radiation dose used in a standard CT scan.
"This study paves the way for safer, AI-driven imaging that reduces radiation exposure while preserving diagnostic accuracy,” lead researcher Dr Maximiliano Klug, a radiologist with the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel, said in a news release. He added that CT scans are the gold standard for detecting pneumonia but there are concerns regarding the risk posed by repeated exposure to radiation. There is a solution- ultra-low-dose CT scan. However, the problem is that these scans can be grainy and hard to read, researchers said.
Study Gives Solution To This
To overcome that, Klug's team developed an AI program that could help "de-noise" low-dose scans, making them sharper and easier to read. Between September 2020 and December 2022, 54 patients with compromised immune systems who had fevers underwent a pair of chest CT scans -- a normal dose scan and an ultra-low-dose scan. The AI program cleaned up the low-dose scan, and then both sets of images were given to a pair of radiologists for assessment. Radiologists had 100% accuracy in detecting pneumonia and other lung problems with the AI-cleaned low-dose scans, but 91% to 98% accuracy in examining the scans that hadn’t been improved through AI, results show.
"This pilot study identified infection with a fraction of the radiation dose," Klug said. "This approach could drive larger studies and ultimately reshape clinical guidelines, making denoised ultra-low dose CT the new standard for young immunocompromised patients.
How Can You Detect Pneumonia?
Pneumonia is a lung infection that causes the air sacs in the lungs to fill with fluid or pus and can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. The symptoms can range from milk to severe, which includes:
Coughing with or without cough
Fever
Chills
Trouble breathing
Chest pain, especially when breathing deeply or coughing
Sweating or chills
Rapid heart rate
Loss of appetite
Bluish skin, lips, and nails
Confusion.
How to detect Pneumonia in coughing newborns and toddlers?
Pneumonia can severely affect newborns and young children as their lungs are comparatively more sensitive. As per Dr Goyal, young children can cough for various reasons including seasonal infections and tonsillitis, which is very common in this age group. But if they look visibly irritable and have poor sleep patterns, then parents must reach out to an expert. "I am not saying that parents must visit a hospital but any local paediatrician would be able to detect pneumonia in your kid.
Credit: Instagram
Last week, biohacker and longevity entrepreneur Bryan Johnson shared a shocking health update with his followers. He said that he has been diagnosed with Autoimmune Gastritis (AIG), a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the stomach lining. In an X post, he said, “My stomach is eating itself.”
After his post received millions of reactions, he shared his ambitious plan to treat his autoimmune gastritis.
One of the most unusual aspects of Bryan’s AIG treatment plan is creating a miniature version of his immune system called ‘Bryan In A Dish'. He said that scientists will collect and cryopreserve (freeze) a large sample of his immune cells for two purposes.
First, researchers plan to recreate a miniature version of Johnson's immune system in a laboratory dish. This living model would allow scientists to test experimental drugs and personalized therapies directly on his own immune cells before administering them to him, potentially reducing risks while helping identify the most promising treatment.
Second, the frozen cells could preserve cellular material that may support future targeted rejuvenation or precision medicine therapies.
While scientists have long used “disease-in-a-dish" models to study diseases and drugs, Bryan’s “Bryan in a dish” goes a step further by creating a personalized immune system model using his own preserved cells to test experimental autoimmune treatments before they are used in his body.
Also read: At 2026 NATO Summit, Trump's Neck Rash and Bruised Hand Draw Attention; White House Responds
Other steps in his plan includes:
Johnson plans to sequence one million of his immune cells to identify the specific T-cells that are mistakenly attacking his stomach lining.
He will undergo another stomach biopsy to collect live tissue, allowing researchers to match the harmful T-cells with the immune cell mapping data.
Johnson intends to have blood tests every two weeks and combine the results with wearable health data to detect disease flare-ups before symptoms appear. He said that this is essential as the condition presents without any symptoms.
After identifying the rogue immune cells, researchers will test personalized treatments designed to stop only those harmful cells while preserving the healthy immune system.
Despite years of optimizing his body, Bryan’s Johnson’s autoimmune gastritis diagnosis shocked the internet. While his strict routines, meticulous diet, and million-dollar anti-ageing protocol continue to inspire millions, they also receive equal amounts of skepticism and criticism.
Johnson recently revealed that he had struggled with persistently low iron for nearly 11 years, despite taking supplements.
He said that a detailed evaluation confirmed autoimmune gastritis, an illness that damages the acid-producing cells of the stomach. The condition can impair absorption of iron and vitamin B12 and may increase the long-term risk of gastric cancer.
He also disclosed that he has autoimmune thyroid disease, suggesting that multiple autoimmune conditions may be interconnected in his case.
Credit: AI
Health officials in the United States are urging residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites after West Nile virus (WNV) was detected in mosquitoes in Grant Park, Fulton County, Georgia, marking the region’s first confirmed detection of the season.
The discovery has prompted local health authorities to increase mosquito surveillance and control measures while reminding the public that preventing mosquito bites remains the best defense against infection.
The latest detection comes amid an early arrival of West Nile virus season in the U.S. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 56 human cases of West Nile virus disease had been reported nationwide as of July 7, 2026, with broader virus activity detected in mosquitoes, birds or animals across multiple states.
Although no human cases have been linked to the Fulton County detection so far, finding the virus in mosquitoes serves as an important early warning. Mosquito surveillance allows public health officials to identify where the virus is circulating before people become ill.
Once infected mosquitoes are detected, authorities can increase larviciding and spraying operations, monitor mosquito populations more closely, and alert residents to reduce their risk of exposure.
Similar detections have also been reported in other parts of the country in recent days. Connecticut recently confirmed its first West Nile virus-positive mosquitoes of the year, while Texas reported its first human case of neuroinvasive West Nile virus after weeks of detecting infected mosquito samples.
West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne virus that belongs to the flavivirus family, the same group that includes the viruses causing Dengue fever, Zika virus disease, Yellow fever, and Japanese encephalitis.
It is primarily spread through the bite of an infected Culex mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected after feeding on infected birds, which are the virus's first host. About 80% infected with West Nile virus have no symptoms. About 20% develop West Nile fever.
Its common symptoms include:
Also read: Shingles Vaccine May Help Fight Dementia, Suggest Studies
The disease could become serious in a few infected people who may develop its neuroinvasive disease. The symptoms of severe West Nile virus include most of the commons ones as well as:
Authorities stress that there is currently no human vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for West Nile virus. Prevention, therefore, depends largely on avoiding mosquito bites and reducing mosquito breeding sites.
Officials recommend that residents:
Credit: @AyushmanNHA/X
India's flagship health insurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), which covers more than 62 crore people, could soon offer higher financial protection if a key parliamentary recommendation is accepted.
A Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare has recommended increasing the insurance cover under PM-JAY from the current Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, according to a report by The Times of India.
The committee said the existing coverage is inadequate to meet the cost of several life-saving treatments, including liver transplants, complex cardiac surgeries, and immunotherapy.
The panel has proposed:
To improve the efficiency of the scheme, the committee also recommended:
Launched in September 2018, Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) is the world's largest government-funded health assurance program.
The scheme currently provides Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization, covering around 12 crore families, representing the bottom 40 per cent of India's population.
It was later expanded to include around 6 crore senior citizens aged 70 years and above from 4.5 crore families, irrespective of their socio-economic status. The scheme also covers poor and vulnerable families, as well as gig and platform workers.
Last month, West Bengal became the 36th state to implement the Centre's flagship health insurance scheme.
Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda recently said one of the government's biggest achievements has been reducing out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure, which has fallen from 64.6 per cent before 2018 to 43.4 per cent. He added that AB PM-JAY has enabled timely access to quality healthcare through a cashless, paperless, and fully digital platform.
According to the government, the scheme has achieved the following milestones:
In March, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told Parliament that the government aims to achieve universal health coverage by 2033.
Addressing the Rajya Sabha, she said health insurance has become a priority area for the government, with the sector covering 58 crore lives during 2024-25, according to news agency PTI.
"Health insurance is a priority for this government. In fact, we are hoping that by 2033 we will have insurance cover for all," Sitharaman said.
© 2024 Bennett, Coleman & Company Limited