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.

With Christmas only a week away, doctors are raising alarms over a growing “tripledemic” spreading across New York. Data shared by Northwell Health on Long Island shows a worrying rise across the state. RSV cases have increased by 35 percent, COVID cases by 15 percent, and flu has surged the most, with hospital admissions jumping 75 percent in just one week.

Flu Rising Faster This Year Compared To 2024, Doctors Say

The festive season often brings family gatherings and travel, but it also creates the perfect setting for respiratory viruses to spread. In New York, flu, RSV and COVID cases have climbed steadily since Thanksgiving, and doctors believe numbers will continue to rise through the holidays. “Flu is increasing much faster than what we saw last year,” said Dwayne Breining, senior vice president of lab services at Northwell Health. Speaking to ABC News, Farber added that he has not seen deaths among vaccinated patients, while many severe cases involved people who were unvaccinated.

Flu season usually lasts until early spring, which means doctors say getting vaccinated now can still offer protection. Health experts also emphasise simple but effective habits such as washing hands regularly, wearing a mask if unwell, and skipping holiday events when sick to reduce the risk of spreading infections.

Flu Symptoms You Need To Take Note Of

Common flu symptoms include a sudden fever, chills, muscle pain, headache, extreme tiredness, cough, sore throat, and a blocked or runny nose, often appearing quickly. In some cases, especially among children, vomiting or diarrhoea may also occur. Emergency warning signs include difficulty breathing, chest pain, severe dizziness, confusion, or symptoms that seem to improve but then return and worsen. These signs need urgent medical care, according to the CDC.

What Is H3N2 Subclade K?

H3N2 Subclade K is a more altered version of the influenza A (H3N2) virus, a strain already linked to more severe illness compared to others. A subclade signals genetic changes in the virus, which may help it spread more easily or partially evade immunity gained from past infections or vaccinations.

What Is RSV?

RSV, short for Respiratory Syncytial Virus, is a highly contagious virus that commonly causes respiratory infections. While it often feels like a mild cold, it can lead to serious breathing issues in infants, older adults, and people with weakened immunity. The virus affects the nose, throat and lungs. Most children catch RSV by the age of two, but repeat infections are common. Symptoms include cough, runny nose, fever and wheezing, and medical help is needed if breathing becomes difficult.

Nearly 5 Million Flu Illnesses Reported So Far Nationally

New York City is currently reporting some of the highest flu-like illness levels in the country. States such as Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island and Texas are seeing moderate respiratory illness activity. All other states remain at low or very low levels. The CDC estimates that this flu season has already resulted in at least 4.6 million illnesses, around 49,000 hospitalisations and approximately 1,900 deaths nationwide.

"So, I am in New Delhi, India, and the air quality is over 750. It is the equivalent of smoking 18 cigarettes a day," says Alex, a British travel vlogger in a video uploaded seven days ago on Instagram. He calls the current situation in health a public health emergency. In the video, he walks around the city wearing an N-95 mask and says, "It is super sad. I cannot even see 50 meters in front of me. That is how bad the air quality is in Delhi."

Read: Breathing Delhi's Toxic Air Is Like Smoking 20 Cigarettes A Day, According To Pulmonologist

As of Monday 7am, the city's average AQI remains under the "very poor" category, with the reading of 366 as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Seven areas slip under the 'severe' zone, with Narela recording the worst AQI of 418.

As per the CPCB, AQI between 0 to 50 is good, 51 to 100 is satisfactory, 101 to 200 is moderate, 201 to 300 is poor, 301 to 400 is very poor and 401 to 500 is severe.

Impact Of Toxic Air On Its Population

Not just Delhi, but several other metro cities too have recorded a worsening in its air quality levels, in this backdrop, a Lancet study revealed that due to long-term air pollution exposure in India, every year, 1.5 million deaths occur. The study noted that every 10μg/m³ increase in annual PM2·5 concentration was associated with an 8.6 pc higher risk of all-cause mortality.

Using India’s National Ambient Air Quality Standards, researchers estimate that about 3.8 million deaths between 2009 and 2019 were linked to PM2.5 exposure. When WHO guidelines were applied, the number rose sharply to 16.6 million, nearly one-fourth of all deaths in the country. The analysis relied on advanced causal methods and high-resolution models that mapped district-level PM2.5 exposure across India, while accounting for factors such as socioeconomic status, age distribution, and indoor air pollution.

Also Read: 'No Direct Link Between Lung Disease And Air Pollution,' Says Minister; But Studies Say Something Else

These findings are backed by a 2017 time-series study from Delhi that examined the short-term impact of air pollution on deaths from natural causes. The researchers pointed out that studies worldwide have consistently shown a clear link between common urban air pollutants and harmful health effects. Despite Delhi’s well-documented air quality crisis, they noted that limited local evidence on how specific pollutants affect health had long slowed meaningful policy action.

Furthermore, several other studies also reveal the impact of toxic air on different organs of the body, including lungs causing respiratory illness, as well as increasing the risk of dysmenorrhea in women.

A study published in Frontiers in Public Health, explored the data of 2,96,078 women and girls between the age of 16 to 55 years in Taiwan and correlated it with the long-term air pollution data between 2000 and 2013. None of these women had any history of dysmenorrhea before the survey had began.

Another 2017 study titled Pulmonary Health Effects of Air Pollution, it is clear that lung cancer could be exacerbated due to exposure to a variety of environmental air pollutants with greatest effects due to particulate matter (PM), ozone, and nitrogen oxides.

Delhi's Toxic Air Should Concern All

As of now, the air that we breathe in Delhi contains the same chemicals that are present in a cigarette. These chemicals include carbon monoxide, benzene, cadmium, formaldehyde, and benzopyrene.

Also Read: Simple Blood Tests Detecting Multiple Cancer; Do They Really Work?

Flu cases in the US has touched almost the 5 million mark, as per the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). New York City has seen the highest levels of flu-like activity, revealed the data. Among the other states are Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Texas. All these states noted a "moderate" level of flu-like or respiratory illnesses, while rest of the states remain in "low" or "very low" levels of flu-like activities.

Also Read: Simple Blood Tests Detecting Multiple Cancer; Do They Really Work?

What Does The CDC Data Reveal In Flu Cases?

As per the CDC data, there have been at least 4.6 million illnesses, with 49,000 hospitalization, and 1,900 deaths so far by flu in this season. These cases of flu are linked with the new variant known as the subclade K. CDC notes that among the samples sent to it, of the over 900 of them, 0-% were A(H3N2), of those that had further testing, nearly 90% of them were subclade K.

The CDC also notes that this mutant is a mismatch from the season's flu vaccine composition, however, according to experts the vaccine is still useful as the first line of defense against flu, including to avoid any severe illness, hospitalization, and or death.

John Brownstein, an epidemiologist told the ABC News, "Even with this new variant and some mismatch with the vaccine, getting a flu shot is still absolutely worth it. The vaccine continues to provide strong protection against severe outcomes like hospitalization and death, and that’s especially important as flu activity ramps up."

Flu Deaths In Children

Two pediatric flu deaths were reported this week, which brought the total number three to this season. Last season, there were 288, the same as the number in 2009 during the H1N1 pandemic, It is the highest levels since 2004. It was in that year when flu child deaths became mandatory for states to report to CDC.

Also Read: Using An Air Purifier At Home? Pulmonologist Warns These 5 Common Mistakes Could Put Your Lungs At Risk

The CDC found that about 90% of children who died from flu last season were not vaccination. The CDC study found that flu vaccination among kids have dropped 10% points lower than the pre-pandemic levels, with about only 40% of children getting the flu shot this season.

As of now, around 140 million doses of flu have been distributed, whereas last year, it was 128 million. The CDC also notes that anyone over the age of 6 months must get their annual flu shot. It is never too late to get the vaccine, note the experts.

Brownstein also notes: "This is the time of year when flu typically starts to take off, and we expect activity to continue increasing in the weeks ahead. As people gather indoors and travel more around the holidays, those conditions can accelerate spread."

H3N2 Symptoms

• High fever (often above 101°F)
• Severe body aches and muscle pain
• Extreme tiredness that lasts longer
• Dry cough that can be persistent
• Headache
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea (especially in children)

The recovery time of any influenza could last up to 5 to 14 days, the key is to monitor breathing patterns and avoid over medication.