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.

The “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement, led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., played a key role in helping Donald Trump win the presidency in 2024. Two years later, it faces growing political opposition, with Democrats challenging the Trump administration’s healthcare policies and Kennedy’s approach to public health.

In a historic shift in the balance of power, the Democratic Party has won control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in the 3 November 2026 midterm elections, delivering a major setback to Trump and the Republican Party. The results gives Democrats greater scope to scrutinise and reverse the administration’s healthcare agenda, including Medicaid funding, federal health agency budgets and vaccine policies.

However, their ability to reverse existing policies will be constrained by presidential veto powers and the 60 Senate votes generally needed to overcome a filibuster. The new Congress is expected to take office in January 2027.

What Were The Key Healthcare Issues In The 2026 US Midterms?

Also read: 2026 US Election Results: What Annie Andrews And Amy Acton’s Wins Could Mean For Healthcare In America

• Healthcare costs: Rising insurance premiums, medical bills and prescription drug prices remained major concerns for voters.
• Medicaid: Funding changes and proposed work requirements raised concerns about millions potentially losing health coverage.
• Abortion rights: Ballot measures in Idaho, Nevada, Virginia and Missouri brought reproductive rights and access to abortion care into focus.
• Measles and vaccines: The US reported 4,852 confirmed measles cases across 47 jurisdictions as of October 29, 2026. Falling childhood vaccination coverage and changes to federal vaccine recommendations added to concerns.
• Prescription drug prices: Medicare drug price negotiations, Republican drug-pricing initiatives and rising spending on GLP-1 medications featured in the healthcare affordability debate.

Healthcare Candidates Who Won and Lost

More than 100 doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals entered the 2026 US elections, in what was described as an unprecedented wave of candidates healthcare backgrounds.

Several Democratic candidates with healthcare and public health backgrounds secured major victories. These included:

• Dr. Annie Andrews: A practising paediatrician who defeated Darline Graham in South Carolina, becoming the first woman doctor elected to the US Senate.
• Dr. Amy Acton: A preventive medicine specialist and former director of the Ohio Department of Health who won the Ohio gubernatorial race.
• Dr. Abdul El-Sayed: An epidemiologist and former director of Detroit’s public health department who defeated Mike Rogers in Michigan’s Senate race.
• Xavier Becerra: The former US Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary under the Biden administration who won the California gubernatorial race.

Read More: US Midterms: Where Did Voters Support Abortion Rights And Where Did They Reject Them?

At the same time, several Republican candidates associated with healthcare and the MAHA movement also faced defeats. They included:

• Sen. Roger Marshall: An obstetrician-gynaecologist and founding member of the congressional MAHA Caucus who lost his Senate re-election bid in Kansas to Adam Hamilton.
• Zach Lahn: A prominent MAHA supporter who lost the Iowa gubernatorial race to Democrat Rob Sand.
• Vivek Ramaswamy: A former biotechnology executive who lost the Ohio gubernatorial race to Dr. Amy Acton.
• Rick Jackson: The founder and CEO of Jackson Healthcare who lost the Georgia gubernatorial race to Keisha Lance Bottoms.

Why RFK Jr.’s MAHA Movement Became An Election Issue

The MAHA movement, which promised to tackle chronic diseases and reform America's healthcare system, has faced criticism over Kennedy's approach to vaccines and public health. Changes to federal vaccine recommendations have become contentious amid a measles resurgence threatening the US' measles elimination status.

Pennsylvania reported 1,426 measles cases and five associated deaths as of October 30, 2026, its first measles fatalities in 35 years. The outbreak also triggered a public dispute between Kennedy and Governor Josh Shapiro over the deaths and claims about fetal tissue used in developing the MMR vaccine.

Beyond vaccines, MAHA's push to address ultra-processed foods, food additives and pesticides such as glyphosate has faced criticism over delays and concerns about corporate influence on food policy.

Autism has also emerged as a contentious issue. Trump's and Kennedy's September 2025 announcement on investigating possible autism causes, including a proposed link with acetaminophen use during pregnancy, and the CDC's July 2026 revision questioning the established scientific position on vaccines and autism drew criticism from health experts. Extensive evidence has found no causal link between vaccines and autism.

Looking ahead, Democratic lawmakers could use their control of Congress to scrutinise Kennedy's public health policies, demand scientific evidence behind federal health decisions and push for greater investment in vaccination and disease prevention programmes.

What Could Democratic Control Mean For Vaccine Policy?

Trump's changes to childhood vaccination recommendations could become a focus of congressional scrutiny. In August 2026, he signed an executive order recommending separate MMR shots once individual vaccines become available and separate appointments for childhood vaccinations, where feasible.

Healthcare professionals have warned that additional injections and appointments could complicate vaccination for families and increase the risk of delayed or missed doses.

The administration has also moved away from the universal hepatitis B birth-dose recommendation. Under revised CDC guidance adopted in December 2025, parents of infants born to mothers who test negative can decide with healthcare providers whether to administer the vaccine at birth or begin the series later.

Democrats could hold hearings and investigate changes to CDC vaccine recommendations, the restructuring of its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and the removal of vaccine experts from advisory panels. They could also scrutinise staffing and funding changes at federal health agencies.

However, congressional oversight does not automatically allow Democrats to reverse executive decisions or remove Kennedy as HHS secretary. Their influence will depend on their ability to pass legislation, shape federal funding and secure support for changes to the administration's healthcare policies.

One of the central healthcare issues surrounding the November 3 US midterm elections were abortion rights.

Voters in Virginia, Nevada and Missouri supported measures that protect access to abortion, while voters in Idaho voters rejected a proposal that could have formed new policies for reproductive healthcare freedom.

The results show how differently abortion access is being shaped across states after the US Supreme Court decided to overturn the constitutional right in 2022.

When Abortion Became A State-Level Issue In The US?

In 1973, the US Supreme Court recognised a constitutional right to abortion access in its landmark Roe v. Wade ruling. This meant states could not ban abortion before fetal viability, which is the point at which a foetus can survive outside the uterus.

That changed in June 2022, when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade through its ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

The decision removed the federal constitutional protection and granted significant authority to regulate abortion rights to individual states.

Since then, US states have adopted different laws to control abortion rights. Some have introduced near-total bans, while others have added constitutional protections for abortion and enabled reproductive healthcare.

Also read: 2026 US Election Results: What Annie Andrews And Amy Acton’s Wins Could Mean For Healthcare In America

Virginia Voters Approve Constitutional Protection For Abortion

Virginia voters approved Question 1, a constitutional amendment protecting reproductive freedom, which includes access to abortion, contraception, prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, miscarriage management and fertility treatment.

The amendment also protects patients and healthcare professionals from punishment for their decisions related to reproductive healthcare.

It allows the state to regulate abortion during the third trimester, while granting exceptions when the pregnant person's health is at risk.

This has cemented Virginia's position as a pro-choice state, protecting reproductive healthcare access, particularly in the South, where several other states have imposed strict abortion regulations. The amendment is expected to take effect on January 1, 2027.

Also read: US Midterms 2026: 125 Doctors, Nurses And Health Experts Join Election Battle

Nevada Voters Supported Abortion Protection

Nevada voters approved Question 6, a measure that establishes constitutional right to abortion until fetal viability. After that point, abortion would remain permitted when necessary to protect the pregnant person's life or health.

The measure had also received voter approval in 2024. Nevada requires constitutional amendments to be approved in two successive elections before they can become part of the state constitution. The latest vote therefore clears the second hurdle.

Abortion was already legal in Nevada up to 24 weeks under a state law approved by voters in 1990. Question 6 provides an additional layer of protection by placing abortion rights in the state constitution, making them harder to change in the future.

Also read: US Midterm Elections 2026: Abortion, Medicaid, Measles And Healthcare Issues At Stake

Missouri Voters Reject Attempt To Roll Back Abortion Protections

Missouri voters rejected Amendment 3, which sought to repeal reproductive freedom protections approved by voters in 2024.

The proposed amendment would have significantly restricted abortion access, allowing it in very limited circumstances involving medical emergencies, fetal anomalies, and pregnancies resulting from rape or incest within the first 12 weeks.

With approximately 55% voting against the measure, the 2024 constitutional protections remain in place.

The result marks a second significant vote on abortion rights in Missouri in two years. In 2024, voters had approved the constitutional amendment that helped overturn the state's near-total abortion ban.

Idaho Voters Reject Proposal That Support Reproductive Freedom

Idaho voters rejected Proposition 1, which would have established a statutory right to make reproductive healthcare decisions, including abortion until fetal viability.

The proposal also covered contraception, fertility treatment, pregnancy-related care, childbirth and miscarriage treatment. It sought to create exceptions to the state's near-total abortion ban.

According to reports 55.4% voted against the measure and 44.6% voted in favour after about 85% of votes had been counted. With the proposal defeated, Idaho's existing near-total abortion ban remains in place.

The results do not just affect if abortion is legally available in a state, they also shape how patients and doctors navigate pregnancy healthcare. Restrictions can create uncertainty for doctors, especially when a pregnancy threatens a patient's health but does not clearly meet the legal definition of an emergency. This can affect time-sensitive treatment decisions related miscarriage management.

The climate crisis is also a major health crisis, but six proven measures could help prevent 1.6 million deaths every year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

A new WHO report, released ahead of COP31, highlights six climate and health interventions that could save lives while delivering trillions of dollars in economic and fiscal benefits.

“The climate crisis is a health crisis, but much of the harm it causes can be prevented with tools we already have,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

“This report shows that scaling up proven, affordable actions could save millions of lives, with the greatest gains in the countries that need them most. As governments prepare for the next round of climate negotiations, protecting health must be at the centre of climate action,” he added.

What Are The 6 Measures That Could Save 1.6 Million Lives?

Also read: Big Lancet Report: Heat-Related Deaths Rise 36% Since Paris Climate Agreement, Global Warming Blamed

The report estimates that scaling up the six actions globally could prevent 1.6 million deaths annually, equivalent to one in every 40 deaths, based on modelled projections.

The six measures include:

• Heat-health warning systems
• Climate-resilient drinking-water services
• Basic sanitation services
• Hygiene and handwashing facilities
• Cleaner household fuels and technologies for cooking and heating
• Efficient fossil fuel pricing policies

Together, these actions could also help avoid 16.7 billion tonnes of CO₂ emissions, equivalent to 31% of global annual greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use, land-use change and forestry.

6 Climate Actions Could Deliver Trillions In Economic Benefits

Read More: Climate Change And Gut Health: How Heat, Drought And Unsafe Water Raise Risks, Global Experts Warn

Heat-health warning systems were the most cost-beneficial intervention assessed, generating an estimated US$835 in benefits for every US$1 invested. However, estimates varied across different scenarios and sensitivity analyses, ranging from US$364 to US$1,272 for every US$1 invested, the WHO said

Meanwhile, efficient fossil fuel pricing policies were estimated to deliver the largest overall economic welfare benefits, at US$3,041.10 billion. Estimates across different scenarios and sensitivity analyses ranged from US$690.59 billion to US$5,342.64 billion.

These policies were also projected to generate US$5,440.93 billion in fiscal benefits, with estimates ranging from US$3,442.96 billion to US$5,440.93 billion, the WHO said. The policies are also estimated to prevent 1.2 million deaths annually.

COP31: Health To Be A Key Focus

The 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference, commonly known as COP31, will take place in Antalya, Türkiye, from November 9 to 20. The conference's dedicated COP31 Health Day will be held on November 9, the first day of the conference.

Governments are expected to share their climate reports and discuss ways to advance climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable health systems.