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 U.S. government's Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced partnering with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to fast-track the development of psychedelic-assisted therapies to treat veterans living with mental health issues like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and more.

After years of interest, 2026 has marked a major policy shift, with the White House, Congress, and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) all actively participating in accelerating research into treatments like psilocybin, MDMA, and ibogaine.

“America owes every veteran the best care our nation can provide,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “We’re not going to wait while promising treatments sit on the sidelines. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, HHS and the VA are working together to develop safe, FDA-approved innovations and transition them from research into care so veterans can access the treatments they deserve.”

The collaboration comes as a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a new bill in Congress that would require the U.S. Department of Defense to evaluate how ongoing psychedelic research, particularly those involving psilocybin, could benefit service members who are active on duty and veterans transitioning back to civilian life.

“President Trump opened up a world of possibility for treating Veterans and others with mental health conditions, and VA is proud to be part of this important work,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins. “Today’s MOU ensures effective cooperation with HHS as we try to turn research into life-changing treatment.”

Also read: Under HHS's 'Make Hospital Food Healthier' Pledge, Trump Administration Pushes Hospitals To Offer Healthier Food

Initiative To Accelerate Treatments For Mental Illnesses

The initiative was accelerated this year in April when President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to ramp up research, regulatory review, and appropriate patient access ways for psychedelic medicines targeting serious mental illnesses.

According to the White House, the goal is to expand the scope of scientific research while ensuring safety and regulatory requirements, rather than recklessly legalizing psychedelic drugs for general medical use.

Most psychedelic compounds, including psilocybin, MDMA, and ibogaine, remain classified as Schedule I substances under federal law.

Also read: As Part Of Trump’s Great American Recovery Initiative, US Announces 281 Million Funding To Tackle Addiction

Mental Health Challenges Faced By Veterans

Mental health challenges remain one of the most pressing issues U.S. veterans face after their military service. They are prioritised because they face a disproportionately high burden of PTSD, depression, suicide, and traumatic brain injury among former service members.

While conventional treatments, including antidepressants and psychotherapy, help many patients, a substantial number do not achieve lasting relief.

Researchers hope psychedelic-assisted therapy, administered under carefully supervised clinical settings alongside psychotherapy, may offer another option for people who are still struggling despite existing treatments.

Growing Interest In Psychedelic Medicine

The interest in psychedelic medicine has grown rapidly over the past decade. Studies have suggested that MDMA-assisted psychotherapy may help alleviate PTSD symptoms in some patients, while psilocybin-assisted therapy has shown promise for treatment-resistant depression in clinical trials.

These therapies differ from recreational drug use because they involve carefully screened patients, controlled doses, trained therapists, and structured treatment plan and follow-up sessions.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has validated El Salvador for eliminating trachoma, the world's leading infectious cause of blindness, as a public health problem.

El Salvador is the first country in Central America and the second in the Americas to achieve this milestone.

"I congratulate El Salvador on this remarkable achievement. It is a testament to the power of political commitment, strategic investment, and community engagement," said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

"El Salvador's success is a vital step towards our global target of eliminating trachoma worldwide by 2030 and a clear signal that a healthier, more equitable future is within reach," he added.

El Salvador's Journey To Trachoma Elimination

Also read: US Appeals Court Revives Over 500 Tylenol Lawsuits Over Autism Claims

Between 2023 and 2026, El Salvador conducted targeted assessments in communities identified as at higher environmental and social risk. The surveys found no evidence of active trachoma transmission.

As per the WHO, "no cases of active disease were detected in children, and no adults were found to have advanced trachoma capable of causing blindness". These findings confirmed that trachoma is no longer a public health problem in the country, the UN health agency said.

El Salvador's achievement was supported by a coordinated approach that included:

• Strengthening primary healthcare services
• Improving water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)
• Expanding eye health services, including adult vision screening
• Collaboration between government agencies, communities and international partners

The country has also established trained health personnel, integrated surveillance systems and the capacity to detect and treat trichiasis—the advanced stage of trachoma in which eyelashes turn inward and can lead to blindness.

What Is Trachoma?

Trachoma is a bacterial eye infection caused by Chlamydia trachomatis. It can spread from person to person through contaminated fingers, fomites and flies that could come into contact with discharge from the eyes or nose of an infected person.

Environmental risks like poor hygiene, overcrowded households, and inadequate access to water and sanitation facilities can also lead to trachoma.

Repeated infections can scar the inner eyelid, causing the eyelashes to turn inward—a condition known as trichiasis. Without treatment, the eyelashes scratch the surface of the eye, potentially leading to irreversible blindness.

Read More: Wegovy More Likely To Cause Rare Blindness Than Ozempic And Other Similar Drugs, Recent Study Finds

Trachoma Still Persists In Parts Of The Americas

Although El Salvador has eliminated trachoma as a public health problem, the disease remains endemic in rural and remote areas of Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala and Peru.

WHO recommends that countries maintaining elimination continue surveillance and ensure access to quality eye care services to prevent the disease from re-emerging.

WHO Criteria For Elimination

WHO defines elimination of trachoma as a public health problem based on three key criteria:

• Trichiasis prevalence of less than 0.2% among people aged 15 years and older.
• Active trachoma (trachomatous inflammation–follicular) prevalence of less than 5% among children aged 1–9 years in every previously endemic district.
• A functioning health system capable of identifying and managing new trichiasis cases.

With this achievement, El Salvador joins 64 countries worldwide that have been validated by WHO for eliminating at least one neglected tropical disease. Seven of these countries are in the Americas.

While there is no firm scientific evidence linking Tylenol use during pregnancy to autism, a US federal appeals court has revived more than 500 private lawsuits against the painkiller's maker, Kenvue, over claims that prenatal exposure to acetaminophen contributed to autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.

The ruling does not determine that Tylenol causes autism or ADHD. Rather, it held that expert testimony supporting the plaintiffs should not have been excluded from the lawsuits.

What Did The US Appeals Court Say

On July 13, the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan overturned a December 2024 ruling by US District Judge Denise Cote, who had dismissed the lawsuits after rejecting the methodology of the plaintiffs' expert witnesses.

In its 64-page decision, the three-judge panel said the district court had improperly excluded expert testimony from three doctors presented by parents and guardians seeking to link prenatal Tylenol use with autism and ADHD.

Circuit Judge Guido Calabresi wrote that the experts' methods reflected approaches used by other scientists and "constitute acceptable interpretations of scientific evidence where scientists may, and in fact do, disagree."

Also read: Not Lyme Disease, Canada Sees Rise in Another Tick-Borne Infection As Temperatures Increase

Court Did Not Rule That Tylenol Causes Autism

The appeals court emphasized that it was not deciding whether acetaminophen causes autism or ADHD, nor was it making any public health determination.

Instead, the ruling focused solely on whether the expert testimony met the legal standards required to be considered in court.

The three experts whose testimony was reinstated include:

• Andrea Baccarelli, Dean of Harvard University's School of Public Health
• Eric Hollander, Professor of Psychiatry at Albert Einstein College of Medicine
• Brandon Pearson, Toxicologist at Columbia University

Ashley Keller, a lawyer representing the families, said the panel unanimously found that the experts had reliably applied accepted scientific methods.

Kenvue Defends Tylenol's Safety

Kenvue, which was spun off from Johnson & Johnson in 2023, said it continues to stand by the safety of Tylenol.

"We stand behind the safety of our product and will continue to defend these cases," the company said in a statement.

Several retailers and pharmacy chains—including CVS, Kroger, Target, Walgreens, and Walmart—have also been named as defendants.

Trump Administration's Remarks Sparked Debate

The lawsuits gained attention after President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. issued guidance last year discouraging pregnant women from using acetaminophen, citing it as a possible contributor to autism.

The remarks triggered concern among expectant mothers and prompted criticism from many healthcare experts and medical organizations, which said the evidence does not support such definitive claims.

Is Acetaminophen Linked to Autism or ADHD?

The scientific evidence remains inconclusive. Some observational studies have reported a possible association between prolonged acetaminophen use during pregnancy and an increased risk of autism or ADHD in children. However, many other studies have found no significant link.

Importantly, an association does not prove that acetaminophen causes these conditions. Researchers note that factors such as maternal illness, genetics, underlying medical conditions, and other environmental influences may also affect a child's neurodevelopment.

As a result, experts say more high-quality research is needed before any causal relationship can be established.

What Do Medical Experts Recommend?

Major medical associations continue to consider acetaminophen the preferred pain reliever and fever reducer during pregnancy when used appropriately.

Doctors advise pregnant women to:

• Use the lowest effective dose for the shortest necessary duration.
• Avoid prolonged or unnecessary use without medical advice.
• Consult their healthcare provider before taking any medication during pregnancy.

Medical societies have also cautioned against avoiding acetaminophen altogether, noting that untreated high fever or severe pain during pregnancy can pose risks to both the mother and the developing baby.