The COVID-19 pandemic has not only caused significant challenges for health system all over the globe but also fueled the surge of numerous rumors, hoaxes and misinformation, regarding etiology, outcomes, prevention, and cure of the disease. This misinformation are masking healthy behaviors and promoting erroneous practices that increase the spread of the virus and ultimately result in poor physical and mental health outcomes among individuals. Myriad incidents of mishaps caused by these rumors was reported across the world. To address this issue the frontline healthcare providers should be equipped with the most recent research findings and accurate information. The mass media, health care organization, community-based organizations, and other important stakeholders should build strategic partnerships and launch common platforms in disseminating authentic public health messages. Advanced technologies like natural language processing or data mining approaches should be applied in detection and removal online content with no scientific basis from all social media platforms. Those involved with the spread of such rumors should be brought to justice. Telemedicine based care should be established at a large scale to prevent depletion of limited resources.

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 will have a massive impact upon travel, tourism, and hospitality globally. With a massive reduction in tourism globally because of the health crisis, the industry will likely have to plan a recovery and rebuilding of the industry. Part and parcel of the reorganization will involve increasingly depending upon automation technologies. In this article, we discuss how the virus has impacted upon the global industry and discuss how automation technologies will be implemented into the industry to ensure a vibrant return to a strong tourism economy. We expect that employers and industry will look differently upon many automation technologies and implement these technologies into their operations to ensure a return to a situation in which tourism can take place in ways that ensure the biosecurity of travellers and ensure that the industry’s operations return to be able to work in profitable ways.

Leaders with a full understanding of their responsibilities make use of strategic communication and their credibility to reduce uncertainties in times of crisis

The new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has not yet reached its peak of infections in Brazil. Yet it has already caused significant disruptions to the life of people across the country. The higher rate of confirmed cases and deaths have so far been concentrated in urban areas. However, it is only a matter of weeks for this lethal virus to reach remote and poor areas in the rural part of the country. When this happens, it will wreak havoc. This paper thus proposes a policy deriving from a risk assessment for local leaders from these areas. The expectation is that this strategy designed for impoverished and deprived areas can contribute to reduce the risk of the horrendous effects that this pathogen can have in these vulnerable communities and their fragile economies.

Orion is an open-source tool to monitor and measure progress in science. Orion depends on a flexible data collection, enrichment, and analysis system that enables users to create and explore research databases. In more detail, researchers can choose an academic journal, conference or thematic topic and collect all the relevant documents from Microsoft Academic Graph. Along with every document, Orion retrieves its DOI, citations, publication year, publisher, title and abstract, fields of study, authors and their affiliations. This collection is enriched with metadata from other sources; we geocode institutional affiliations and infer authors’ gender with Google Places API and GenderAPI respectively. Lastly, Orion measures the research specialisation and interdisciplinarity as well as the gender diversity of countries and institutions.Orion also has a semantic search engine that enables researchers to retrieve relevant cuts of the rich and content-specific database they created. Users can query Orion with anything between one or two words (for example, gene editing) and a blogpost they read online. Orion uses modern machine learning methods to find a numerical representation of the users’ query and search for its closest matches in a high-dimensional, academic publication space. This flexibility can be powerful; researchers can query Orion with an abstract of their previous work, policymakers could use a news article or the executive the summary of a white paper.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has critically impacted global health systems and economies, especially in developing countries. Those countries have been struggling to address the preexisting burden of diseases with limited resources, which will become even more challenging during COVID-19. The economic implications related to COVID-19 in those countries include a high cost of care, market failures in pluralistic health systems, high out-of-pocket expenses, the added burden of noncommunicable diseases, missed economic opportunities, and socioeconomic consequences like unemployment and poverty. It is essential to assess the prevalent gaps, mobilize resources, strengthen health systems financing and leadership, enhance research capacities informing evidence-based policymaking, and foster effective partnerships for addressing health and economic disparities due to COVID-19.

The COVID-19 outbreak poses an unprecedented challenge for contemporary democracies. Despite the global scale of the problem, the response has been mainly national, and global coordination has been so far extremely weak. All over the world governments are making use of exceptional powers to enforce lockdowns, often sacrificing civil liberties and profoundly altering the pre-existing power balance, which nurtures fears of an authoritarian turn. Relief packages to mitigate the economic consequences of the lockdowns are being discussed, and there is little doubt that the forthcoming recession will have important distributive consequences. In this paper we study citizens' responses to these democratic dilemmas. We present results from a set of survey experiments run in Spain from March 20 to March 28, together with longitudinal evidence from a panel survey fielded right before and after the virus outbreak. Our findings reveal a strong preference for a national as opposed to a European/international response. The national bias is much stronger for the COVID-19 crisis than for other global problems, such as climate change or international terrorism. We also find widespread demand for strong leadership, willingness to give up individual freedom, and a sharp increase in support for technocratic governance. As such, we document the initial switch in mass public preferences towards technocratic and authoritarian government caused by the pandemic. We discuss to what extent this crisis may contribute to a shift towards a new, self-enforcing political equilibrium.

As health experts urge the public to wear masks to slow the spread of the coronavirus, they continue to get pushback. Among the arguments of skeptics: If masks can’t fully protect me against COVID-19, what is the point of wearing them?Scientists’ counterargument is that masks can help reduce the severity of the disease caused by coronavirus even if you get infected.

As of June 2020, the coronavirus pandemic has led to more than 2.3 million confirmed infections and 121 thousand fatalities in the United States, with starkly different incidence by race and ethnicity. Our study examines racial and ethnic disparities in confirmed COVID-19 cases across six diverse cities – Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, New York City, San Diego, and St. Louis – at the ZIP code level (covering 436 “neighborhoods” with a population of 17.7 million). Our analysis links these outcomes to six separate data sources to control for demographics; housing; socioeconomic status; occupation; transportation modes; health care access; long-run opportunity, as measured by income mobility and incarceration rates; human mobility; and underlying population health. We find that the proportions of black and Hispanic residents in a ZIP code are both positively and statistically significantly associated with COVID-19 cases per capita. The magnitudes are sizeable for both black and Hispanic, but even larger for Hispanic. Although some of these disparities can be explained by differences in long-run opportunity, human mobility, and demographics, most of the disparities remain unexplained even after including an extensive list of covariates related to possible mechanisms. For two cities – Chicago and New York – we also examine COVID-19 fatalities, finding that differences in confirmed COVID-19 cases explain the majority of the observed disparities in fatalities. In other words, the higher death toll of COVID-19 in predominantly black and Hispanic communities mostly reflects higher case rates, rather than higher fatality rates for confirmed cases.

With social distancing measures and face mask use helping ease lockdown restrictions, EU-wide coordinated economic stimulus could aid the recovery further. By focusing EU funds on countries hardest hit by the pandemic, the “Next Generation EU” package stands to improve outcomes for the single market as a whole.

Brazil currently has one of the fastest growing SARS-CoV-2 epidemics in the world. Owing to limited available data, assessments of the impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) on virus spread remain challenging. Using a mobility-driven transmission model, we show that NPIs reduced the reproduction number from >3 to 1–1.6 in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Sequencing of 427 new genomes and analysis of a geographically representative genomic dataset identified >100 international virus introductions in Brazil. We estimate that most (76%) of the Brazilian strains fell in three clades that were introduced from Europe between 22 February11 March 2020. During the early epidemic phase, we found that SARS-CoV-2 spread mostly locally and within-state borders. After this period, despite sharp decreases in air travel, we estimated multiple exportations from large urban centers that coincided with a 25% increase in average travelled distances in national flights. This study sheds new light on the epidemic transmission and evolutionary trajectories of SARS-CoV-2 lineages in Brazil, and provide evidence that current interventions remain insufficient to keep virus transmission under control in the country.

The EU’s counter-disinformation efforts should target advertising revenue on websites spreading COVID-19 disinfo

The explosively expanding COVID-19 pandemic urges the development of safe, efficacious and fast-acting vaccines to quench the unrestrained spread of SARS-CoV-2. Several promising vaccine platforms, developed in recent years, are leveraged for a rapid emergency response to COVID-191. We employed the live-attenuated yellow fever 17D (YF17D) vaccine as a vector to express the prefusion form of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike antigen. In mice, the vaccine candidate, tentatively named YF-S0, induces high levels of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies and a favorable Th1 cell-mediated immune response. In a stringent hamster SARS-CoV-2 challenge model2, vaccine candidate YF-S0 prevents infection with SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, a single dose confers protection from lung disease in most vaccinated animals even within 10 days. These results warrant further development of YF-S0 as a potent SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate.

SARS-CoV2 infection is typically very mild and often asymptomatic in children. A complication is the rare Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) associated with COVID-19, presenting 4-6 weeks after infection as high fever and organ dysfunction and strongly elevated markers of inflammation. The pathogenesis is unclear but has overlapping features with Kawasaki disease suggestive of vasculitis and a likely autoimmune etiology. We apply systems-level analyses of blood immune cells, cytokines and autoantibodies in healthy children, children with Kawasaki disease enrolled prior to COVID-19, children infected with SARS-CoV2 and children presenting with MIS-C. We find that the inflammatory response in MIS-C differs from the cytokine storm of severe acute COVID-19, is more similar to Kawasaki disease, but also differ from this with respect to T-cell subsets, IL-17A and biomarkers associated with arterial damage. Finally, autoantibody profiling suggests endoglin, an endothelial glycoprotein as one of several candidate targets of autoantibodies in MIS-C.

Background: Asymptomatic or subclinical SARS-CoV-2 infections are often unreported, which means that confirmed case counts may not accurately reflect underlying epidemic dynamics. Understanding the level of ascertainment (the ratio of confirmed symptomatic cases to the true number of symptomatic individuals) and undetected epidemic progression is crucial to informing COVID-19 response planning, including the introduction and relaxation of control measures. Estimating case ascertainment over time allows for accurate estimates of specific outcomes such as seroprevalence, which is essential for planning control measures. Methods: Using reported data on COVID-19 cases and fatalities globally, we estimated the proportion of symptomatic cases (i.e. any person with any of fever >= to 37.5C, cough, shortness of breath, sudden onset of anosmia, ageusia or dysgeusia illness) that were reported in 210 countries and territories, given those countries had experienced more than ten deaths. We used published estimates of the case fatality ratio (CFR) as an assumed baseline. We then calculated the ratio of this baseline CFR to an estimated local delay-adjusted CFR to estimate the level of under-ascertainment in a particular location. We then fit a Bayesian Gaussian process model to estimate the temporal pattern of under-ascertainment. Results: We estimate that, during March 2020, the median percentage of symptomatic cases detected across the 84 countries which experienced more than ten deaths ranged from 2.38% (Bangladesh) to 99.6% (Chile). Across the ten countries with the highest number of total confirmed cases as of 6th July 2020, we estimated that the peak number of symptomatic cases ranged from 1.4 times (Chile) to 17.8 times (France) larger than reported. Comparing our model with national and regional seroprevalence data where available, we find that our estimates are consistent with observed values. Finally, we estimated seroprevalence for each country. Despite low case detection in some countries, our results that adjust for this still suggest that all countries have had only a small fraction of their populations infected as of July 2020. Conclusions: We found substantial under-ascertainment of symptomatic cases, particularly at the peak of the first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, in many countries. Reported case counts will therefore likely underestimate the rate of outbreak growth initially and underestimate the decline in the later stages of an epidemic. Although there was considerable under-reporting in many locations, our estimates were consistent with emerging serological data, suggesting that the proportion of each country's population infected with SARS-CoV-2 worldwide is generally low.

On 3 April 2020, the Director-General of the WHO stated: “[COVID-19] is much more than a health crisis. We are all aware of the profound social and economic consequences of the pandemic (WHO, 2020)”. Such consequences are the result of counter-measures such as lockdowns, and world-wide reductions in production and consumption, amplified by cascading impacts through international supply chains. Using a global multi-regional macro-economic model, we capture direct and indirect spill-over effects in terms of social and economic losses, as well as environmental effects of the pandemic. Based on information as of May 2020, we show that global consumption losses amount to 3.8$tr, triggering significant job (147 million full-time equivalent) and income (2.1$tr) losses. Global atmospheric emissions are reduced by 2.5Gt of greenhouse gases, 0.6Mt of PM2.5, and 5.1Mt of SO2 and NOx. While Asia, Europe and the USA have been the most directly impacted regions, and transport and tourism the immediately hit sectors, the indirect effects transmitted along international supply chains are being felt across the entire world economy. These ripple effects highlight the intrinsic link between socio-economic and environmental dimensions, and emphasise the challenge of addressing unsustainable global patterns. How humanity reacts to this crisis will define the post-pandemic world.

COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, is a virulent pneumonia, with >4,000,000 confirmed cases worldwide and >290,000 deaths as of May 15, 2020. It is critical that vaccines and therapeutics be developed very rapidly. Mice, the ideal animal for assessing such interventions, are resistant to SARS-CoV-2. Here, we overcome this difficulty by exogenous delivery of human ACE2 with a replication-deficient adenovirus (Ad5-hACE2). Ad5-hACE2-sensitized mice developed pneumonia characterized by weight loss, severe pulmonary pathology, and high-titer virus replication in lungs. Type I interferon, T cells, and, most importantly, signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) are critical for virus clearance and disease resolution in these mice. Ad5-hACE2-transduced mice enabled rapid assessments of a vaccine candidate, of human convalescent plasma, and of two antiviral therapies (poly I:C and remdesivir). In summary, we describe a murine model of broad and immediate utility to investigate COVID-19 pathogenesis and to evaluate new therapies and vaccines.

Antibody (Ab) responses to SARS-CoV-2 can be detected in most infected individuals 10-15 days following the onset of COVID-19 symptoms. However, due to the recent emergence of this virus in the human population it is not yet known how long these Ab responses will be maintained or whether they will provide protection from re-infection. Using sequential serum samples collected up to 94 days post onset of symptoms (POS) from 65 RT-qPCR confirmed SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals, we show seroconversion in >95% of cases and neutralizing antibody (nAb) responses when sampled beyond 8 days POS. We demonstrate that the magnitude of the nAb response is dependent upon the disease severity, but this does not affect the kinetics of the nAb response. Declining nAb titres were observed during the follow up period. Whilst some individuals with high peak ID50 (>10,000) maintained titres >1,000 at >60 days POS, some with lower peak ID50 had titres approaching baseline within the follow up period. A similar decline in nAb titres was also observed in a cohort of seropositive healthcare workers from Guy′s and St Thomas′ Hospitals. We suggest that this transient nAb response is a feature shared by both a SARS-CoV-2 infection that causes low disease severity and the circulating seasonal coronaviruses that are associated with common colds. This study has important implications when considering widespread serological testing, Ab protection against re-infection with SARS-CoV-2 and the durability of vaccine protection.

The use of face masks in public settings has been widely recommended by public health officials during the current COVID-19 pandemic. The masks help mitigate the risk of cross-infection via respiratory droplets; however, there are no specific guidelines on mask materials and designs that are most effective in minimizing droplet dispersal. While there have been prior studies on the performance of medical-grade masks, there are insufficient data on cloth-based coverings, which are being used by a vast majority of the general public. We use qualitative visualizations of emulated coughs and sneezes to examine how material- and design-choices impact the extent to which droplet-laden respiratory jets are blocked. Loosely folded face masks and bandana-style coverings provide minimal stopping-capability for the smallest aerosolized respiratory droplets. Well-fitted homemade masks with multiple layers of quilting fabric, and off-the-shelf cone style masks, proved to be the most effective in reducing droplet dispersal. These masks were able to curtail the speed and range of the respiratory jets significantly, albeit with some leakage through the mask material and from small gaps along the edges. Importantly, uncovered emulated coughs were able to travel notably farther than the currently recommended 6-ft distancing guideline. We outline the procedure for setting up simple visualization experiments using easily available materials, which may help healthcare professionals, medical researchers, and manufacturers in assessing the effectiveness of face masks and other personal protective equipment qualitatively.

Many recent COVID-19 series have reported arterial or venous thrombosis (stroke, pulmonary embolism, etc.) [1, 2]. Here, we report a case of COVID-19 associated cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) with dramatic evolution.

The mega-resort will welcome back visitors on Saturday even as coronavirus cases in Florida remain high. In doing so, Disney steps into a politicized debate.

“I’m actually really worried about indoor transmission.”

Governments are starting to change policies amid concerns that tiny droplets can carry SARS-CoV-2. And after months of denying the importance of this, the World Health Organization is reconsidering its stance.

Emerging cases of Covid-19 reinfection suggest herd immunity could be wishful thinking.

If you were infected with the novel coronavirus, a new study suggests that your immunity to the virus could decline within months.The study, released on the pre-print medical server medrxiv.org on Saturday, suggests that antibody responses start to decline after 20 to 30 days following the first time showing symptoms of Covid-19. The study also found the severity of symptoms can determine the magnitude of the antibody response.

More recently, COVID-19 infection is advancing fast towards different settings. Regions with a high burden of infectious diseases such as HIV, malaria, and dengue including Latin America and Africa are experiencing an increasing number of confirmed cases and deaths. Since the age structure and the distribution of relevant co-morbidities varies substantially by country, the risk profile for COVID-19 could be very different in countries with high prevalence of individuals living with HIV.

The Policing the Pandemic Mapping Project was launched on 4 April, 2020 to track and visualize these massive and extraordinary expansions of police power and the unequal patterns of enforcement they are likely to produce. In doing so, we hope that we can bring to light patterns of police intervention, to help understand who is being targeted, what justifications are being used by police, and how marginalized people are being impacted. More broadly, we hope the project will inform a larger conversation about the role of policing in society, to scrutinize public health and police collaboration, and to focus attention toward the harms of criminalization. Having an understanding of these patterns in coming weeks will help inform approaches to actively resist the logic and practices of policing crisis and disease, rather than allow them to become widespread and normalized. Through the acts of identifying, reporting, and visualizing events related to the policing of COVID-19, the project offers a living repository of publicly accessible data that can be used by activists, academics, journalists, and community members to analyze, discuss, and challenge the policing of disease. We encourage all people to use the data available through this project in any way they wish.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic exposed the inadequacy of infectious disease surveillance throughout the US and other countries. Isolation and contact tracing to identify all infected people are key public health interventions necessary to control infectious disease outbreaks. However, these activities are dependent upon the surveillance platform to identify infections quickly. A robust surveillance platform can also reinforce community adherence to behavioral interventions such as social distancing. In situations where contact tracing is feasible, all suspected cases and contacts of confirmed cases must be tested for a SARS-CoV-2 infection and effectively isolated. At the community level wastewater surveillance can identify areas where transmission is or is not occurring, and genetic sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 can help to elucidate the intensity of transmission independent of the number of known cases and hospitalizations. State and county public health departments should improve the infectious disease surveillance platform whilst the public is practicing social distancing. These enhanced surveillance activities are necessary to contain the epidemic once the curve has been sufficiently flattened in highly burdened areas, and to prevent escalation in areas where transmission is minimal.

In public health crises, the media and governments routinely share statistical analyses with the public. In the COVID-19 pandemic, the tool most commonly used to convey statistical information about the spread of the virus has been time-series graphs about the cumulative number of cases. When drawing such graphs, analysts have to make design decisions which can have dramatic effects on citizens’ interpretations. Plotting the COVID-19 progression on a linear scale highlights an exponential “explosion” in the number of cases, whereas plotting the number of cases on a logarithmic scale produces a line with a modest-looking slope. Even if the two graphs display the exact same information, differences in visual design may lead people to different substantive conclusions. In this study, we measure the causal effect of different visualization design choices on Canadians’ views about the crisis. We report results from a survey experiment conducted in April 2020 with a sample of 2500 respondents. We find that no matter how the information is presented, Canadians are united in supporting drastic confinement measures and in accepting that these measures will not be removed soon.

What is the impact of a global health crisis on political behavior? We study the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on electoral choice based on the case of Germany, one of the countries most heavily affected by the crisis. Our data come from the German state of Bavaria, where local elections were held right at the beginning of the pandemic. The elections took place early during the outbreak when there was still substantial variation in the extent to which individual counties and municipalities were affected by the outbreak. This variation provides a unique opportunity to study the causal impact of an event that would shortly after grow into an all-encompassing epidemic. We provide evidence that shows that the disease spread across the state in a mostly haphazard fashion. This lack of a discernible pattern coupled with within-county estimation of effects and a difference-in-differences strategy allow us to causally asses the effect of the spreading of the virus on electoral outcomes. Our results show that the crisis strongly and consistently benefited the dominant regional party, the CSU, and its candidates. For 3 known cases per 100,000 inhabitants, vote shares increased by about 4 percent. We explain our findings with a strategic-alignment mechanism, whereby voters vote into power candidates that they deem most likely to be able to solicit support from higher levels of government. Our findings emphasize the merit of forward-looking theories of voting and provide insights on the functioning of democracy during times of crisis.

Having geographical proximity and a high volume of trade with China, the first country to record an outbreak of the new Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Vietnam was expected to have a high risk of transmission. However, as of 4 April 2020, in comparison to attempts to containing the disease around the world, responses from Vietnam are seen as prompt and effective in protecting the interests of its citizens, with 239 confirmed cases and no fatalities. This study analyzes the situation in terms of Vietnam’s policy response, social media and science journalism. A self-made web crawl engine was used to scan and collect official media news related to COVID-19 between the beginning of January and April 4, yielding a comprehensive dataset of 14,952 news items. The findings shed light on how Vietnam—despite being under-resourced—has demonstrated political readiness to combat the emerging pandemic since the earliest days. Timely communication on any developments of the outbreak from the government and the media, combined with up-to-date research on the new virus by the Vietnamese science community, have altogether provided reliable sources of information. By emphasizing the need for immediate and genuine cooperation between government, civil society and private individuals, the case study offers valuable lessons for other nations concerning not only the concurrent fight against the COVID-19 pandemic but also the overall responses to a public health crisis.

Background: A wide spectrum of indicators has been postulated to associate with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-2019) cases. Among which were demographic profile, latitude, humidity, temperature, and ozone concentration. Despite obtaining significant results, there is still a dearth of research exploring other substantial determinants of Covid-2019 cases. The Philippine government is currently challenged to address issues pertaining to poverty and substinence. Empirical evidence of these studies suggests how identification of potential indicators could aid in the formulation of targeted strategies to mitigate future health problems. In this study, seven socio-economic indicators were associated with Covid-2019 cases across 17 regions in the Philippines. This is a retrospective study utilizing readily accessible public data in the analysis. Socio-economic indicators used were poverty incidence, magnitude of poor families, substinence incidence, and magnitude of substinence poor population. In addition, the income, expenditure, and savings recorded per Philippine region were taken for the analysis. A single Philippine region was the sampling unit; hence, a total of 17 regions were assessed. Covid-2019 cases as of April 7, 2020 were considered for the analysis. Descriptive statistics, Kendall rank correlation, and stepwise regression were used to determine if the seven socio-economic indicators were associated with Covid-2019 cases. Substinence incidence and income were retained for the regression model, which explained 87.2 percent of the variance in the Covid-2019 cases (R2 = .872). The results indicated that for every 1,000 PhP increase in income, there was a decrease of 3.99 Covid-2019 cases in each Philippine region. Meanwhile, for every 1.0 percent increase in substinence incidence, there was an increase of 3.34 Covid-2019 cases in each Philippine region. High income and low substinence incidence are associated with significant reductions in Covid-2019 cases across the 17 regions of the Philippines. This provides additional knowledge to policy makers and health officials in formulating targeted strategies to regions that could potentially record high number of Covid-2019 cases in the future. Early identification of these high-risk regions would warrant prompt preventive measures. Given the seasonal and recurring nature of Covid-2019 with respect to previous outbreaks, it is essential for the Philippine government to formulate directed policies and innovate programs that would decrease substinence and increase income. Concerted multi-region efforts should be made to prepare for possible infection outbreaks in the future. Additional studies could be explored in the future to capture significant changes in the socio-economic indicators.

The present document provides the take of innovation economists on the current pandemic. It is addressed to the general public and focuses on questions related to the Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) ecosystem. It does not present new research findings. Instead, it provides a reading of current real-world developments using economic reasoning and relying on existing economic research. The first part of the report explains the root causes for a general underinvestment in Research and Development (R&D), with a particular focus on vaccines. These causes include an insufficient demand for vaccines in normal times and the very characteristics of R&D. Governments can intervene to mitigate these problems, but government intervention comes with its own set of issues. We discuss three of them, namely free riding, setting research priorities, and acting on scientific knowledge. The second part discusses several aspects related to current STI policy reactions. First, we observe a sizable shift of funds towards research on SARS-CoV-2. Aren’t we wasting money by allocating so much of it on one single scientific problem? Using the concept of the ‘elasticity of science,’ we argue that we are far from a situation where additional funding would represent a waste of money. Second, we also observe an unprecedented level of cooperation among researchers but also an intense competition to find therapeutic solutions and vaccines. We seek to make sense of this apparent antonymy, highlighting how both cooperative and competitive forces might accelerate research. Third, we focus on one policy tool, namely patents, and we discuss whether the existence of patents hampers the search for a solution. We argue that it might, but we provide ways in which patents can be beneficial. They can accelerate research (such as through patent pools) or ensure greater access to innovations (such as with compulsory licensing). Fourth, we notice that the whole STI ecosystem has been rapidly refocusing on SARS-CoV-2 in a way similar to mission-oriented R&D (MOR) programs such as the Manhattan Project in the 1940s. We highlight the fundamental differences between MOR and the present situation. Today’s response is characterized by a proliferation of a wide range of innovative solutions offered by a complex set of institutions and actors with great intellectual freedom and decentralized competition. The third part of the report assesses some potential long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. We firstly discuss its impact on R&D investment. We explain how innovation might be negatively affected by a prolonged economic downturn and highlight the crucial role of stimulus packages in confronting the recession. We also address the influence of the crisis on ICT, arguing that it has been a formidable catalyst for ICT adoption. Next, we focus on clean technologies, another major societal challenge besides the pandemic. There are strong reasons for why cleantech investment may suffer. However, the crisis also offers significant opportunities to accelerate the green transition. Finally, we focus on open science, in particular on open access and open data. The current crisis could be a catalyst for the adoption of FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) Data Practices. The last part of the report offers some concluding thoughts. The STI policy response cannot be limited to the urgent need for ‘technological fixes.’ A second line of response involves the production of new knowledge to prevent outbreaks (ex-ante) or mitigate their effects (ex-post). Furthermore, the current crisis is a reminder that all branches of science matter. The pandemic has many facets, and a significant number of scientific disciplines can contribute to dealing with it. We conclude with a forward-looking note, arguing that the most substantial impact of the pandemic may lie outside of the public health realm or the science system. It offers a unique opportunity to adapt the set of rules that govern our society.

This paper proposes a communication method to improve decision and policymaking under uncertain scenarios. The motivation for elaborating such a method is the absence of clarity, prioritization criteria and critical thinking in considerations made by the Brazilian federal government during the ongoing response to the epidemic of COVID-19 in the country. The expectation is that the implementation of this method would help national leaders more easily assess the significance of evidence-based practices and anecdata to the decisions they are urged to make under significant time and resource constraints.

Value of statistical life (VSL) analysis is common place in policy circles to evaluate the effectiveness of policy. As I show using a novel survey experiment with United States' state legislators, actual use of VSL analysis faces several problems. Firstly, policy preferences are inelastic, unchanging, regardless of the cost. Secondly, policy preferences are determined in large by actors' party ID. This means that VSL analysis, in practice, will either encourage policies that are too risky to too risk adverse.

In recent weeks, several academic and journalistic outlets have documented widespread misinformation about the origins and potential treatment for COVID-19. This misinformation could have important public health consequences if misinformed people are less likely to heed the advice of public health experts. While some have anecdotally tied the prevalence of misinformation to misleading or inaccurate media coverage of the pandemic in its early stages, few have rigorously tested this claim empirically. In this paper, we report the results of an automated content analysis showing that right-leaning news outlets (e.g., Fox News, Breitbart) were more than 2.5 times more likely than mainstream outlets to discuss COVID-19 misinformation during the early stages of the U.S. pandemic response. In a nationally representative survey (N = 8,914) conducted from 3/10-3/16, we then show that people who consumed more right-leaning news during this timeframe were more than twice as likely to endorse COVID-related misinformation. Alarmingly, survey data further suggest that misinformation endorsement has negative public health consequences, as misinformed people are more likely to believe that the CDC is exaggerating COVID-related health risks.

This paper presents a preliminary inquiry into the democratic role of trust in the management of epidemic crises, by shedding some light on one dimension political theory has systematically neglected, which is trust of elites in citizens. The paper proceeds as follows. After an introduction, the first section distinguishes two dimensions of political trust. I then proceed to explain why elites’ trust in citizens is as important as citizens’ trust in elites for the democratic quality of a regime. The following section discusses in further details the democratic implications of elites’ trust in citizens. The fourth and last section introduces the idea of democratic experiments as opportunities to reinforce elites’ trust in citizens.

The present document provides the take of innovation economists on the current pandemic. It is addressed to the general public and focuses on questions related to the Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) ecosystem. It does not present new research findings. Instead, it provides a reading of current real-world developments using economic reasoning and relying on existing economic research. The first part of the report explains the root causes for a general underinvestment in Research and Development (R&D), with a particular focus on vaccines. These causes include an insufficient demand for vaccines in normal times and the very characteristics of R&D. Governments can intervene to mitigate these problems, but government intervention comes with its own set of issues. We discuss three of them, namely free riding, setting research priorities, and acting on scientific knowledge. The second part discusses several aspects related to current STI policy reactions. First, we observe a sizable shift of funds towards research on SARS-CoV-2. Aren’t we wasting money by allocating so much of it on one single scientific problem? Using the concept of the ‘elasticity of science,’ we argue that we are far from a situation where additional funding would represent a waste of money. Second, we also observe an unprecedented level of cooperation among researchers but also an intense competition to find therapeutic solutions and vaccines. We seek to make sense of this apparent antonymy, highlighting how both cooperative and competitive forces might accelerate research. Third, we focus on one policy tool, namely patents, and we discuss whether the existence of patents hampers the search for a solution. We argue that it might, but we provide ways in which patents can be beneficial. They can accelerate research (such as through patent pools) or ensure greater access to innovations (such as with compulsory licensing). Fourth, we notice that the whole STI ecosystem has been rapidly refocusing on SARS-CoV-2 in a way similar to mission-oriented R&D (MOR) programs such as the Manhattan Project in the 1940s. We highlight the fundamental differences between MOR and the present situation. Today’s response is characterized by a proliferation of a wide range of innovative solutions offered by a complex set of institutions and actors with great intellectual freedom and decentralized competition. The third part of the report assesses some potential long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. We firstly discuss its impact on R&D investment. We explain how innovation might be negatively affected by a prolonged economic downturn and highlight the crucial role of stimulus packages in confronting the recession. We also address the influence of the crisis on ICT, arguing that it has been a formidable catalyst for ICT adoption. Next, we focus on clean technologies, another major societal challenge besides the pandemic. There are strong reasons for why cleantech investment may suffer. However, the crisis also offers significant opportunities to accelerate the green transition. Finally, we focus on open science, in particular on open access and open data. The current crisis could be a catalyst for the adoption of FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) Data Practices. The last part of the report offers some concluding thoughts. The STI policy response cannot be limited to the urgent need for ‘technological fixes.’ A second line of response involves the production of new knowledge to prevent outbreaks (ex-ante) or mitigate their effects (ex-post). Furthermore, the current crisis is a reminder that all branches of science matter. The pandemic has many facets, and a significant number of scientific disciplines can contribute to dealing with it. We conclude with a forward-looking note, arguing that the most substantial impact of the pandemic may lie outside of the public health realm or the science system. It offers a unique opportunity to adapt the set of rules that govern our society.

Working remotely can complement and sometimes completely substitute conventional work at the workplace of the company. Until the COVID-19 crisis the share of remote workers was relatively low and empirical investigations show inconsistent results. The recent work has highlighted a dramatic shift toward working from home The objective of this contribution is to empirically analyze the relationship between working remotely and job satisfaction on the one hand, as well as between working remotely and work-life balance on the other hand, based on three waves of the German Linked Personnel Panel. Our control variables are personality traits, skills, employment and job characteristics. We present average effects and demonstrate under which conditions remote work is advantageous for employees. Work-life imbalance may be induced by job-related causes. A private life can reduce work-life balance under specific conditions, namely, if remote work takes place outside of contracted working hours and during the first phase of remote work. On average, remote work has no significant impact on work-life balance, which is conditioned by private interests. However, the termination of remote work causes a clear imbalance. In contrast, the introduction of remote work increases job satisfaction, although only temporarily. When we compare employees working from home with those who want to work at home, we find that the former are happier. If we consider remote workers only, our results reveal that job satisfaction is higher, and work-life balance is not worse under a strict contractual agreement than under a nonbinding commitment.

For 35 years, our laboratory has been involved in identifying psychosocial factors that predict who becomes ill when they are exposed to a virus affecting the upper respiratory tract. To pursue this question, we used a unique viral-challenge design in which we assessed behavioral, social, and psychological factors in healthy adults. We subsequently exposed these adults to a cold or influenza virus and then monitored them in quarantine for 5 to 6 days for onset of respiratory illness. Factors we found to be associated with greater risk of respiratory illnesses after virus exposure included smoking, ingesting an inadequate level of vitamin C, and chronic psychological stress. Those associated with decreased risk included social integration, social support, physical activity, adequate and efficient sleep, and moderate alcohol intake. We cautiously suggest that our findings could have implications for identifying who becomes ill when exposed to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This argument is based on evidence that the associations we report are replicable across multiple respiratory viruses and that the pathways found to link psychosocial factors to colds and influenza may play similar roles in COVID-19.

During the coronavirus outbreak we have all been through enormous change, and some of us are experiencing loss of different types, including the profound loss experienced when someone close to us dies. 

Leading psychologists are warning that the devastating impact of the global Covid-19 emergency has fundamentally changed all aspects of societies and say urgent and wide-ranging psychological research is needed to support their recovery.

This study addressed the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and examined factors exacerbating or mitigating the negative effects of lockdown. Results from a large multi-country online survey (N=8,229) showed average elevated levels of anxiety and depression (especially in the USA, UK, and Brazil), associated with feelings of low control and social isolation. Although social isolation increased with the duration of quarantine, it was mitigated by frequent communication with close others. Other mitigating factors include adaptive but not maladaptive coping, and the perception and trust that one’s government is dealing with the outbreak. Taking individual actions to avoid contracting the virus were associated with higher anxiety, except when done professionally by essential workers. We suggest that the psychological detrimental effects of lockdown can be alleviated by maintaining frequent social contact, adaptive coping, and governmental actions which show capability, benevolence, and integrity in managing a public health crisis.

Research has shown that stress impacts on people’s religious beliefs. However, several aspects of this effect remain poorly understood, for example regarding the role of prior religiosity and stress-induced anxiety. This paper explores these aspects in the context of the recent coronavirus emergency. The latter has impacted dramatically on many people’s well-being; hence it can be considered a highly stressful event. Through online questionnaires administered to UK and USA citizens professing either Christian faith or no religion, this paper examines the impact of the coronavirus crisis upon common people’s religious beliefs. We found that, following the coronavirus emergency, strong believers reported higher confidence in their religious beliefs while non-believers reported increased scepticism towards religion. Moreover, for strong believers, higher anxiety elicited by the coronavirus threat was associated with increased strengthening of religious beliefs. Conversely, for non-believers, higher anxiety elicited by the coronavirus thereat was associated with increased scepticism towards religious beliefs. These observations are consistent with the notion that stress-induced anxiety enhances support for the ideology already embraced before a stressful event occurs. This study sheds light on the psychological and cultural implications of the coronavirus crisis, which represents one of the most serious health emergencies in recent times.

Health-care workers are crucial to any health-care system. During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, health-care workers are at a substantially increased risk of becoming infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and could come to considerable harm as a result. Depending on the phase of the pandemic, patients with COVID-19 might not be the main source of SARS-CoV-2 infection and health-care workers could be exposed to atypical patients, infected family members, contacts, and colleagues, or live in communities of active transmission. Clear strategies to support and appropriately manage exposed and infected health-care workers are essential to ensure effective staff management and to engender trust in the workplace. These management strategies should focus on risk stratification, suitable clinical monitoring, low-threshold access to diagnostics, and decision making about removal from and return to work. Policy makers need to support health-care facilities in interpreting guidance during a pandemic that will probably be characterised by fluctuating local incidence of SARS-CoV-2 to mitigate the impact of this pandemic on their workforce.

Lockdowns to contain the coronavirus led to drastic reductions in the vibrations of Earth’s surface, as people significantly curtailed their activity.

Over the last 50 years, London has successfully adapted to technological change and globalization, making it the major driver of the UK economy. But its strengths have also made the city particularly vulnerable to the health impacts of COVID-19, and potentially also to wider negative economic implications of the crisis. Many of London’s key sectors rely on proximity, agglomeration economies and externalities. We evaluate the available data on the impact of the pandemic on London to date, with a particular focus on the differential effects between sectors. We also identify seven key trends, affecting both the demand and supply side of the economy, that are likely to have significant medium- to long-term economic impacts, and assess the potential impacts on London’s major industrial sectors. Our findings suggest that COVID-19 may further accentuate the existing divide between globally competitive advanced producer services and more locally focused sectors providing lower-value personal and household services, posing a number of significant policy challenges.

The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic poses a severe threat to public health worldwide. We combine data on demography, contact patterns, disease severity, and health care capacity and quality to understand its impact and inform strategies for its control. Younger populations in lower-income countries may reduce overall risk, but limited health system capacity coupled with closer intergenerational contact largely negates this benefit. Mitigation strategies that slow but do not interrupt transmission will still lead to COVID-19 epidemics rapidly overwhelming health systems, with substantial excess deaths in lower-income countries resulting from the poorer health care available. Of countries that have undertaken suppression to date, lower-income countries have acted earlier. However, this will need to be maintained or triggered more frequently in these settings to keep below available health capacity, with associated detrimental consequences for the wider health, well-being, and economies of these countries.

The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has put mathematical models in the spotlight.

Dramatic increases in storm-prone areas will complicate evacuation, sheltering and recovery efforts

Since death rates from the COVID-19 are highest among the oldest, the impact of the current pandemic in a given society depends to a large extent on the share of elderly persons and their living arrangements. Whereas the former is well known, the latter is not. Arguably, contagion itself and the severity of its symptoms are likely to vary among elderly persons living alone, co-residing with family members or dwelling in institutions. Arguments in favour and against the premise that single-living elderly are better able to self-isolate can be made. Long-term care facilities have worsened the effects of the epidemic because they have often become death traps in some but not all countries. Once contagion takes place, living arrangements can make a huge difference in the way the disease can be managed by the individual, his family and society. Properly understanding the dynamics of contagion and the handling of the disease in terms of living arrangements of elderly people is essential for effectively tackling future outbreaks of similar epidemics.

In the face of an emerging and novel pandemic, perceptions of its danger and probability of being affected can influence how an individual take precautionary actions. We performed an exploratory study to examine how travellers perceive the risk-related to COVID-19 and how the outbreak has affected their commuting and non-commuting travel activities. Building on previous studies, we propose a working hypothesis of personal risk perception and trip adjustment decision and collect information to preliminary check our hypothesis. We report on our work, and the results of an online survey carried out between March 12-19, 2020, which collected 71 responds from countries in Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Middle East in this working paper. Our results illustrate how the respondents altered their travel, their rationales, the precautionary actions they took, their foremost concerns, the sources of information they based their decisions on, and how useful they found teleconference as an alternative. Also, we observed their risk-related perception concerning the proposed model. We found several potential correlations and some regional and country variations but were unable to draw any definitive conclusion due to the limited sample size. We share our preliminary results here for discussion purposes.

During the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, citizens and governments across the globe relied heavily on the legacy media: Not only to inform people about fast-paced developments in the midst of a crisis, but also to stimulate compliance with strict interventions. Prospect theory postulates that gain versus loss framing may affect preferences for different interventions. In a conceptual replication of Tversky and Kahneman’s seminal prospect theory, findings from surveys in the US and the Netherlands (N = 1,121) demonstrate that gain frames of the coronavirus promote support for risk-aversive interventions, whereas loss frames result in more support for risk-seeking alternatives. Beyond these preferences, gain frames yield slightly more support for strict interventions such as a lockdown than loss frames. Loss frames elicit stronger negative emotions, such as frustration and powerlessness. The experience of powerlessness, in turn, mediates the effects of loss versus gain frames on support for stricter interventions. Together, these findings indicate that framing the pandemic in terms of gains may be most effective in promoting support for the strict preventative measures that have been taken throughout the globe.

The increasing trend of environmental disaster due to changing climate has escalated the occurrence of Tsunami, Forest fire, Flood, Epidemics and other extreme health and environmental and hazardous events across the globe. Establishment of effective and transparent communication during the crisis phase is extremely important to reduce the after-effects of the events. In recent times, fake news or news with fabricated content have emerged as major threats of communications during and and post -disaster phase. The present study critically evaluates the nature and consequences of fake news spread during the four major environmental disasters in recent era (Fukushima Nuclear Disaster, Keralan Flood, Amazon Forest Fire and African Ebola Epidemic) and prepared a framework for present COVID-19 Pandemic. The criticality and potential threat created by the fake news have been quantified and analyzed through the timeline of news spreading. It has been observed that the adverse impact related to the African Ebola Epidemic was highest due to its multiple fake news origin sites, both online and offline propagation methods, well fabricated content and relatively low effort on containment. However the COVID-19 pandemic is an ongoing disaster expected to have a long- drawn impact covering most countries in the world with combined consequences hence it tends to overtake all other events. Policy recommendations have been prepared to combat the spreading of fake news during the present and future environmental disasters. The importance of the study relies on the fact that the number of environmental disasters will increase in future and strategy for risk communication during the time is still not explored adequately. In addition the study will contribute significantly for understanding the present status of information paradigm for COVID-19 and helps in preparing region-specific real-time contingency measures for effective risk communication.

The ongoing COVID-19 outbreak that emerged from Wuhan, China in 2020 has seen unprecedented restrictions on civilian populations in many countries in the attempt to curtail the spread of the pandemic. A recently developed model of general collective intelligence predicts the properties of group decision-making systems that are required to optimize collective outcomes, along with predicting that authoritarian systems of decision-making might tend to be restricted to non-optimal group outcomes in ways that are somewhat hidden in that they require an understanding of this new and relatively unknown model of general collective intelligence. In light of this model of general collective intelligence, the economic restrictions imposed to combat the pandemic take on a new light, since these restrictions have not only resulted in economic lockdowns for some countries, but in some cases have also effectively imposed martial law. The hidden cost of this reduction in civil liberties is explored from the perspective of the cost of an authoritarian decision-making system resulting in non-optimal group outcomes as theorized by this model of general collective intelligence, using models of government inefficiency to assess the cost of those non-optimal group outcomes, and therefore the hidden cost of reduced civil liberties.

As the Covid-19 crisis deepens, some researchers have argued for the widespread routine use of face masks in community settings, despite acknowledged gaps in the evidence base for the effectiveness of such a measure. We argue that such calls are premature, and risk neglecting important potential harms and negative consequences, known and unknown. We identify potential unintended consequences at multiple levels, from individual-behavioural to macrosocial, and suggest that it is far from clear that the benefits of widespread uptake of face masks, whether encouraged or enforced by public authorities, outweigh the downsides. Finally, we make the case for caution in communicating unequivocal messages about the scientific evidence for face mask use to policy, practitioner and public audiences, given continued scientific disagreement on the question.

Taiwan and Vietnam have taken successful measures to combat the spread of COVID-19 at the early stages. Many authors attributed the successful policies to the lessons learned by these countries during the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) pandemic in 2002.(Ohara, 2004) This manuscript provides a summary of recent early-stage policies that were successful in mitigating the spread and creating resilience against the negative consequences of COVID-19 in Taiwan and Vietnam. Crucially, these policies go beyond and complement social isolation. As social isolation is expected to have a negative socio-economic impact on the population and adherence is likely to decrease with time(Armitage and Nellums, 2020; Weems et al., 2020), it is important to consider a broad range of policies to promote a steady control of the COVID-19 spread. Initially, we provide a brief introduction to some general concepts related to COVID-19. Thereafter, we introduce a concise review of policies and their dates relative to the first detection case in Taiwan and Vietnam as well as doing a comparative analysis.

Anecdotal evidence suggests the elite may be more likely to contract an infectious disease during a pandemic, especially earlier on. In this paper, I propose general patterns for how the elite may experience contact differently and then utilizing mathematical models, simulate how those general patterns may affect infection rates among the elite and general population during a pandemic.

Opinion piece giving analysis, advice, and predictions on judicial appointment and staffing politics in the wake of the COVID crisis. Published on April 24, 2020 in Discover Society, https://discoversociety.org/2020/04/24/engineering-your-judiciary-or-how-the-covid-crisis-wont-go-to-waste/

The whole world is facing a big crisis due to the spreading of newly detected novel corona virus 2019 (COVID ̶ 19). A huge number of people have already been infected since last 4 months. People are thinking about the prevention of infected individuals, vaccine, medical treatment, and other precautions. The governments of most countries including India have already taken several measures like lockdown, social distancing, closure of schools, colleges, religious gatherings etc., to reduce its spreading. India is a developing country and most of the people are having below the standard income. So the lockdown in India has affected the poor and middle income group people. In this article, we will discuss in detail on the societal effects in India due to COVID ̶ 19 pandemic. The effects of health, essential commodities, Indian economy, domestic violence, politics, and psychology on society due to COVID ̶ 19 will be elaborated in detail. The aim of this research is to have a clear understanding of the present societal scenario during lockdown, which may help the government for better management and prevention of the disease.

We already know which countries have controlled the spread of COVID-19 better and what “good practices” have enabled them to do so. Eventually, some of these policies could be replicated in other countries. But it is not enough to make a well-informed public intervention. We also need quickly available indicators of how actively populations are responding to the virus threat because current changes in social behaviour could mean significant differences in the spread of the COVID-19 in two weeks (after the incubation period). In this article, Pablo Beytía Reyes and Carlos Cruz Infante explore the potential of Google Trends to quickly track social responses to the pandemic. In all the countries that have reached a downward changepoint in the COVID-19 contagion, an “information saturation peak” preceded it: people were massively searching for information on the subject over 2 to 5 days, and about a week after the peak of searches was reached, a decline in the growth trend of coronavirus confirmed cases could be observed. Does it make sense to associate a Google search boom with a decrease in transmission trends? The authors propose that the frequency of searches is a quick indicator of 1) people’ concerns on the virus, 2) the development of a more informed citizenry on how to avoid transmission and 3) active social response to the virus spread, which generally lead to a downward change in the contagion trend.

In diesem Beitrag erörtern wir die Relevanz soziologischer Analysen bei der Erklärung individuellen und kollektiven Handelns in der globalen Corona-Krise und diskutieren deren individuelle und soziale Folgen. Weiterhin thematisieren wir auch die politischen und medialen Bewältigungsversuche der COVID-19 Pandemie. Wir arbeiten drei Bereiche heraus, in denen soziologische Analysen und methodisches Denken aktuelle Relevanz haben und wertvolle Beiträge zur wissenschaftlichen Begleitung der Krise leisten: (1) Aus soziologischen Analysen resultierende Erkenntnisse können politischen Entscheidungsträgern als rationale Entscheidungsgrundlage dienen, um geeignete Rahmenbedingungen zur Erstellung kollektiver Güter in einer Krisensituation zu schaffen. Weiterhin hat die Soziologie die Möglichkeit und auch die Aufgabe auf unerwünschte Nebenfolgen staatlicher Interventionen hinweisen. (2) Wissen aus dem Bereich der empirischen Sozialforschung kann genutzt werden, um zuverlässige und relevante empirische Daten zu produzieren und die Qualität bereits existierender Datenbestände, die häufig die Grundlage politischen Handelns in der Krise bilden, zu beurteilen. (3) Zudem können Soziologinnen und Soziologen die Rezeption der Krise in den Massenmedien, die häufig durch nicht sachgemäße und irreführende Kommunikation statistischer Informationen gekennzeichnet ist, kritisch begleiten.

Background There is growing concern that the COVID-19 crisis may have long-standing mental health effects across society particularly amongst those with pre-existing mental health conditions. In this observational population-based study, we examined how psychological distress changed following the emergence of the COVID-19 crisis in the United States and tested whether certain population subgroups were vulnerable to persistent distress during the crisis. Methods We analyzed longitudinal nationally representative data from seven waves of the Understanding America Study (UAS) collected between March 10th and June 23rd, 2020 (N=7231 Obs.= 40199). Differences in distress trends were examined by age, sex, race/ethnicity, and household income and by the presence of a pre-existing mental health diagnosis. Psychological distress was assessed using the standardized total score on the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4). Findings On average psychological distress increased significantly by 0.27 standard deviations (95% CI [0.23,0.31], p<.001) from March 10-18 to April 1-14, 2020 as the COVID-19 crisis emerged and lockdown restrictions began in the US. Distress levels subsequently declined to mid-March levels by the end of June (d =-.31, 95% CI [-0.35,-0.27], p<.001). Across all sociodemographic groups examined and those with pre-existing mental health conditions we observed a sharp rise in distress followed by a recovery to baseline distress levels. Interpretation This study identified substantial increases in distress in the US during the emergence of the COVID-19 crisis that largely diminished in the weeks that followed and suggests that population level resilience in mental health may be occurring in response to the pandemic.

Researchers are scrambling to find other ways to diagnose the coronavirus and churn out millions of tests a week — a key step in returning to normality.

Significant attention has been devoted to determining the credibility of online misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic on social media. Here, we compare the credibility of tweets about COVID-19 to datasets pertaining to other health issues. We find that the quantity of information about COVID-19 is indeed overwhelming, but that the majority of links shared cannot be rated for its credibility. Reasons for this failure to rate include widespread use of social media and news aggregators. The majority of links that could be rated came from credible sources; however, we found a large increase in the proportion of state-sponsored propaganda among non-credible and less credible URLs, suggesting that COVID-19 may be used as a vector to spread misinformation and disinformation for political purposes. Overall, results indicate that COVID-19 is unfolding in a highly uncertain information environment that not may amenable to fact-checking as scientific understanding of the disease, and appropriate public health measures, evolve. As a consequence, public service announcements must adequately communicate the uncertainly underlying these recommendations, while still encouraging healthy behaviors.

Disturbing new revelations that permanent immunity to the coronavirus may not be possible have reinforced a decision by scientists at UCSF and affiliated laboratories to focus exclusively on treatments rather than vaccines.

When it opens later this summer, a $26 million Chicago office building will be one of the first in the country to boast features designed to address COVID-19 safety concerns.

The early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic posed a twofold global health threat: Besides the evident danger to human life, the corona crisis is also a psychological crisis. Psychologists worldwide have contributed to cushion the distress that is laid on many societies and enforce adaptive coping strategies. However, psychological support in the past has often been broadly applied, has not been particularly parsimonious and has often been focused on severe psychological stressors. In this brief report we describe the development and application of a low-threshold tool that generates personality-specific recommendations on how to functionally cope with the psychological challenges of the corona crisis. The tool gained widespread attention in Germany and many other countries and was well received by users. It demonstrates how psychological knowledge from personality and health psychology can be combined to be of very concrete use for many people in a threatening situation.

COVID-19 caused a global change in the circumstances and lifestyles of most people. We examined whether COVID-19 pandemic influenced what people consider important in life (values), as well as several aspects of their well-being. This extraordinary event has provided an unprecedented opportunity to observe the extent to which values and well-being are influenced by adverse external factors. Participants (N = 150) reported their values and subjective and eduaimonic well-being nine months before lockdown in Poland, two weeks and four weeks into lockdown. We observed a significant decrease in well-being and significant changes in values: there was an increase in the importance of self-direction, achievement, security and conformity, humility, benevolence and universalism, and a decrease in hedonism. These data are consistent with reports on well-being decrease during the COVID-19 coming from around the world and with data on the changes in values reported during earlier national and global crises.

In the COVID-19 pandemic, Sweden has also created interest around the world by following its own path of using a “soft” approach — not locking down, introducing mostly voluntary restrictions and spurning the use of masks.

One in every six American museums faces “significant risk” of closing permanently because of financial duress exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to survey results released Wednesday by the American Alliance of Museums.

Psychologists are tapping their knowledge and expertise of other respiratory conditions to help patients heal from a range of COVID-19 effects

Erin N. Marcus is a professor of clinical medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and a Public Voices fellow.

Using one of the universe’s most complex systems- the human brain- each of us makes tens of thousands of decisions every day. Each choice involves fascinating and complex cognitive processes such as attention, perception, and memory that occur at lightning speed and often without our even noticing. During a time of heightened risk and sometimes overwhelming information, such as the current pandemic, that decision making process is pushed to extremes. Dr. Tim Pleskac, Professor of Psychology at the University of Kansas, will present what we know about the psychology of decision making and what that can tell us about how people think about and perceive risk in the current pandemic.

Google Trends offers researchers a glimpse inside the minds of a large group of people, all at once, and offers a very high resolution as well. As a result, trend data may be useful for identifying rapid changes in day to day psychological states and behaviors associated with the COVID-19 outbreak. This paper analyzes stress related search terms as well as food related search terms, and identifies changes in patterns for each that appear to be associated with the outbreak.

BACKGROUND All available evidence suggests that the number of deaths linked to COVID-19 among those living in nursing homes is extremely high. Yet, it remains unknown to what extent there are socio-economic differences among nursing home residents, which can lead, in turn, to social inequality in mortality linked to COVID. OBJECTIVE We investigate whether there are educational differences in the likelihood of living in a nursing home across 13 European countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. METHODS We use SHARE data (waves 5-7). We compute logistic regression models for rare events. RESULTS We find that there are sizeable differences in the probability of being in a nursing home, with low-educated individuals more likely to live in this kind of arrangement. This general pattern holds in all the European countries considered. There is considerable uncertainty in our estimates due to small Ns problems and firm conclusions on how the effect of education varies across countries cannot be drawn. Still, there is some indication that the largest educational differences are found in the Scandinavian countries and the smaller ones, even close to zero, in Southern European Countries, with countries in Continental Europe and Eastern Europe laying in between. CONTRIBUTION To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that provides country specific evidence of educational differences in the probability of being in a nursing home in recent years. In this way, we also provide indirect evidence on social inequality in mortality linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 has had unprecedented effects on populations around the world. Given the political and moral context of the pandemic and the nation’s response to it, this study sought to assess the extent of American’s personal fear about the virus as well as their fear for others (altruistic fear), identify potential predictors of these fears, and examine the mental health impact of heightened COVID-19 fears. Overall, a majority of respondents worried about various aspects of the virus, from being exposed to dying and reported often worrying about others, including family, the elderly, and healthcare professionals. Building on the fear of crime literature, we find that certain individuals, including those who believe they are at a high risk of dying from the virus, those who closely follow news coverage of the pandemic, and those with strong moral foundations, are likely to experience elevated fear and, possibly, its consequences.

This paper investigates the profile of COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong, highlighting the unique age structure of confirmed cases compared to other states. Whilst the majority of cases in most states around the world have fitted an older age profile, our analysis shows that positive cases in Hong Kong have been concentrated amongst younger age groups, with the largest incidence of cases reported in the 15-24 age group. This is despite the population’s rapidly ageing structure and extremely high levels of population density. Using detailed case data from Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Department and Immigration Department, we analyze the sex and age distribution of the confirmed cases along with their recent travel histories and immigration flows for the period January to April, 2020. Our analysis highlights Hong Kong’s high proportion of imported cases and large overseas student population in developing COVID-19 hotspot areas such as the United Kingdom. Combined with targeted and aggressive early policy measures taken to contain the virus, these factors may have contributed to the uniquely younger age structure of COVID-19 cases in the city. Consequently, this young profile of confirmed cases may have prevented fatalities in the city-state.

India had its first case of COVID- 19 on January 30th 2020. Slowly the numbers started to increase by mid of February and so is the information on poultry products. Till January 2020 the prices of poultry products were 147.65 rupees per kg until there was a sharp drop in March 2020. The reason behind it was the rumours that coronavirus is caused by the consumption of poultry products. This paper tries to point to out that how these rumours have badly affected the poultry prices in India by looking at a source on which the information is passed on and also the condition under which people tend to believe such rumours. The study emphasis on the fact that such rumours have affected the business of rural population, in particular, making them sell their products at a lower price.

We report an unprecedented decline in protest activity around the world during the Covid-19 pandemic. Using data from the Integrated Crisis Early Warning System from January 2018-April 2020, we calculate z-scores from average monthly and weekly protest activity in countries around the world. Comparing continents, we find an especially pronounced decline of protest in European and Asian countries. We provide four conjectures about the implications this decline in protest can have on future protest behavior.

As the COVID-19 spreads worldwide, countries increasingly recommend wearing facemasks in public. However, its uptake remains far from universal in countries where this practice lacks cultural roots. In this paper, we identify the barriers to mask-wearing in Spain, a country with no mask-wearing culture. We conduct one of the first nationally representative surveys (n = 4,000) about the COVID-19, and uncover the associations of mask-wearing behavior with: a) demographics; b) disease-related anxiety and risk perceptions; c) personality traits; d) social acceptability of mask-wearing. Our results can serve policymakers to design programs for improving compliance. Governments should target efforts to the introverted and the highly educated, as well as advertising mask-wearing as an injunctive norm to encourage their citizens, particularly the elderly, to wear facemasks.

On March 11th, 2020, the World Health Organization officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic. The pandemic is rapidly altering daily life and leading to changes in the way we spend time outside. In an effort to gather timely and relevant data on national recreation patterns, before, during, and after the pandemic, the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics worked quickly with its academic partner, Pennsylvania State University, to offer guidance to land managers, recreation providers, and outdoor enthusiasts across the country. In total, 1,012 outdoor recreationists were surveyed through the Leave No Trace community in a 48-hour window beginning on the morning of April 9th. Our hope is that the results of this rapid assessment will provide valuable information for managing the changing recreation use of public lands, predicting spikes in recreation, and offering insight for land managers as they work to protect the natural world. The following tables, figures, and corresponding brief descriptions are intended to provide initial results of this research effort. Further results are forthcoming.

In the spring of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic changed the daily lives of people around the world. In an effort to quantify these changes, Google released an open-source dataset pertaining to regional mobility trends—including park visitation trends. This dataset offers vast application potential, containing aggregated information from location data collected via smartphones around the world. However, empirical analysis of these data is limited. Namely, the factors causing reported changes in mobility and the degree to which these changes can be directly attributable to COVID-19 remain unknown. The goal of this study is to address these gaps in our understanding of both the changes in park visitation and the causes of these changes. Results suggest that seasonality, not the COVID-19 pandemic, serves as the primary driver of reported changes in park visitation. Specifically, latitude-driven seasonal changes significantly influence visitation trends. Median age of a county is also a statistically significant driver.

In late April 2020, we surveyed 1,060 U.S. parents in residing with a partner of a different sex in order to examine how divisions of housework and childcare may have changed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

To what degree does social distancing have a causal effect on the spread of SARS-CoV-2? To generate causal evidence, we show that week to week changes in weather conditions provided a natural experiment that altered daily travel and movement outside the home, and thus affected social distancing in the first several weeks when Covid-19 began to spread in many U.S. counties. Using aggregated mobile phone location data and leveraging changes in social distancing driven by weekly weather conditions, we provide the first causal evidence on the effect of social distancing on the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Results show that a 1 percent increase in distance traveled leads to an 8.1 percent increase in new cases per capita in the following week, and a 1 percent increase in non-essential visits leads to a 6.9 percent increase in new cases per capita in the following week. Results are stronger in densely populated counties and close to zero in less densely populated counties.

This study provides preliminary evidence regarding associations between socioeconomic inequalities and variations in the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases across 923 municipalities in Catalonia, Spain, as of the 14th of May, 2020. We consider three types of inequalities at municipality-level: 1) economic development, i.e., unemployment rate, average income, immigrants proportion, and the prevalence of small residence; 2) health vulnerability, i.e., crude death rate and the proportion of elderly (aged 65 +) population; and 3) information communication, i.e., the proportion of people with tertiary education. In addition to the static analysis with the total sum of COVID-19 cases, the dynamic analysis with daily moving weekly sum of cases is conducted. The result draws a rather complex picture of relationships between contextual socioeconomic inequalities and the spread of COVID-19. Many indicators of economic inequalities imply the opposite relationship as intuitively suggested: economically disadvantaged municipalities tend to have less cases of confirmed infection than economically advantaged counterparts. The implications from health inequality indicators show mixed patterns: crude death rate is positively associated, but elderly population is negatively associated, with the number of confirmed cases. The indicator of information inequality shows a consistent tendency, i.e., municipalities with more university educated have less confirmed cases, but this tendency transforms across time: the negative association is particularly strong during the first month of Spanish “state of alarm” measure (mid-March to mid-April). Our evidence suggests the need for more careful consideration regarding the association between socioeconomic inequalities and the regional progression of COVID-19 pandemic.

The second webinar in APHA's Advancing Racial Equity series explored reproductive justice and birth equity

Background: The level of post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) associated with the COVID-19 outbreak, stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms was assessed. Risk factors for mental health in the Polish population have been identified. Methods: The 926 respondents completed a set of questionnaires consisting of questions concerning COVID-19, PTSS related to the COVID-19 outbreak (Impact of Event Scale-Revised, IES-R) and their mental health status (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale, DASS-21). Results: Most respondents reported severe PTSS related to the COVID-19 outbreak (44.06%), normal intensity of depressive symptoms (52.38%), anxiety symptoms (56.05%) and stress (56.48%). Female gender, parental status, having a relationship, at least a two-person household are associated with higher PTSS and DASS-21 subscale. A few physical symptoms, a medical visit, quarantine, negative health evaluation, and chronic diseases, knowledge of the increase in the number of infected people and the number of deaths are associated with higher levels of PTSS. Some of the precautions and the need for additional information on COVID-10, the certainty of a high probability of contracting COVID-19, a low survival rate and concerns about loved ones are associated with higher PTSS. Conclusions: The indicated risk factors can be used to develop psychological interventions to improve mental health.

Background: The level of post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) associated with the COVID-19outbreak, stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms was assessed. Risk factors for mental health in thePolish population have been identified.Methods: The 926 respondents completed a set of questionnaires consisting of questions concerningCOVID-19, PTSS related to the COVID-19 outbreak (Impact of Event Scale-Revised, IES-R) and theirmental health status (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale, DASS-21).Results: Most respondents reported severe PTSS related to the COVID-19 outbreak (44.06%), normalintensity of depressive symptoms (52.38%), anxiety symptoms (56.05%) and stress (56.48%). Femalegender, parental status, having a relationship, at least a two-person household are associated withhigher PTSS and DASS-21 subscale. A few physical symptoms, a medical visit, quarantine, negativehealth evaluation, and chronic diseases, knowledge of the increase in the number of infected people andthe number of deaths are associated with higher levels of PTSS. Some of the precautions and the needfor additional information on COVID-10, the certainty of a high probability of contracting COVID-19,a low survival rate and concerns about loved ones are associated with higher PTSS.Conclusions: The indicated risk factors can be used to develop psychological interventions to improvemental health.Keywords: coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), stress, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms,post-traumatic stress symptoms.

The first webinar in APHA's Advancing Racial Equity series examines racism and its historic and present-day impact on health and well-being

2ABSTRACTPurpose Willingnessof adults at high-risk of COVID-19to receive a COVID-19 vaccine is unknown. Thereare key disparities in the risk and outcomes from COVID-19 by socio-demographic factors, including age, sex, level of deprivation, and ethnicity. ACOVID-19 vaccination programme could inadvertently exacerbate these inequalities if it is not readilyreceivedby different population groups.In this UK-wide cross-sectional survey, we examined willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in the general population and evaluated socio-demographic and clinical factors associated with willingness.MethodsBetween April and June 2020, individuals in the general population were invited to complete an online survey; 2568 provided informed consent. Willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine was reported by2152 (83.8%).Results In total, 76.9% (1654/2152) reportedbeing willing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. One in five individuals at increased risk of COVID-19, as defined by UK government guidelines,were unwilling to receive a COVID-19 vaccine (119/589; 20.2%). Individuals from white ethnic group were more likely to be willing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine compared with those from BAME groups (79.9% vs. 55.9%, respectively), OR 2.84, 96% CI = 1.93 –4.18, p ≤ 0.001. Willingness did not vary among adults at increased riskof COVID-19compared with those not at increased risk.Conclusion A significant proportion of individuals in the general population are unwilling to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, including those at increased risk of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. There are socio-demographic differences in willingness, especially by ethnic group. Success of a vaccination programme for COVID-19 depends not only on the efficacy of the vaccine but also on its uptake. Research is urgently needed to establish the most effective policy and communications to encourage maximal uptake of the vaccination.

Alarming disparities within the COVID-19 pandemic — such as higher hospitalizations and death rates among African Americans — are sadly predictable and highlight the urgent need to address the root causes of health inequities. APHA is hosting this webinar series to give an in-depth look at racism as a driving force of the social determinants of health and equity. The series will explore efforts to address systems, policies and practices designed to limit and shape opportunities for people of color. Our presenters will highlight collective and individual actions we can take to advance racial equity and justice.

Decades of economic growth were put on hold in China due to COVID-19. As industries across the country begin reopening, what does the future look like for businesses in the PRC? A new survey conducted in partnership with the Stanford Center at Peking University and alumni from the Stanford School of Business asks CxOs from China about the short-term challenges and long-term implications that the pandemic will have on their business models and workers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected our working and personal lives like no other event in recent memory. An unprecedented level of research over the past five months has advanced knowledge of the disease, but many uncertainties remain. In this Q&A, John McConnell, Editor of The Lancet Infectious Diseases, was able to separate the knowns from the unknowns of COVID-19, whilst speculating on how the pandemic might evolve in the UK and elsewhere, including the developing world. He also offered some excellent insights into what concrete next steps should be taken for the world to defeat this novel disease. This webinar was moderated by Mahmood Ahmed, Chairman of the Aga Khan Foundation UK National Committee.

Our understanding of the coronavirus relies heavily on the ways medical data is collected, distributed and checked across the world. But the ways medical data are analyzed and communicated are prone to error and can lead to misconceptions. Statistician Dr Maarten van Smeden (UMC Utrecht) will discuss the nature of the data underlying COVID-19 statistics. Is the data of high enough quality to make trustworthy predictions for the future?

Talk Title:  "How not to use data like a racist, sexist, homophobe (etc.  . . .)  A seven-step framework for ethics and equity in data" by Heather Krause Founder of Datassist and We All Count Very few people build data products because they want to promote racist or sexist ideas. However, it’s very easy to accidentally fall into these traps, particularly when there’s so much talk about the objectivity of evidence. It’s really easy to make mistakes when using data. A working understanding of how to incorporate ethics and equity into data products is essential for anyone conducting data analysis or making decisions based on data analysis. This talk provides you with several shocking real-world examples and a seven-step framework for identifying inequity and hidden bias in the data product lifecycle. As interest in ethics in data grows, this remains one of the few actionable frameworks for making equitable change in the way you use data as a team. It has been successfully implemented to improve ethics within data, algorithms, dashboards and more at Mastercard, Oxfam, the UN, the Margaret Cargill Foundation, Borealis, and several national governments.

The manuscript highlights available data on gap in public awareness about recent clinical and scientific facts about COVID-19, insufficient community knowledge about symptoms and preventive measures during COVID-19 and previous MERS-CoV epidemic, and lack of monitoring the community perception and adherence to preventive measures. We also summarize literature evidence about reluctance to change social behavior and disregard recommendations for social distancing among persons who percept to having low risk of infection or complications, and briefly describe destructive psychological response and misleading communications. Our analysis could be translated into important policy changes in two directions: (1) to communicate recent scientific discoveries about COVID-19 pathophysiology to better prepare public opinion to longer period of extraordinary measures; (2) to implement sociological feedback on knowledge, attitudes and practices among general public and some vulnerable social groups.

Objectives. To investigate how COVID-19-related health and socio-economic vulnerabilities occur at the household level, and how they are distributed across household types and geographical areas in the United Kingdom. Design. Cross-sectional, nationally representative study. Setting. The United Kingdom. Participants. ~19,500 households. Main outcome measures. Using multiple household-level indicators and principal components analysis, we derive summary measures representing different dimensions of household vulnerabilities critical during the COVID-19 epidemic: health, employment, housing, financial and digital. Results. Our analysis highlights three key findings. First, although COVID-19 health risks are concentrated in retirement-age households, a substantial proportion of working age households also face these risks. Second, different types of households exhibit different vulnerabilities, with working-age households more likely to face financial, housing and employment precarities, and retirement-age households health and digital vulnerabilities. Third, there are area-level differences in the distribution of vulnerabilities across England and the constituent countries of the United Kingdom. Conclusions. The findings imply that the short- and long-term consequences of the COVID-19 crisis are likely to vary by household type. Policy measures that aim to mitigate the health and socio-economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic should consider how vulnerabilities cluster together across different household types, and how these may exacerbate already existing inequalities.

Around the world, almost all countries have sought to stop the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus (Covid-19) by lockdown and quarantine protocols, implemented from local to the national scale. For every scientific development and policy implementation which comprehensively connects this pandemic, the event is not very sound about the extensive socio-economic impact ushered with this disaster. In this paper, using a combined qualitative-quantitative approach, Q method, we have tried to assess the peoples’ discernment from different perspectives. This work was done through questionnaire survey method, during the national level lockdown 1.0 in India. We have differentiated the perception of youth respondents into 7 factors taking 6 dimensions on Covid-19 pandemic (viz. science, society, environment, economy, politics and religion). This work yielded a firsthand ground level insight on the comprehensive but diverse responses from the youths and their opinion for Covid-19 pandemic in India. We are hopeful that this work might open new avenues to understand the people-Covid-19 connection, both for future research and policy implementation.

Fatalities are always a ‘lagging indicator. And diagnosed infections are skyrocketing.

German coronavirus experiment enlists help of concertgoers 4,000 music fans to attend gig as part of study into how virus spreads in large gatherings

Background: Do young adults have low compliance rates with public health measures aimed at curbing the spread of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)? This paper leverages a prospective-longitudinal cohort study with data before and during the pandemic to examine this question. Methods: Data came from an ongoing cohort study (n=737). Non-compliance with public health measures and concurrent correlates were measured at age 22. Antecedent sociodemographic, social, and psychological factors were measured at ages 15-20. Findings: Young adults generally complied with COVID-19 public health measures, although compliance with some measures (e.g., cleaning/disinfecting mobile phones, standing 1.5-2 meters apart) was relatively lower. Non-compliance, especially with hygiene-related measures, was more prevalent in males, and in individuals with higher education, higher SES, and a non- migrant background. Non-compliance was associated with “antisocial potential,” including pre-pandemic low acceptance of moral rules, legal cynicism, low shame/guilt, low self-control, engagement in delinquent behaviors, and association with delinquent peers. Young adults with low trust, including in the government’s measures for fighting the virus, also complied less. Interpretation: In order to increase voluntary compliance with COVID-19 measures, public health campaigns should implement strategies that foster moral obligation and trust in authorities, or leverage trustworthy individuals in the community to disseminate information. For young adults with low self-control, self-monitoring, environmental restructuring, or nudging may increase compliance. Long-term investments into integrating antisocial youth into society may decrease rule-breaking behaviors, including during pandemics when compliance saves lives.

We utilize nationally representative surveys from the United States and Canada to examine the partisan divide in COVID-19 attitudes and behaviours in both countries. The first cases of COVID-19 in both the US and Canada occurred around the same time, but government responses were starkly different. We explore politically salient assessments of governmental performance in both countries, as well as general concern regarding COVID-19 and declarations of changes to daily routines undertaken in response to the pandemic. We find strong partisan differences in evaluations of the government’s response to COVID-19 and confidence in its ability to handle the crisis. We also find partisan differences in concern and behavioural responses to the pandemic in both countries. However, the behavioural differences are small, suggesting that while overtly political assessments are strongly partisan this polarization is dampened down when it comes to actual behavioural responses to the pandemic.

The outbreak of the Corona virus has led to unprecedented measures in education. From March 16, all schools in the Netherlands are closed, and children must keep up with their schoolwork from home. Parents are expected to take a crucial role in this “homeschooling”: they are primarily responsible for ensuring that their children follow the curriculum. In this article I report the first results of a module in the LISS Panel that was designed to map how parents school their children in primary and secondary education. Data on a nationally representative sample of 1,318 children in primary and secondary education were gathered in April. The results show marked differences between social groups. Whereas all parents find it important that their children keep up with the schoolwork, children from advantaged backgrounds receive much more parental support and have more resources (e.g., own computer) to study from home. Differences in parental support are driven by the ability to help: parents with a higher education degree feels themselves much capable to help their children with schoolwork than lower educated parents. Parents also report that schools provide more extensive distant schooling for children in the academic track in secondary education (vwo) than for children in the pre-vocational track (vmbo). Finally, there is a clear gender gap: parents feel much more capable to support their daughters than their sons. These initial findings provide clear indications that the school shutdown in the Netherlands is likely to have strong effects on the inequality in educational opportunities.

At the time of writing, there was 2.9 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 200,000 deaths worldwide. Not since the Spanish Flu in 1918 has the world experienced such a widespread pandemic and this has motivated many countries across globe to take a series of unprecedented actions in an effort to curb the spread and impact of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Among these government and regulatory interventions includes unprecedented domestic and international travel restrictions as well as a raft of stay-at-home and social distancing regulations. Each has left criminologists wondering what impact this will have on crime in both the short- and long-term. In this study, we examine officially recorded violent crime rates for the month of March, 2020, as reported for the state of Queensland, Australia. We use ARIMA modeling techniques to compute six-month-ahead forecasts of common assault, serious assault, sexual offence and domestic violence order breach rates and then compare these forecasts (and their 95\% confidence intervals) with the observed data for March 2020. We conclude that the observed rates of reported violent offending across Queensland were not--at least not so far--significantly different from what was expected given the history of each offence series.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) that has caused the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic represents the greatest international biopsychosocial emergency the world has faced for a century, and psychological science has an integral role to offer in helping societies recover. The aim of this paper is to set out the shorter‐ and longer‐term priorities for research in psychological science that will (a) frame the breadth and scope of potential contributions from across the discipline; (b) enable researchers to focus their resources on gaps in knowledge; and (c) help funders and policymakers make informed decisions about future research priorities in order to best meet the needs of societies as they emerge from the acute phase of the pandemic. The research priorities were informed by an expert panel convened by the British Psychological Society that reflects the breadth of the discipline; a wider advisory panel with international input; and a survey of 539 psychological scientists conducted early in May 2020. The most pressing need is to research the negative biopsychosocial impacts of the COVID‐19 pandemic to facilitate immediate and longer‐term recovery, not only in relation to mental health, but also in relation to behaviour change and adherence, work, education, children and families, physical health and the brain, and social cohesion and connectedness. We call on psychological scientists to work collaboratively with other scientists and stakeholders, establish consortia, and develop innovative research methods while maintaining high‐quality, open, and rigorous research standards.

With public health dangers of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) unlikely to subside by the Fall 2020, several states are considering implementing universal vote by mail systems in advance of the General Election. Studying Americans' demand for these policies is important, as support for universal vote by mail could place pressure on policymakers to implement policies that encourage turnout, without jeopardizing public health. Drawing on insights from social and political psychology, we theorize that -- while self-identified liberals are typically more likely to support vote-by-mail policies than conservatives -- anxiety about COVID-19's health risks could erase these differences. In a demographically representative survey of U.S. adults conducted in late April 2020 (N = 1,015), we find strong ideological asymmetries in vote-by-mail support among individuals who are not concerned about COVID-19's health effects. However, and consistent with our theory, we find that highly-concerned liberals and conservatives alike are highly supportive of universal vote-by-mail. The results suggest that anxiety about the pandemic may play an important role in shaping demand for universal vote-by-mail policies, across the ideological spectrum.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to alter daily life and lead to changes in the way we spend time outside. In an effort to gather timely and relevant data on national recreation patterns before, during, and after the pandemic, the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics and its academic partner, Pennsylvania State University, have been working to conduct a study that can offer guidance to land managers, recreation providers, and outdoor enthusiasts across the United States. Phase 1 of this assessment was conducted April 9th – 11th, 2020 (Rice et al., 2020). Phase 2 of this assessment was conducted April 30th – May 2nd. This second phase of research—discussed in this preliminary report— was designed to provide additional information regarding changes in recreation trends since April 9th, which provides valuable information for managing dynamic recreational use on public lands. In total, 823 outdoor recreationists were surveyed through the Leave No Trace community in a 48-hour window beginning on the morning of April 30th. The results of this second rapid assessment—complete with comparisons to Phase 1 data—will provide valuable information for managing the changing recreation use of public lands, predicting spikes in recreation, and offering insight for land managers as they work to protect the natural world. The following tables, figures, and corresponding brief descriptions are intended to provide initial results from Phase 2 of our research effort, with comparisons to Phase 1 when appropriate. Further results are forthcoming.

At the time of writing, there was 3.4 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 300,000 deaths worldwide. Not since the Spanish Flu in 1918 has the world experienced such a widespread pandemic and this has motivated many countries across globe to take unprecedented actions in an effort to curb the spread and impact of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Among these government and regulatory interventions includes stringent domestic and international travel restrictions as well as a raft of stay-at-home and social distancing regulations. The scale of these containment measures has left criminologists wondering what impact this will have on crime in both the short- and long-term. In this study, we examine officially recorded property crime rates for March, 2020, as reported for the state of Queensland, Australia. We use ARIMA modeling techniques to compute six-month-ahead forecasts of property damage, shop theft, other theft, burglary, fraud, and motor vehicle theft rates and then compare these forecasts (and their 95% confidence intervals) with the observed data for March 2020. We conclude that the observed rates of reported property offending across Queensland were significantly lower than expected for shop theft, other theft and credit-card fraud but statistically unchanged for property damage, burglary, and motor-vehicle theft.

This project involves three samples, drawn from the United Kingdom, the United States, and India. Respondents are recruited through MTurk and compensated after the completion of a short survey. In each country, we aim for a sample of 1,500, reserving 500 for each of three treatment arms – a pure control, an “economics” treatment (where we prime the economic effects of the Coronavirus pandemic), and a “public health” treatment (where we prime the health effects of the pandemic). People in the US, UK, and India are extremely concerned about the pandemic – both its health effects and economic repercussions – and they become even more concerned when primed with information about the repercussions of the virus. Yet, we find no evidence that these worries translate into changes in political behavior. The null findings contained in this study suggest that politicians are unlikely to be punished or rewarded for their failures or successes in managing Covid-19 in the next election. We suggest that these findings indicate that public health issues have little influence on voter preferences in most election cycles.

The activities performed by Canadian workers in some occupations may increase the risk of exposure to infectious diseases such as COVID-19. This research note explores how occupational exposure risks vary by labour force characteristics using publicly available Canadian data in combination with a dataset providing information on the level of physical proximity and frequency of exposure to infections or diseases faced by workers in different occupations. I find important sociodemographic differences. First, women work in occupations associated with significantly higher average risks of exposure to COVID-19 than men. This is driven by their over-representation in high-risk broad occupational categories such as health occupations. Second, older workers (65 years old or more), a group vulnerable to COVID-19, appear to work in occupations requiring performing activities that require a lower level of physical proximity than their younger colleagues, with minimal differences in the frequency of exposure to diseases or infections. Finally, workers in low-income occupations are employed in occupations that put them at greater risk of exposure to COVID-19 than other workers. This is especially the case for women, immigrants and members of visible minority groups in low-income occupations. More broadly, this research note provides insights into the health-related dimension of the literature on occupational tasks and labour market stratification.

Policy makers responding to COVID-19 need to know people’s relative valuation of health over wealth. Loosening and tightening lockdowns moves a society along a (perceived) health-wealth trade-off and the associated changes have to accord with the public’s relative valuation of health and wealth for maximum compliance. In our survey experiment (N=4,618), we randomize information provision on economic and health costs to assess public preferences over this trade-off in the UK and the US. People strongly prioritize health over wealth, but the treatment effects suggest these priorities will change as experience of COVID-19 deaths and income losses evolves. Information also has heterogeneous/polarizing effects. These results encourage policy caution. Individual differences in health-wealth valuation highlight this study’s importance because they map onto compliance with current lockdown measures.

We draw on data from the Online Labour Index and interviews with freelancers in the United States securing work on online platforms, to illuminate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic’s global economic upheaval is shuttering shops and offices. Those able to do so are now working remotely from their homes. They join workers who have always been working remotely: freelancers who earn some or all of their income from projects secured via online labour platforms. Data allow us to sketch a first picture of how the initial month of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the livelihoods of online freelancers. The data shows online labour demand falling rapidly in early March 2020, but with an equally rapid recovery. We also find significant differences between countries and occupations. Data from interviews make clear jobs are increasingly scarce even as more people are creating profiles and seeking freelance work online.

The covid-19 pandemic has brought to fore the key role that mass media plays in shaping collective risk perception. This paper looks at the inquiry process carried out by Brazilian journalists covering the first public interview of a newly appointed Health Minister. It bases this analysis on the precept of ‘a priori intuition’ by Immanuel Kant in 'Critique of Pure Reason'. The paper argues that, contrary to common sense, journalists can more accurately shape representations of reality, while clarifying authorities’ statements, by arbitrarily depriving themselves from prior knowledge and relying, instead, on personalizing space and time in the inquiry process.

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is critically impacting health and wellbeing around the world. In addition to physical health problems, COVID-19 is increasingly reported to be associated with mental health problems across populations. Evidence from the current pandemic and earlier infectious disease outbreaks suggests that several psychosocial factors, including fear and susceptibility of infection, stigma, lack of awareness, pre-existing health problems, and poor social support affect the mental health status among the vulnerable individuals and populations. Moreover, social determinants of mental health are disproportionately distributed across populations, which also affect coping with adverse psychosocial conditions. During COVID-19 pandemic, many psychological challenges are aggravating globally, including suicidal behavior. In this correspondence, we discuss a case of suicide of an army soldier in India and the psychosocial epidemiology of suicidal behavior in the context of COVID-19.

COVID-19 is the most salient issue in the world presently, and for current executives, it is likely the greatest and gravest challenge they will ever face. Interestingly, upon entering the U.S. context, the disease was immediately subject to the process of affective polarization, with clear partisan splits forming around perceptions of its risks that did not relate to science or ideology. We ask whether the process of affective polarization spilled over into and affected firms’ perceptions of the disease’s risk by examining whether firms’ risk perceptions covary with their partisan political positioning. Analyzing conference call and campaign contribution data for the S&P 500, we find a positive association between a firm’s contributions to Democratic partisans and its recognition of perceived COVID-19 risks.

The population-level case-fatality rate (CFR) associated with COVID-19 varies substantially, both across countries time and within countries over time. We analyze the contribution of two key determinants of the variation in the observed CFR: the age-structure of diagnosed infection cases and age-specific case-fatality rates. We use data on diagnosed COVID-19 cases and death counts attributable to COVID-19 by age for China, Germany, Italy, South Korea, Spain, the United States, and New York City. We calculate the CFR for each population at the latest data point and also for Italy over time. We use demographic decomposition to break the difference between CFRs into unique contributions arising from the age-structure of confirmed cases and the age-specific case-fatality. In late April 2020, CFRs varied from 2.2% in South Korea to 13.0% in Italy. The age-structure of detected cases often explains more than two thirds of cross-country variation in the CFR. In Italy, the CFR increased from 4.2% to 13.0% between March 9 and April 22, 2020, and more than 90% of the change was due to increasing age-specific case-fatality rates. The importance of the age-structure of confirmed cases likely reflects several factors, including different testing regimes and differences in transmission trajectories; while increasing age-specific case-fatality rates in Italy could indicate other factors, such as the worsening health outcomes of those infected with COVID-19. Our findings lend support to recommendations for data to be disaggregated by age, and potentially other variables, to facilitate a better understanding of population-level differences in CFRs. They also show the need for well designed seroprevalence studies to ascertain the extent to which differences in testing regimes drive differences in the age-structure of detected cases.

Since first diagnosed in late 2019, there have been more than 4 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than a quarter of a million deaths worldwide. Not since the Spanish Flu in 1918 has the world experienced such a widespread pandemic and this has motivated many countries across globe to take a series of unprecedented actions in an effort to curb the spread and impact of the virus through the adoption of unprecedented domestic and international travel restrictions as well as stay-at-home and social distancing regulations. Whether these policies have altered criminal activity is an important question. In this study, we examine officially recorded violent crime rates for the month of March and April, 2020, as reported for the state of Queensland, Australia. We use ARIMA modeling techniques to compute six-month-ahead forecasts of common assault, serious assault, sexual offense and domestic violence order breach rates and then compare these forecasts (and their 95\% confidence intervals) with the observed data for March and April 2020. We conclude that by the end of April, rates of common, serious and sexual assault had declined to their lowest level in a number of years, and for serious assault and sexual assault the decline was beyond statistical expectations. The rate at which domestic violence orders were breached in Queensland has remained unchanged throughout the first two months of the pandemic.

As humans are spreading throughout the world, infectious diseases have been a constant companion such as Bubonic Plague (200 Million deaths), 17th Century Great Plague (3 Million deaths), Plague of Justinian (30-50 Million deaths), etc . Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) which was published on 11th January 2020 showing the intensity of Global research and development activity to develop a drug/vaccine against the disease. COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. Human to human transmission has created a pandemic situation across the world. Pharmaceutical companies play a crucial role in this scenario to provide Drugs/Vaccines/Therapies to treat and tackle the novel coronavirus disease of 2019. This paper consists of the Drugs and Vaccines which are developed, or in the process of development , their current stage of development (clinical trials) with their patent review.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus, originated in Wuhan (China) at the end of 2019, rapidly spread in more than 100 countries. Researchers in different fields have been working on finding explanations for the unequal impact of the virus, and deaths from the associated disease (COVID-19), in different geographical areas. Demographers and other social scientists, have hinted at the importance of demographic factors, such as age structure and intergenerational relationships. The goal of this article is to reflect on the possible link between intergenerational relationships and COVID-19 cases in a critical way. We show that with available aggregate data it is not possible to draw robust evidence to support such a link. In fact, at the country-level higher prevalence of intergenerational co-residence and contacts is broadly positively associated with number of COVID-19 cases (per 100,000 persons), but the opposite is generally true at the sub-national level. While this inconsistent evidence neither demonstrates the existence nor the inexistence of a causal link between intergenerational relationships and the prevalence of COVID-19 cases, we warn against simplistic interpretations of the available data which suffer from many shortcomings. Only retrospective individual level data will provide robust evidence on the role of intergenerational ties. We conclude arguing that intergenerational relationships are not only about physical contacts between family members. From a theoretical point of view, different forms of intergenerational relationships may have causal effects of opposite sign on the diffusion of COVID-19. Policies devoted at fighting the spread of COVID-19 should also take into account that intergenerational ties are a source of instrumental and emotional support, which may favor compliance to the lockdown and “phase-2” restrictions and may buffer their negative consequences on mental health.

The world has been highly impacted by the COVID-19 as the virus has spread to all continents – about 200 countries in total. The latest update claims about 4,000,000 confirmed cases and about 300,000 confirmed deaths owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. This probably makes the COVID-19 as the most dangerous contagious disease in the era 2000s. Apart from massive publications on this topic, there is no available qualitative analysis that describes the dynamic spreads of the COVID-19 and its impacts on healthcare and the economy. Through the system archetypes analysis, this paper explains that the dynamic spread of the COVID-19 consists of the limits to growth and the success to successful structures. The limits to growth elucidates that more symptomatic and asymptomatic patients owing to infected droplets may be bounded by self-healing and isolated treatments. The success to successful structure explains that once the COVID-19 affects the economy through the lockdown, there will be a limited fund to support the government aids and the aggregate demand. In overall, this paper gives readers simplified holistic insights into understanding the dynamic spread of the COVID-19.

The novel coronavirus has impacted countries across the word and is affecting many domains of our lives. While other initiatives are focusing on economic or health related impacts of the pandemic, this webinar series aims at exploring the strategies and initiatives of governments and religious groups to deal with the crisis. Our focus is global and will assess the impacts of the pandemic on civil liberties, and especially freedom of religion or belief. During the series, our guests will also touch on cross-cutting themes like the impact of the pandemic on levels of religiosity, on religious practice, on theological reflection and religious imagination, on faith-based humanitarianism, on religion and inclusion/xenophobia. The series brings together government officials, scholars and practitioners to discuss the threats we face, and how we might respond to them. The series is organized by the Cambridge Institute on Religion and International Studies, the Center for Religious Studies at Bruno Kessler Foundation, the Center for Justice and Society at Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) Law School-Rio de Janeiro, the International Center for Law and Religion Studies at Brigham Young University Law School, the European Union Office of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the University of Siena.