There have been multiple claims made online which say that the Pfizer vaccine contains 99% graphene oxide, a substance which is derived from graphite. The claims originate from a Spanish study and have been circulating in English (across the UK and the US), in Spanish and in Portugese. They are not true.

The Pfizer vaccine isn’t 99% graphene oxide

Today I issued a Surgeon General’s Advisory to call our country’s attention to health misinformation – an urgent threat to our health that requires an all-of-society response. http://surgeongeneral.gov/healthmisinformation

The AstraZeneca Africa Director, Barbara Nel, has disclosed that a total of 1.6 billion fully funded COVID-19 vaccines would be made available for COVAX dependent countries later this year through to 2022. | Watch the full interview with @benkoku here: https://bit.ly/3yVOg6u

We’ve built and open-sourced BlenderBot 2.0, the first #chatbot that can store and access long-term memory, search the internet for timely information, and converse intelligently on nearly any topic. It’s a significant advancement in conversational AI.

. this worked in Ontario. Bring the firehoses to the fire. For infectious disease, equity and overall utility maximization run in the same direction.

Hotspot vaccination works

False claims about vaccines has proliferated on the social network, and on other sites including Twitter and YouTube, says president

‘They’re killing people’: Biden slams Facebook for Covid disinformation

10.1016/j.lanepe.2021.100150

BackgroundBNT162b2 was shown to be 92% effective in preventing COVID-19. Prioritizing vaccine rollout, and achievement of herd immunity depend on SARS-CoV-2 transmission reduction. The vaccine's effect on infectivity is thus a critical priority.MethodsAmong all 9650 HCW of a large tertiary medical center in Israel, we calculated the prevalence of positive SARS-CoV-2 qRT-PCR cases with asymptomatic presentation, tested following known or presumed exposure and the infectious subset (N-gene-Ct-value<30) of these. Additionally, infection incidence rates were calculated for symptomatic cases and infectious (Ct<30) cases. Vaccine effectiveness within three months of vaccine rollout was measured as one minus the relative risk or rate ratio, respectively. To further assess infectiousness, we compared the mean Ct-value and the proportion of infections with a positive SARS-CoV-2 antigen test of vaccinated vs. unvaccinated. The correlation between IgG levels within the week before detection and Ct level was assessed.FindingsReduced prevalence among fully vaccinated HCW was observed for (i) infections detected due to exposure, with asymptomatic presentation (VE(i)=65.1%, 95%CI 45-79%), (ii) the presumed infectious (Ct<30) subset of these (VE(ii)=69.6%, 95%CI 43-84%) (iii) never-symptomatic infections (VE(iii)=72.3%, 95%CI 48-86%), and (iv) the presumed infectious (Ct<30) subset (VE(iv)=83.0%, 95%CI 51-94%).Incidence of (v) symptomatic and (vi) symptomatic-infectious cases was significantly lower among fully vaccinated vs. unvaccinated individuals (VE(v)= 89.7%, 95%CI 84-94%, VE(vi)=88.1%, 95%CI 80-95%).The mean Ct-value was significantly higher in vaccinated vs. unvaccinated (27.3±1.2 vs. 22.2±1.0, p<0.001) and the proportion of positive SARS-CoV-2 antigen tests was also significantly lower among vaccinated vs. unvaccinated PCR-positive HCW (80% vs. 31%, p<0.001). Lower infectivity was correlated with higher IgG concentrations (R=0.36, p=0.01).InterpretationThese results suggest that BNT162b2 is moderately to highly effective in reducing infectivity, via preventing infection and through reducing viral shedding.FundingSheba Medical Center, Israel

Decreased infectivity following BNT162b2 vaccination: A prospective cohort study in Israel

An Estimated 279,000 Deaths & up to 1.25 Million Hospitalizations Averted by U.S. #COVID19 Vaccination Campaign (@commonwealthfnd analysis) Interpretation: #VaccinesWork Link: https://commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2021/jul/deaths-and-hospitalizations-averted-rapid-us-vaccination-rollout… @Alison_Galvani @EricSchneiderMD @Vaccinologist @V2019N #SARSCoV2

That may have important implications for herd immunity. If we are overestimating R for delta by using an overly lengthy generation time, herd immunity may be less unattainable than it currently appears.

But may also be mis-estimated if the generation time for strains is treated as equivalent when it’s actually different. That would further inflate apparent R for delta.

Fascinating new preprint on delta vs older variants in well-investigated outbreaks in China. Viral load for delta is 3 log higher, and latent period is shorter too (estimate is 4 days vs 6 days). This may explain much higher R estimates which may be due to elevated viral load

10.1136/bmj.n1755

Two doses of the new CoronaVac vaccine made in China have an efficacy of 83.5% against symptomatic covid-19, an interim analysis has shown.1

Covid-19: China’s CoronaVac vaccine offers 83.5% protection against symptomatic infection, interim analysis finds

10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.15653

SARS-CoV-2 and the resulting COVID-19 pandemic has affected more than 106 million people worldwide with more than 2.31 million deaths as of February 2021.1 Upon the emergency use authorization for a COVID-19 vaccine by the US Food and Drug Administration, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine developed an overarching framework to assist US policy makers in planning for equitable allocation of COVID-19 vaccines.2 Minority populations have approximately 5 times greater risk of adverse COVID-19 consequences related to social determinants of health that may exacerbate patient comorbidities.4,6 Equitable distribution would eliminate vaccination disparities while mitigating the disproportionate effect of the COVID-19 pandemic in underserved populations, which are disadvantaged because of limited access to health care, low socioeconomic status, or race. This study aims to determine how every state planned to ensure equitable vaccine distribution.

Evaluation of Health Equity in COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Plans in the United States

Even as we focus on the short-term dangers caused by variants, we need to be thinking about the longer-term health dangers that result from social divisions.

The Covid delta variant hints at a bigger problem for America

Although two-dose mRNA vaccination provides excellent protection against SARS-CoV-2, data are scarce on vaccine efficacy against variants of concern (VOC) in individuals above 80 years of age1. Here we analysed immune responses following vaccination with mRNA vaccine BNT162b22 in elderly participants and younger health care workers. Serum neutralisation and binding IgG/IgA after the first vaccine dose diminished with increasing age, with a marked drop in participants over 80 years old. Sera from participants above 80 showed significantly lower neutralisation potency against B.1.1.7, B.1.351 and P.1. variants of concern as compared to wild type and were more likely to lack any neutralisation against VOC following the first dose. However, following the second dose, neutralisation against VOC was detectable regardless of age. Frequency of SARS-CoV-2 Spike specific B-memory cells was higher in elderly responders versus non-responders after first dose. Elderly participants demonstrated clear reduction in somatic hypermutation of class switched cells. SARS-CoV-2 Spike specific T- cell IFNγ and IL-2 responses decreased with increasing age, and both cytokines were secreted primarily by CD4 T cells. We conclude that the elderly are a high risk population that warrant specific measures to boost vaccine responses, particularly where variants of concern are circulating.

10.1038/s41586-021-03739-1

Age-related immune response heterogeneity to SARS-CoV-2 vaccine BNT162b2

The University of Oregon’s “Emotions and Polarization in Decisions & Media in COVID-19” (UO-EPIDeMIC) study tracked perceptions of the COVID-19 pandemic from February 17th of 2020 through December 17th of 2020 in a single cohort of 1,284 American Mechanical Turk (MTurk) workers. Affect, attitudes, risk perceptions, intentions for protective behaviors, trust in various actors, media usage, and attitudes towards potential solutions were measured throughout the pandemic’s progression. Through six longitudinal waves of surveys, we demonstrate Mturk’s potential as a tool for recruiting high-quality longitudinal cohorts of participants. The data collected through these surveys have been used in various lines of research to learn about how individuals react and adapt to a global catastrophe.

Using MTurk to Capture Change: Tracking Perceptions of COVID-19 in a U.S. sample through the UO-EPIDeMIC Study

10.31234/osf.io/v5s6w

South Dakota has a vaccination rate of 50% (1+ dose). Maine is at 66%. So is Maine better protected? Not quite. If you factor in immunity from natural infection, SD has a total population immunity of ~70%, while ME is at ~62%. I created a calculator:

Vaccines are still beating the variants, but the unvaccinated world is being pummeled.

The 3 Simple Rules That Underscore the Danger of Delta

With the Delta variant surging, questions about how to control infections, especially in children, are as urgent as ever

Can we now live with the coronavirus? There are still no easy answers

What is the latest?On 23 June the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s safety committee said there was a “likely association” between the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna covid-19 vaccines and myocarditis and pericarditis in some young adults. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices said there was a higher than expected number of reports of heart inflammation in people aged 16-24 who had received the mRNA vaccines but that the benefits of vaccination still clearly outweighed the risks.1The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) had received 1226 preliminary reports of myocarditis and pericarditis after about 300 million doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines up to 11 June. The US Food and Drug Administration said it would add a warning about the risk to information sheets for the mRNA covid vaccines. A joint statement signed by the US Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC, and medical organisations such as the American College of Physicians and American Medical Association emphasised that the side effect was “extremely rare” and that most cases were mild.2

10.1136/bmj.n1635

Covid-19: Should we be worried about reports of myocarditis and pericarditis after mRNA vaccines?

... and here are 10-14 year-olds:

10.1038/s41591-021-01408-4

The Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine may be associated with a slightly increased risk of some bleeding disorders, according to new data, but such cases are very rare and the vaccine’s benefits continue to outweigh the risks, say researchers.

AstraZeneca covid-19 vaccine may hinder blood clotting in rare cases

10.1136/bmj.n1435

Objective To quantify the background incidence rates of 15 prespecified adverse events of special interest (AESIs) associated with covid-19 vaccines.Design Multinational network cohort study.Setting Electronic health records and health claims data from eight countries: Australia, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States, mapped to a common data model.Participants 126 661 070 people observed for at least 365 days before 1 January 2017, 2018, or 2019 from 13 databases.Main outcome measures Events of interests were 15 prespecified AESIs (non-haemorrhagic and haemorrhagic stroke, acute myocardial infarction, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, anaphylaxis, Bell’s palsy, myocarditis or pericarditis, narcolepsy, appendicitis, immune thrombocytopenia, disseminated intravascular coagulation, encephalomyelitis (including acute disseminated encephalomyelitis), Guillain-Barré syndrome, and transverse myelitis). Incidence rates of AESIs were stratified by age, sex, and database. Rates were pooled across databases using random effects meta-analyses and classified according to the frequency categories of the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences.Results Background rates varied greatly between databases. Deep vein thrombosis ranged from 387 (95% confidence interval 370 to 404) per 100 000 person years in UK CPRD GOLD data to 1443 (1416 to 1470) per 100 000 person years in US IBM MarketScan Multi-State Medicaid data among women aged 65 to 74 years. Some AESIs increased with age. For example, myocardial infarction rates in men increased from 28 (27 to 29) per 100 000 person years among those aged 18-34 years to 1400 (1374 to 1427) per 100 000 person years in those older than 85 years in US Optum electronic health record data. Other AESIs were more common in young people. For example, rates of anaphylaxis among boys and men were 78 (75 to 80) per 100 000 person years in those aged 6-17 years and 8 (6 to 10) per 100 000 person years in those older than 85 years in Optum electronic health record data. Meta-analytic estimates of AESI rates were classified according to age and sex.Conclusion This study found large variations in the observed rates of AESIs by age group and sex, showing the need for stratification or standardisation before using background rates for safety surveillance. Considerable population level heterogeneity in AESI rates was found between databases.

Characterising the background incidence rates of adverse events of special interest for covid-19 vaccines in eight countries: multinational network cohort study

10.1038/s41598-021-81442-x

Various non-pharmaceutical interventions were adopted by countries worldwide in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic with adverse socioeconomic side effects, which raises the question about their differential effectiveness. We estimate the average dynamic effect of each intervention on the incidence of COVID-19 and on people’s whereabouts by developing a statistical model that accounts for the contemporaneous adoption of multiple interventions. Using daily data from 175 countries, we show that, even after controlling for other concurrent lockdown policies, cancelling public events, imposing restrictions on private gatherings and closing schools and workplaces had significant effects on reducing COVID-19 infections. Restrictions on internal movement and public transport had no effects because the aforementioned policies, imposed earlier on average, had already de facto reduced human mobility. International travel restrictions, although imposed early, had a short-lived effect failing to prevent the epidemic from turning into a pandemic because they were less stringent. We interpret the impact of each intervention on containing the pandemic using a conceptual framework which relies on their effects on human mobility behaviors in a manner consistent with time-use and epidemiological factors.

Estimating worldwide effects of non-pharmaceutical interventions on COVID-19 incidence and population mobility patterns using a multiple-event study

Airborne transmission by droplets and aerosols is important for the spread of viruses. Face masks are a well-established preventive measure, but their effectiveness for mitigating SARS-CoV-2 transmission is still under debate. We show that variations in mask efficacy can be explained by different regimes of virus abundance and related to population-average infection probability and reproduction number. For SARS-CoV-2, the viral load of infectious individuals can vary by orders of magnitude. We find that most environments and contacts are under conditions of low virus abundance (virus-limited) where surgical masks are effective at preventing virus spread. More advanced masks and other protective equipment are required in potentially virus-rich indoor environments including medical centers and hospitals. Masks are particularly effective in combination with other preventive measures like ventilation and distancing.

Face masks effectively limit the probability of SARS-CoV-2 transmission

10.1126/science.abg6296

10.1038/s41591-021-01407-5

Mass vaccination has the potential to curb the current COVID-19 pandemic by protecting individuals who have been vaccinated against the disease and possibly lowering the likelihood of transmission to individuals who have not been vaccinated. The high effectiveness of the widely administered BNT162b vaccine from Pfizer–BioNTech in preventing not only the disease but also infection with SARS-CoV-2 suggests a potential for a population-level effect, which is critical for disease eradication. However, this putative effect is difficult to observe, especially in light of highly fluctuating spatiotemporal epidemic dynamics. Here, by analyzing vaccination records and test results collected during the rapid vaccine rollout in a large population from 177 geographically defined communities, we find that the rates of vaccination in each community are associated with a substantial later decline in infections among a cohort of individuals aged under 16 years, who are unvaccinated. On average, for each 20 percentage points of individuals who are vaccinated in a given population, the positive test fraction for the unvaccinated population decreased approximately twofold. These results provide observational evidence that vaccination not only protects individuals who have been vaccinated but also provides cross-protection to unvaccinated individuals in the community.

Community-level evidence for SARS-CoV-2 vaccine protection of unvaccinated individuals

10.1056/NEJMc2108620

Blumenthal et al.1 report delayed large local reactions in 12 patients who had received the mRNA-1273 vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). Baeck et al.2 report a similar reaction to the BNT162b2 vaccine. The majority of these patients with delayed large local reactions and those whose cases have been reported elsewhere3,4 have been White. Alvarez-Arango et al.5 note the importance of diverse images of dermatologic findings to mitigate cognitive biases and to better prepare clinicians to recognize and address cutaneous reactions in the diverse patients we serve. We therefore present a case series of delayed large local reactions to messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 in recipients who are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC). From February 10, 2021, through April 23, 2021, a total of 1422 reports of postvaccination reactions were submitted to a Covid-19 vaccine allergy case registry (https://allergyresearch.massgeneral.org. opens in new tab). Of these reactions, 510 (36%) were delayed large local reactions that were reported by patients (64%) and clinicians (36%). The mean (±SD) age of the patients with delayed large local reactions was 50±15 years (range, 21 to 91), and the majority were women (472 [93%]). Delayed large local reactions were reported after the receipt of the mRNA-1273 vaccine in 459 patients (90%), after the receipt of the BNT162b2 vaccine in 35 (7%), and after the receipt of other or unknown Covid-19 vaccines in 16 (3%).

Delayed Large Local Reactions to mRNA Covid-19 Vaccines in Blacks, Indigenous Persons, and People of Color

10.1038/s41591-021-01408-4

Reports of ChAdOx1 vaccine–associated thrombocytopenia and vascular adverse events have led to some countries restricting its use. Using a national prospective cohort, we estimated associations between exposure to first-dose ChAdOx1 or BNT162b2 vaccination and hematological and vascular adverse events using a nested incident-matched case-control study and a confirmatory self-controlled case series (SCCS) analysis. An association was found between ChAdOx1 vaccination and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) (0–27 d after vaccination; adjusted rate ratio (aRR) = 5.77, 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.41–13.83), with an estimated incidence of 1.13 (0.62–1.63) cases per 100,000 doses. An SCCS analysis confirmed that this was unlikely due to bias (RR = 1.98 (1.29–3.02)). There was also an increased risk for arterial thromboembolic events (aRR = 1.22, 1.12–1.34) 0–27 d after vaccination, with an SCCS RR of 0.97 (0.93–1.02). For hemorrhagic events 0–27 d after vaccination, the aRR was 1.48 (1.12–1.96), with an SCCS RR of 0.95 (0.82–1.11). A first dose of ChAdOx1 was found to be associated with small increased risks of ITP, with suggestive evidence of an increased risk of arterial thromboembolic and hemorrhagic events. The attenuation of effect found in the SCCS analysis means that there is the potential for overestimation of the reported results, which might indicate the presence of some residual confounding or confounding by indication. Public health authorities should inform their jurisdictions of these relatively small increased risks associated with ChAdOx1. No positive associations were seen between BNT162b2 and thrombocytopenic, thromboembolic and hemorrhagic events.

First-dose ChAdOx1 and BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccines and thrombocytopenic, thromboembolic and hemorrhagic events in Scotland

10.1038/s41591-021-01419-1

A prospective cohort analysis finds a link between the ChAdOx1 vaccine and an autoimmune disorder known as immune thrombocytopenia—but questions remain and causality is yet to be established. Download PDF Worldwide efforts to control the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 have led to the most rapid and extensive vaccination program in human history. With all of its benefits, there also comes the potential for side effects, including autoimmune responses. In this issue of Nature Medicine, Simpson and colleagues implicate the AstraZeneca (ChAdOx1) vaccine, but not the Pfizer (BNT162b2) vaccine, in the development of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP)1. In interpreting such findings, it is important to consider not only the strengths and limitations of the study but also the wider clinical context and the balance of risks and benefits of vaccination.

COVID-19 vaccination and immune thrombocytopenia

"Digital fireside chat" with @adamhfinn and @BristolUni ProVC Prof John Iredale about "Vaccines milestones and combating conspiracy theories" now available at: https://digitalfireside.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/2021/02/17/episode-13-vaccines-milestones-and-combating-conspiracy-theories/… The C19vax handbook makes an appearance https://sks.to/c19vax @SciBeh

The Blame Efficiency Hypothesis applies insights from evolutionary psychology to resolve the apparent conflict between rationalist and intuitionist perspectives on moral judgment. First, people reserve moral condemnation for actors and actions that are likely to be deterred by moral condemnation. This includes intended and controllable actions (consistent with rationalist perspectives that highlight how considerations of intentionality and causal control influence blame judgments) because blame cannot deter intentions that never existed in the first place, nor can it alter unalterable actions. And this includes actors who care about their moral reputations (i.e., cognitively competent and mentally healthy humans), because moral condemnation cannot deter those with no regard for their moral reputations. Second, moral judgment is subject to error management principles. Failing to condemn a morally responsible harmdoer signals exploitability, and so it would be more costly to erroneously not blame a harmdoer who could have been deterred by blame than to erroneously blame a harmdoer who could not have been deterred by blame (called The Don Corleone Principle). In contrast, no obvious cost asymmetry exists for overestimations or underestimations of moral responsibility for helpful or neutral actions. Therefore, in ambiguous cases, people should err on the side of assuming harmdoers are morally responsible (consistent with intuitionist perspectives which highlight how punitive desires influence judgments of intentionality and moral responsibility). Blaming efficiently means that people attribute moral responsibility to those who appear capable of controlling their behavior in future situations and to those who appear controllable—likely to change their behavior in response to harsh moral judgment, with a small bias toward ascribing responsibility in ambiguous cases of harm to minimize the costly error of under-blaming.

The Blame Efficiency Hypothesis: An Evolutionary Framework to Resolve Rationalist and Intuitionist Theories of Moral Condemnation

Questions around the shot mount as it faces scrutiny from Europe’s medicines watchdog.

Russian vaccine’s hot streak is sputtering

"Covid-19 Vaccine - The musical" è la variante inglese del nuovo musical di Lorenzo Baglioni su vaccini e immunità di gregge; nel comitato scientifico i docenti Insubria Antonietta Mira e Daniele Cassani, presidente della Rism School.

Covid-19 Vaccine - The musical

Official Twitter account of Sputnik V manipulates information to target Western COVID-19 vaccines

The Twitter account undermines other vaccines and promotes Sputnik V, benefiting from a deceptively inflated follower count

10.1038/s41591-021-01377-8

Predictive models of immune protection from COVID-19 are urgently needed to identify correlates of protection to assist in the future deployment of vaccines. To address this, we analyzed the relationship between in vitro neutralization levels and the observed protection from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection using data from seven current vaccines and from convalescent cohorts. We estimated the neutralization level for 50% protection against detectable SARS-CoV-2 infection to be 20.2% of the mean convalescent level (95% confidence interval (CI) = 14.4–28.4%). The estimated neutralization level required for 50% protection from severe infection was significantly lower (3% of the mean convalescent level; 95% CI = 0.7–13%, P = 0.0004). Modeling of the decay of the neutralization titer over the first 250 d after immunization predicts that a significant loss in protection from SARS-CoV-2 infection will occur, although protection from severe disease should be largely retained. Neutralization titers against some SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern are reduced compared with the vaccine strain, and our model predicts the relationship between neutralization and efficacy against viral variants. Here, we show that neutralization level is highly predictive of immune protection, and provide an evidence-based model of SARS-CoV-2 immune protection that will assist in developing vaccine strategies to control the future trajectory of the pandemic.

Neutralizing antibody levels are highly predictive of immune protection from symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection

The rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 globally continues to impact humanity on a global scale with rising morbidity and mortality. Despite the development of multiple effective vaccines, new vaccines continue to be required to supply ongoing demand. We report Day 42 interim safety and immunogenicity data from a Phase 2, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in Adults aged 18+ immunized with a virus-like particle vaccine candidate produced in plants displaying SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein (CoVLP) adjuvanted with AS03 (NCT04636697). This report focuses on presenting safety, tolerability and immunogenicity, as measured by neutralizing antibody (NAb) and cell mediated immunity (IFN-γ and IL-4 ELISpot) responses, in Adults aged 18-64 (Adults) and Older Adults aged 65+ (Older Adults). CoVLP adjuvanted with AS03 was well-tolerated and adverse events (AE) were primarily mild or moderate and of transient duration. AEs in Older Adults were more limited than those observed in the Adult population. CoVLP with AS03 induced a significant humoral immune response in both age cohorts. CoVLP with AS03 induced a greater humoral response in Adults than Older Adults after a single dose but this effect was overcome with a second dose when both age cohorts responded with NAb titers that were ∼10-fold higher than those in a panel of sera from patients recovering from COVID-19. A single dose of CoVLP with AS03 induced a significant IFN-γ response in both age cohorts; a second dose significantly boosted IFN-γ and IL-4 responses in both age cohorts. Adults generated a stronger IFN-γ and IL-4 cellular response than did Older Adults after one or two doses of AS03-adjuvanted CoVLP. Safety and immunogenicity from Adults with comorbidities as well as final safety and immunogenicity responses after 12 months will be reported upon availability.

Interim Report of a Phase 2 Randomized Trial of a Plant-Produced Virus-Like Particle Vaccine for Covid-19 in Healthy Adults Aged 18-64 and Older Adults Aged 65 and Older

10.1101/2021.05.14.21257248

I test the possibility that people who provide higher estimates of negative consequences of Covid-19 (e.g., hospitalizations, deaths, and threats to children) will be more likely to support the ‘new normal’; continuation of restrictions for an undefined period of time starting with wide-spread access to vaccines and completed vaccinations of vulnerable people. Results based on N = 1,233 from April, 2021 suggested that people over-estimate Covid-19 risks, and those over-estimates were consistently related to stronger support for continuing restrictions. This relationship emerged in four different samples, using core and supplementary risk estimations, and persisted after controlling for Covid-19 denialism, political ideology, and personal concern of contracting Covid-19. People were also more likely to support continuing restrictions if they believed there is scientific consensus on Covid-19 matters, even on issues where there is none (e.g., wearing masks while driving alone). The study concludes with a discussion of the ethical implications of letting both over- and under-estimation of Covid-19 go uncorrected. Just as it is important to combat misinformation that leads people to disregard health mandates, it is crucial to examine the real possibility that people’s support for continuing risk mitigation practices may also not be based on accurate information.

Over-estimation of Covid-19 Risks to Healthy and Non-Elderly Predict Support for Continuing Restrictions Past Vaccinations

Loneliness can develop as a result of the identity transitions accompanying older adulthood, including the onset of health conditions and loss of social connections. The current study examines how the COVID-19 pandemic affected these identity change processes among older adults thereby impacting their experience of loneliness. In this longitudinal qualitative study, we use a theoretically-guided thematic analysis, applying insights from the Social Identity Model of Identity Change (SIMIC). Interviews were conducted before the pandemic, after the first UK national lockdown, and during the third national lockdown (N=9, Mage=78.7). The themes identified were: threatened social contact; being categorised as a vulnerable older adult; restricted ability to gain and maintain identities; undermined reciprocal social support; and wellbeing hindered by loneliness related fears. Implications discussed include how the pandemic recovery effort will require facilitating positive ageing identities to counteract the vulnerabilities introduced by the pandemic.

Ageing in the time of COVID-19: the coronavirus pandemic exacerbates the experience of loneliness in older people by undermining identity processes

Governments around the world have made use of militaristic metaphors at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to draw attention to the dangers of the virus. But do militaristic metaphors indeed affect individuals’ threat perceptions and support for restrictive COVID-19 policies? Using a fictitious newspaper design, COVID-19 policies were described with similarly negatively valanced metaphors but different in militaristic connotation (e.g., “war” vs. “struggle”). Overall, data of 3 framing experiments (N = 1,114) in Germany and the United States indicate limited evidence on the effectiveness of the tested militaristic metaphors. In the U.S. context, the non-militaristic concept of struggle was consistently more strongly associated with the desired outcomes than militaristic metaphors. In study 2 and 3, we also tested whether a narrative compared to factual style of reporting additionally influenced the framing effect. A congruency effect of narrative reporting style and the use of warfare metaphors was found in the German but not in the U.S. sample. Results of post-experimental norming studies (N = 437) in both countries revealed that the metaphor of war is associated with higher responsibility ascriptions to the government, whereas the concept of struggle triggers individual responsibility in the pandemic. The results are discussed in light of the usefulness and appropriateness of militaristic metaphors in medical contexts.

“It’s a war! It’s a battle! It’s a fight!”: Do militaristic metaphors increase people's threat perceptions and support for COVID-19 policies?

People older than 80 who waited 11 to 12 weeks for their second jab had higher peak antibody levels than did those who waited only three weeks

Delaying a COVID Vaccine’s Second Dose Boosts Immune Response in the Elderly

SINDS ENKELE weken klinkt er ferme kritiek op het wetenschappelijk niveau van de activiteiten die de organisatie Fieldlab Evenementen uitvoert onder de noemer van ‘onderzoek’. Het gaat hier om een serie grootschalige evenementen. Van festivals en sportwedstrijden tot clubnachten en congressen, waaronder het Eurovisie Songfestival in Rotterdam (ca. 3.500 bezoekers), het Startschotgala in Oost Gelre (ca. 10.000 bezoekers) en het festival BackToLive Walibi in Biddinghuizen (ca. 9.000 bezoekers).

In de ban van de evenementenlobby: Resultaten Fieldlab Evenementen onbruikbaar. Kosten: €2,7 miljoen