The efficacy of digital contact tracing against COVID-19 epidemic is debated: smartphone penetration is limited in many countries, non-uniform across age groups, with low coverage among elderly, the most vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2. We developed an agent-based model to precise the impact of digital contact tracing and household isolation on COVID-19 transmission. The model, calibrated on French population, integrates demographic, contact-survey and epidemiological information to describe the risk factors for exposure and transmission of COVID-19. We explored realistic levels of case detection, app adoption, population immunity and transmissibility. Assuming a reproductive ratio R=2.6 and 50% detection of clinical cases, a ~20% app adoption reduces peak incidence of ~36%. With R=1.7, >30% app adoption lowers the epidemic to manageable levels. Higher coverage among adults, playing a central role in COVID-19 transmission, yields an indirect benefit for elderly. These results may inform the inclusion of digital contact tracing within a COVID-19 response plan.

arXiv:2007.13261

Scientific knowledge and advances are a cornerstone of modern society. They improve our understanding of the world we live in and help us navigate global challenges including emerging infectious diseases, climate change and the biodiversity crisis. For any scientist, whether they work primarily in fundamental knowledge generation or in the applied sciences, it is important to understand how science fits into a decision-making framework. Decision science is a field that aims to pinpoint evidence-based management strategies. It provides a framework for scientists to directly impact decisions or to understand how their work will fit into a decision process. Decision science is more than undertaking targeted and relevant scientific research or providing tools to assist policy makers; it is an approach to problem formulation, bringing together mathematical modelling, stakeholder values and logistical constraints to support decision making. In this paper we describe decision science, its use in different contexts, and highlight current gaps in methodology and application. The COVID-19 pandemic has thrust mathematical models into the public spotlight, but it is one of innumerable examples in which modelling informs decision making. Other examples include models of storm systems (eg. cyclones, hurricanes) and climate change. Although the decision timescale in these examples differs enormously (from hours to decades), the underlying decision science approach is common across all problems. Bridging communication gaps between different groups is one of the greatest challenges for scientists. However, by better understanding and engaging with the decision-making processes, scientists will have greater impact and make stronger contributions to important societal problems.

From climate change to pandemics: decision science can help scientists have impact

The pandemic exposed a glaring health gap caused by systemic racism. Here’s how to narrow it

Too Many Black Americans Are Dying from COVID-19

Government source told Mail the PM was 'extremely concerned' by outbreaksRises were recorded each day last week for the first time since the April peak The seven-day average stands at almost 700, 28 per cent up on three weeks ago Ministers fear a second wave of the pandemic could hit before this winter 

EXCLUSIVE - PM fears UK second wave in TWO WEEKS: Boris Johnson is 'extremely concerned' after 28% rise in British Covid cases during July

Considerable public debate has emerged regarding the importance of wearing masks to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and thus whether they should be required in workplaces. Recognizing precedents for constraining individual behavior within workplaces, this article draws parallels to smoking bans and argues that mask requirements should be considered fundamental occupational health protections.

10.1016/j.amepre.2020.07.001

COVID-19 Mask Requirements as a Workers’ Rights Issue: Parallels to Smoking Bans

Teenager subjected to tirade after briefly raising mask so sister could read her lips

Deafblind woman and sister verbally abused for lifting mask on train

The COVID-19 pandemic is considered as the most critical global health disaster of the century and the greatest challenge that the human civilization faced since the 2nd World War. According to the report of the World Health Organization (WHO as of June 7th 2020), the current outbreak of COVID-19, has affected over 6 799 713 people and killed more than 397 388 people in more than 216 countries throughout the world. It has rapidly spread around the world, posing enormous health, economic, environmental and social challenges to the whole human population. The corona virus outbreak is ruthlessly disrupting the global economy. Almost all the nations are struggling to slow down the transmission of the disease by testing & treating patients, quarantining suspected persons through contact tracing, restricting large gatherings, maintaining complete or partial lock down etc. This paper describes the consequences of Lockdown 5.0 Unlock 1.0 on society and environment, and the possible ways in which the disease can be controlled has also been discussed therein.

AN ANALYSIS OF COVID-19 LOCKDOWN 5.0 UNLOCK 1.0, INDIA

Top scientists have hit out at claims by England’s chief medical officer that the UK will struggle to eliminate Covid-19. The Independent SAGE group, led by former chief scientific adviser for England Sir David King, is calling for a ‘zero Covid’ approach. {"requests":{"csi":"https://csi.gstatic.com/csi?"},"transport":{"xhrpost":false},"triggers":{"adRequestStart":{"on":"ad-request-start","request":"csi","sampleSpec":{"sampleOn":"a4a-csi-${pageViewId}","threshold":1},"selector":"amp-ad","selectionMethod":"closest","extraUrlParams":{"met.a4a":"afs_lvt.${viewerLastVisibleTime}~afs.${time}"}},"adResponseEnd":{"on":"ad-response-end","request":"csi","sampleSpec":{"sampleOn":"a4a-csi-${pageViewId}","threshold":1},"selector":"amp-ad","selectionMethod":"closest","extraUrlParams":{"met.a4a":"afe.${time}"}},"adRenderStart":{"on":"ad-render-start","request":"csi","sampleSpec":{"sampleOn":"a4a-csi-${pageViewId}","threshold":1},"selector":"amp-ad","selectionMethod":"closest","extraUrlParams":{"met.a4a":"ast.${scheduleTime}~ars_lvt.${viewerLastVisibleTime}~ars.${time}","qqid":"${qqid}"}},"adIframeLoaded":{"on":"ad-iframe-loaded","request":"csi","sampleSpec":{"sampleOn":"a4a-csi-${pageViewId}","threshold":1},"selector":"amp-ad","selectionMethod":"closest","extraUrlParams":{"met.a4a":"ail.${time}"}}},"extraUrlParams":{"s":"ampad","ctx":"2","c":"${correlator}","slotId":"${slotId}","puid":"${requestCount}~${timestamp}"}} Scotland is within “touching distance” of that goal, they believe. Download the new Independent Premium app Sharing the full story, not just the headlines Download now But last week England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty warned that eliminating Covid-19 in a “highly connected” country like the UK was unlikely.

Coronavirus: Scientists hit out at Whitty over claims will be difficult for UK to eliminate Covid-19

10.31234/osf.io/n3t5c

Threatening situations have been shown to influence prosocial and altruistic behaviour in laboratory studies. However, it is unknown whether those effects would transfer to a real-life crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we examined the impact of changing COVID-19 threat on everyday altruism. Specifically, we investigated the association between defensive emotions associated with varying levels of perceived threat imminence, and reported frequency of altruistic behaviours. A sample of 600 United States residents was recruited online via Prolific at 4 different timepoints in March and April (n=150 each week). We collected self-report measures of everyday altruism, Perceived COVID-19 threat, and defensive emotions associated with varying threat imminence (anticipatory versus acute anxiety). Linear mixed effects models were used to predict variation in everyday altruism as a function of perceived COVID-19 threat and defensive emotions. Our results revealed a clear and consistent association between acute anxiety in response to the pandemic, and frequency of altruistic behaviours. No significant association was found between altruism and less acute defensive responses. These results suggest acute defensive emotions associated with higher threat imminence may promote altruistic action during a real-life crisis.

Acute defensive emotions predict increased everyday altruism during the COVID-19 pandemic

10.31234/osf.io/qfnm3

Previous research has argued that fake news may have grave consequences for health behaviour, but surprisingly, no empirical data have been provided to support this assumption. This issue takes on new urgency in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. In this large preregistered study (N = 3746) we investigated the effect of exposure to fabricated news stories about COVID-19 on related behavioural intentions. We observed small but measurable effects on some related behavioural intentions but not others – for example, participants who read a story about problems with a forthcoming contact-tracing app reported reduced willingness to download the app. We found no effects of providing a general warning about the dangers of online misinformation on response to the fake stories, regardless of the framing of the warning in positive or negative terms. We conclude with a call for more empirical research on the real-world consequences of fake news.

Can fake news really change behaviour? Evidence from a study of COVID-19 misinformation.

10.31234/osf.io/bzqhd

Understanding how health has changed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is critical to reducing and recovering from the pandemic. This study focused on how sleep health in the United States may have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Sleep duration and number of days in the past week with difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, and not feeling rested in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults collected before the COVID-19 outbreak (2018 National Health Interview Survey, n = 19,433) was compared to the same measures in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults collected during the COVID-19 outbreak (2020 Luc.id, n = 2,059). Sleep duration was slightly shorter in 2020 than 2018 (d = -.05). Moreover, the prevalence of insufficient sleep duration (RR = 1.20) and the number of days with difficulty falling asleep (d = .54), difficulty staying asleep (d =.36), and not feeling rested (d = .14) was greater in 2020 than 2018. Twice as many people in 2020 reported experiencing at least one night of difficulty falling asleep (RR = 1.95) or staying asleep (RR = 1.75). Adults younger than 60 and those who belonged to an Asian racial group had larger differences than other age and racial groups between 2018 and 2020. Thus, sleep health in U.S. adults was worse in 2020 than in 2018, particularly in younger and Asian adults. Findings highlight sleep as target in future research and interventions seeking to understand and reduce the effects of the spread of COVID-19.

Sleep health in U.S. adults before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

10.31234/osf.io/rvec8

Exposure to ‘fake news’ can result in false memories, with possible consequences for downstream behaviour. Given the sharp rise in online misinformation during the coronavirus pandemic, it is important to understand the factors that influence the development of false memories. In a large, preregistered study (N = 3,746) we measured susceptibility to false memories following exposure to fabricated news stories about the pandemic, and investigated the effect of individual differences in (1) knowledge about COVID-19, (2) engagement with media or discussion about the coronavirus, (3) anxiety about COVID-19 and (4) analytical reasoning. We report that objectively-assessed knowledge about COVID-19 was associated with fewer false memories and with better discrimination between true and false stories. In contrast, participants who believed themselves to be very knowledgeable were more likely to report a memory for any story, true or false. Individuals who reported high levels of media engagement or anxiety about COVID-19 were also biased towards ‘remembering’ any given story, while also showed heightened sensitivity to the difference between true and false stories. Finally, higher levels of analytical reasoning were associated with fewer false memories and with a stricter threshold for reporting a memory for any story. These data suggest that false memories can form in response to fake COVID-19 news, and that susceptibility to this misinformation is affected by the individual’s knowledge about and interaction with COVID-19 information, as well as their tendency to think critically.

Individual differences in susceptibility to false memories for COVID-19 fake news

10.31234/osf.io/ah6j3

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) seriously affected all Italy. The extreme virulence, the speed of propagation resulted in restrictions and home confinement. This change was immediately perceived by people who found themselves exposed to feelings of uncertainty, fear, anger, stress and a drastic change in the diurnal but above all nocturnal lifestyle. For these reasons, we aimed to study the quality of sleep and its connection to distress levels and evaluate how lifestyle changed in the Italian population during the lockdown. Methods Through an internet survey we recruited 6,519 adults during the whole COVID-19 lockdown (from 10thMarch – 1st phase - to 4th May – 2nd phase). We investigated the socio-demographic and COVID-19 related information and assessed sleep quality using the Medical Outcomes Study - sleep scale (MOS-SS) and mental health with the short form of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales – 21 Items (DASS-21). Multiple logistic regression model was used to evaluate the multivariate association between the dependent variable (good sleeper vs. poor sleeper) and all the variables that were significant in the univariate analysis. Results 3,562 (55.32%) participants reported poor sleep quality according to the MOS-Sleep Index II score. The multiple binary logistic regression results of poor sleepers reveal several risk factors during the outbreak restrictions: female gender, living in Central Italy, having someone close who died due to COVID-19, markedly changed sleep-wake rhythm characterized by earlier or postponed habitual bedtime, earlier habitual awakening time and reduced number of afternoon naps, extremely severe levels of stress, of anxiety, and of depression. Conclusions This is the first study designed to understand sleep quality and sleep habits during the whole lockdown in the Italian population that provides more than 6,000 participants in a survey developed specifically for the health emergency related to COVID-19. Our study found that more than half of the Italian population have had impaired sleep quality and sleep habits elevated psychological distress during the COVID-19 lockdown containment measures. A multidisciplinary action should be taken in order to plan appropriate responses to the current crisis caused by the COVID-19 health emergency.

Poor quality of sleep and its consequences on mental health during COVID-19 lockdown in Italy

After just a few days of training, dogs in Germany proved capable of identifying people infected with COVID-19, according to researchers. The dogs, part of a study by a veterinary university in Germany, were able to sniff out the coronavirus with stunning accuracy. 

Researchers trained dogs to sniff out COVID-19 infections in just a few days

Thanks to dithering and ineptitude, we may never have contact tracing on our smartphones

The UK's app failure sums up our fatally flawed coronavirus response

Sinclair Television said on Saturday it would delay airing an interview with a conspiracy theorist who claims baselessly that Dr Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert, created the coronavirus behind the current pandemic.

Sinclair delays interview containing Fauci Covid-19 conspiracy theory

A surge in coronavirus cases in rural Texas has forced one hospital to set up “death panels” to decide which patients it can save and which ones will be sent home to die.

Texas hospital forced to set up 'death panel' as Covid-19 cases surge

Thousands of people like me are suffering ill health months after contracting the virus. We need more help

I'm a Covid-19 'long-hauler'. For us, there is no end in sight

With our bras, jeans and shoes furloughed, we’re no longer happy to tolerate restrictive clothing. And fashion brands are responding

A hard day’s nightie: will lockdown change the way we dress forever?

In this essay, we analyze two sets of international legal responses to the COVID-19 pandemic: the academic discussion on state responsibility and the deployment of international law as a tool for resistance. We argue that both approaches made significant contributions but concealed the role of the discipline in the production of the conditions that led to the pandemic and its unequal impact. These interventions reflect a “modest international law”; an understanding of the discipline that hinders change and is ethically weak. We contend that repoliticization can help reclaim international law’s ambition and responsibility.

Modest International Law: COVID-19, International Legal Responses, and Depoliticization

During the first wave of the COVID19 epidemic, the daily number of deaths published by Public Health England (PHE) has been the main headline in the news.  On 17th July, Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health, called for a review of this time series after a blog published by Yoon Loke & Carl Heneghan of Oxford University questioned whether definition used by this time series was appropriate.  I myself had noticed a change in the PHEr time series in my tracker of COVID19 deaths in England but I hadn’t understood why this might have been the case.  After looking at the data again in more detail, I have concluded that this time series is overestimating the number of deaths by 42 +/- 13 per day since the 23rd May and it needs to be revised otherwise it will create confusion should a second wave come.

COVID19 Deaths #2 – Are Public Health England’s Figures Misleading?

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.

10.1177/1745691620942516

Psychosocial Vulnerabilities to Upper Respiratory Infectious Illness: Implications for Susceptibility to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (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. 

Change, loss and bereavement

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.

Psychologists called to action on recovery from Covid-19

10.31234/osf.io/fjxze

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.

Psychological Impact of COVID-19 lockdown

10.31234/osf.io/wykeq

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.

The link between coronavirus, anxiety, and religious beliefs in the United States and United Kingdom

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.

https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30458-8

Monitoring approaches for health-care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

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

Big drop in Earth’s surface vibrations seen during covid-19 lockdowns

10.31235/osf.io/7m286

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.

Global City in a Global Pandemic: Assessing the Ongoing Impact of COVID Induced Trends on London’s Economic Sectors

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.

10.1126/science.abc0035

The impact of COVID-19 and strategies for mitigation and suppression in low- and middle-income countries

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

10.1126/science.abd1668

Mathematical models to guide pandemic response

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

Coronavirus Rages on Coasts as Hurricane Fears Rise

10.31234/osf.io/79f5v

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.

Psychological distress and adaptation to the COVID-19 crisis in the United States

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.

The explosion of new coronavirus tests that could help to end the pandemic

arXiv:2007.09682

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.

The COVID-19 Social Media Infodemic Reflects Uncertainty and State-Sponsored Propaganda

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.

Studies show coronavirus antibodies may fade fast, raising questions about 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.

Chicago office building constructed with coronavirus-fighting features

10.31234/osf.io/r9q6g

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.

Personality Psychology in Times of Crisis: Profile-specific Recommendations on how to deal with COVID-19

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.

10.31234/osf.io/xr87s

Values and well-being change amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland

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.

Sweden hoped herd immunity would curb COVID-19. Don't do what we did. It's not working.

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.

16% of U.S. museums say they risk closing forever in a prolonged pandemic

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

Delirium, PTSD, brain fog: The aftermath of surviving COVID-19

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

I’m a doctor in Miami. Here’s how I know Florida’s covid-19 outbreak won’t improve anytime soon.

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

Trump loves the ‘low’ daily death rate for covid. It won’t last.

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

German coronavirus experiment enlists help of concertgoers

Many studies needed to quell this and future pandemics are not being done, and the chance is ebbing away.

Plug COVID-19 research gaps in detection, prevention and care