ScienceDaily - Society

PTSD link to pandemic fears

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 15:20:24 GMT

A new study of 1040 online participants from five western countries explores people's response to the stresses of the escalating pandemic, finding more than 13 percent of the sample had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related symptoms consistent with levels necessary to qualify for a clinical diagnosis.

COVID lockdown loneliness linked to more depressive symptoms in older adults

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 13:49:36 GMT

Loneliness in adults aged 50 and over during the COVID-19 lockdown was linked to worsening depressive and other mental health symptoms, according to a large-scale online study.

Why older adults must go to the front of the vaccine line

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 20:09:38 GMT

A new global, mathematical modeling study shows that in most cases prioritizing older adults for COVID-19 vaccines saves the most lives. It also found that, in some cases, more lives could be saved and infections prevented if those who've already tested positive step to the back of the line.

Survey: Frequent reports of missed medical care in US adults during the early phase of the ...

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 18:22:51 GMT

Two out of five individuals delayed or missed medical care in the early phase of the pandemic -- from March through mid-July 2020.

Randomized trials could help to return children safely to schools, study finds

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 18:22:31 GMT

Schools are closing again in response to surging levels of COVID-19 infection, but staging randomized trials when students eventually return could help to clarify uncertainties around when we should send children back to the classroom, according to a new study.

COVID-19 is dangerous for middle-aged adults, not just the elderly

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 18:18:06 GMT

COVID-19 has been spreading rapidly over the past several months, and the U.S. death toll has now reached 400,000. As evident from the age distribution of those fatalities, COVID-19 is dangerous not only for the elderly but for middle-aged adults, according to a new study.

People more likely to follow COVID rules when friends and family do, research finds

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 13:46:23 GMT

New research has shown that people are more likely to follow COVID-19 restrictions based on what their friends do, rather than their own principles.

Land deals meant to improve food security may have hurt

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 00:43:45 GMT

Large-scale land acquisitions by foreign investors, intended to improve global food security, had little to no benefit, increasing crop production in some areas while simultaneously threatening local food security in others, according to researchers who studied their effects.

Appearance, social norms keep students off Zoom cameras

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 00:43:20 GMT

Researchers surveyed 312 students found that while some students had concerns about the lack of privacy or their home environment, 41% of the 276 respondents cited their appearance, as their reason not to switch on their cameras on zoom.

Where do our minds wander? Brain waves can point the way

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 19:02:03 GMT

Anyone who has tried and failed to meditate knows that our minds are rarely still. But where do they roam? New research has come up with a way to track the flow of our internal thought processes and signal whether our minds are focused, fixated or wandering.

New carbon budget framework provides a clearer view of our climate deadlines

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 17:21:00 GMT

Researchers present a new framework for calculating the remaining carbon budget that is able to generate a much narrower estimate and its uncertainty. The researchers estimate that between 230 and 440 billion more tonnes of CO2 from 2020 onwards can be emitted into the atmosphere and still provide a reasonable chance of limiting global warming to 1.5°C.

Scientists to global policymakers: Treat fish as food to help solve world hunger

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 17:20:51 GMT

Fish provide 17 percent of the animal protein consumed globally and are rich in micronutrients and essential fatty acids. In a new article, experts argue seeing fish in a food system perspective.

College classrooms are still chilly for women, as men speak more, study finds

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 16:44:52 GMT

Men speak 1.6 times more often than women in college classrooms, revealing how gender inequities regarding classroom participation still exist, according to a new study. By comparison, women are more hesitant to speak and are more apt to use apologetic language.

Clumsy kids can be fit too

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 15:28:20 GMT

Clumsy kids can be as aerobically fit as their peers with better motor skills, a new study shows.

Successive governments' approach to obesity policies has destined them to fail

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 03:57:13 GMT

Government obesity policies in England over the past three decades have largely failed because of problems with implementation, lack of learning from past successes or failures, and a reliance on trying to persuade individuals to change their behavior rather than tackling unhealthy environments.

Where COVID-19 hit hardest, sudden deaths outside the hospital increased, study finds

Mon, 18 Jan 2021 16:31:34 GMT

A study across New York City found that out-of-hospital sudden deaths follow the geographic distribution of SARS-CoV-2, suggesting an association between the two, investigators report.

A new archaeology for the Anthropocene era

Mon, 18 Jan 2021 16:31:32 GMT

Scantily clad tomb raiders and cloistered scholars piecing together old pots -- these are the kinds of stereotypes of archaeology that dominate public perception. Yet archaeology in the new millennium is a world away from these images. In a major new report, researchers probe a thoroughly modern and scientific discipline to understand how it is helping to address the considerable challenges of the Anthropocene.

Low-carbon policies can be 'balanced' to benefit small firms and average households

Mon, 18 Jan 2021 16:31:12 GMT

A review of ten types of policy used to reduce carbon suggests that some costs fall on those less able to bear them - but it also shows these policies can form the bedrock of a 'green recovery' if specifically designed and used in tandem.

Students returning home may have caused 9,400 secondary COVID-19 infections across UK

Mon, 18 Jan 2021 15:35:06 GMT

A new statistical model suggests that an infected student returning home for Christmas would, on average, have infected just less than one other household member.

COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil has overwhelmed its health systems, analysis shows

Sun, 17 Jan 2021 18:22:23 GMT

An analysis of the first 250,000 patients admitted to hospital with coronavirus reveals a high mortality and inequities in the quality of healthcare across regions.