10.1073/pnas.1710336114

Next step in the ongoing arms race between myxoma virus and wild rabbits in Australia is a novel disease phenotype

nb- only in that age group, and no examination of respective severity

Timothy Caulfield: Misinformation – Vaccines, Vaccine Hesitancy & Media https://youtu.be/wQSIo1AmQMw via @CARPNews @Zoomer Thx for opportunity to debunk COVID myths! - No evidence vaccines harm fertility or will change your DNA - Vaccines are not "experimental"

10.31234/osf.io/9dac6

We hypothesized that resilience would buffer people from depression caused by loneliness and social isolation during the COVID pandemic. Capitalizing on a unique longitudinal dataset of 447 American adults, we used well established self-report instruments to find that resilience at time 1 buffered individuals against the effects of loneliness at time 2 causing depression at time 3. Effects were robust across age, sex, and education level, and generalized to trait variables we believe are partly constitutive of resilience: conscientiousness, extraversion, and (negatively) neuroticism. However, our results were relatively specific to depression as the outcome, and did not generalize to other adverse outcomes, such as stress and anxiety. Future studies can use the open dataset provided together with the new resilience factors that we propose in order to further test the interventional potential of our findings.

Trait resilience protects against depression caused by loneliness during the COVID pandemic

10.31234/osf.io/jv3cu

The aim of the current study was to explore whether the COVID-19 pandemic has affected people’s perceptions of other vaccines and diseases than COVID-19. In two samples of Finnish adults (N = 205 in Study 1 and N = 197 in Study 2), we longitudinally investigated whether there has been a change from before the COVID-19 pandemic to during the pandemic in: 1) influenza vaccination behavior and intentions, 2) the perceived benefit of childhood vaccines and influenza vaccines, 3) the perceived safety of childhood vaccines and influenza vaccines, 4) the perceived severity of measles and influenza, and 5) trust in health care professionals and health authorities in vaccine-related matters. The results indicated that more people had taken or had wanted to take the influenza vaccine during the pandemic than before. The respondents also considered influenza as more severe, and influenza vaccines as more beneficial and safe during the pandemic. For childhood vaccines, by contrast, there was only an increase in the perceived safety of the vaccines. Finally, in one of the studies, trust in health care professionals was higher during the pandemic than before. Taken together, these results suggest a spillover of the COVID-19 pandemic on people’s perceptions of other vaccines and diseases.

Spillover Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Attitudes to Influenza and Childhood Vaccines

10.31234/osf.io/teb7u

Background: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the wellbeing of parents and children in the general population has been well-documented. This study investigated wellbeing in parents of and children with rare neurogenetic conditions, who may have been at greater risk of negative impact on mental health and behavioural challenges during the first UK lockdown. Method: An online survey data was completed by parents of children with a rare neurogenetic condition between May and July 2020 (CoIN sample; N=123) and compared to responses from parents of children in the wider population (Co-SPACE sample; N=2121). Measures of wellbeing included the 21-item Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale for parents and the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire for child behaviour. Results: Parent anxiety was significantly higher in CoIN (MedianAnx = 4) than Co-SPACE (MedianAnx = 2). Parent-rated internalising, externalising and impact of child behavioural difficulties were also significantly higher in CoIN (MedianInt = 9.5; MedianExt = 11, MedianImp = 8) than Co-SPACE (MedianInt = 6; MedianExt = 7, MedianImp = 1). Only group differences in child behaviour and impact remained significant when matching for demographic factors and were also larger than previously reported pre-pandemic differences. Discussion: Families of children with rare neurogenetic conditions reported poorer wellbeing during the first lockdown compared to the wider population, affecting both parents and children. This likely reflects pre-existing complex needs, which should be prioritised during future national crises. Investigation of changes in wellbeing in this population over the course of the pandemic is warranted.

Rare neurogenetic conditions and mental health of families during COVID-19

Kang, T. S., & Goodwin, R. (2022, January 31). Legal restrictions and mitigation strategies amongst a disabled population during COVID-19. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/8daew

10.31234/osf.io/8daew

The impact of physical disability on protective behaviors during COVID-19 has been little studied. This retrospective study compared 699 disabled respondents’ self-declared behaviors before and after the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions in England. We found that individuals who self-identified as disabled in England exhibited high compliance with protective behaviors and mitigation strategies during a period of legal restrictions. Following the lifting of restrictions, respondents engaged in greater social mixing, more distancing and hygiene behaviors, and made less use of face coverings. Hierarchical regressions revealed however that resources (health and socio-economic status) moderated protective behaviors, with lower socio-economic status, severe disability status, being clinically extremely vulnerable, and higher levels of anxiety, all associated with greater continued use of mitigation strategies across behavioral domains. This suggests that the removal of restrictions had an unequal impact on the population of England, placing a disproportionate burden on some disabled people.

Legal restrictions and mitigation strategies amongst a disabled population during COVID-19

10.31234/osf.io/gx5mn

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on societies with possible consequences for their fundamental political values. Modernization theory links societal values to the underlying subjective sense of existential security in a given society (‘scarcity hypothesis’), while also claiming that values remain stable once individuals reach adulthood (‘socialization hypothesis’). An acute existential crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic offers a rare opportunity to test these assumptions. In three sets of analyses, we reveal that the pandemic and the experienced psychological distress are negatively associated with emancipative and secular values, entailing a reversal to traditionalism, intolerance, and religiosity. First, we document a substantial decline in both emancipative and secular values in the first months of the pandemic compared to five months earlier, and this decline remained stable a year later. Second, we show that the value change was stronger in prefectures more severely affected by the pandemic. Third, individuals who experienced stronger psychological distress emphasized the same values more strongly, as evident in two surveys from May 2020 and April 2021. In support of the scarcity hypothesis, our study provides evidence that, under extraordinary environmental conditions, values can change even within a negligibly short time period.

The COVID-19 Pandemic Inflicts Lasting Changes in Societal Values in Japan

10.31234/osf.io/knq49

Background: Schools have adapted to the online environment during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the factors influencing access to online resources and the impact of these changes on youth mental health are largely unknown. The current study has two aims (1) to investigate if mental health problems previous to COVID-19 pandemic are associated with access to online learning; (2) to investigate whether those accessing online learning have lower levels of mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The sample consisted of 672 young people (16 - 24 years of age) from the Brazilian High-Risk Cohort that were enrolled in an educational institution and had access to the internet. Participants were evaluated during the COVID-19 pandemic and in a previous time point. A total of 511 students were enrolled in online classes, while 161 were not enrolled. Psychopathology was measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in both time points. Attendance to online classes during COVID-19 was obtained by self-report. Data were analyzed using multiple regression models. Results: Prospective analysis revealed that every one-point increase in the total SDQ score before the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with an increase of 6% in the chance of a participant not accessing online classes, above and beyond previous negative school events, such as suspensions and grade repetition and other confounders (adjusted OR 0.94; 95%CI 0.91-0.98; p=0.0009). Cross-sectional analysis revealed that participants that accessed online classes had a slightly lower number of inattention/hyperactivity problems if compared to those without online classes (Cohen's d=0.25; β=-0.63, p=0.006); however, those results were fully explained by previous symptoms of inattention/hyperactivity. Conclusion: Children with pre-pandemic mental health problems have disproportionately lower access to educational resources during the pandemic if compared with the general population, which might widen the gap of opportunities for this underserved population to thrive.

Mental health problems predict inequalities in accessing online classes during COVID-19 pandemic in youth

10.31234/osf.io/a9frz

The spread of misinformation online is a global problem that requires global solutions. To that end, we conducted an experiment in 16 countries across 6 continents (N = 33,480) to investigate predictors of susceptibility to misinformation and interventions to combat misinformation. In every country, participants with a more analytic cognitive style and stronger accuracy-related motivations were better at discerning truth from falsehood; valuing democracy was also associated with greater truth discernment whereas political conservatism was negatively associated with truth discernment in most countries. Subtly prompting people to think about accuracy was broadly effective at improving the veracity of news that people were willing to share, as were minimal digital literacy tips. Finally, crowdsourced accuracy evaluation was able to differentiate true from false headlines with high accuracy in all countries. The consistent patterns we observe suggest that the psychological factors underlying the misinformation challenge are similar across the globe, and that similar solutions may be broadly effective.

Understanding and Reducing Online Misinformation Across 16 Countries on Six Continents

10.31234/osf.io/snrgf

Introduction: Coronavirus vaccines remain the most effective protection against COVID-19. However, many people are hesitant to be vaccinated. It is necessary to understand factors that lead to unwillingness to be vaccinated to ensure most Americans receive the vaccine. Methods: Participants completed a series of online surveys asking about the vaccine and the physical, social, economic, and mental health effects of COVID-19. Baseline responses were entered into a logistic regression model to identify psychosocial, economic and physical factors that had an impact on vaccine intent. Results: The model revealed participants were more willing to be vaccinated if they spent time reading or talking about COVID, feared COVID infection, had health insurance or had a family member suffer a COVID-19 infection. Conclusion: COVID-19 vaccine intent is closely connected to one’s personal experience of the pandemic. It is crucial to disseminate factual information about the benefits and risks of both COVID-19 and vaccination.

Psychosocial, economic, and mental health predictors of COVID-19 vaccine intent

10.31234/osf.io/afyv8

Although vaccines are crucial for giving pandemic-stricken societies the confidence to return to socioeconomic normalcy, vaccination may also induce laxity in personal protective behaviours (e.g., handwashing, facemask use). We use the quasi-experimental context of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout across the United States to quantify the impact of different stages of personal vaccination on people’s risk perceptions, daily activities, and risk mitigation behaviours, which we measure in a three-wave national panel study (N wave-1 = 7,358, N wave-2 = 3,000, N wave-3 = 2,345) from March to June, 2021, and validate using vaccination, infection, and human mobility data. Socializing rebounded after only partial vaccination. After full vaccination, communal activities recovered; however, the propensity for protective behaviours declined. The effects were heterogenous depending on vaccination level, demographics, and infection history. We further use a utility theory framework to model risk-value trade-offs and risk-construction for different behaviours.

Risk perception and behaviour change after personal vaccination for COVID-19 in the USA

10.31234/osf.io/e37c2

Delusions are pathological beliefs, often with bizarre content. They feature in neurological disorders and in psychoses associated with psychiatric disorders (e.g., schizophrenia). In this chapter we review two apparently opposing ways that the research literature characterizes delusions. While delusions are often defined as beliefs that are rigid and unaffected by evidence, they are also frequently conceptualized as beliefs that are unduly swayed by minimal, insufficient evidence. We review empirical studies and theory from psychology, neuroscience and computational psychiatry which embody this contrast. Prevailing perspectives, we show, frame belief formation as a process of integrating new evidence into existing beliefs. This view tends to sculpt hypotheses about delusions (and other psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations) into two types. First, relevant evidence fails to affect prior beliefs, which are too entrenched. Second, evidence overly dominates prior beliefs, which have too weak an influence. This paradox, we argue, calls for a profound rethinking of these perplexing and distressing symptoms.

The Paradox of Delusions: Are Deluded Individuals Resistant to Evidence?

10.31234/osf.io/6uqky

Widespread vaccination is necessary to minimize or halt the effects of many infectious diseases, including COVID-19. Stagnating vaccine uptake can prolong pandemics, raising the question of how we might predict, prevent, and correct vaccine hesitancy and unwillingness. In a multinational sample (N=4,452) recruited from 13 countries that varied in pandemic severity and vaccine uptake (July 2021), we examined whether short-sighted decision-making as exemplified by steep delay discounting—choosing smaller immediate rewards over larger delayed rewards—predicts COVID-19 vaccination status. Delay discounting was steeper in unvaccinated individuals and predicted vaccination status over and above demographics or mental health. The results suggest that delay discounting, a personal characteristic known to be modifiable through cognitive interventions, is a contributing cause of differences in vaccine compliance.

Short-sighted decision-making by those not vaccinated against COVID-19

10.31234/osf.io/xtuen

The Open Science Framework (OSF) is an important and useful platform for researchers to practice open science. However, the OSF has recently been misused for criminal purposes, especially search boards for watching pirated copyright works and leading to phishing sites. This misuse can negatively influence the OSF server function; therefore, it is important to take measures. To protect the sound base of open science in the future, the present paper reports the two cases where the OSF has been abused for illegal activities and discusses various measures including those that the OSF management already has in place.

The Open Science Foundation clandestinely abused for malicious activities in unintended manners

Confidence of others trumps confidence of self in social information use

Meta-shmeta analysis. They claim they find that lockdowns reduced mortality in Europe and U.S. only by 0.2%. After browsing through their methodology and results though, it's obvious they aren't doing what they claim they're doing and their analyis is deceptive.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Thursday that she will soon end public health disaster proclamations that Iowa has operated under since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic nearly two years ago.

Kim Reynolds ending COVID disaster declaration, shutting down vaccination and case count websites

We're not an airline but we do fly planes

A new campaign appears to be spreading falsehoods about the potential for forced inoculations against Covid-19.

Russian Disinformation Targets Vaccines and the Biden Administration

"carping about anti-vaxxers"? you mean constant attempts to try and save lives and end pandemic by generating, curating and promoting research data on the benefits of vaccination and/or generating, curating and promoting data that undercuts the wilful disinformation on vaxx?

Great video of @dgurdasani1 discussing the Covid stats and the effect on children #LongCovidKids

Whilst an ACH of 6 can eliminate 99.7% of particles in a room within 1 hr, here is a good visual of the relationship between ACH and steady state particle concentration when someone in the room is constantly emitting particles. Demonstrates why a high ACH is a necessary goal.

A lesson in how misinformation becomes fact in too many minds. Thread: Meet @SaraCarterDC. Her bio says she's an award winning correspondent who works with @FoxNews. Three hours ago, Sara tweeted that someone in the occupier demo died after police on horses pushed through. 1/

Hi, @socarxiv. I would like to kindly request a lifetime ban for @ppmerino, @EduardoClark, and the other coauthors of this deeply problematic and unethical pre-print.

• Major social networks and digital platforms give many ordinary people real access to democratic forms of community, but they are owned by one person who makes the rules and is answerable to almost no one.• The digital information age favours speed and immediacy, but this means we can act impulsively, rather than take the time to come to a collective response.• Fake news has been around forever, but the emergence of the digital age has enabled the spread of misinformation, and allowed people to only look for news and information that validate their pre-existing beliefs.

Democracy in the age of social media

I can't, for example, imagine someone saying "handwashing is of limited use it only "delays" getting norovirus". So, I think it seems worth unpacking the many presuppositions involved in your "just delay" framing

As I said before, it's not the function of this account to argue/advocate covid policies, but I will comment on the shape of the argument. The use of the frame "just delay" here seems hugely prejudicial. We don't talk that way about flu or other diseases we might get repeatedly

it's not actually a logical truth that such a point exists- it is logically entirely possible that the costs of trying to live with the virus outweighs those of elimination. Which is more costly is thus an empirical question

1.1 million #COVID deaths averted by #vaccinations in 2021. Could have been many more had we vaccinated more. We need to also #MaskUp with #N95 and remember to #ventilate because #COVIDisAirborne.

Spain has also joined the grim list.

are these fair: - getting Covid is not intrinsically sufficiently aversive that we would want to avoid catching it - getting Covid does not give rise to additive damage to health each time - the risks associated with catching covid are constant or diminishing on reinfection

10.1136/bmj.o263

Omicron sub-lineage BA.2 may have “substantial growth advantage,” UKHSA reports

Today at 1.30pm, Independent SAGE will discuss shaping policy to help Long Covid sufferers, with special guests

1/ You’ve probably heard the #Omicron “stealth” sub-variant, BA.2, is spreading rapidly in places like Denmark. We’re tracking the signal and, while there’s a lot of uncertainty, a picture is emerging. A on what we're learning.

50,000 Canadian truckers drive through the night as they continue to make their way to Ottawa this week to protest against COVID mandates and restrictions

Worth mentioning IF BA.2 takes off in the UK & causes mass reinfections we won't see it in case no's because to count as a case there has to be a 90 day gap between PCR +ves. Dunno how they are handling reinfections via LFDs

Vaccine effectiveness against BA.1 and BA.2. After 2 doses it was 9% (7-10%) and 13% (-26-40%) respectively for BA.1 and BA.2, after 25+ weeks. It increased to 63% (63-64%) for BA.1 and 70% (58-79%) for BA.2 at 2 weeks after a booster. Get your booster.