It’s hard to convey the full depth and range of the trauma, the chaos and the indignity that people are being subjected to. Meanwhile, Modi and his allies are telling us not to complain

‘We are witnessing a crime against humanity’: Arundhati Roy on India’s Covid catastrophe

10.31234/osf.io/q2tkw

Many scientists experience a practice-preference gap about peer review. Single-blind review---where authors' identities are revealed to reviewers---is often used for evaluation. Yet, double-blind review---where authors' identities are concealed---is seen as more fair. To understand this gap, we compared both systems in a high-stakes field study: submissions to the Society for Judgment and Decision Making’s annual conference, the leading international conference on this topic. Each submission received both review types. Reviewers were randomly assigned to the review system and submissions. Selected conference talks were evaluated for quality, popularity, and subsequent publication status. We assessed the two systems on reliability, bias, and validity. On reliability, while both systems had moderate reliability, agreement was higher on what constituted a poor submission than a strong one (Anna Karenina Principle). On bias, double-blind reviews showed a slight bias against submission by women (Matilda Effect), while single-blind reviews showed a preference for submissions with senior co-authors (Matthew Effect). On validity, neither system predicted talk quality or popularity, but both predicted publication status. Author characteristics did not consistently predict outcomes. Thus, we suggest the costs of single-blind review do not outweigh its benefits. Yet, double-blind review is also not a perfect solution. We propose an equitable approach for selecting scientific work may be an informed lottery: use double-blind review to identify submissions of merit, then randomly choose from this set.

Single- or double-blind review? A field study of system preference, reliability, bias, and validity

10.31234/osf.io/57pwf

Background: The pace at which the present pandemic and future public health crises involving viral infections are eradicated heavily depends on the availability and routine implementation of vaccines. This process is further affected by a willingness to vaccinate, embedded in the phenomenon of vaccine hesitancy. The World Health Organization has listed vaccine hesitancy among the greatest threats to global health, calling for research to identify the factors associated with this phenomenon. Methods: The present study seeks to investigate the psychological, contextual, and sociodemographic factors associated with vaccination hesitancy in a large sample of the adult population. 4571 Norwegian adults were recruited through an online survey between January 23 to February 2, 2021. Subgroup analyses and multiple logistic regression was utilized to identify the covariates of vaccine hesitancy. Results: Several subgroups hesitant toward vaccination were identified, including males, rural residents, and parents with children below 18 years of age. No differences were found between natives and non-natives, across education or age groups. Individuals preferring unmonitored media platforms (e.g., information from peers, social media, online forums, and blogs) more frequently reported hesitance towards vaccination than those relying on information obtainment from source-verified platforms. Perceived risk of vaccination, belief in the superiority of natural immunity, fear concerning significant others being infected by the virus, and trust in health officials’ dissemination of vaccine-related information were identified as key variables related to vaccine hesitancy. Conclusions: Given the heterogeneous range of variables associated with vaccine hesitancy, additional strategies to eradicate vaccination fears are called for aside from campaigns targeting the spread of false information. Responding to affective reactions in addition to involving other community leaders besides government and health officials present promising approaches that may aid in combating vaccination hesitation.

Risk, Trust, and Flawed Assumptions: Vaccine Hesitancy During the COVID-19 Pandemic

10.31234/osf.io/yra6v

Purpose: This study explored predictors of COVID-19-related stress and wellbeing of Scottish adolescents during the COVID-19 lockdown to identify potentially malleable risk and protective factors. Methods: 5,548 participants were surveyed regarding stress, loneliness, wellbeing, schoolwork, support from school, and interaction with friends and family. Multiple linear regressions within a structural equation modelling framework were fit to predict COVID-19-related stress and wellbeing during the UK’s first lockdown. Results: Loneliness, variables related to the ability to continue with schoolwork, and perceived support from school were important predictors of greater COVID-19-related stress and wellbeing during the first lockdown. Female adolescents were also more likely to show higher stress and poorer wellbeing. Conclusions: Facilitating meaningful social interaction and ensuring the ability to continue with schoolwork, and providing social support from school should be priority strategies to help protect the mental health and wellbeing of secondary school students during lockdowns and other disruptions to school attendance.

Brief Report: Predictors of Adolescent Mental Health and Wellbeing During the COVID-19 Pandemic

10.31234/osf.io/8unfx

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened college students’ mental health while simultaneously creating new barriers to traditional in-person care. Teletherapy and online self-guided mental health supports are two potential avenues for addressing unmet mental health needs when face-to-face services are less accessible, but little is known about factors that shape interest in these supports. Participants: 1,224 U.S. undergraduate students (mean age=20.7; 72.5% female; 40.0% White) participated. Methods: Students completed an online questionnaire assessing interest in teletherapy and self-guided supports. Predictors included age, sex, ethnicity, sexual minority status, and anxiety and depression symptomatology. Results: Interest rates were 20% and 25% for at-cost supports and 70% and 72% for free supports. Older age, higher anxiety symptomatology, and identifying as Asian significantly predicted greater interest levels. Conclusions: Results may inform universities’ efforts to optimize students’ engagement with nontraditional, digital mental health supports, including teletherapy and self-guided programs.

College student interest in teletherapy and self-guided mental health supports during the COVID-19 pandemic

10.31234/osf.io/957zk

Prior work has suggested that existential threats in the form of terror attacks may shift liberals’ reliance on moral foundations to more resemble those of conservatives. We therefore hypothesized that endorsement of these moral foundations would have increased when the COVID-19 epidemic became a salient threat. To examine this hypothesis we conducted a longitudinal study with 237 American participants across the liberal-conservative spectrum, in which their endorsement of various moral foundations were measured before and after the advent of the pandemic. We did not find evidence of any systematic change in the endorsement of any moral foundation, neither in general nor specifically among liberals or specifically among those who perceived the greatest threat from COVID-19. We conclude that the threat from the pandemic does not seem to have had any substantial effect on the moral foundations that people rely on. This finding is consistent with other longitudinal studies of the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on measures related to conservatism.

The advent of the COVID-19 epidemic did not affect Americans’ endorsement of moral foundations

10.31234/osf.io/7e3dc

Moral judgments have a very prominent social nature, and in everyday life, they are continually shaped by discussions with others. Psychological investigations of these judgments, however, have rarely addressed the impact of face-to-face interaction. To examine the role of social deliberation within small groups on moral judgments, we had groups of 4 to 5 participants judge moral dilemmas first individually and privately, then collectively and interactively, and finally individually a second time. We employed both real-life and sacrificial moral dilemmas in which the character’s action or inaction violated a moral principle to benefit the greatest number of people. Participants decided if these utilitarian decisions were morally acceptable or not. We found that collectives were more utilitarian than the statistical aggregate of their members compared to both first and second individual judgments. This supports the hypothesis that deliberation and consensus within a group transiently reduced the emotional burden of norm violation and indicates normative conformity in moral judgments.

Many Heads Are More Utilitarian Than One

Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU) ist am Freitag gegen das Coronavirus geimpft worden. „Ich freue mich, dass ich heute die Erstimpfung mit Astra-Zeneca bekommen habe“, hieß es in einer Erklärung Merkels, die ihr Sprecher Steffen Seibert auf Twitter veröffentlichte. „Das Impfen ist der Schlüssel, um die Pandemie zu überwinden“, zitierte Seibert die Kanzlerin weiter.

Merkel mit Astra-Zeneca gegen Coronavirus geimpft

Researchers are applying strategies honed during the 2020 US presidential election to track anti-vax propaganda.

The race to curb the spread of COVID vaccine disinformation

Phase 3 COVE Study: Updated cases show continued strong efficacy, including greater than 90% against cases of COVID-19 and greater than 95% against severe cases of COVID-19, with approximately 6 months median follow-up post dose 2 Antibody persistence data out to 6 months published in The New England Journal of Medicine New preclinical data shows variant-specific booster vaccine candidates (mRNA-1273.351 and mRNA-1273.211) increase neutralizing titers against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern Supply Update: As of April 12, approximately 132 million doses have been delivered globally Vaccines Day to be held on Wednesday, April 14 at 8:00 a.m. ET

Moderna Provides Clinical and Supply Updates on COVID-19 Vaccine Program Ahead of 2nd Annual Vaccines Day

WASHINGTON—In pausing the use of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday to investigate reports of six cases of dangerous blood clots occurring among the roughly 6.8 million people who have received it, U.S. medical authorities in part wanted to maintain confidence in the safety of the vaccine supply. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious disease official, said it was “testimony to how seriously we take safety.”

Doctors weigh in as U.S. pauses use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine

10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00869-2

Heneghan and colleagues' systematic review, funded by WHO, published in March, 2021, as a preprint, states: “The lack of recoverable viral culture samples of SARS-CoV-2 prevents firm conclusions to be drawn about airborne transmission”.1Heneghan C Spencer E Brassey J et al.SARS-CoV-2 and the role of airborne transmission: a systematic review.F1000Research. 2021; (published online March 24.) (preprint).https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.52091.1Google Scholar This conclusion, and the wide circulation of the review's findings, is concerning because of the public health implications.

Ten scientific reasons in support of airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2

10.1177/25152459211007467

Selectively publishing results that support the tested hypotheses (“positive” results) distorts the available evidence for scientific claims. For the past decade, psychological scientists have been increasingly concerned about the degree of such distortion in their literature. A new publication format has been developed to prevent selective reporting: In Registered Reports (RRs), peer review and the decision to publish take place before results are known. We compared the results in published RRs (N = 71 as of November 2018) with a random sample of hypothesis-testing studies from the standard literature (N = 152) in psychology. Analyzing the first hypothesis of each article, we found 96% positive results in standard reports but only 44% positive results in RRs. We discuss possible explanations for this large difference and suggest that a plausible factor is the reduction of publication bias and/or Type I error inflation in the RR literature.

An Excess of Positive Results: Comparing the Standard Psychology Literature With Registered Reports

Hello. This is Eric Topol on Medscape, and with me is my co-host Abraham Verghese. This is a really special edition of our podcast, Medicine and the Machine, because we have a phenom here, truly: Professor Devi Sridhar, the professor of Global Health at the University of Edinburgh, who has been a guiding light for the pandemic not only in Scotland or the UK, but for the world. It's actually kind of amazing given her background, her age, and everything else. Devi, welcome.

It's Okay to Overreact: Devi Sridhar Shares COVID's Humbling Lesson

10.1017/S004727942100012X

This paper focuses on recent developments in UK health research policy, which place new pressures on researchers to address issues of accountability and impact through the implementation of patient and public involvement (PPI). We draw on an in-depth interview study with 20 professional researchers, and we analyse their experiences of competing for research funding, focusing on PPI as a process of professional research governance. We unearth dominant professional narratives of scepticism and alternative identifications in their enactment of PPI policy. We argue that such narratives and identifications evidence a resistance to ways in which patient involvement has been institutionalised and to the resulting subject-positions researchers are summoned to take up. We show that the new subjectivities emerging in this landscape of research governance as increasingly disempowered, contradictory and fraught with unresolved tensions over the ethical dimensions of the researchers’ own professional identities.

Governing Researchers through Public Involvement

10.1016/S2213-2600(21)00178-8

As COVID-19 continues to strain public health systems and vaccination programmes race against new variants that might be more transmissible or capable of evading immune responses, the urgent need for simple, accessible, and frequent testing remains. Inexpensive, scalable, and sustainable strategies that allow easily repeatable testing over time need to be made widely available. This is possible by testing saliva.

Saliva as a gold-standard sample for SARS-CoV-2 detection

Many attacks on the field have been wildly unfair. But the experts made some missteps.

I’m an epidemiologist. Here’s what I got wrong about covid.

The European Commission and Austria are announcing today the conclusion of agreements for the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines for the Western Balkans. The 651,000 BioNTech/Pfizer doses are funded by the European Commission and will be shared with the facilitation of Austria. The first delivery to all the partners in the region is due in May, with regular tranches to continue until August.

The European Commission and Austria secure COVID-19 vaccines for the Western Balkans

More people were diagnosed with Covid-19 during the past seven days than any other week since the start of the pandemic -- topping 5.2 million globally -- with the worst outbreaks accelerating in many countries that are ill-equipped to deal with them.

Global Covid Cases Hit Weekly Record Despite Vaccinations

Imagine two scientists, Kotrina and Amber, who have just obtained their PhDs and are entering the job market.Kotrina has four empirical papers. She is first author on two, including a publication in a prominent psychology journal, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. Kotrina has 75 citations, with two papers cited 25 times each—not bad for a newly-minted PhD. She has also mentored five undergraduate students on their honors theses and has obtained a modest research grant.Amber has seven empirical papers. She is first author on five, including three publications in prominent journals, Psychological Science, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, and PNAS. Amber has over 200 citations, with four papers cited more than 40 times each—impressive for a newly-minted PhD. She has also mentored five undergraduate students on their honors theses and has obtained a major research grant.Suppose you were a member of a search committee, and Kotrina and Amber were in the running for your department's final interview spot. Who would you choose?

Why indirect contributions matter for science and scientists

10.1371/journal.pone.0249271

The basic reproductive number (R0) is a function of contact rates among individuals, transmission probability, and duration of infectiousness. We sought to determine the association between population density and R0 of SARS-CoV-2 across U.S. counties. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using linear mixed models with random intercept and fixed slopes to assess the association of population density and R0, and controlled for state-level effects using random intercepts. We also assessed whether the association was differential across county-level main mode of transportation percentage as a proxy for transportation accessibility, and adjusted for median household income. The median R0 among the United States counties was 1.66 (IQR: 1.35–2.11). A population density threshold of 22 people/km2 was needed to sustain an outbreak. Counties with greater population density have greater rates of transmission of SARS-CoV-2, likely due to increased contact rates in areas with greater density. An increase in one unit of log population density increased R0 by 0.16 (95% CI: 0.13 to 0.19). This association remained when adjusted for main mode of transportation and household income. The effect of population density on R0 was not modified by transportation mode. Our findings suggest that dense areas increase contact rates necessary for disease transmission. SARS-CoV-2 R0 estimates need to consider this geographic variability for proper planning and resource allocation, particularly as epidemics newly emerge and old outbreaks resurge.

Population density and basic reproductive number of COVID-19 across United States counties

Ministers have been told that cases of B1351 have increased by more than 5.5% in the past 10 days

Covid-19 variants: South African strain is causing the most concern for UK scientists

Analysis: Rapid spread of cases across country comes after long spell in which virus seemed almost to vanish

India’s shocking surge in Covid cases follows baffling decline

A ‘double mutant’ strain, lack of medical supplies and the relaxation of lockdowns have combined to foment disaster

Why is India seeing such a huge surge in Covid-19 cases?

Despite enforcing one of the strictest lockdowns last year, the authorities seem unable to cope with a renewed Covid surge

India’s government has abandoned its citizens to face a deadly second wave alone

Analysis: India’s surveillance of the virus missed its real prevalence earlier this year

Covid-19: India’s response to second wave is warning to other countries

10.1038/s41598-020-79299-7

In humans, sleep regulation is tightly linked to social times that assign local time to events, such as school, work, or meals. The impact of these social times, collectively—social time pressure, on sleep has been studied epidemiologically via quantification of the discrepancy between sleep times on workdays and those on work-free days. This discrepancy is known as the social jetlag (SJL). COVID-19-mandated social restrictions (SR) constituted a global intervention by affecting social times worldwide. We launched a Global Chrono Corona Survey (GCCS) that queried sleep–wake times before and during SR (preSR and inSR). 11,431 adults from 40 countries responded between April 4 and May 6, 2020. The final sample consisted of 7517 respondents (68.2% females), who had been 32.7 ± 9.1 (mean ± sd) days under SR. SR led to robust changes: mid-sleep time on workdays and free days was delayed by 50 and 22 min, respectively; sleep duration increased on workdays by 26 min but shortened by 9 min on free days; SJL decreased by ~ 30 min. On workdays inSR, sleep–wake times in most people approached those of their preSR free days. Changes in sleep duration and SJL correlated with inSR-use of alarm clocks and were larger in young adults. The data indicate a massive sleep deficit under pre-pandemic social time pressure, provide insights to the actual sleep need of different age-groups and suggest that tolerable SJL is about 20 min. Relaxed social time pressure promotes more sleep, smaller SJL and reduced use of alarm clocks.

COVID-19-mandated social restrictions unveil the impact of social time pressure on sleep and body clock

Inspections show no drug substance came from the UK.

Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine shortfall due to production woes in EU: Documents

CLAIM: A Stanford University study published on the National Institutes of Health website proves face masks are absolutely worthless against COVID-19.AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. This study is not affiliated with Stanford University, nor does the author work for the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System as he claims. The study presents a hypothesis that includes false claims about the health effects of wearing masks. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to recommend wearing face coverings to reduce the spread of COVID-19, as research shows they can block the transmission of respiratory droplets, which spread the virus.THE FACTS: Websites and social media users ranging from political candidates to health influencers are falsely claiming a study published on a digital research repository came from Stanford University and proves face masks are ineffective.

Study lacks evidence on masks, isn’t linked to Stanford

The European Commission is getting ready to launch legal proceedings against vaccine producer AstraZeneca, according to six EU diplomats.

EU preparing legal case against AstraZeneca over vaccine shortfalls

Science shows that the risk of viral transmission outside is very low. The “two-out-of-three rule” can help you decide whether to mask up.

Do We Still Need to Keep Wearing Masks Outdoors?

On 25 March 2021, The BMJ hosted a webinar on new variants. An expert panel discussed what these are, where they come from, and what they might do, as well as what we know about how particular variants influence transmission, severity, and immunity, and what this means for the future of the pandemic. Nikki Nabavi and Juliet Dobson report

Covid-19 new variants—known unknowns

10.1056/NEJMoa2104983

BackgroundMany pregnant persons in the United States are receiving messenger RNA (mRNA) coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines, but data are limited on their safety in pregnancy. MethodsFrom December 14, 2020, to February 28, 2021, we used data from the “v-safe after vaccination health checker” surveillance system, the v-safe pregnancy registry, and the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) to characterize the initial safety of mRNA Covid-19 vaccines in pregnant persons. ResultsA total of 35,691 v-safe participants 16 to 54 years of age identified as pregnant. Injection-site pain was reported more frequently among pregnant persons than among nonpregnant women, whereas headache, myalgia, chills, and fever were reported less frequently. Among 3958 participants enrolled in the v-safe pregnancy registry, 827 had a completed pregnancy, of which 115 (13.9%) resulted in a pregnancy loss and 712 (86.1%) resulted in a live birth (mostly among participants with vaccination in the third trimester). Adverse neonatal outcomes included preterm birth (in 9.4%) and small size for gestational age (in 3.2%); no neonatal deaths were reported. Although not directly comparable, calculated proportions of adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in persons vaccinated against Covid-19 who had a completed pregnancy were similar to incidences reported in studies involving pregnant women that were conducted before the Covid-19 pandemic. Among 221 pregnancy-related adverse events reported to the VAERS, the most frequently reported event was spontaneous abortion (46 cases). ConclusionsPreliminary findings did not show obvious safety signals among pregnant persons who received mRNA Covid-19 vaccines. However, more longitudinal follow-up, including follow-up of large numbers of women vaccinated earlier in pregnancy, is necessary to inform maternal, pregnancy, and infant outcomes.

Preliminary Findings of mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine Safety in Pregnant Persons

Essential workers, often low-wage and compensated by the hour, are getting vaccinated at lower rates than other groups. Many attribute this reduced vaccine uptake to “vaccine hesitancy” due to false beliefs or even justified skepticism. But there is a systematic Catch-22 that has been created: At least 40% of people who get vaccinated experience flu-like symptoms one to two days after their injection, and anyone with these symptoms is not allowed to come to work.

Doctors: Essential workers should get two days of paid leave for COVID vaccine side effects

10.3389/fpsyg.2020.594086

This article reports data collected from 385 performing arts professionals using the HEartS Professional Survey during the COVID-19 Lockdown 1.0 in the United Kingdom. Study 1 examined characteristics of performing arts professionals’ work and health, and investigated how these relate to standardized measures of wellbeing. Study 2 examined the effects of the lockdown on work and wellbeing in the respondents’ own words.

The Effects of COVID-19 Lockdown 1.0 on Working Patterns, Income, and Wellbeing Among Performing Arts Professionals in the United Kingdom (April–June 2020)

10.3389/fpsyg.2020.631994

The current study aims at examining the relationship between the perfectionism two-factor model (i.e., concerns and strivings) and burnout dimensions measured by using the BAT (Burnout Assessment Tool) through a longitudinal study. A two-wave cross-lagged study was conducted using path analysis in SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) of 191 workers. Results confirmed the predictive role of perfectionistic concerns on the burnout dimensions, whereas perfectionistic strivings were not significantly related, suggesting that perfectionism should be monitored by employers and clinicians to prevent employee burnout. Limitations and future research directions are envisaged.

Perfectionism and Burnout During the COVID-19 Crisis: A Two-Wave Cross-Lagged Study

10.31234/osf.io/n5h8t

The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced many novel stressors into the lives of youth. Identifying factors that protect against the onset of psychopathology in the face of these pandemic-related stressors is critical. We examine a wide range of factors that may protect youth from developing psychopathology during the pandemic. We assessed pandemic-related stressors, internalizing and externalizing psychopathology, and potentially protective factors in a longitudinal sample of children and adolescents (N=224, 7-15 years) assessed prior to the pandemic, during the stay-at-home orders, and six months later. We evaluate how family behaviors during the stay-at-home orders are related to changes in psychopathology relative to the assessment prior to the pandemic, identify factors that moderate the association of pandemic-related stressors with psychopathology, and determine whether these associations vary by age. Higher exposure to pandemic-related stressors was associated with increases in both internalizing and externalizing symptoms and this association persisted six months later. Greater engagement in exercise, a structured routine, greater time spent in nature, and less screen time, were associated with reduced internalizing and externalizing problems. The association between pandemic-related stressors and increases in psychopathology was significantly lower for youths with limited passive screen time, and marginally so for those with more time outdoors. The strong association between pandemic-related stressors and internalizing symptoms was absent among children, but not adolescents, with lower news media consumption related to the pandemic both concurrently and prospectively. We provide insight into simple and practical steps that families can take that may promote resilience against mental health problems in youth during the COVID-19 pandemic and protect against psychopathology following pandemic-related stressors.