Category Archives: COVID-19
From the bed sheets to the TV remote, a microbiologist reveals the shocking truth about dirt and germs in hotel rooms
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here. For most of us, staying in a hotel room is either something of a necessity – think business travel – or something to look forward to as part of a holiday or wider excursion. But what if I…
COVID origins debate: what to make of new findings linking the virus to raccoon dogs
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here. The origin of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, has long been a topic of heated debate. While many believe SARS-CoV-2 spread to humans from an animal at Wuhan’s Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market, others have argued the virus…
Air pollution can increase the risk of COVID infection and severe disease – a roundup of what we know
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here. The early part of the COVID pandemic led to a significant reduction in air pollution in many parts of the world. With lockdowns, travel restrictions and decreased economic activity, there was a noticeable drop in the emission of…
The COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on Albertans. Here’s how they’re faring now
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. The weeks that followed were filled with fear and uncertainty for many as governments began to implement protections that included school and daycare closures, work-from-home…
Increases in opioid overdoses in Pennsylvania varied by county during the COVID-19 pandemic
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here. The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea The COVID-19 pandemic intensified the opioid epidemic, according to our new research, which finds that opioid overdoses increased in Pennsylvania in 2020 compared with…
The limits of expert judgment: Lessons from social science forecasting during the pandemic
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here. Imagine being a policymaker at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. You have to decide which actions to recommend, how much risk to tolerate and what sacrifices to ask your citizens to bear. Who would you turn to…
School principals are reaching crisis point, pushed to the edge by mounting workloads, teacher shortages and abuse
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here. Australian schools have been under huge pressures in recent years. On top of concerns about academic progress and staff shortages, schools have faced significant, ongoing disruptions due to COVID and major flooding disasters. In response, there has been…
The ‘great resignation’ didn’t happen in Australia, but the ‘great burnout’ did
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here. The ‘great resignation’ didn’t happen in Australia, but the ‘great burnout’ did This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here.
COVID, bird flu, mpox – a virologist on why we’re seeing so many viruses emerge
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here. From the widespread outbreak of mpox (formerly called monkeypox) in 2022, to the evolving bird flu situation, to recent cases of Marburg virus in Equatorial Guinea, COVID isn’t dominating the headlines as much as it used to. Instead,…
The rise of the irate customer: Post-pandemic rudeness, and the importance of rediscovering patience
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here. If you find yourself being more impatient than ever before when interacting with people in customer service roles — or if you’ve noticed other people having a shorter fuse and snapping more quickly — you’re not alone. Recent…