Asymptomatic COVID-19 cases are the bane of computer modelers’ existences — they throw off the modeling data to an unknown degree. A new approach explores using historic epidemic data from eight different countries to estimate the transmission rate and fraction of under-reported cases. «Asymptomatic cases are the ‘dark matter’ of epidemics,» said Nick Hengartner, one…

A new study exposes the dire need for new clinical risk management tools to help hospital healthcare workers prevent the deaths and intensive care admissions of Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) COVID-19 patients with pneumonia, say researchers. The call for healthcare policy change comes after a new study led by the University of Birmingham…

Mathematical analysis of COVID mortality rates in the United States and Europe shows that second-wave mortality was often greatly reduced — particularly in wealthier European countries and the northeast of the U.S. Researchers say mortality change could have several explanations: European first-wave case counts were underestimated; First-wave deaths disproportionately affected the elderly; Second-wave infections tended…

Researchers measured the success of a community health intervention. Yield: The Veggie Rx program at Penn State Health St. Joseph Downtown Campus. It began in 2018 when the United Way of Berks County helped Lisa Weaver, a healthy community program associate with Penn State Berks LaunchBox, and a team of clinicians from Penn State Health…

Nonpharmaceutical interventions, such as isolation, quarantines, and lockdowns, have been implemented in an effort to contain the pandemic, but these are often disruptive and costly. In a new article, researchers identify new and sustainable interventions to contain outbreaks while minimizing the economic and social costs. They built a data-driven mobility model to simulate COVID-19 spreading…

A combination of genetic and emotional differences may lead to post-traumatic stress (PTS) in police officers, a new study finds. Based on biological studies of officers in major cities, the study showed that the most significant PTS predictors are the tendency to startle at sudden sounds, early career displays of mental health symptoms (e.g., anxiety…

A new study has identified healthcare factors associated with excess deaths that have not been assigned to COVID-19 at the county level across the US. The study found that a greater proportion of excess deaths not reflected in COVID-19 death counts occurred in counties with reduced access to health insurance and primary care services, as…

Cyberbullying — bullying online rather than face to face — is linked to various types of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, both for victims and perpetrators, suggests new research. Their findings prompt the researchers to suggest that asking about cyberbullying should become a routine part of any children’s mental health or psychological assessment. The…

Receiving at least one vaccine dose was associated with statistically significant declines in multiple psychological distress factors, researchers report in a new study. «Our study documents important psychological benefits of vaccination beyond reducing the risk of severe illness and death associated with COVID-19,» said lead investigator Jonathan Koltai, PhD, Department of Sociology, University of New…

Wastewater-based epidemiological tracking of COVID-19 in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic village showed that SARS-CoV-2 was present in areas without diagnosed individuals. The Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, were held between July 21 and September 21, 2021. The games were held without spectators, and athletes…