Strict COVID-19 lockdown policies such as workplace closures in European cities reduced levels of air pollution and the number of associated deaths, according to new estimates. The research, which was funded by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) on behalf of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), was led by a team of…

Large improvements of air quality in China during the COVID-19 lockdown have been widely reported, but new research reveals that the two pollutants most harmful to human health, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone, were only slightly reduced. The study, by scientists from the University of Leeds, UK and the Southern University of Science and…

Researchers surveyed and compared early- and late-stage breast and colorectal cancer diagnoses in patients in pre-pandemic 2019 and in 2020, the first full year of the COVID-19 pandemic, discovering fewer of the former and more of the latter as patients delayed care. New findings, published in JAMA Network Open on February 15, 2022, bear that…

Almost overnight, the rapid emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States and subsequent state and federal prevention measures dramatically altered daily behavior. A new study provides the first snapshot of the immediate impact of COVID-19 on Americans’ stress levels, coping strategies, and adherence to public health guidelines. A new study by researchers from…

A recent study of homeless preschoolers found a strong correlation between the bonds those children formed with teachers and the children’s risk of behavioral and emotional problems. «It’s well established that children who are homeless are at higher risk of a wide variety of negative outcomes,» says Mary Haskett, corresponding author of the study and…

CO2 emissions from electricity in the UK fell by two thirds in the last decade due to several factors working together, rather than a single panacea. This decline, faster than in any other large country, was driven by a complex interplay of policies and events, according to research from Imperial College London published today in…

Growing up in areas with income inequality is associated with being bullied, according to a new study, which surveyed approximately 874,000 children in 40 medium and high income countries in Europe, North America and Israel. According to the study country level income inequality during the first four years of a child’s life (rather than school…

Researchers have identified a pattern of longer-term symptoms likely to be experienced by people who were hospitalized with the COVID-19 infection. They include fatigue, breathlessness, psychological distress — including problems with concentration and memory — and a general decline in quality of life. They include fatigue, breathlessness, psychological distress — including problems with concentration and…

Compared to high income cities, less developed cities in Brazil have a higher hospitalization rate associated with increased heat exposure, according to a new study. Heat exposure, which will increase with global warming, is associated with increases in mortality and morbidity but little is known about the socioeconomic disparities in vulnerability to heat. In the…

Prompted by the increasing prominence of artificial intelligence (AI) in society, researchers investigated public attitudes toward the ethics of AI. Their findings quantify how different demographics and ethical scenarios affect these attitudes. As part of this study, the team developed an octagonal visual metric, analogous to a rating system, which could be useful to AI…