Simon Brat/Shutterstock In the depths of February, it’s not in many of our natures to open the window to let in the cold air of a northern hemisphere winter. But with the coronavirus pandemic in full swing and new variants on the rise, good ventilation is in an important methodContinue Reading
winnievinzence/Shutterstock During the pandemic, the chances are that as you enter an airport or doctor’s surgery, someone will point an infrared thermometer at your forehead in order to assess your temperature. Your skin temperature is being measured to try to identify whether or not you have an increased deep bodyContinue Reading
Ireland had the fastest and highest spike in cases in the world in January. This happened because, in early December, confirmed cases in the community were deemed to be low enough to allow some easing of restrictions. At that stage, Ireland had the lowest incidence of COVID-19 in Europe, whichContinue Reading
Depression affects our short-term memory. Lightspring/ Shutterstock While we often associate depression with low mood, tiredness and feelings of hopelessness, less well known is that some people with depression may experience problems with their memory – such as feeling more forgetful than usual. Though memory problems aren’t discussed as widelyContinue Reading
In a number of wealthy countries, the number of COVID-19 vaccines ordered vastly exceeds what’s needed, while many poorer countries will have to wait – possibly for years – for vaccines to become widely available. If these rich countries’ orders are fulfilled, what will happen to the excess vaccines? WillContinue Reading
'Workaholics' are driven to work excessively. Roman Samborskyi/ Shutterstock As a culture, we’ve come to value growth and productivity, making paid work not only a necessity, but a central concern in peoples’ lives. Yet this attitude towards work is harming us more than it’s helping, with research showing that workaholismContinue Reading
Officials in Halmstad municipality, Sweden, recently forced a teacher to remove their mask and prohibited the use of masks and all forms of PPE in schools. The municipality said there was no scientific evidence for wearing masks, citing the Swedish public health agency. At the time, agency guidance stated thatContinue Reading
Regulators in Europe are at odds over whether the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine should be given to the elderly. In the UK, the vaccine has been approved for use in adults aged 18 and up, but France, Germany, Sweden and Austria say the vaccine should be prioritised for those under the ageContinue Reading
Yuganov Konstantin/Shutterstock The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is effective at preventing people from developing COVID-19 and could reduce viral transmission, according to a new scientific paper from the team behind the vaccine. The paper also suggests that delaying the second dose to 12 weeks after the first works especially well. The protectiveContinue Reading
Shutterstock New mothers experienced worryingly high rates of depression and anxiety during the first lockdown, our new research has revealed. One of the major contributing factors to them feeling this way was the psychological impact of social distancing measures. Our study examined the psychological and social experiences of over 600Continue Reading
