Across the rich world around half of covid-19 deaths have been in care homes. Countries need to radically rethink how they care for their elderly—and some innovative solutions are on offer.
Tag Archives: Covid-19
Covid-19 Podcast: New Studies On Transmission
In this audio interview conducted on November 25, 2020, the editors look at new studies of disease transmission in closed environments and provide updates on convalescent plasma and hydroxychloroquine.
Science Podcast: Covid-19 In Schools, Why Leaves Die And Fall From Trees
Many schools closed in the spring, during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Many opened in the fall. Staff Writer Jennifer Couzin-Frankel joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about what was learned in spring about how coronavirus spreads in schools that might help keep children safe as cases surge once again.
Also this week: What makes leaves fall off deciduous trees when they do—is it the short, cold nights? Or is the timing of so-called “leaf senescence” linked to when spring happens? Sarah talked to Constantin Zohner, a lead scientist at the Institute of Integrative Biology at ETH Zurich, about his tree leaf timing study. Sarah also spoke with commentary author Christy Rollinson, a forest ecologist at the Morton Arboretum, about how important these trees and the timing of their leaf drop is for climate change. In the books segment, host Kiki Sanford talks with Ruth DeFries about her book, What Would Nature Do? A Guide for Our Uncertain Times.
Covid-19: How The U.S. Will Roll Out Vaccine (Video)
The worsening pandemic continues to mean millions of Americans out of work. For older employees in particular, this kind of long-term unemployment can represent the end of a career — especially when they may be facing age discrimination and bias. Economics correspondent Paul Solman looks at the problem as part of his series Unfinished Business.
Science: CNO Neutrinos At The Sun’s Core, Covid-19 & Contraception (Podcast)
Scientists have finally confirmed the existence of a CNO cycle fusion reaction in the Sun, and why women’s contraception research needs a reboot.
In this episode:
00:47 Detection of CNO neutrinos
Since the 1930s it has been theorised that stars have a specific fusion reaction known as the CNO cycle, but proof has been elusive. Now, a collaboration in Italy report detection of neutrinos that show that the CNO cycle exists.
Research article: The Borexino Collaboration
News and Views: Neutrino detection gets to the core of the Sun
08:48 Coronapod
We discuss the search for the animal origin of SARS-CoV-2, with researchers raiding their freezer draws to see if any animals carry similar viruses, and the latest vaccine results.
News: Coronaviruses closely related to the pandemic virus discovered in Japan and Cambodia
News: Why Oxford’s positive COVID vaccine results are puzzling scientists
19:32 Research Highlights
How sleep patterns relate to ageing, and a solar-powered steam sterilizer.
Research Highlight: For better health, don’t sleep your age
Research Highlight: Technology for sterilizing medical instruments goes solar
21:50 Getting women’s contraception research unstuck
Since the 1960s there has been little progress on research into women’s contraceptives. This week in Nature, researchers argue that this needs to change.
Comment: Reboot contraceptives research — it has been stuck for decades
29:35 Briefing Chat
We discuss a highlight from the Nature Briefing. This time, a tool to summarise papers.
Nature News: tl;dr: this AI sums up research papers in a sentence
Infographic: ‘How Covid-19 Damages Sense Of Smell’
Morning News Podcast: Biden Transition, Covid-19 Cases Surge In Midwest
NPR News Now reports: Biden Administration transition is taking shape, Covid-19 cases surge in the Midwest, and other top news.
Covid-19: ‘Ventilation Key To Limiting Spread’ (Video)
As the weather gets colder and people head indoors, the risk of catching Covid-19 is rising. WSJ explains why air ventilation and filtration are one of our biggest defenses against the coronavirus this winter.
Illustration: Nick Collingwood/WSJ
New Survey: 58% Of Older Adults Are ‘Likely’ To Get A Covid-19 Vaccine (Nov ’20)
When asked how likely they would be to get a COVID-19 vaccine when available and if no cost to them, 58% of older adults indicated they would be likely to get a COVID-19 vaccine (33% very likely, 25% somewhat likely), 28% said they were unlikely (11% somewhat unlikely, 17% very unlikely), and 14% were unsure or did not know.
About two in three older adults (63%) indicated they received a flu shot last flu season. Seven in ten either received one since August 2020 (34%) or intended to get one this flu season (38%). Nearly half of adults age 50–80 (49%) believed that getting a flu vaccine is more important this year compared to other years, 44% said it is just as important, and 7% said it was less important.
Interest in getting a COVID-19 vaccine was more common among those age 65–80 compared with those 50–64 (63% vs. 54%), men compared with women (64% vs. 52%), and Whites compared with Hispanics and Blacks (63% vs. 51% vs. 40%). Individuals who lived with others, had higher household incomes, or had more education were also more likely to report they would get a COVID vaccine.
Half of adults age 50–80 (52%) said they personally knew someone who had COVID-19, and 2% reported having had it themselves. One in five older adults (19%) indicated they personally knew someone who died from COVID-19. The likelihood of getting a COVID-19 vaccine did not differ based on whether respondents knew someone who had COVID-19 or who died from it.
In deciding whether to get a COVID-19 vaccine, older adults rated the following as very important: how well it works (80%), their own research (56%), and if it was recommended by their doctor (52%), public health officials (42%), or family and friends (13%). Cost was rated as very important by 30% of older adults.
Morning News Podcast: Presidential Transition Begins, Covid-19 Vaccines
Presidential transition process to begin after weeks of delay, Biden picks Janet Yellen for Treasury Secretary, and holiday shopping is different this year.
Boomers Daily 