How neurotic people struggled more in the COVID-19 pandemic: they perceived the risk as higher, exercised less, and drank more alcohol

An individual’s personality, especially how strongly they react to uncertainty, may help indicate how vulnerable they are to prolonged mental distress during a major crisis, according to a new USC-led study. An analysis of several years of nationally representative U.S. data found that people scoring higher in neuroticism experienced larger and more persistent increases in anxiety and depression symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic than people scoring lower in the trait.

Researchers have identified patterns of gene activity associated with severe COVID-19 in children that are shared with other serious respiratory infections.

New modelling led by interdisciplinary scientists at the University of British Columbia (UBC) could help public health officials better factor in the long-term impacts of infectious disease when determining optimum vaccine coverage rates. 

A new study out of McMaster University suggests that common viral infections — like influenza or COVID-19 — may accelerate the onset and progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. 

A researcher at University of Tsukuba analyzed mutation patterns in the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant. Two of the seven amino acid substitutions that emerged with the Delta variant resulted from cytosine-to-guanine (C-to-G) nucleotide substitutions, a mutation type that is among the rarest observed during SARS-CoV-2 evolution. A comparison with other major variants and within-lineage viral evolution revealed that the frequency was significantly higher than expected, indicating an unusual mutational pattern in the Delta spike protein. These findings offer new insight into the evolutionary processes associated with the emergence of highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Scientists have developed an air purifier that is charged by sunlight and indoor LED lights, potentially offering an inexpensive, lower-maintenance alternative to standard filtration systems that protect users from pollutants and airborne diseases. The study, publishing September 25 in the Cell Press journal Chem, demonstrates that the air filter maintained 99% of its maximum filtration efficiency after a month of use and 95% for the following 2 months. In the future, the filter could be used in reusable versions of the N95 masks worn throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have teamed up with pharmaceutical leader Eli Lilly and Company to uncover new information about mRNA lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), the technology behind COVID-19 vaccines and other important treatments, and how to make it more effective.

The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented challenges for health professionals around the world. A new study published in the journal Nursing Inquiry describes violence that nurses and midwives in Latin America endured—not only physical aggression, but also ethical and emotional harm.