Author: TheConversation

By Rebecca S.B. Fischer, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, Texas A&M University COVID-19 is affecting life in nearly every corner of the globe. Public health officials are heavily relying on two community interventions to curb the pandemic spread: social distancing and restricted travel. Because these measures interrupt personal contact, they can be effective at preventing the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. But the guidelines and restrictions can be confusing, leave room for interpretation, and may even seem to contradict each other. Colleges and universities across the globe are shutting down, potentially forcing many thousands of students to fly...

By Mirae J. Fornander, Clinical Psychology PhD Student, University of Nevada, Las Vegas; and Rebecca Dore, Senior Research Associate in Early Childhood, The Ohio State University Families everywhere are adjusting to social distancing measures like closed schools and child care centers, workplaces, and the evolving disruption of a normal routine. With this new way of life comes a great deal of anxiety, which was already among the most common mental health problem in kids before the COVID-19 pandemic. As parents grapple with questions regarding how to help their kids cope with an extraordinary situation, and what role technology can...

By Emma Frances Bloomfield, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies, University of Nevada, Las Vegas The medical evidence is clear: The coronavirus global health threat is not an elaborate hoax. Bill Gates did not create the coronavirus to sell more vaccines. Essential oils are not effective at protecting you from coronavirus. But those facts have not stopped contrary claims from spreading both on and offline. No matter the topic, people often hear conflicting information and must decide which sources to trust. The internet and the fast-paced news environment mean that information travels quickly, leaving little time for fact-checking. As a...

By Richard Gunderman, Chancellor’s Professor of Medicine, Liberal Arts, and Philanthropy, Indiana University Pandemic: It is a scary word. But the world has seen pandemics before, and worse ones, too. Consider the influenza pandemic of 1918, often referred to erroneously as the “Spanish flu.” Misconceptions about it may be fueling unfounded fears about COVID-19, and now is an especially good time to correct them. In the pandemic of 1918, between 50 and 100 million people are thought to have died, representing as much as 5% of the world’s population. Half a billion people were infected. Especially remarkable was the...