Tag: Research

Coronavirus and the common cold

New research suggests that infection from a common cold could generate an immune response to COVID -19

The article focuses on one arm of the immune response – the B and T cells which produce antibodies. It shows that people keep T cells from the mild coronaviruses long enough to interact with a new challenge by SARS-CoV-2, meaning that those T cells might recognise SARS-CoV-2 and help to clear the infection. Could this possibly provide an answer as to why some people have less severe effects compared to others? Click here to read more.

To read the whole research, conducted by La Jolla Institute for Immunology click here.

Antibodies latching onto a coronavirus to neutralise it.
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/antibodies-attacking-sarscov2-virus-conceptual-3d-1700617951

COVID-19

People are missing their daily commute in lockdown – here’s why

The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a unique experiment in mass homeworking. It’s the first time since before the industrial revolution that most people are working in the same space that they live. As lockdown begins to ease, the debate is shifting to how and when people will return to the office – if at all. A major obstacle seems to be fears of commuting. The thought of getting on a crowded train in the middle of a pandemic doesn’t sound very appealing. And yet one of the intriguing findings from a new research project into how people have coped with the experience of homeworking has been the number of people who say they miss their commute.

Read more here

Mental and Physical Health

Five activities that can protect your mental and physical health as you age

No one is immune to developing chronic illnesses such as heart disease, cancer or arthritis as they get older. But research shows social activities, like joining clubs, interest groups or volunteering, are linked to better mental and physical health and a longer lifespan.

Read more here

BMC Medical Education

Promoting positive perceptions of and motivation for research among undergraduate medical students to stimulate future research involvement: a grounded theory study

Research is of great value to make advancements within the medical field and, ultimately, offer the best possible patient care. Physician-scientists are key in contributing to the development of medicine, as they can bridge the gap between research and practice. However, medicine currently faces a physician-scientist shortage. A possible solution to cultivate physician-scientists is to engage medical students in research in early phases of medical school.

Read more here

Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services – Briefing

Evaluating Social Prescribing

This briefing provides a review of the research methods and approaches used to evaluate UK-based social prescribing interventions in recent years, to inform health care and social services professionals, as well as organisations delivering social prescribing interventions and those conducting evaluations of them. It aims to give an overview of how social prescribing has been evaluated, and what can be learned from this.

Medical Education

Medical students on long-term rural clinical placements and their perceptions of urban and rural internships: a qualitative study

There is some anecdotal evidence that anxiety about the responsibility of an intern influences rural future intentions. Additionally, research has shown that urban interns have reported that they are worried about being ‘forced’ to work in non-metropolitan hospitals in their first year after graduation. This study sought to explore rural medical students’ perceptions and expectations of a rural internship and how local health services and/or their medical school can prepare them best for a rural intern position.

Health and Well-being

How to maintain a slower pace of life after lockdown

Before lockdown, our lives were defined by speed. Rushing around, living life at rocket pace was the norm. Keeping up with work responsibilities, social obligations and the latest tech or fashion trends was a never-ending feat. Only a privileged few could afford to slow down. This research shows that in order to experience the benefits of slowing down, people must decelerate in three ways.

Covid-19

Surviving the pandemic: new challenges for adult social care and the social care market

For the past decade there has been a constant cry from the adult social care sector that it is underfunded and that it is on the brink of collapse. This discussion paper looks at how councils have avoided the predicted collapse over the period of austerity and explores new problems that have emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic. How can the care provider sector survive after the pandemic?

Read the paper here