Since 2020 there has been exponential rise in ‘virus fiction’ by a new COVID generation of authors who came out of isolation having experienced a pandemic in real time.
An increase in serious illnesses caused by group A Streptococcus has recently made Strep A a growing concern in Canada and elsewhere. Here’s why and how it’s spreading, and what symptoms to look for.
During the pandemic, many people relied on social media for distraction and social connection. However, excessive social media use can negatively affect mental health, especially for young people.
COVID complacency is a serious threat to public health. COVID hasn’t gone away. Vaccines haven’t become pointless – and it’s a good idea to keep wearing your mask.
Stress affected many people’s productivity during the pandemic, with homeworkers and the self-employed (in particular women) experiencing the worst effects.
COVID was a ‘gendered pandemic’, with women carrying very different burdens to men. A three-year New Zealand research project aimed to overcome the urge to forget, and provide lessons for the future.
Neighbourhood features may have helped youth cope with the mental health impact of pandemic restrictions. Parks didn’t play much of a role but food amenities and the suburbs did.
The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the promise of using mRNA as medicine. But before mRNA drugs can go beyond vaccines, researchers need to identify the right diseases to treat.
Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne
Dean Faculty of Health Sciences and Professor of Vaccinology at University of the Witwatersrand; and Director of the SAMRC Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand