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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic poses an enormous challenge to healthcare systems in affected communities. Older patients and those with pre-existing medical conditions have been identified as populations at risk of a severe disease course. It remains unclear at this point to what extent chronic liver diseases should be considered as risk factors, due to a shortage of appropriate studies. However, patients with advanced liver disease and those after liver transplantation represent vulnerable patient cohorts with an increased risk of infection and/or a severe course of COVID-19. In addition, the current pandemic requires unusual allocation of healthcare resources which may negatively impact the care of patients with chronic liver disease that continue to require medical attention. Thus, the challenge hepatologists are facing is to promote telemedicine in the outpatient setting, prioritise outpatient contacts, avoid nosocomial dissemination of the virus to patients and healthcare providers, and at the same time maintain standard care for patients who require immediate medical attention.

The COVID-19 Psychological Wellbeing Study was designed and implemented as a rapid survey of the psychosocial impacts of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), known as COVID-19 in residents across the United Kingdom. This study utilised a longitudinal design to collect online survey based data. The aim of this paper was to describe (1) the rationale behind the study and the corresponding selection of constructs to be assessed; (2) the study design and methodology; (3) the resultant sociodemographic characteristics of the full sample; (4) how the baseline survey data compares to the UK adult population (using data from the Census) on a variety of sociodemographic variables; (5) the ongoing efforts for weekly and monthly longitudinal assessments of the baseline cohort; and (6) outline future research directions. We believe the study is in a unique position to make a significant contribution to the growing body of literature to help understand the psychological impact of this pandemic and inform future clinical and research directions that the UK will implement in response to COVID-19.

Diploma thesis Change of the Content of the Sport Daily during the Coronavirus Crisis and Further Development of the Paper after It deals with the changes in the daily "Sport" during the coronavirus crisis and in the immediate aftermath, i.e. from March 2020 to September 2020. As there were almost no sports events in the Czech Republic or in the world, particularly in the first third of the examined period, this thesis focuses on how the only domestic daily newspaper specialized in sports topics response to the lack of races and competitions. The thesis also monitors, whether trends established in the first third of the examined period persevered in the daily newspaper even when the situation in the society and the sports environment began to return to normal. In the theoretical part, the thesis deals with the issue of print media in the Internet era, presents selected research into the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the functioning of media and outlines reporting on smaller sports in the sports media. The analytical part deals with the content of the "Sport" newspaper itself. The thesis examines each issue of the newspaper in the period from March to September 2020 and monitors the representation of sports, the topic of the main article on the front page, the number of sports, the number of...

On March 13, 2020, the U.S. Federal Government declared a national emergency based on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The Government’s response included providing assistance programs related to the economic impacts of COVID-19. This study estimates the total direct Government assistance to farm operations and farm households in calendar year 2020 from COVID-19 related programs, the Market Facilitation Program (MFP), and other existing Farm Bill (FB) programs. The insights from this study supplement the triannual U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS) farm income forecasts by providing stakeholders more forecasting details, including information regarding the distribution of Federal payments and eligibility. This working paper further documents methodologies relevant for a timely update of similar payments in the future. Using data from the Small Business Administration, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and multiple sources within USDA, we find $57.7 billion in total financial assistance was provided to farm operations and households in calendar year 2020. Programs specifically designed to address the economic impacts of COVID-19 in 2020 delivered an estimated $35.2 billion, the assistance provided under non-COVID-19 related programs (other than net indemnity payments) delivered an estimated $16.8 billion, and the net indemnity payments provided the remaining $5.7 billion

A disproportionate number of COVID-19 cases affect older, minority populations. Obese older adults are at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 complications and lower survival rates, and minority older adults often experience higher rates of obesity. A plant-based diet intervention may improve COVID-19-related modifiable risk factors for obesity. Encouraging the consumption of plant-based diets comprising vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, seeds, and nuts by utilizing community outreach strategies and digital technology can contribute to improving COVID-19 risk factors among this population.

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a global humanitarian crisis, putting both lives and livelihoods at risk. In the initial stages of the pandemic – especially in contexts where the state machinery was caught unawares or lacked capacity, or both, social enterprises (SEs) or socially-driven private enterprises – have been particularly active and have stepped up to provide relief. These enterprises will continue to be important as the pandemic stretches out, with recovery likely to be a long-drawn process. Since the Global Partnership for Results-Based Approaches (GPRBA) has a history of working successfully with SEs and other non-state private providers, the Partnership draws upon its significant experience and its partners' institutional capacity towards building productive partnerships with numerous SEs. To that effect, this White Paper is intended as an approach and guidance for GPRBA partners, World Bank task teams, and other actors who engage in Result Based Financing (RBF). It focuses on two overarching objectives, i.e., helping reduce the spread of COVID-19 cases and helping minimize the socioeconomic impact of the pandemic, especially on poor and excluded groups, that can be achieved by engaging SEs through an RBF approach. Additionally, it explores tools and mechanisms that could be used to substantiate results while taking into account the need to reduce in-person interactions in light of COVID-19. Lastly, building on the foundation of successful GPRBA projects, the paper provides an overview of the financing arrangements that can be utilized to collaborate with SEs.

The recently emerged coronavirus disease COVID-19 has now evolved into a global pandemic. Early detection is crucial for its effective control. Nucleic acid testing for viral pathogen and serological testing for host antibodies are playing important roles in current COVID-19 diagnosis. However, while nucleic acid testing is complicated, facility-restricted and time-consuming, antibody testing may result in high rates of false-negative diagnoses, especially during the early stages of viral infection. Thus, a more rapid and reliable test for both early COVID-19 diagnosis and whole-population screening is urgently needed. Here, we developed a novel nanozyme-based chemiluminescence paper assay for rapid and high-sensitive testing of SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen. Our paper test uses a newly established peroxidase-mimic Co-Fe@hemin nanozyme instead of natural HRP that catalytically amplifies the chemiluminescent signal, allowing for target concentrations to be as low as 0.1 ng/ml. Furthermore, our nanozyme-based chemiluminescence test exhibits a linear range that is 32-fold wider compared to ELISA tests. Importantly, testing is completed in less than 16 min, compared to 1-2 h required for ELISA or nucleic acid tests. Critically, signal detection is feasible using a smartphone camera. Ingredients for our test are simple and readily available, rendering overall cost considerably lower than those used in current diagnoses. In conclusion, our novel test provides a high-sensitive, point-of-care testing (POCT) approach for SARS-CoV-2 antigen detection, which should greatly increase current early screening capacities for suspected infections, and considerably lower demand for national healthcare resources.

A recent manuscript (Zhou, P. et al. “A pneumonia outbreak associated with a new coronavirus of probable bat origin”, Nature 579, 270–273 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2012-7) from Wuhan Institute of Virology claimed the identification of a bat coronavirus, RaTG13, which showed 96.2% genome homology with SARS-CoV-2. In this paper, we raise the puzzling observations surrounding the identification, characterization, unique genome features of this RaTG13 strain, as well as its 100% nucleotide identity in partial RdRp gene with another bat coronavirus strain BtCoV/4991. And the paper presented premature hypothesis of potential bat origin of SARS-CoV-2 while RaTG13 strain was not successfully isolated. We also present the concerns on the methodology, data quality and experiment procedures described in this paper. We call for the authors to provide additional data, to share related samples to be verified and further characterized by other scientists.

Research papers and preprints are appearing every day as researchers worldwide respond to the outbreak. Research papers and preprints are appearing every day as researchers worldwide respond to the outbreak.

The UK is 'locked down' because of coronavirus (COVID-19). No clear exit strategy currently exists. This paper suggests a possible way forward that combines elements from economics and epidemiology. The paper proposes as a policy a 'release' from lockdown of the young cohort of UK citizens aged between age 20 and 30 who do not live with parents. The paper calculates that there are approximately 4.2 million UK individuals who fall into this 20-30 ageband and who live outside the original parental home. Of those, 2.6 million work in the private sector, so unless some corrective action is taken they are likely to be extremely harshly affected, financially, when compared to employees in the public sector. The paper argues that a young-workforce release of this kind would lead to substantial economic and societal benefits without enormous health costs to the country. In this way, the nation might begin to move forward in the footsteps of the young. The paper's key concept could in principle be implemented in other countries.

The new type of coronavirus COVID-19 virus was first detected in Wuhan-China. A COVID-19 certified patient is characterized by fever, fatigue, and dry cough. The coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic is spreading worldwide. In this review paper, a database of X-ray, CT-Scan images from patients with common bacterial pneumonia, confirmed Covid-19 infection, and common cases, were used to automatically detect Coronavirus infection. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of COVID-19 acquisition. During the COVID-19 scenario, the number of infected cases rises in huge number globally. Due to this fact, a vital decision had been taken by medical experts and infected patients to adopt various medical facilities within a reasonable amount of time.

This is a briefing paper on behalf of a group of specialists drawn from different disciplines setting out the arguments in favour of a bespoke compensatory scheme for adverse effects to a COVID-19 vaccine(s). As set out below, it is our view that a no-fault compensation scheme could play a valuable role in relation to the acceptability of emergency COVID-19 vaccines. Wellcome Trust

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic led to an economic contraction in the United States in 2020, predictably leading to an increase in the dollar amount of food assistance benefits issued to households. Previous economic downturns provide limited precedent to understand the growth in food assistance benefits during this pandemic, especially considering the speed of the economic contraction and the policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. To quantify part of the growth in food assistance benefits, this analysis explores monthly patterns in combined Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) redemptions through September 2020, compares these patterns with recent years, and explores changes in the types of food retailers at which redemptions are made. This analysis uses 2017-20 data from the Food and Nutrition Service’s (FNS) Store Tracking and Redemption System (STARS) on the monthly value and store type of SNAP and P-EBT benefit redemptions, as well as data from the Economic Research Service’s (ERS) Food Expenditure Series on the value of food-at-home expenditures. Overall, an average of $8.4 billion in combined SNAP and P-EBT benefits were redeemed per month during the 6-month period of April through September 2020—an increase of 86.4 percent compared to the same period in 2019. These benefits accounted for an average of 11.7 percent of expenditures on food at home during the April-September 2020 period—an increase of 72.1 percent compared to the same period in 2019. The share of benefits redeemed at super stores increased, while the share of benefits redeemed at other store types decreased relative to previous years. The value of benefits redeemed online also grew quickly, from $2.9 million in February 2020 to $196.3 million in September 2020. By September, online redemptions accounted for 2.4 percent of the total value., NA

Updated analysis estimates that in 2020, there will be 921 million food-insecure people, an increase of 160 million from the pre-pandemic estimate, and almost double the pre-COVID-19 estimate published in the ERS August 2020 International Food Security Assessment, 2020-2030.

Beginning in March 2020, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic struck the United States abruptly and unexpectedly, forcing the school and childcare center closures nationwide. These closures disrupted the provision of meals to children through the largest of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) child nutrition programs. In response, USDA issued a series of waivers to facilitate the continued provision of meals to children while prioritizing the health and safety of communities. This study assesses the extent to which the child nutrition infrastructure was able to rapidly adapt to meet the needs of children at the onset of the crisis. It documents disruptions in the provision of meals through the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, and Child and Adult Care Food Program from March through May 2020. In addition, this report examines the extent waivers allowed for greater flexibility in the implementation of these programs and the expansion of free meal sites helped to compensate for these disruptions.

This paper reports the immediate impact of the epidemic on rehabilitation services in Italy, the first country in Europe hit by COVID-19. In a country with almost 5000 Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine physicians, the webinar had 230 live viewers (4.5%), and more than 8900 individual visualizations of the recorded version. The overall inadequate preparation of the rehabilitation system to face a sudden epidemic was clear, and similar to that of the acute services. The original idea of confining the COVID-19 cases to some areas of rehabilitation wards and/or hospitals, preserving others, proved not to be feasible. Continuous reorganization and adaptation were required due to the rapid changes. Overall, rehabilitation needs had to surrender to the more acute emergency, with total conversion of beds, wards and even hospitals. The quarantine needs heavily involved also outpatient services that were mostly closed. Rehabilitation professionals needed support, but also acted properly, again similarly to what happened in the acute wards. The typical needs of rehabilitation, such as human and physical contacts, but also social interactions including patient, team, family and caregivers, appeared clearly in the current unavoidable need of being suppressed. These notes could serve the preparation of other services worldwide.

The novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak has been traced in China late 2019 and then was transmitted into more than 25 countries A total of 49 papers have be

Analytical Research Infrastructures of Europe (ARIE) join forces to face threats such as COVID-19 and potential future crises. With this paper, the ARIE enhanced its cross-border, multidisciplinary collaboration to offer Europe a strong and valid weapon against the present COVID-19 challenge and other potential viral and microbial threats., {"references":["Shin et al. (2020) DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2601-5","Zhou et al. (2020) DOI:10.1038/s41594-020-0480-y","M. Eckermann/T. Salditt (2020) DOI: 10.7554/eLife.60408"]}

[Einleitung] Die COVID-19-Pandemie hat weitreichende Auswirkungen für Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft, die unter anderem am Arbeitsmarkt deutlich zu spüren sind. Maßnahmen zur Eindämmung der Pandemie wie Kontaktbeschränkungen wirken sich nicht nur auf die Wirtschaftstätigkeit und damit auf die Arbeitsnachfrage von Unternehmen aus, sondern sie erschweren auch die Vereinbarkeit von Beruf und Familie und beeinflussen somit das Arbeitsangebot. Die Folgen der COVID- 19-Pandemie betreffen Männer und Frauen in unterschiedlicher Hinsicht und in unterschiedlichem Ausmaß. Wie sich die Corona-Krise tatsächlich kurz- und mittelfristig auf Frauen und Männer ausgewirkt hat, wird erst abschließend festzustellen sein, wenn ausreichend Daten der amtlichen Statistik sowie repräsentative Befragungsdaten aus dieser Zeit zur Verfügung stehen. Erste bisherige Erkenntnisse deuten darauf hin, dass sich bestehende Gender Gaps am Arbeitsmarkt nicht wesentlich verändert haben. Im Vergleich zu vergangenen Wirtschaftskrisen sind Frauen diesmal jedoch stärker betroffen. Insbesondere vom Rückgang der geringfügigen Beschäftigung sind Frauen stärker betroffen als Männer, während Kurzarbeit und Arbeitslosigkeit Frauen und Männer nach bisherigen Erkenntnissen etwa gleichermaßen betrifft. Schul- und Kitaschließungen bzw. deren stark eingeschränkter Betrieb haben den zeitlichen Aufwand für Kinderbetreuung und weitere Bereiche der Sorgearbeit deutlich erhöht. Der Gender Care Gap, also der unterschiedliche Zeitaufwand, den Frauen und Männer für unbezahlte Sorgearbeit aufbringen, war vor der Corona-Krise sehr stark ausgeprägt und hat sich seither vermutlich nicht stark verändert. Es deutet zwar einiges darauf hin, dass auch Männer einen Teil der zusätzlichen Betreuungsarbeit übernommen haben, insgesamt leisten aber Frauen nach wie vor den deutlich höheren Anteil an der Sorgearbeit. In diesem Policy Paper werden zunächst in Abschnitt 2 die bisherigen Erkenntnisse über die unterschiedlichen Arbeitsmarktwirkungen der COVID-19-Pandemie für Frauen und Männer zusammenfassend dargestellt. In Abschnitt 3 werden wesentliche bisher von der Politik ergriffene Maßnahmen zur Abfederung der Auswirkungen der Corona-Krise zusammengefasst und aus gleichstellungspolitischer Sicht bewertet. Schließlich wird in Abschnitt 4 skizziert, welche kurzund langfristigen Schritte nötig wären, um die Gleichstellung der Geschlechter am Arbeitsmarkt angesichts der COVID-19-Pandemie nachhaltig zu verbessern.

We look back at a year of coronavirus discoveries. Hear the latest science from the coronavirus pandemic.

This paper analyzes the possible impacts of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the transport sector and specifically on the railways. It aims at investigating how the sector should approach the “new normal.” The pandemic had repercussions not only on the interaction between producers and consumers but also on the environment, therefore changing the supply chain. The health crisis halted passengers’ mobility and limited air and sea freight capacity significantly, consequently producing a positive impact on the environment. However, the low production trend of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission is expected to reverse once containment measures are lifted. Transport will have an important role in the predicted rebound effect of GHG emissions; thus, the development of green new mobility is essential. In light of these aspects, this study argues that a new resilient paradigm of mobility must be developed for future health emergencies which meets environmental demands. This paper introduces the five “R”s—resilience, return, reimagination, reform, and research—as the necessary steps the rail sector will need to address to better continue to provide services throughout future crises. In particular, the paper highlights new avenues for research which can play an essential role in enhancing rail competitiveness and resilience within future crises. In conclusion, this paper reminds that the pandemic might be considered as a testing ground for upcoming crises and an opportunity to introduce the discussion about a new green and public paradigm of mobility.

Of the numerous important, significant, and high-quality papers that have been published in the Journal of Risk and Financial Management (JRFM), the journal’s highly dedicated and efficient team have determined the top 10 cited papers for 2018–2020, as listed in the references, two of which are included in the World Health Organization’s (2020a, 2020b) list of “WHO COVID-19 Global literature on coronavirus disease”, and three of which are sole-authored papers [...]