Stay 6 Feet Apart. Mechanically Simulated Cough Reveals That May Not be Enough

A preliminary, flow visualization experiment suggests that staying 6 feet apart may not be sufficient. It only took the particles from the simulated cough a couple of seconds to travel 3 feet; in about 12 seconds it reached 6 feet and in about 41 seconds it reached around 9 feet. For a heavy cough, the particles can even travel up to 12 feet. In addition, a face mask doesn’t stop the particles 100 percent, but it does slow down the cough jets.

Household items, inexpensive workout gear are good alternatives to gym equipment during social distancing

Due to social distancing measures put in place to flatten the curve in the COVID-19 pandemic, gyms around the world are closed. But you can still get a great full-body workout using household items and/or inexpensive workout equipment, says Jenna…

UW team illustrates the adverse impact of visiting ‘just one friend’ during COVID-19 lockdown

“What’s the harm in visiting just one friend?” A lot of people are asking that during times of social distancing. A new website illustrates how doing so would essentially reconnect most households in a community and provide conduits through which the COVID-19 virus could spread.

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Increased Online Gaming During COVID-19 Quarantine

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media contact: Cynthia Medina, [email protected], 848-445-1940 Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Increased Online Gaming During COVID-19 Quarantine How online gaming is combatting against effects of social isolation, overuse of social media   New Brunswick, N.J. (Apr.…

Be proactive about mental health during COVID isolation, clinical psychologist says

Seeking out good news is a great way to keep mentally balanced during the long period of social isolation imposed by the COVID-19 battle, says a clinical psychologist who is an associate professor of psychology at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH).

UCLA web app will enlist public’s help in slowing the spread of COVID-19

UCLA researchers have launched an app called Stop COVID-19 Together, which is designed to predict the spread of COVID-19 throughout the community and to assess the effectiveness of current measures in that community, including physical distancing. The app will build a map of possible hotspots where there may be a higher risk for accelerated spread of the disease.

Mental Health Care Needed More Than Ever During COVID-19 Pandemic — Telehealth Can Help Make it Happen

Live video telehealth services are a critical component of the COVID-19 response. Offered by physicians, other clinicians and health-care organizations, telehealth provides a useful method for starting and continuing essential mental health treatment without risk of spreading infection.

‘Drinking Spirits to Lift Spirits’ May Hold Appeal Amid COVID-19 Stress, but Don’t Overdo, Cautions Baylor University Expert on Substance Abuse

Drinking alcoholic beverages may be more appealing amid unease about the coronavirus, as people deal with shelter-at-home orders, fears about the economy and boredom, says a Baylor University researcher who studies alcohol use and misuse. But with regulations providing less access to alcohol, this may be a good time for individuals struggling with alcohol use to begin recovery and for others to guard against over-relying on alcohol or other substances.

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss How to Handle Groceries at Home

New Brunswick, N.J. (March 31, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Donald W. Schaffner is available for interviews on how to handle groceries safely at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. “If you are concerned about the outside of food packages being contaminated, I suggest…

FSU expert available to comment on psychological effects of social isolation during COVID-19 pandemic

By: Bill Wellock | Published: March 30, 2020 | 3:36 pm | SHARE: Millions of Americans are staying home to “flatten the curve” of coronavirus cases.Among those avoiding other people are many older Americans, whose age puts them at a greater risk of serious complications from a COVID-19 infection. That isolation — for seniors and for everyone else — can bring loneliness and frustration.

What are You Looking At? ‘Virtual’ Communication in the Age of Social Distancing

When discussions occur face-to-face, people know where their conversational partner is looking and vice versa. With “virtual” communication due to COVID-19 and the expansive use of mobile and video devices, now more than ever, it’s important to understand how these technologies impact communication. Where do people focus their attention? The eyes, mouth, the whole face? And how do they encode conversation? A first-of-its-kind study set out to determine whether being observed affects people’s behavior during online communication.

FSU expert available to discuss moral decision-making and social distancing

By: Bill Wellock | Published: March 26, 2020 | 2:45 pm | SHARE: In the fight against this new coronavirus, some of the most effective tools are a couch and a television in your own home.Public health officials are asking people to avoid socializing with others to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. That means people often have to make tough decisions about how to respond.

COVID-19 just a problem for elderly people, right? Think again.

According to the CDC, based on the preliminary report on outcomes for patients in the U.S., when examining the age range of cases, the largest group with confirmed cases was ages 20-44 years old (29%). Among those hospitalized, adults ages 65-84 years old comprised over a third of patients, but young people were not immune; 1 in 5 of those needing hospitalization were between the ages of 20 and 44 years old. The CDC also reports that in cases with known outcomes, 20% of the deaths occurred in those ages 20-64 years old.

Social Media While Social Distancing: A How-To Guide

With calls from elected and health officials to self-isolate to prevent the spread of coronavirus, more and more people are turning to social media as their primary means of entertainment and connection with friends and the outside world. But can too much social media while social distancing take a toll on your mental and even physical health? We checked in with Natalie Pennington — a UNLV communication studies professor who researches the benefits and harms of social media — to get her take on the best ways to make your online experience work for you.

Feeling obligated can impact relationships during social distancing

In a time where many are practicing social distancing from the outside world, people are relying on their immediate social circles more than usual. Does a sense of obligation — from checking on parents to running an errand for an elderly neighbor — benefit or harm a relationship? A Michigan State University study found the sweet spot between keeping people together and dooming a relationship.

Sex, intimacy, etiquette during the coronavirus pandemic

Sex, intimacy, etiquette during the coronavirus pandemic, IU experts available to comment  During the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends putting distance between yourself and others, which complicates sex, intimacy, dating and social etiquette. How…

A silver lining of social distancing and quarantine? Better air quality. @HopkinsEngineer has an expert on atmospheric air pollution who can discuss how and to what extent social distancing and quarantine measures affect air pollution.

A silver lining of social distancing and quarantine? Better air quality. As more and more cities across the U.S. clamp down on travel, there have been fewer cars on the road and early reports of improved air quality.  Johns Hopkins…

Why is social distancing so hard? Because it goes against every cultural norm of human communication. @FurmanU prof John McArthur explains why, and why we should do it anyway.

John A. McArthur, Ph.D. is an associate professor of communication studies at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. He is the author of Digital Proxemics: How technology shapes the ways we move, (a book that might be even more applicable today than…

Social Spacing: Tips On Deepening Connections & Staying Safe, Sane Amid Coronavirus

As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads, people have been asked to stay out of public spaces and reduce interpersonal contact to limit the transmission of the virus. This process has the unfortunate name of “social distancing,“ which has connotations of removing oneself socially and emotionally as well as physically from the public sphere.

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Physical Activity and Health During COVID-19 Crisis

New Brunswick, N.J. (March 18, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Brandon L. Alderman is available for interviews on how to stay active when gyms are closed and you’re confined to home during the COVID-19 crisis. Alderman can also discuss…

WashU Expert: Stuck in the house for a while? Here are some tips

As schools and entertainment venues close due to the coronavirus outbreak, many of us are seeing our social circles reduced quite significantly. An expert on social support at Washington University in St. Louis offers a few evidence-based suggestions for thriving during household isolation.“We don’t know for sure what the long-term health outcomes of widespread forced social isolation will be, but given what we know about the effects of social isolation and stress on physical and mental health, there is reason to be concerned,” said Tess Thompson, research assistant professor at the Brown School and author of a recent study on social isolation and health.

Compassion meditation may ease anxieties related to coronavirus, says WVU meditation expert

Practicing social distancing is one way to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, but practicing emotional closeness may help alleviate the anxiety that the coronavirus can provoke.  Julie Brefczynski-Lewis, a research assistant professor in the West Virginia University Department…

Rutgers Expert Offers Tips on How to Maintain Good Nutrition During Social Distancing Due to Coronavirus

Multiple states and countries are instituting shutdowns, curfews, and encouraging social distancing to help minimize the spread of COVID-19 among people. Nonetheless, food and water are needed to survive. Professor Diane Rigassio Radler, director for the Institute for Nutrition Interventions at…