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In April 2020, almost six out of 10 people around the world were in lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Being locked down usually has a deleterious effect on the confined individual's mental health. In this exceptionally challenging context, finding ways to minimize negative mood about the pandemic is essential. Pandemic-related negative states ("negative mood") and recovery experiences were investigated in a sample of 264 individuals who completed daily surveys four times per day over 7 consecutive days. MSEMs analyses revealed that negative mood persisted from moment-to-moment through the day, thus showing a response lag effect. Further analyses revealed that when someone experienced pandemic-related psychological detachment, relaxation, mastery, control, pleasure, or relatedness at specific periods of the day, mood had improved at the next measured time period, suggesting a protective effect. However, the pattern displayed by singles with dependents suggests that some recovery experiences at specific periods during the day seem to have a backfiring effect and worsen subsequent mood. These findings bring new insight into the role of recovery experiences during lockdowns and suggest that many could benefit from such experiences throughout the day when self-isolating. However, for individuals with multiple risk factors such as being single with dependents, some recovery experiences, at specific periods during the day, might not bring the desired outcome and future research is needed to examine if guilt or domestic burden may explain this finding. Results contribute to our understanding of how to take care of one's mental health during the current pandemic, and concrete recommendations adapted to individual contexts are provided., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Ménard, Foucreault, Leduc, Meunier and Trépanier.)

The article presents the data on the evaluation of COVID-19 situation by adult respondents (age from 18 to 76) coming from countries with the common past, language and similar mentality but differing in governmental security measures during pandemic spring outbreak (no precautionary measures in Belarus ( N  = 267); lockdown and financial support in Russia ( N  = 397)). The data was collected via online survey platform (Google forms) from 2020.04.11 to 2020.06.04 (during the period of lock-down in Russia). The data contains socio-demographical information (sex, age, country of citizenship), survey answers and the results of standardized psychological tests (to measure dangerous and threatening social world view and hardiness). The survey consists of four blocks: specific impact of the COVID-19 situation on various aspects of respondents' life; estimation of different fears; estimation of various aspects of COVID-19 situation, and estimation of personal resources. All the items require participants to rate them on a 11-point Likert scale from 0 (totally disagree, absolutely no fear or no impact) to 10 (totally agree, the strongest fear or impact). Descriptive statistics as well as the comparison results are given. The data may be used to investigate the influence of lockdown, social distancing, and isolation on psychological well-being as well as the impact of personal resources in psychological well-being in stressful situations., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships which have or could be perceived to have influenced the work reported in this article., (© 2021 The Authors.)

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 pandemic a public health emergency of international concern. South Africa, like many other countries, initiated a multifaceted national response to the pandemic. Self-isolation and quarantine are essential components of the public health response in the country. This paper examined perceptions and preparedness for self-isolation or quarantine during the initial phase of the pandemic in South Africa., Methods: The analysis used data obtained from an online quantitative survey conducted in all nine provinces using a data-free platform. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression models were used to analyse the data., Results: Of 55,823 respondents, 40.1% reported that they may end up in self-isolation or quarantine, 32.6% did not think that they would and 27.4% were unsure. Preparedness for self-isolation or quarantine was 59.0% for self, 53.8% for child and 59.9% for elderly. The odds of perceived possibility for self-isolation or quarantine were significantly higher among Coloureds, Whites, and Indians/Asians than Black Africans, and among those with moderate or high self-perceived risk of contracting COVID-19 than those with low risk perception. The odds were significantly lower among older age groups than those aged 18-29 years, and those unemployed than fully employed. The odds of preparedness for self-isolation or quarantine were significantly less likely among females than males. Preparedness for self, child and elderly isolation or quarantine was significantly more likely among other population groups than Black Africans and among older age groups than those aged 18-29 years. Preparedness for self, child and elderly isolation or quarantine was significantly less likely among those self-employed than fully employed and those residing in informal dwellings than formal dwellings. In addition, preparedness for self-isolation or quarantine was significantly less likely among those with moderate and high self-perceived risk of contracting COVID-19 than low risk perception., Conclusion: The findings highlight the challenge of implementing self-isolation or quarantine in a country with different and unique social contexts. There is a need for public awareness regarding the importance of self-isolation or quarantine as well as counter measures against contextual factors inhibiting this intervention, especially in impoverished communities.

We analyze the spread of an infectious disease in a population when individuals strategically choose how much time to interact with others. Individuals are either of the severe type or of the asymptomatic type. Only severe types have symptoms when they are infected, and the asymptomatic types can be contagious without knowing it. In the absence of any symptoms, individuals do not know their type and continuously tradeoff the costs and benefits of self-isolation on the basis of their belief of being the severe type. We show that all equilibria of the game involve social interaction, and we characterize the unique equilibrium in which individuals partially self-isolate at each date. We calibrate our model to the COVID-19 pandemic and simulate the dynamics of the epidemic to illustrate the impact of some public policies., (© 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The year 2020 will be remembered as the "year of the COVID-19 pandemic". The world population had to familiarize themselves with words as swabs, personal protective equipment, pandemic. To curb the wave of the pandemic, almost all the countries imposed self-isolation and social distancing. We conducted a web-based survey to investigate the behavioural responses during the quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: Participants were 1860 youth aged 12-18 years attending lower secondary schools and upper secondary schools. Data were collected on demographic characteristics, lifestyle changes during the quarantine period, and the psychological impact of the lock-down on adolescents' life., Results: Most adolescents experienced feelings of fear, discouragement, and anxiety which strongly affected the approach to their daily lifestyles. Most of the surveyed subjects reported having used this period to acquire new skills and to practice physical activities at home. The use of technology was predominant both for recreational activities and educational purposes., Conclusions: Despite the strong psychological impact of the quarantine, adolescents showed good levels of resilience. Technology played a crucial role during the quarantine for young subjects who have increased the daily use of technological devices to stay connected with the rest of the world.

Nationwide lockdowns during SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) can compromise mental health and psychological wellbeing and limit opportunities for physical activity (PA), particularly in clinical populations, such as people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), who are considered at risk for COVID-19 complications. This study aimed to investigate associations between PA and sedentary time (ST) with indicators of mental health and wellbeing in RA during COVID-19 lockdown, and examine the moderation effects of self-isolating. 345 RA patients completed an online questionnaire measuring PA (NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study Questionnaire), ST (International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form), pain (McGill Pain Questionnaire and Visual Analogue Scale), fatigue (Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory), depressive and anxious symptoms (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), and vitality (Subjective Vitality Scale) during the United Kingdom COVID-19 lockdown. Associations between PA and ST with mental health and wellbeing were examined using hierarchical multiple linear regressions. Light PA (LPA) was significantly negatively associated with mental fatigue (β = - .11), depressive symptoms (β = - .14), and positively with vitality (β = .13). Walking was negatively related to physical fatigue (β = - .11) and depressive symptoms (β = - .12) and positively with vitality (β = .15). Exercise was negatively associated with physical (β = - .19) and general (β = - .12) fatigue and depressive symptoms (β = - .09). ST was positively associated with physical fatigue (β = .19). Moderation analyses showed that LPA was related to lower mental fatigue and better vitality in people not self-isolating, and walking with lower physical fatigue in people self-isolating. These findings show the importance of encouraging PA for people with RA during a lockdown period for mental health and wellbeing.

Objective: Self-isolation is a vital element of efforts to contain COVID-19. We set out to test whether decision aids can support self-isolation., Design: We conducted a pre-registered online experiment with a nationally representative sample (n = 500). Three stages tested: (i) whether decision trees help people to decide whether they need to self-isolate; (ii) whether an online planning tool increases people's confidence in their ability to self-isolate; and (iii) whether infographics help people to absorb advice on managing a household in which someone must self-isolate., Main Outcome Measures: (i) Accuracy of matching symptom patterns to a response scale for the need to self-isolate; (ii) self-reported confidence in coping with self-isolation; (iii) objective tests of recall and comprehension., Results: Decision trees improved decisions about when self-isolation was necessary, although participants systematically underestimated the need to self-isolate with less common COVID-19 symptoms (e.g. sore throat, fatigue). The online planning tool increased confidence about coping with self-isolation only among the adults aged under 40. Infographics improved recall and comprehension of how to manage self-isolation., Conclusion: Decision aids can be used to support self-isolation during COVID-19. The study also demonstrates how even an emergency public health response can benefit from rapid experimental pre-testing of interventions.

Introduction: Medical students are known to have high levels of depression, anxiety and stress from the high-pressure environments that they study and train in. The coronavirus pandemic presents source of stress and anxiety to large populations in general, and to healthcare professionals in particular. This study was undertaken to assess the psychological effects of this pandemic on the mental health of medical students and trainees., Materials and Methods: An online questionnaire was designed to capture information on the participant's anxieties related to the pandemic and included a validated tool for the assessment of anxiety and depression symptoms (GAD-7 and PHQ-9, respectively). The questionnaire was prepared on Google Forms, and the link to the questionnaire was disseminated to 113 medical students and junior doctors on 19 April 2020, and the survey closed on 22 April 2020 midnight., Results: The survey was sent to 113 students, and 83 students participated. Of the participants, 47 (56.6%) were female and 36 (43.4%) were male, and 80 (96.4%) were aged less than 30 years old. Formal anxiety and depression scores using the GAD-7 and PHQ-9 tools indicated 15/82 (18.3%) had anxiety scores of 0 (lowest possible) and 21/82 (25.6%) had the lowest possible depression score of 0. However, 6/82 (7.3%) had scores that were classified as severe depression. Females had significantly higher median anxiety (5 v 2, p  < 0.002) and depression scores (5 v 3, p  = 0.025) than male participants. Direct patient care and care of patients with Covid-19 did not result in significant deterioration in anxiety and depression., Conclusion: Female students/junior doctors showed higher anxiety and depression scores than males. Direct patient care and care of patients with Covid-19 did not result in a measurable deterioration in anxiety and depression in this study. In this stressful pandemic situation, it is imperative to look after the mental health of healthcare workers as well as patients., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestNo conflict of interest., (© Federation of Obstetric & Gynecological Societies of India 2020.)

Globally, COVID-19-related movement restrictions have caused significant disruption to athlete's training and sporting competitions. "Quarantine" camps are one approach to maintain sport-specific training, whilst minimizing the risk of COVID-19 transmission between athletes and society. This cross-sectional study investigated the effects of a "quarantine" training camp on athlete's routines and wellbeing, performance support, perceived stress and sleep behaviors. A survey was completed at the end of a 30-day "quarantine" camp, by 76 elite athletes (17-46 years), predominantly (~80%) Olympic/Paralympic and/or world championship representatives. Athletes described their experiences in comparison to; pre-lockdown training and/or training during "lockdown" (immediately prior to the "quarantine" camp). Compared to "lockdown," the "quarantine" camp revealed improvements ( p < 0.05; 0.33 ≤ d ≤ 0.90) in access to sport-specific training (28.6%), recovery facilities (22.2%), nutritional choices (17.5%), mental (12.4%) and emotional (11.4%) health, training motivation (20.0%); and perceived stress (7.4%, d = -0.27, p = 0.026). The camp resulted in a lower sleep duration (-8.5%, d = -0.73, p = 0.014), but an improved global sleep behavior score (-5.6%, d = -0.22, p = 0.001). During the camp, the performance support athletes received was not different to pre-lockdown ( p > 0.05), but there was greater sports massage (20.4%, d = 0.39) and physiotherapy usage (18.1%, d = 0.36) (both p < 0.05). The adverse effects of lockdown were restored during the camp. A "quarantine" camp may offer comparable training experiences to pre-lockdown training, without inducing additional perceived stress. Coaches and sporting organizations may consider this approach as part of a virus mitigation strategy, whilst maintaining sport-specific training., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Washif, Mohd Kassim, Lew, Chong and James.)

The article presents the results of project targeted to identify specifics of transformation of domestic violence while anti-pandemic measures are in force. The sociological survey was organized on the basis of the Crisis center for women in difficult life situations (Belgorod region, Russia). The sampling consisted of 46 women aged from 20 to 45 years endured domestic violence. The primary information was collected using semi-structured interview technique. Also, semi-structured interviews of experts from among sociologists and crisis center personnel were carried out. It is established that COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted on family relationships. The conditions of forced isolation and anti-pandemic measures observance significantly increase risk of domestic violence.

In Moscow (as of January 1, 2020), the number of population made up to 12,678,079, and out of them the elderly population made up to 2.8 million. Up to the end of 2020, the number of the elderly will reach 3.3 million requiring implementation of corresponding preventive measures due to mass prevalence of coronavirus infection. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that despite restructuring of functioning of industry, social security and health care, quarantine and self-isolation occurred to be exactly the effective measures. The self-isolation regimen also revealed aggravation of harmful effects of stress factors, hypodynamia, hypooxygenation and decreasing of immunological resistance. It is especially important to organize leisure activities and to create the most comfortable conditions for isolated living of the elderly as most susceptible to infection. The experience demonstrated that properly chosen set of activities during self-isolation regimen both disciplines and permits to apply surplus of free time to intensify health potential and to consolidate family relationships.

Background: Due to an unavailability of a vaccine, one of the efficient methods to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is by applying self-isolation (SI). Hence there is an urgent need to investigate the factors leading to an individuals' willingness to choose to self-isolate., Objectives: The current study utilized the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as a conceptual model and aimed to investigate the extent to which subjective norms, personal attitudes and perceived control influences an individual's willingness to self-isolate during COVID-19 risk., Method: A cross-sectional study was performed on 800 Saudi respondents aged≥18 years by using a validated self-administered questionnaire about factors related to willingness to self-isolate during COVID-19 pandemic risk based on the TPB. The effects of different variables on SI were analyzed by using ordinal logistic regression model., Results: A total of 756 (94.5%) were completed and analyzed. Subjective norms and perceived control over the behavior significantly (p < 0.05) influenced the intention of willingness to self-isolate, while attitude was found to be insignificant. The odds of letting others to know about self COVID status were 2.40 times higher than not telling the neighbors or colleagues. A statistically significant difference (p≤0.001) existed between males and females regarding the willingness to self-isolate. Similarly the odds of willingness to self-isolate with a presence of disabled person in family were 2.88 times higher than the absence of a disability in the family. Few recommendations for the policymakers that are needed to curb the spread of COVID-19 infection are also proposed., Conclusion: The outcomes of study might be considered as an initial understanding of the factors that significantly influences an individual's willingness to SI when facing an unprecedented pandemic risk. Additionally, these factors provide a plan for policymakers to encourage citizens for self-isolation during pandemic infections.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to self-isolation and business interruptions around the world. On the basis of measurements of concentrations of an indicator of aerosol emissions from fuel combustion products-black carbon-it is shown that the decrease in economic activity had a significant effect on the pollution of the Moscow atmosphere. The decrease in the intensity of the traffic and the change in the operating mode of industrial and heat-and-power enterprises of the city during the period of restrictive measures in the spring of 2020 were determined by the dynamics of the daily and weekly trend of black carbon levels. The decrease in the fraction of fossil fuel combustion at this time correlates with the increased contribution of biomass combustion in the residential sector and during agricultural fires around the megalopolis. Changes in the intensity and direction of sources of high concentrations of black carbon were observed during the recovery of economic activity in the summer of 2020. The decrease in the concentration of black carbon and fine particles less than 2.5 μm in size (PM2.5) in the urban atmosphere reflects a decline in economic activity and an improvement in air quality and conditions for maintaining the health of the Moscow population during the COVID-19 pandemic., (© Pleiades Publishing, Ltd. 2021, ISSN 1019-3316, Herald of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2021, Vol. 91, No. 2, pp. 213–222. © Pleiades Publishing, Ltd., 2021.Russian Text © The Author(s), 2021, published in Vestnik Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, 2021, Vol. 91, No. 4, pp. 351–361.)

The review article examines the medical, psychological and social problems that older people face due to the pandemic. The article contains the analysis of the mortality rate in the older age group in different countries. It also demonstrates the negative impact of the pandemic stress on the formation of psychopathological disorders (anxiety, asthenia, panic, cognitive dysfunction). The authors carried out an analysis of psychological support methods for various psychopathological disorders among the elderly, based on both the results of their own clinical experience in the treatment and psychological correction of the disorders of older people experiencing the pandemic, and similar results of other researches in other countries. The results of the presented research during the pandemic suggest that the frequency of asthenia and psychosomatic disorders in patients was increased. The paper presents algorithms for the differential diagnosis and treatment of asthenia as part of the post-covid syndrome. The article contains an objective scientific and practical assessment of the experience of self-isolation for the elderly, as well as the analysis of the reasons for mental maladjustment and the formation of addictions. The algorithm and the results of psychological support, provided to older people by a psychosocial support organization, are demonstrated.

We aimed to analyze (a) the changes in depression, sleepiness, insomnia, and sleep habits in relation to the degree of self-isolation and (b) the effects of changes in sleep habits and social interactions on depression, insomnia, and sleepiness during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We enrolled 164 patients who visited the sleep outpatient clinic in Shiga University of Medical Science Hospital. We compared the sleep habits, depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9: PHQ-9), insomnia (Athens Insomnia Scale: AIS), and sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale: ESS) of patients during the period from April to July 2019 vs. May 2020 (a period of self-isolation due to COVID-19). A Wilcoxon signed-rank test indicated no significant differences in PHQ-9, ESS, and AIS scores between 2019 and 2020 within both the strong self-isolation group and no/little self-isolation group. With respect to sleep habits, earlier bedtime ( p = 0.006) and increased sleep duration ( p = 0.014) were found in the strong self-isolation group. The former ( p = 0.009) was also found in the no/little self-isolation group, but we found significant differences in sleep duration between the no/little self-isolation group and the strong self-isolation group ( p = 0.047). Therefore, self-isolation due to COVID-19 had relatively small one-year effects on depression, sleepiness, and insomnia in a clinical population.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which originated in Wuhan, China, in 2019, is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. It is now accepted that the wild fauna, probably bats, constitute the initial reservoir of the virus, but little is known about the role pets can play in the spread of the disease in human communities, knowing the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to infect some domestic animals. In this cross-sectional study, we tested the antibody response in a cluster of 21 domestic pets (9 cats and 12 dogs) living in close contact with their owners (belonging to a veterinary community of 20 students) in which two students tested positive for COVID-19 and several others ( n  = 11/18) consecutively showed clinical signs (fever, cough, anosmia, etc. ) compatible with COVID-19 infection. Although a few pets presented many clinical signs indicative for a coronavirus infection, no antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 were detectable in their blood one month after the index case was reported, using an immunoprecipitation assay. These original data can serve a better evaluation of the host range of SARS-CoV-2 in natural environment exposure conditions., (© 2020 Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The community lockdown measures implemented in the United States from late March to late May of 2020 resulted in a significant reduction in the community transmission of the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the country. However, a number of US states are currently experiencing an alarming post-lockdown resurgence of the pandemic, triggering fears for a devastating second pandemic wave. We designed a mathematical model for addressing the key question of whether or not the universal use of face masks can halt such resurgence (and possibly avert a second wave, without having to undergo another cycle of major community lockdown) in the states of Arizona, Florida, New York and the entire US. Model calibration, using cumulative mortality data for the four jurisdictions during their respective pre-lockdown and lockdown periods, show that pre-symptomatic and asymptomatically-infectious individuals are, by far, the main drivers of the COVID-19 pandemic in each of the jurisdictions. The implication of this result is that detecting and isolating individuals with clinical symptoms of the pandemic alone (even if all of them are found) may not be sufficient to effectively curtail the pandemic. To achieve such control, it is crucially-necessary that pre-symptomatic and asymptomatically-infectious individuals are rapidly detected and isolated (and their contacts rapidly traced and tested). Our study highlights the importance of early implementation of the community lockdown measures. In particular, a sizable reduction in the burden of the pandemic would have been recorded in each of the four jurisdictions if the community lockdown measures were implemented a week or two earlier. These reductions are significantly increased if the early implementation of the lockdown measures was complemented with a public face mask use strategy. With all related control measures maintained at their baseline levels, this study shows that the pandemic would have been almost completely suppressed from significantly taking off if the lockdown measures were implemented two weeks earlier, and if a sizable percentage of the residents of the four jurisdictions wore face masks during the respective lockdown periods. The burden of the second wave of the pandemic would have been reduced significantly if the lockdown measures were extended by two weeks. We simulated the pandemic in the four jurisdictions under three levels of lifting of community lockdown, namely mild, moderate and high. For the scenario where the control measures adopted are maintained at their baseline levels during the lockdown period, our simulations show that the states of Arizona and Florida will record devastating second waves of the pandemic by the end of 2020, while the state of New York and the entire US will record milder second waves. If the community lockdown measures were lifted at the mild lifting level (i.e., only limited community contacts and business activities are allowed, in comparison to the levels of these activities allowed during the corresponding lockdown period), only the state of Florida will experience a second wave. It is further shown that the severity of the projected second waves depend on the level of lifting of the community lockdown. For instance, the projected second wave for Arizona and Florida will be more severe than their respective first waves. It is further shown that, for high level of lifting of community lockdown measures, the increased use of face masks after the lockdown period greatly reduces the burden of the pandemic in each jurisdiction. In particular, for this high lockdown lifting scenario, none of the four jurisdictions will experience a second wave if half of their residents wear face masks consistently after their respective lockdown period. A diagnostic testing strategy that increases the maximum detection rate of asymptomatic infected individuals (followed by contact tracing and self-isolation of the detected cases) greatly reduces the burden of the pandemic in all four jurisdictions, particularly if also combined with a universal face mask use strategy. Finally, it is shown that the universal use of face masks in public, with at least moderate level of compliance, could halt the post-lockdown resurgence of COVID-19, in addition to averting the potential for (and severity of) a second wave of the pandemic in each of the four jurisdictions., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Our area, corona (COVID-19) quarantine was applied from March 14 to April 23, 2020. It was in all forms, including curfew, social distancing, self-quarantine, area quarantine, self-monitoring, and isolation. Due to their concerns about their safety and families, friends, colleagues, and society, everybody was feeling upset, fearful, and anxious. Several studies have reported an association between prolonged sitting time and weight gain. As a way to relieve the tension during that period, people started stocking up on unhealthy foods like over-salted snacks and over-sweetened sugars. People stayed at home, feeling bored, anxious, and stressed and sought relief by eating. Also, there was a rise in emotional eating when the stress of isolation increased by the closure of gyms, casinos, and movie theaters. Moreover, restaurants were allowed to serve the only takeout. Besides, unemployment was skyrocketing, hospitals were overflowing (or were preparing for the possibility), many people were struggling to meet their basic needs, and no one knows when or how it would end., Objective: The study aimed to figure out whether social isolation during the COVID-19 quarantine is consistent and associated with emotional eating and gaining weight or not., Methods: A prospective cross-sectional case series study was conducted on 765 patients who have visited the bariatric clinic in Sulaimani city, Kurdistan-Iraq, from April 23 to June 23, 2020. An individual face-to-face interview was conducted with each participant to obtain signed informed consent, provide them with information about the type and the subject of the work, and ask them the study's questions. Each interview lasted between 30 and 45 min and was conducted in a closed session by two Kurdistan Board trainees., Results: No patient who was quarantined for the COVID-19 was included in the work, but all other patients were included. The selected patients were those who had undergone social distancing (n = 568, 82.48%) by the local law and did self-isolation (n = 134, 17.51%) at home for reasons like having comorbidity, being prone to contamination due to their jobs (health, police, and media workers), having some family members at home with comorbidity (n = 23, 03.00%), and having comorbidity and having undergone social distancing because of their other family members' need to do so for their physical disability (n = 25, 03.27%). Almost all patients (n = 741, 96.86%), even, those with comorbidity (n = 136, 17.78%) , were emotionally stable before the outbreak . Seventy-three female patients (09.54%) and138 males (20.65%) sustain their weight during and two months after the outbreak, while the rest (n = 554, 72.41%) gained different amounts of weight., Conclusion: Social distancing and self-isolation in the last COVID-19 outbreak influenced weight gain, but weight gain of less than 2 kg was observed among almost all patients who gained weight (98.05%). The patients who were gain more than 3 kg were mostly females or/and from the center of large cities., Competing Interests: Here to clarify and disclose any sources of any support for the work received in the form of grants and/or equipment and drugs. To declare that there is no any conflict of interest., (© 2020 The Author(s).)

This multi-wave study examined the extent that both preference and motivation for time alone shapes ill-being during self-isolation. Individuals in the USA and the UK are self-isolating in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Different motivations may drive their self-isolation: some might see value in it (understood as the identified form of autonomous motivation), while others might feel forced into it by authorities or close others (family, friends, neighbourhoods, doctors; the external form of controlled motivation). People who typically prefer company will find themselves spending more time alone, and may experience ill-being uniformly, or as a function of their identified or external motivations for self-isolation. Self-isolation, therefore, offers a unique opportunity to distinguish two constructs coming from disparate literatures. This project examined preference and motivation (identified and external) for solitude, and tested their independent and interacting contributions to ill-being (loneliness, depression and anxiety during the time spent alone) across two weeks. Confirmatory hypotheses regarding preference and motivation were not supported by the data. A statistically significant effect of controlled motivation on change in ill-being was observed one week later, and preference predicted ill-being across two weeks. However, effect sizes for both were below our minimum threshold of interest., Competing Interests: We declare we have no competing interests., (© 2020 The Authors.)

This study investigates the personal and collective responses to COVID-19, as it is described in British personal stories and newspaper reports from Britain and Sri Lanka and examines the social and economic impact of the pandemic on different societies. Although some studies have been done on the impact of COVID-19, none of these studies have focused specifically on the impact the coronavirus has had on different societies because of the global lockdown and restrictions on people's movements. This study attempts to address this gap in the literature by focusing on how the language used in a corpus of personal stories and newspaper reports collected over a span of one month, reveal the impact of COVID-19 on two societies by investigating how self-isolation and lockdown is leading to mental health breakdown in individuals and affecting wider social and economic collapse. The data was analysed using corpus linguistics methodology such as keyword analysis using AntConc (Anthony, 2019) and Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) (Pennebaker Conglomerates, 2015). The findings from LIWC shows that the enforced self-isolation is leading to mental health breakdown. The analysis of the news reports show that Britain's priorities are centred on the economy whereas Sri Lankan newspapers focus on educating people about the severity of COVID-19., Competing Interests: I declare there is no conflict of interest., (Crown Copyright © 2020 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Infected people are isolated to minimize the spread of pandemic diseases. Therefore, the factors related to self-isolation (SI) should not be neglected, and it is important to investigate the factors leading the infected (or possibly infected) people to choose to self-isolate. In this paper, we tried to show that the theory of planned behavior provides a useful conceptual framework for SI when facing a pandemic risk, and a regression method with Chinese provincial (Guangdong Province) data was applied to investigate how attitude (ATT), subjective norms (SN), and perceived behavioral control (PBC) influence SI when facing a pandemic emergency. The results and the robustness tests confirm that ATT, SN, and PBC have a significant positive influence on SI when facing a pandemic emergency. ATT plays the most important role, followed by SN and then PBC. Based on the factors of SI, we found, through theoretical and empirical analyses, at least three important aspects that local governments need to consider to encourage citizens to self-isolate when facing a pandemic.

A planar flexibly extensible multiple-input–multiple-output (MIMO) antenna array with a self-isolation property is proposed. The main characteristics of the proposed array are: (i) no extra isolation structure is required to improve isolation between elements; (ii) elements are arranged with each other with a spacing of 0 mm, (iii) the configuration can be flexibly extended to a large antenna array according to actual requirements. For a test example, the practical processing and testing of an eight-element array is conducted. The tested results demonstrate that the proposed design possesses wide impedance bandwidth (IBW) of 65% and very good isolation (>18 dB) across the operating bandwidth, which match well with the simulated ones. Moreover, envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) is calculated to valuate MIMO performance; an acceptable ECC (lower than 0.05) suggests that the proposed configuration has good diversity performance and can be a potential candidate for MIMO communications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]