Taiwan has fared better than many other countries during the Covid-19 crisis. Political leadership, early action, a national plan, strong information and communications technology infrastructure and a cooperative public have all contributed. At the end of December 2019, when public health officials in Taiwan learned of an outbreak of infections caused by a then unknown […]
Category: Health, physical & mental
Covid-19 has taken a heavy toll on the mental health of medical staff working on the frontline. Providing resources and support benefits not only these individuals but also society as a whole by improving job performance and attitudes towards patients. The pandemic is as much a crisis of mental health as of physical health. For […]
Healthcare professionals’ use of remote consultations, electronic prescription services and other digital health systems has grown during the pandemic, as has investment in these technologies by governments and the private sector. It is unclear whether these trends will continue beyond Covid-19. Covid-19 has increased the adoption and acceptance of ‘digital health’ systems, including telephone appointments […]
Children in year groups that were not priorities to return to school before the 2020 summer holidays experienced greater average declines in their mental health. As schools re-open, it is vital to balance efforts to make up for learning losses with the need to improve wellbeing. Within the past year, most children in England missed […]
The more that people spend time with one another, the more likely they are to share infection status. This implies that spreading the disease among those with whom we are in frequent in-person contact – friends, family and colleagues – becomes less and less likely. Facemask mandates have been introduced in many countries to help […]
The government has recently announced how the cap on social care costs will work in practice. Individuals with low levels of wealth are likely to see limited benefits from the policy. In September 2021, the UK government announced its plans to reform funding for adult social care, the likely effects of which were discussed in […]
The pandemic has put the NHS under immense pressure: a surge in Covid-19-related care was initially accompanied by a reduction in demand and supply of other services. Waiting lists have now reached record levels; and demand for private healthcare may grow. Covid-19 has presented substantial challenges to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS). Since the […]
The health effects of the pandemic could be with us for decades to come. But with concerted efforts and investment, we can limit these harms while creating a society that is more effective in preventing and withstanding future blows to public health. There must be few people who remain untouched by the health effects of […]
England’s social care system is likely to come under further strain as the population ages and costs increase. The government has recently proposed a cap on total costs, but significant funding or restructuring will be needed to meet rising demand. In recent decades, there has been lots of debate but little action when it comes […]
Amid concerns about the potentially lower workplace productivity of people who have had Covid-19, evidence from professional football suggests that even six months after an infection, a player’s performance is reduced. Team performance also suffers from more players being infected. The policy response to the pandemic has been primarily framed in terms of short-term measures […]