COVID-19 (Cont'd #9)

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by robj144

I find this kind of interesting (and don't shoot the messenger):

https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2.../09/2008868117

"Before vaccination and other intervention measures become available, successful containment of an unknown infectious disease critically relies on people’s voluntary compliance with the recommended social-distancing guidelines. This involves a decision process of prioritizing the merits of social distancing over its costs, which may depend on one’s ability to compare multiple pieces of potentially conflicting information regarding social distancing in working memory. Our data support this hypothesis, highlighting the critical role of one’s working memory capacity in social-distancing compliance during the early stage of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. This observation reveals a core cognitive limitation in one’s response to a public health crisis and suggests a possible cognitive venue for the development of strategies to mitigate this challenge.

Noncompliance with social distancing during the early stage of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic poses a great challenge to the public health system. These noncompliance behaviors partly reflect people’s concerns for the inherent costs of social distancing while discounting its public health benefits. We propose that this oversight may be associated with the limitation in one’s mental capacity to simultaneously retain multiple pieces of information in working memory (WM) for rational decision making that leads to social-distancing compliance. We tested this hypothesis in 850 United States residents during the first 2 wk following the presidential declaration of national emergency because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We found that participants’ social-distancing compliance at this initial stage could be predicted by individual differences in WM capacity, partly due to increased awareness of benefits over costs of social distancing among higher WM capacity individuals. Critically, the unique contribution of WM capacity to the individual differences in social-distancing compliance could not be explained by other psychological and socioeconomic factors (e.g., moods, personality, education, and income levels). Furthermore, the critical role of WM capacity in social-distancing compliance can be generalized to the compliance with another set of rules for social interactions, namely the fairness norm, in Western cultures. Collectively, our data reveal contributions of a core cognitive process underlying social-distancing compliance during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting a potential cognitive venue for developing strategies to mitigate a public health crisis."

Thank you.

After health care system capacity I've thought we've needed the social distancing and any effort we can make to slow the spread just from thinking about related and unrelated virus or disease matters.

Early and repeating I've thought about how it took time just to learn about past disease and virus issues. Also how some viruses stay with you or have lasting ramifications - herpes, chicken pox to shingles, and more. Only about 1/2 year with the data growing it does look like some have lasting and unusual issues.

A good point on the working memory in the context of my work where it's "essential worker" site. With nearly 1000 employees and months of this now I've been surprised by what people don't remember, and repeatedly bummed about how implementing change goes. Don't get me started about the general public and some in the organization who've somehow gained positions in leadership with their short and long-term memory capacity.

[catdaddy]

"Working Memory" sounds like the human equivalent to computer RAM. Too bad we don't have chip upgrades available for humans.

[David Eastwood]

Originally Posted by catdaddy

"Working Memory" sounds like the human equivalent to computer RAM. Too bad we don't have chip upgrades available for humans.

I think my Working Memory had a fatal parity error about two months ago.

[buddyhu]

Originally Posted by robj144

I find this kind of interesting (and don't shoot the messenger):

https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2.../09/2008868117

"Before vaccination and other intervention measures become available, successful containment of an unknown infectious disease critically relies on people’s voluntary compliance with the recommended social-distancing guidelines. This involves a decision process of prioritizing the merits of social distancing over its costs, which may depend on one’s ability to compare multiple pieces of potentially conflicting information regarding social distancing in working memory. Our data support this hypothesis, highlighting the critical role of one’s working memory capacity in social-distancing compliance during the early stage of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. This observation reveals a core cognitive limitation in one’s response to a public health crisis and suggests a possible cognitive venue for the development of strategies to mitigate this challenge.

Noncompliance with social distancing during the early stage of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic poses a great challenge to the public health system. These noncompliance behaviors partly reflect people’s concerns for the inherent costs of social distancing while discounting its public health benefits. We propose that this oversight may be associated with the limitation in one’s mental capacity to simultaneously retain multiple pieces of information in working memory (WM) for rational decision making that leads to social-distancing compliance. We tested this hypothesis in 850 United States residents during the first 2 wk following the presidential declaration of national emergency because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We found that participants’ social-distancing compliance at this initial stage could be predicted by individual differences in WM capacity, partly due to increased awareness of benefits over costs of social distancing among higher WM capacity individuals. Critically, the unique contribution of WM capacity to the individual differences in social-distancing compliance could not be explained by other psychological and socioeconomic factors (e.g., moods, personality, education, and income levels). Furthermore, the critical role of WM capacity in social-distancing compliance can be generalized to the compliance with another set of rules for social interactions, namely the fairness norm, in Western cultures. Collectively, our data reveal contributions of a core cognitive process underlying social-distancing compliance during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting a potential cognitive venue for developing strategies to mitigate a public health crisis."

I continue to think about his article. While the content might be a bit too rooted in professional lingo for some to stick with, I dig into it a bit.. The idea that non-compliance with social distancing is, at least in part, rooted in thinking/information processing/working memory being overtaxed.

There is research that suggests that an individual’s working memory can change and expand, and that experiencing stress decrease the capacity of one’s working memory. So this study implies that things that might increase working memory (Social programs that reduce the amount of stressful challenges that people face, education about stress management, specific cognitive challenges to develop working memory capacity, perhaps even early education that more specifically aims at the early development of working memory) could be beneficial to society as a whole.

I personally find this hopeful, even though there tends to be resistance to funding such programs, and even though there can be individual reluctance to undertake things like stress management.

[RP]

Just got the following from Sams although I've read that it applies to Walmart stores as well...

Your health and safety are our first priority. Starting July 20, we'll be taking an additional step to protect all our members and associates—requiring everyone entering our clubs to wear a face covering.

Face coverings significantly decrease the spread of COVID-19, according to the CDC. The virus can be spread by people who don’t have symptoms and don't know they are infected.

Don't have a mask? We've got you covered with complimentary masks available at the door, as well as packaged masks for sale.

Other steps we've taken to help ensure your health and safety in our clubs include:
• Requiring all associates to wear masks
• Conducting associate health screenings, including checking temperatures
• Sanitizing all shopping carts between every use
• Encouraging social distancing with signs providing guidance and no more than 2 people per membership in club at a time

[Dirk Hofman]

Sobering, yet hopeful article on COVID-19 from epidemiologist Larry Brilliant who worked on the eradication of smallpox.

https://www.wired.com/story/larry-br...ting-covid-19/

WIRED: We talked 100 days ago. What is different about the pandemic now?

Larry Brilliant: A hundred days ago we didn’t really understand the pathophysiology—the way the virus and the human body interact, the illness as opposed to the epidemic. The unexpected things that it’s doing are not epidemiological—they are virological. In March, we were just beginning to see these horrific CT scans or x-rays of people with ARDS, acute respiratory distress syndrome, where they had these big circles of holes in their lungs, and we were thinking this is pretty much a respiratory disease. Since then we have learned that this virus attacks almost every organ in the body. The joke is that it’s from nose to toes, because you lose your sense of smell and you can get "Covid toes," the swelling of your toes and your fingers that look like frostbite. There is still a lack of clarity on how it chooses entry points in the cells.

Lots and lots more...well worth reading.

[Mr. Jelly]

Here is an article pointing out a couple of things. One is the failure of the only 1% die reasoning and the other is about what other long term issues infected people have after they are no longer sick.

https://www.boredpanda.com/1-percent...mpaign=organic

[Geof S.]

Originally Posted by Dirk Hofman

Sobering, yet hopeful article on COVID-19 from epidemiologist Larry Brilliant who worked on the eradication of smallpox.

https://www.wired.com/story/larry-br...ting-covid-19/



Lots and lots more...well worth reading.

Very interesting stuff. Thanks for the link.

[Dirk Hofman]

Originally Posted by Geof S.

Very interesting stuff. Thanks for the link.

Yup, you bet. Glad you got value out of it. A colleague posted it on Twitter today.

[nitram]

The lack of a national guidance system to deliver theories based on science instead of economics or voodoo is astounding and the cause of much unnecessary death and suffering.What is going to happen to the 4 to 5 million people without health care now that they have no jobs?And what about the damage they will do to others when they can't seek medical help and spread the disease to others?This is frightening.

[buddyhu]

The numbers are bad. The divisiveness at the federal government is very bad. The testing delays are bad. Bypassing the CDC looks bad, might be bad. Shortages of PPE supplies is very bad. The need to reverse reopening is bad economically.

A rather depressing week in a regards to the pandemic. Hoping everyone has enough goodness in their lives to counterbalance the developments with the pandemic. No matter what, if you are reading or posting here, you are alive... and that in itself is a blessing and a miracle.

[BrunoBlack]

Ultimately there is only one way out of this — Science.

[catdaddy]

Originally Posted by Haasome

Ultimately there is only one way out of this — Science.

Yes, and there are no shortcuts.

[Dirk Hofman]

Originally Posted by buddyhu

The numbers are bad. The divisiveness at the federal government is very bad. The testing delays are bad. Bypassing the CDC looks bad, might be bad. Shortages of PPE supplies is very bad. The need to reverse reopening is bad economically.

A rather depressing week in a regards to the pandemic. Hoping everyone has enough goodness in their lives to counterbalance the developments with the pandemic. No matter what, if you are reading or posting here, you are alive... and that in itself is a blessing and a miracle.

Bypassing the CDC means our numbers will now be as useless as Brazil, China, and Russia. Any hope for rational policy is gone.

[buddyhu]

Originally Posted by Dirk Hofman

Bypassing the CDC means our numbers will now be as useless as Brazil, China, and Russia. Any hope for rational policy is gone.

I tend to agree with you. Am giving the move some time to reveal itself. In theory, the new statistics could be done with transparency; that isn’t the modus operandi in recent years, so i am not hopeful. But am withholding judgment for now.