scientificamerican--2020-12-21--You Can Get Through This Dark Pandemic Winter, Using Tips From Disaster Psychology

Amy Nitza has spent decades helping people in crisis .
The director of the Institute for Disaster Mental Health at the State University of New York at New Paltz has traveled to Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria , to Botswana during an HIV crisis and to Haiti to help traumatized children forced into domestic servitude .
But the COVID-19 pandemic , Nitza says , is different .
It keeps coming at people month after month as loved ones get sick or die , as jobs are lost , and as the actions taken to avoid infection—such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stress .
As of December 2020 , more than 1.6 million people around the globe have died from the coronavirus .
Grief , fear and economic hardship have hit every nation .
In the U.S. the numbers have been overwhelming : more than 300,000 people have died , and about 17 million have been infected with the virus , according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center .
Usually disasters have survivors and responders , Nitza says , but COVID is so widespread that people are both of those things at once .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on ] how to take care of themselves and how to support the people around them , ” she says .
The upcoming winter looks especially dark and hard as deaths climb to exceed the losses of 9/11 every day .
As soon as we hear that outbreaks are receding , they rise back up again like storm-tossed seas .
Perhaps the toughest part is that no one knows when the pandemic will end or whether the future will look anything like the past .
Vaccines are here for some health-care workers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us , they are still months away .
At the moment , many hospitals are overwhelmed with waves of new COVID patients .
“ We as a nation have never been in anything like this , ” says Charles Figley , who has worked in disaster psychology for 40 years and is director of the Traumatology Institute at Tulane University in New Orleans .
The stresses are taking a terrible toll on our country ’ s mental health .
In June researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveyed 5,412 U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symptoms of anxiety and 24.3 percent had symptoms of depression—a threefold and fourfold increase , respectively , from 2019 .
It is “ a staggering number , ” says Susan Borja , chief of the National Institute of Mental Health ’ s Dimensional Traumatic Stress Research Program .
In a study that has not yet been peer-reviewed , researchers at the City University of New York and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill surveyed 5,250 U.S. adults in April 2020 and found that 35 percent were experiencing moderate or severe anxiety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ income were doing extremelypoorly .
The pains of the pandemic and its consequences are sharpest among people of color , who are “ more exposed and less protected , ” in the words of physician Camara Phyllis Jones , who studies health inequities .
In November 2020 unemployment rates among Black and Hispanic workers were 75 and 42 percent higher , respectively , than that among white workers .
Compared with white households , many more Black and Hispanic households are struggling with food insecurity , and nonwhite children are more likely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in person at school .
These hardships fall on top of the direct agonies inflicted by the disease : In a study published in July 2020 , New York University researchers found that in urban U.S. counties where the population was substantially nonwhite , the COVID death rate was nearly 10 times higher than it was in predominantly white counties with the same median income .
Among Native Americans , another less protected group , the death rate during the first half of 2020 was nearly twice that among white people .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of vaccines , that there will be an end to this pandemic .
But to get there , we have to somehow keep going through months of trauma and strain .
How do we do that ?
How do we endure more and more of the isolation , the deaths , the flare-ups , the economic wreckage , the fear and the uncertainty ?
There are ways—not perfect solutions but methods that can help .
Psychologists who specialize in trauma and disaster recovery , as well as those who work with patients who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that although it feels impossible and although there will be losses , most of us will get through this disaster .
And they point to strategies for coping born of experience and science .
When people in devastating situations can spot warning signs of mental trouble , acknowledge and express their distress , focus on the present moment and the small things they can control , and find ways to connect with others , they can get through the darkest of moments and show resilience .
“ The majority of people who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to eventually either return to baseline or , in some cases , come out better on the other side than they were before , ” says Megan Hosey , a rehabilitation psychologist at Johns Hopkins Medicine , who works with chronically ill patients in intensive care units .
Most of us , she says , “ will be able to adapt and recover.
” But to do so , we will need to be flexible , open and honest with ourselves and learn how to take things one day at a time .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ difference , in the midst of a crisis , between normal levels of angst and those that indicate we might be tiptoeing toward a dangerous ledge .
Key signs of declining mental health include changes in appetite or sleep patterns that last more than a week .
If you find yourself becoming more irritable—maybe you are lashing out more frequently at your family members—that can be another sign of depression or anxiety .
Having more trouble concentrating than usual or being unable to enjoy things you used to enjoy may also indicate that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you need to try new coping strategies .
Keep track , too , of how much you rely on medications , as well as on recreational drugs or alcohol .
“ We are seeing an uptick in substance and alcohol use in the context of the pandemic , ” Hosey says .
This does not mean that it is dangerous to have a beer or a glass of wine when you are feeling stressed .
But “ if a medication or a substance is one of your primary ways of coping and you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more of it to get through the day , that ’ s a red flag , ” she says .
Other things to look out for are physical symptoms such as pain , dizziness or indigestion .
When people struggle emotionally , their distress often manifests itself physically ( of course , serious physical symptoms warrant a visit to a physician to rule out other causes ) .
Psychologist Tracy A. Prout and her colleagues at Yeshiva University , along with researchers at the University of Haifa in Israel and the University of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the world about their mental health during the pandemic .
They found that the people who were experiencing the most distress also had the most physical symptoms , as the group reported in their study , published in November 2020 in Frontiers in Psychology .
Behind these signals are the loneliness , unpredictability , fear and deprivation of the pandemic , and those are experiences that hospital patients with long-term illnesses and injuries know all too well .
Mana Ali , a rehabilitation psychologist at MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ injuries and paralysis .
She says that one of the first things she tells these individuals is to acknowledge such emotions and to not feel bad about having them .
“ I always tell my patients , ‘ It ’ s totally normal that the anxiety is there—it ’ s about managing it , ’ ” she says .
We tend to think that fear and worrying are bad and that strength is the absence of those things , but that is not the case , she adds : “ You can feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and simultaneously be a victor and be resilient .
Reminding people that they are both , versus either/or , is extremely important.
” Disaster and rehabilitation psychologists have done research showing that writing about negative feelings is very effective .
“ There ’ s something about writing it down that ’ s super important , ” Nitza says .
In the early 1980s psychologist James W. Pennebaker , then at the University of Virginia , and his colleague conducted a study in which they told some college students to write about their stressful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day four days a week .
They told others not to do anything unusual .
The students who engaged in this “ expressive writing , ” as Pennebaker called it , were only half as likely to visit the student health center over the next six months as those who did not .
More recent analyses have supported these findings , confirming that writing about feelings is a powerful way to work through them .
These admissions about negative emotions are important because they “ open the door for , ‘ What can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explains .
To be fair , this question can be hard to answer in the midst of a world-shaking pandemic .
Nitza suggests trying to pinpoint what exactly worries you most at the moment and then identifying aspects of the situation that you can control or make progress on .
If you have just lost your job and you are worried about paying your bills , brainstorm small things you can do to give yourself a sense of control .
Maybe a goal for this week is to create a new household budget @ @ @ @ @ @ @ programs you might be eligible for .
This kind of brainstorming requires open-mindedness about “ things you ’ re willing to learn and try , ” explains Deepa Ramanathan-Elion , a rehabilitation psychologist at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence at Fort Belvoir in Virginia , who works with military service members who have traumatic brain injuries .
“ If you continue in a sort of rigid way of thinking , it ’ s going to be very difficult for you to adapt to a changing environment , no matter what the situation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ else , ” she says .
“ You really need to be able to adapt and be flexible.
” That might mean considering jobs you would not have considered in the past or asking people you would not normally reach out to for help or support .
The idea is to think of problems as obstacles you can overcome ( at least partially ) rather than as insurmountable hurdles you can do nothing about .
There are aspects of this pandemic we can not control—but by focusing on the things we can tweak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of ourselves as resilient and adaptable , we will do better , Ali says .
Cognitive-behavioral therapy , which focuses on helping individuals identify , understand and change their thinking and behavior patterns in these ways , has consistently been shown to boost mental health .
A 2020 study found that Internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy improved symptoms in people suffering from either anxiety or depression .
Ali often thinks of her father and his family , who are from Somalia and have faced many hardships .
“ They have absolutely nothing , but they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she says .
“ If they feel like they can get through it , they can get through it .
So trying to cultivate that in people , regardless of resources—having them see that ‘ you can do this ’ —I think is very , very , very important.
” Seeking out others can help , too .
Researchers at the RAND Corporation found , based on interviews done after the 9/11 terrorist attacks , that the most common way adults dealt with their distress was by connecting with friends and family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe during this pandemic strains those connections .
It often requires physical distance from loved ones , which means people are forced to give up what they emotionally need the most .
In a 2015 analysis of 70 studies , researchers at Brigham Young University found that people who reported feeling lonely were 26 percent more likely to die over the next seven years , on average , than those who were not lonely .
“ There is a consistent and growing—and highly replicated across context and across countries—literature on the detrimental effects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mitigating or positive well-being effects of social support , ” says Courtney Welton-Mitchell , a research associate at the University of Colorado Boulder ’ s Natural Hazards Center .
( If you are feeling extremely isolated or are having thoughts of suicide , please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 . )
If you are older and alone , connecting with others can be hard , especially if you are not tech-savvy enough to link up over a computer or a smartphone .
Welton-Mitchell suggests reaching out to family members and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ snail mail and perhaps setting up regular phone calls or physically distanced visits .
You can also sign up for Caring Calls , a service organized by the nonprofit organization DOROT , which facilitates once- or twice-weekly telephone conversations between older adults and volunteers .
To sign up by phone , call 1-212-769-2850 .
If you are comfortable using the Internet , you can sign up for a service such as Big & Mini or Eldera , either of which connects older adults with younger people through video calls .
Working toward a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home—can also improve emotional health .
It helps to “ feel like you ’ re committing to something that ’ s greater than yourself , ” says William Garmoe , a neuropsychologist who works with Ali at MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital .
In a 2007 paper , a group of 20 international disaster psychologists analyzed research on the most important psychological needs people have in the midst of a disaster .
They reported the top five are to feel safe , calm , self-efficacious , socially connected and hopeful .
When people engage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be able to check off three of those needs—feeling more useful , connected and hopeful about the future .
If you are not sure where to start , search VolunteerMatch.org or Idealist.org for local or virtual opportunities .
Virtual therapy provides another means of connection .
Since the pandemic began , federal and state legislation has loosened a number of restrictions on the use of telemedicine , so it is now easier for people to access mental health services online .
Finding a therapist can be difficult if you do not have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but free or low-cost options do exist : Opencounseling.com , for instance , allows you to search for free or low-cost therapists in addition to those who accept insurance or who can be paid for out-of-pocket .
One key benefit of therapy is the close relationship between the patient and the provider , which fosters a strong sense of belonging .
“ You ’ re meeting with somebody with whom you have a real relationship—this is a person who cares about you , seeks to understand you , is warm and accepting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professor emeritus of counseling psychology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison .
“ And for many people , this is particularly healing.
” Therapy can also help by nudging people toward constructive ways of coping with stress and anxiety .
In their November 2020 study , Prout and her colleagues surveyed adults about what strategies they used to make themselves feel better during the pandemic .
They found that people who connected with and helped others felt less distressed than those who coped in less healthy ways , such as by repressing their feelings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hardest things about the coronavirus is that it creates so much uncertainty about the future .
“ We like to be able to plan and set goals , ” Ramanathan-Elion says .
“ We like to go through life in this very organized fashion.
” Yet many of us do not know when we will get access to a COVID vaccine or whether we can pay next month ’ s rent or when social isolation will end .
We do not know whether we will get sick with COVID or what will happen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with people who have serious injuries or chronic illnesses note that such people always have to manage an unknown future , and they often do so best by focusing on the present—paying attention to their sensations and feelings in the moment rather than focusing on what can not be known with any assurance .
The goal is to “ just look at this one day at a time .
Because we really don ’ t know what tomorrow is going to look like , ” Hosey says .
One evidence-based approach that helps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ mindfulness , ” and there are various ways to do it , including through short meditations .
A 2018 review and analysis of 18 studies concluded that regular mindfulness exercises—such as focused breathing and “ body scans , ” in which you pay attention to how the parts of your body feel and try to relax them—reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression even in the absence of any other treatments .
( If you want to try guided meditations , Ramanathan-Elion recommends the smartphone apps Breathe 2 Relax and Mindfulness Coach .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ you uncomfortable , it is possible to be mindful without it .
One way is to focus on the sensations you experience while you do everyday things such as eating and brushing your teeth .
Nitza says she recently bought several adult coloring books because she has found that coloring is what helps her “ focus my attention on the immediate thing.
” However we get to it , mindfulness makes us feel calmer because “ it slows down our breathing , and it sends that message to the brain that we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trigger in the environment ; there ’ s no stressful issue that we need to be attending to , ” Ramanathan-Elion says .
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to keeping your mental health intact , and the approach that is best for you will depend on your situation , your access to resources and your preferences .
Psychologists say to trust your instincts and to try the available strategies that you think might help the most .
Be willing to try out new things if the approaches you first choose do not seem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mind that the more time we spend in this pandemic , the better we will get at muddling our way through—because humans adapt surprisingly well to challenging situations .
It has been tough , and it could get tougher , no question .
But people are “ stronger than they think , ” Figley says .
“ I frequently find people are unbelievably resilient .
”

Amy Nitza has spent decades helping people in crisis. The director of the Institute for Disaster Mental Health at the State University of New York at New Paltz has traveled to Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria, to Botswana during an HIV crisis and to Haiti to help traumatized children forced into domestic servitude.
But the COVID-19 pandemic, Nitza says, is different. It keeps coming at people month after month as loved ones get sick or die, as jobs are lost, and as the actions taken to avoid infection—such as isolation from family—cause intense emotional pain and stress. Millions of people around the globe have died from the coronavirus, and the numbers keep climbing; grief, fear and economic hardship have hit every nation. The U.S. has the highest death toll on the planet—more than 550,000 people had perished by early April 2021—and millions on millions have become seriously sick. Usually disasters have survivors and responders, Nitza says, but COVID is so widespread that people are both of those things at once. “We’re training everybody [on] how to take care of themselves and how to support the people around them,” she says.
So far 2021 has been especially dark and hard. Deaths climbed to exceed the losses of 9/11 every day. Sometimes outbreaks recede but then rise back up again like storm-tossed seas. Millions of Americans still have not been vaccinated. Many hospitals are overwhelmed with waves of new COVID patients. So no one knows when the pandemic will end or whether the future will look anything like the past. “We as a nation have never been in anything like this,” says Charles Figley, who has worked in disaster psychology for 40 years and is director of the Traumatology Institute at Tulane University in New Orleans.
The stresses are taking a terrible toll on our country’s mental health. In June 2020 researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveyed 5,412 U.S. adults and found that 25.5 percent had symptoms of anxiety and 24.3 percent had symptoms of depression—a threefold and fourfold increase, respectively, from 2019. It is “a staggering number,” says Susan Borja, chief of the National Institute of Mental Health’s Dimensional Traumatic Stress Research Program. In a study that has not yet been peer-reviewed, researchers at the City University of New York and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill surveyed 5,250 U.S. adults in April 2020 and found that 35 percent had moderate or severe anxiety symptoms. Those who had recently lost income were doing extremely poorly.
The pains of the pandemic and its consequences are sharpest among people of color, who are “more exposed and less protected,” in the words of physician Camara Phyllis Jones, who studies health inequities. In November 2020 unemployment rates among Black and Hispanic workers were 75 and 42 percent higher, respectively, than that among white workers. Compared with white households, many more Black and Hispanic households are struggling with food insecurity, and nonwhite children are more likely to be learning remotely from home rather than in person at school. These hardships fall on top of the direct agonies inflicted by the disease: In a study published in July 2020, New York University researchers found that in urban U.S. counties where the population was substantially nonwhite, the COVID death rate was nearly 10 times higher than it was in predominantly white counties with the same median income. Among Native Americans, another less protected group, the death rate during the first half of 2020 was nearly twice that among white people.
We can now glimpse, with the advent of vaccines, a time in the future when the pandemic sputters out. But to get there, we have to keep going through months of trauma and strain. How do we do that? How do we endure more and more of the isolation, the deaths, the flare-ups, the economic wreckage, the fear and the uncertainty?
There are ways—not perfect solutions but methods that can help. Psychologists who specialize in trauma and disaster recovery, as well as those who work with patients who have chronic injuries or disabilities, say that although it feels impossible and although there will be losses, most of us will get through this disaster. And they point to strategies for coping born of experience and science. When people in devastating situations can spot warning signs of mental trouble, acknowledge and express their distress, focus on the present moment and the small things they can control, and find ways to connect with others, they can get through the darkest of moments and show resilience.
“The majority of people who have a major catastrophic life event are going to eventually either return to baseline or, in some cases, come out better on the other side than they were before,” says Megan Hosey, a rehabilitation psychologist at Johns Hopkins Medicine, who works with chronically ill patients in intensive care units. Most of us, she says, “will be able to adapt and recover.” To do so, however, we will need to be flexible, open and honest with ourselves and learn how to take things one day at a time.
Look for Warning Signs
It can be hard to tell the difference, in the midst of a crisis, between normal levels of angst and those that indicate we might be edging into serious psychological problems. Key signs of declining mental health include changes in appetite or sleep patterns that last more than a week. If you find yourself becoming more irritable—maybe you are lashing out more frequently at your family members—that can be another sign of depression or anxiety. Having more trouble concentrating than usual or being unable to enjoy things you used to enjoy may also indicate that your mental health is declining and that you need to try new coping strategies.
Keep track, too, of how much you rely on medications, as well as on recreational drugs or alcohol. “We are seeing an uptick in substance and alcohol use in the context of the pandemic,” Hosey says. This does not mean that it is dangerous to have a beer or a glass of wine when you are feeling stressed. But “if a medication or a substance is one of your primary ways of coping and you’re finding you need more and more of it to get through the day, that’s a red flag,” she says.
Other things to look out for are physical symptoms such as pain, dizziness or indigestion. When people struggle emotionally, their distress often manifests itself physically (of course, serious physical symptoms warrant a visit to a physician to rule out other causes). Psychologist Tracy A. Prout and her colleagues at Yeshiva University, along with researchers at the University of Haifa in Israel and the University of Pisa in Italy, surveyed 2,787 adults around the world about their mental health during the pandemic. They found that the people who were experiencing the most distress also had the most physical symptoms, as the group reported in its study, published in November 2020 in Frontiers in Psychology.
Credit: Cat O’Neil
Fear Is Okay
Behind these signals are the loneliness, unpredictability, fear and deprivation of the pandemic, and those are experiences that hospital patients with long-term illnesses and injuries know all too well. Mana Ali, a rehabilitation psychologist at MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, D.C., treats people with spinal cord injuries and paralysis. She says that one of the first things she tells these individuals is to acknowledge such emotions and to not feel bad about having them. “I always tell my patients, ‘It’s totally normal that the anxiety is there—it’s about managing it,’” she says. We tend to think that fear and worrying are bad and that strength is the absence of those things, but that is not the case, she adds: “You can feel scared and fearful and angry and resentful and simultaneously be a victor and be resilient. Reminding people that they are both, versus either/or, is extremely important.”
Disaster and rehabilitation psychologists have done research showing that writing about negative feelings is very effective. “There’s something about writing it down that’s super important,” Nitza says. In the early 1980s psychologist James W. Pennebaker, then at the University of Virginia, and his colleague conducted a study in which they told some college students to write about their stressful experiences and feelings for 15 minutes a day four days a week. They told others not to do anything unusual. The students who engaged in this “expressive writing,” as Pennebaker called it, were only half as likely to visit the student health center over the next six months as those who did not. More recent analyses have supported these findings, confirming that writing about feelings is a powerful way to work through them.
These admissions about negative emotions are important because they “open the door for, ‘What can I do next?’” Hosey explains. To be fair, this question can be hard to answer in the midst of a world-shaking pandemic. Nitza suggests trying to pinpoint what exactly worries you most at the moment and then identifying aspects of the situation that you can control or make progress on. If you have just lost your job and you are worried about paying your bills, brainstorm small things you can do to give yourself a sense of control. Maybe a goal for this week is to create a new household budget or to find out about financial relief programs you might be eligible for.
This kind of brainstorming requires open-mindedness about “things you’re willing to learn and try,” explains Deepa Ramanathan-Elion, a rehabilitation psychologist at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence at Fort Belvoir in Virginia, who works with military service members who have traumatic brain injuries. “If you continue in a sort of rigid way of thinking, it’s going to be very difficult for you to adapt to a changing environment, no matter what the situation is—whether it’s COVID or something else,” she says. “You really need to be able to adapt and be flexible.” That might mean considering jobs you would not have considered in the past or asking people you would not normally reach out to for help or support.
The idea is to think of problems as obstacles you can overcome (at least partially) rather than as insurmountable hurdles you can do nothing about. There are aspects of this pandemic we cannot control—but by focusing on the things we can tweak at least a bit and by thinking of ourselves as resilient and adaptable, we will do better, Ali says. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, which focuses on helping individuals identify, understand and change their thinking and behavior patterns in these ways, has consistently been shown to boost mental health. A 2020 study found that Internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy improved symptoms in people suffering from either anxiety or depression.
Ali often thinks of her father and his family, who are from Somalia and have faced many hardships. “They have absolutely nothing, but they have this strong sense of resilience,” she says. “If they feel like they can get through it, they can get through it. So trying to cultivate that in people, regardless of resources—having them see that ‘you can do this’—I think is very, very, very important.”
Find New Ways to Connect
Seeking out others can help, too. Researchers at the RAND Corporation found, based on interviews done after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, that the most common way adults dealt with their distress was by connecting with friends and family.
The trouble now is that staying safe during this pandemic strains those connections. It often requires physical distance from loved ones, which means people are forced to give up what they emotionally need the most. In a 2015 analysis of 70 studies, researchers at Brigham Young University found that people who reported feeling lonely were 26 percent more likely to die over the next seven years, on average, than those who were not lonely. “There is a consistent and growing—and highly replicated across context and across countries—literature on the detrimental effects of social isolation and loneliness and the mitigating or positive well-being effects of social support,” says Courtney Welton-Mitchell, a psychologist at the Colorado School of Public Health and at the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado Boulder. (If you are feeling extremely isolated or are having thoughts of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.)
If you are older and alone, connecting with others can be hard, especially if you are not tech-savvy enough to link up over a computer or a smartphone. Welton-Mitchell suggests reaching out to family members and friends regularly by phone, e-mail or snail mail and perhaps setting up regular phone calls or physically distanced visits. You can also sign up for Caring Calls, a service organized by the nonprofit organization DOROT, which facilitates once- or twice-weekly telephone conversations between older adults and volunteers. To sign up by phone, call 1-212-769-2850. If you are comfortable using the Internet, you can sign up for a service such as Big & Mini or Eldera, either of which connects older adults with younger people through video calls.
Working toward a meaningful cause—even from the safety of your home—can also improve emotional health. It helps to “feel like you’re committing to something that’s greater than yourself,” says William Garmoe, a neuropsychologist who works with Ali at MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital. In a 2007 paper, a group of 20 international disaster psychologists analyzed research on the most important psychological needs people have in the midst of a disaster. They reported the top five are to feel safe, calm, self-efficacious, socially connected and hopeful. When people engage in activities that benefit others, they may be able to check off three of those needs—feeling more useful, connected and hopeful about the future. If you are not sure where to start, search VolunteerMatch.org or Idealist.org for local or virtual opportunities.
Virtual therapy provides another means of connection. Since the pandemic began, federal and state legislation has loosened a number of restrictions on the use of telemedicine, so it is now easier for people to access mental health services online. Finding a therapist can be difficult if you do not have health insurance or the means to pay, but free or low-cost options do exist: Opencounseling.com, for instance, allows you to search for free or low-cost therapists in addition to those who accept insurance or who can be paid for out of pocket.
One key benefit of therapy is the close relationship between the patient and the provider, which fosters a strong sense of belonging. “You’re meeting with somebody with whom you have a real relationship—this is a person who cares about you, seeks to understand you, is warm and accepting,” says Bruce Wampold, a professor emeritus of counseling psychology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. “And for many people, this is particularly healing.
Therapy can also help by nudging people toward constructive ways of coping with stress and anxiety. In their November 2020 study, Prout and her colleagues surveyed adults about what strategies they used to make themselves feel better during the pandemic. They found that people who connected with and helped others felt less distressed than those who coped in less healthy ways, such as by repressing their feelings or expressing hostility indirectly.
Pay Attention to Yourself
One of the hardest things about the coronavirus is that it creates so much uncertainty about the future. “We like to be able to plan and set goals,” Ramanathan-Elion says. “We like to go through life in this very organized fashion.” Yet many of us do not know when we will get access to a COVID vaccine or whether we can pay next month’s rent or when social isolation will end. We do not know whether we will get sick with COVID or what will happen if we do.
Psychologists who work with those who have serious injuries or chronic illnesses note that such people always have to manage an unknown future, and they often do so best by focusing on the present—paying attention to their sensations and feelings in the moment rather than focusing on what cannot be known with any assurance. The goal is to “just look at this one day at a time. Because we really don’t know what tomorrow is going to look like,” Hosey says.
One evidence-based approach that helps people stay grounded in the present is “mindfulness,” and there are various ways to do it, including through short meditations. A 2018 review and analysis of 18 studies concluded that regular mindfulness exercises—such as focused breathing and “body scans,” in which you pay attention to how the parts of your body feel and try to relax them—reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression even in the absence of any other treatments. (If you want to try guided meditations, Ramanathan-Elion recommends the smartphone apps Breathe2Relax and Mindfulness Coach.)
If the idea of meditation makes you uncomfortable, it is possible to be mindful without it. One way is to focus on the sensations you experience while you do everyday things such as eating and brushing your teeth. Nitza says she recently bought several adult coloring books because she has found that coloring is what helps her “focus my attention on the immediate thing.”
However we get to it, mindfulness makes us feel calmer because “it slows down our breathing, and it sends that message to the brain that we’re okay and there’s no trigger in the environment; there’s no stressful issue that we need to be attending to,” Ramanathan-Elion says.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to keeping your mental health intact, and the approach that is best for you will depend on your situation, your access to resources and your preferences. Psychologists say to trust your instincts and to try the available strategies that you think might help the most. Be willing to try out new things if the approaches you first choose do not seem to be working.
And keep in mind that the more time we spend in this pandemic, the better we will get at muddling our way through—because people adapt surprisingly well to challenging situations. It has been tough, and it could get tougher, no question. But humans are “stronger than they think,” Figley says. “I frequently find that people are unbelievably resilient.”


scientificamerican--2020-12-21--How to Minimize COVID Risk and Enjoy the Holidays

Anthony Fauci is not celebrating Thanksgiving with his three adult daughters this year .
The now famous director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said in an American University Webinar that as much as he would love to spend the holiday with his kids , they had told him , “ We want you and Mommy to have a nice , quiet dinner.
” Fauci may be “ a ‘ young , ’ vigorous guy , ” they said , but he is also 79 years old—and that puts him in a vulnerable category for COVID-19 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the country , have decided to send their love via Zoom .
With COVID-19 cases hitting an all-time high , a decision not to gather in person may be the most loving one a family can make this holiday season .
This is especially the case if its members include individuals in higher-risk categories , such as older adults and people with diabetes or cancer , to name just a few .
But not every type of holiday celebration carries the same risk , and the dangers of people getting together need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social interaction , says infectious disease epidemiologist Julia Marcus of Harvard Medical School .
“ For some people , there are going to be risks very [ much ] worth taking , ” she says .
There is no such thing as a totally COVID-safe family gathering .
But here are some ways to reduce the dangers .
One would ideally want to minimize the total numbers of both attendees and households involved , Marcus says .
People who live together are essentially combining their exposure , so think of things in terms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together .
In general , a celebration with 10 residents from a single household will be lower risk than a gathering involving five couples from five different households , Marcus says—unless , of course , someone in the 10-person home is a frontline worker , and those five couples have strictly quarantined for two weeks prior to the gathering and have avoided social contacts on their way to the event .
Individual circumstances matter , and that is why it is difficult to put hard-and-fast numbers on how many people are too many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guest list , consider the risk each specific attendee poses , as well as how much risk each person is comfortable taking on .
Some cities , counties and states have limits on gathering sizes .
These restrictions are subject to change , so check the latest health directives before finalizing plans , says Matt Willis , public health officer of California ’ s Marin County .
Even a small gathering can seed an outbreak .
Texas resident Tony Green is a self-described former COVID skeptic who came down with the virus at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in which there had been no masking or distancing .
“ I have no idea which one of us brought the virus into the house , but all six of us left with it , ” Green told the Washington Post .
Those six cases more than doubled , and before the ordeal was over , he was hospitalized with COVID-19 , and his father-in-law and another family member died of the disease .
It is safest to celebrate with people within your community so as to avoid transmission among different regions , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and medical director of the Special Pathogens Unit at Boston Medical Center .
And Willis says that if people travel between communities ( especially to or from ones with high coronavirus case numbers ) , “ a single Thanksgiving Day could fuel a community-wide surge.
” Before going anywhere , Bhadelia suggests checking how the epidemic is playing out in your local region at the time of travel .
It is difficult to put a strict cutoff on what kind of COVID-19 numbers should be deal breakers , but she says the test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in any area where attendees will come from or travel to .
If you must travel , the safest way is by car .
Properly distancing in the confined space of a vehicle is impossible , so it is best to travel only with household members , Willis says .
If that is not possible , make sure everyone is wearing a mask and roll down the windows , says Joseph Allen , who studies risk science as director of the Healthy Buildings program at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the effects of keeping the windows down three inches and found doing so could “ dramatically decrease the concentration of viral particles in the car , ” he says .
The major risk from air travel comes from airports , where people mingle with others from across the country or elsewhere , says Gretchen Snoeyenbos Newman , an assistant professor of infectious disease at Wayne State University .
* Airplane ventilation systems can do a pretty good job , but they usually only function when the plane ’ s engines are on , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up on the ground for an extended period without the plane running , that can mean “ lots of people packed into a sardine can without ventilation , ” she adds .
Bhadelia recommends wearing both a mask and face shield on the plane .
The best way to cut the risk of transmitting the virus is to wear a mask , stay outside and keep six feet apart .
“ We ’ re seeing very few outbreaks [ that are ] traceable to outdoor gatherings , especially if people are covering their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Willis says .
He adds that his department ’ s contact tracing has shown that “ the most common cause of transmission is indoor gatherings .
It ’ s parties.
” Obviously , not every part of the country is conducive to outdoor holiday gatherings , so you might have to get creative , says A. Marm Kilpatrick , an infectious disease researcher at the University of California , Santa Cruz .
This could mean celebrating Thanksgiving a few weeks early—or next spring , when the weather is nicer—or even swapping a big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activity such as hiking , skiing or gathering around a firepit .
“ Make sure you ’ re having a very specific conversation about what you are and are not going to do in the weeks leading up to the visit , ” Newman says .
Communicate your activities and risks to family and friends so they can assess whether the risk for them is too great .
What you want to avoid is surprise exposure , where you get to the gathering and find out that someone else there has been doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to you , says Ellie Murray , an epidemiologist at the Boston University School of Public Health .
Newman and her wife are both frontline workers and have agreed to avoid anything else that exposes them to other people .
They want to keep their risk as low as possible so they can feel comfortable having their parents come and spend time with their newborn baby .
Murray encourages people to talk about their feelings on the ways things are different this year .
Wearing masks at a family gathering may “ feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it is okay to say so .
Another approach is to poke fun .
“ Maybe instead of an ugly Christmas sweater contest , you have an ugly Christmas mask contest , ” she says .
For two weeks before the get-together , everyone involved should be scrupulous about good COVID behavior : wearing masks , social distancing and reducing contact with people from outside the home as much as possible , Newman says .
Kilpatrick says the least risky way to include elderly or other at-risk relatives is to have attendees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , avoiding all in-person social contact , and then drive to the gathering while being very careful about interactions along the way .
If conducted carefully , this strategy can substantially lower risks of transmission , but Kilpatrick notes that only a privileged few can pull it off .
If quarantining is impossible , though , you can still take steps to limit your exposures prior to the gathering .
Testing is a good idea if it is available , and Newman suggests the ideal time for it is five to seven days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of your quarantine bubble .
Do not use a test as an excuse to be complacent , however .
“ Tests are not perfect , ” Murray says—a negative test is no guarantee that you do not have the virus .
“ If you ’ re recently infected , you can still test negative for a little while , ” she says .
“ We saw that with the White House outbreak : people tested negative in the morning and had symptoms in the afternoon.
” Have a plan B ready .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If your area has a sudden spike in cases , you ’ ll want to change your plans , ” Murray says .
Her research group has created a guide to celebrating the holidays during the pandemic .
If figuring out how to celebrate the holidays feels difficult , that ’ s because it is .
“ There are no easy answers , and it ’ s exhausting to be making these decisions on an everyday basis for such a long period of time , ” Marcus says .
It is important to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ safe ” and “ unsafe ” but are instead on a continuum of risk .
“ Everything we do to adapt our lives to this virus is going to have some tradeoff , ” Marcus says , and accepting and acknowledging those trade-offs can be helpful .
Pandemic fatigue is no reason to let your guard down , Willis warns .
The very safest way to celebrate this year is still together but “ heart-to-heart , not face-to-face , ” he says .
“ I don ’ t want to give up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that.
” Read more about the coronavirus outbreak from Scientific American here .
And read coverage from our international network of magazines here .
*Editor ’ s Note ( 11/10/20 ) : This sentence was updated after posting to correct Gretchen Snoeyenbos Newman ’ s current affiliation .

Anthony Fauci is not celebrating Thanksgiving with his three adult daughters this year. The now famous director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said in an American University Webinar that as much as he would love to spend the holiday with his kids, they had told him, “We want you and Mommy to have a nice, quiet dinner.” Fauci may be “a ‘young,’ vigorous guy,” they said, but he is also 79 years old—and that puts him in a vulnerable category for COVID-19. So his children, who are spread across the country, have decided to send their love via Zoom.
With COVID-19 cases hitting an all-time high, a decision not to gather in person may be the most loving one a family can make this holiday season. This is especially the case if its members include individuals in higher-risk categories, such as older adults and people with diabetes or cancer, to name just a few. But not every type of holiday celebration carries the same risk, and the dangers of people getting together need to be weighed against the benefits of social interaction, says infectious disease epidemiologist Julia Marcus of Harvard Medical School. “For some people, there are going to be risks very [much] worth taking,” she says.
There is no such thing as a totally COVID-safe family gathering. But here are some ways to reduce the dangers.
Keep It Small
One would ideally want to minimize the total numbers of both attendees and households involved, Marcus says. People who live together are essentially combining their exposure, so think of things in terms of how many contacts you are bringing together. In general, a celebration with 10 residents from a single household will be lower risk than a gathering involving five couples from five different households, Marcus says—unless, of course, someone in the 10-person home is a frontline worker, and those five couples have strictly quarantined for two weeks prior to the gathering and have avoided social contacts on their way to the event. Individual circumstances matter, and that is why it is difficult to put hard-and-fast numbers on how many people are too many, Marcus says. When making the guest list, consider the risk each specific attendee poses, as well as how much risk each person is comfortable taking on.
Some cities, counties and states have limits on gathering sizes. These restrictions are subject to change, so check the latest health directives before finalizing plans, says Matt Willis, public health officer of California’s Marin County.
Even a small gathering can seed an outbreak. Texas resident Tony Green is a self-described former COVID skeptic who came down with the virus at a six-person family gathering at his home in which there had been no masking or distancing. “I have no idea which one of us brought the virus into the house, but all six of us left with it,” Green told the Washington Post. Those six cases more than doubled, and before the ordeal was over, he was hospitalized with COVID-19, and his father-in-law and another family member died of the disease.
Limit Travel
It is safest to celebrate with people within your community so as to avoid transmission among different regions, says Nahid Bhadelia, an infectious-diseases physician and medical director of the Special Pathogens Unit at Boston Medical Center. And Willis says that if people travel between communities (especially to or from ones with high coronavirus case numbers), “a single Thanksgiving Day could fuel a community-wide surge.”
Before going anywhere, Bhadelia suggests checking how the epidemic is playing out in your local region at the time of travel. It is difficult to put a strict cutoff on what kind of COVID-19 numbers should be deal breakers, but she says the test positivity rate should be under 5 percent in any area where attendees will come from or travel to.
If you must travel, the safest way is by car. Properly distancing in the confined space of a vehicle is impossible, so it is best to travel only with household members, Willis says. If that is not possible, make sure everyone is wearing a mask and roll down the windows, says Joseph Allen, who studies risk science as director of the Healthy Buildings program at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. Allen and his colleagues modeled the effects of keeping the windows down three inches and found doing so could “dramatically decrease the concentration of viral particles in the car,” he says.
The major risk from air travel comes from airports, where people mingle with others from across the country or elsewhere, says Gretchen Snoeyenbos Newman, an assistant professor of infectious disease at Wayne State University.* Airplane ventilation systems can do a pretty good job, but they usually only function when the plane’s engines are on, Bhadelia says. So if you end up on the ground for an extended period without the plane running, that can mean “lots of people packed into a sardine can without ventilation,” she adds. Bhadelia recommends wearing both a mask and face shield on the plane.
Stay Outdoors and Distance
The best way to cut the risk of transmitting the virus is to wear a mask, stay outside and keep six feet apart. “We’re seeing very few outbreaks [that are] traceable to outdoor gatherings, especially if people are covering their faces and practicing physical distancing,” Willis says. He adds that his department’s contact tracing has shown that “the most common cause of transmission is indoor gatherings. It’s parties.”
Obviously, not every part of the country is conducive to outdoor holiday gatherings, so you might have to get creative, says A. Marm Kilpatrick, an infectious disease researcher at the University of California, Santa Cruz. This could mean celebrating Thanksgiving a few weeks early—or next spring, when the weather is nicer—or even swapping a big sit-down meal indoors with a lower-risk outdoor activity such as hiking, skiing or gathering around a firepit.
Set Ground Rules Early
“Make sure you’re having a very specific conversation about what you are and are not going to do in the weeks leading up to the visit,” Newman says. Communicate your activities and risks to family and friends so they can assess whether the risk for them is too great. What you want to avoid is surprise exposure, where you get to the gathering and find out that someone else there has been doing things that feel like too much risk to you, says Ellie Murray, an epidemiologist at the Boston University School of Public Health.
Newman and her wife are both frontline workers and have agreed to avoid anything else that exposes them to other people. They want to keep their risk as low as possible so they can feel comfortable having their parents come and spend time with their newborn baby.
Murray encourages people to talk about their feelings on the ways things are different this year. Wearing masks at a family gathering may “feel a little weird” she says, and it is okay to say so. Another approach is to poke fun. “Maybe instead of an ugly Christmas sweater contest, you have an ugly Christmas mask contest,” she says.
Take Precautions before Gathering
For two weeks before the get-together, everyone involved should be scrupulous about good COVID behavior: wearing masks, social distancing and reducing contact with people from outside the home as much as possible, Newman says.
Kilpatrick says the least risky way to include elderly or other at-risk relatives is to have attendees sequester themselves at home for two weeks, avoiding all in-person social contact, and then drive to the gathering while being very careful about interactions along the way. If conducted carefully, this strategy can substantially lower risks of transmission, but Kilpatrick notes that only a privileged few can pull it off. If quarantining is impossible, though, you can still take steps to limit your exposures prior to the gathering.
Testing is a good idea if it is available, and Newman suggests the ideal time for it is five to seven days after your last exposure to someone outside of your quarantine bubble. Do not use a test as an excuse to be complacent, however. “Tests are not perfect,” Murray says—a negative test is no guarantee that you do not have the virus. “If you’re recently infected, you can still test negative for a little while,” she says. “We saw that with the White House outbreak: people tested negative in the morning and had symptoms in the afternoon.”
Be Flexible
Have a plan B ready. “Things could change on short notice. If your area has a sudden spike in cases, you’ll want to change your plans,” Murray says. Her research group has created a guide to celebrating the holidays during the pandemic.
If figuring out how to celebrate the holidays feels difficult, that’s because it is. “There are no easy answers, and it’s exhausting to be making these decisions on an everyday basis for such a long period of time,” Marcus says. It is important to recognize that the choices are not between “safe” and “unsafe” but are instead on a continuum of risk. “Everything we do to adapt our lives to this virus is going to have some tradeoff,” Marcus says, and accepting and acknowledging those trade-offs can be helpful.
Pandemic fatigue is no reason to let your guard down, Willis warns. The very safest way to celebrate this year is still together but “heart-to-heart, not face-to-face,” he says. “I don’t want to give up on the hope that people can do that.”
Read more about the coronavirus outbreak from Scientific American here. And read coverage from our international network of magazines here.
*Editor’s Note (11/10/20): This sentence was updated after posting to correct Gretchen Snoeyenbos Newman’s current affiliation.


scientificamerican--2020-12-21--The Biden Administration Must Double Down on Science

As President-elect Biden takes office , he will assume leadership of the U.S. government ’ s scientific enterprise that was once the envy of the world , but which has been battered and marginalized for the past four years .
The Trump administration steadfastly refused to follow the lead of scientific experts during the COVID-19 crisis , promoting scam cures with no evidence and undermining public trust in measures like masks and social distancing .
Their failure to heed the advice of experts has had predictably deadly effects : more than 300,000 dead Americans in the grim equivalent of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the assault on climate science and federal climate scientists has been even more severe .
The Biden-Harris administration will face the unprecedented task of putting science before politics and building anew the trust of the public .
A president who has pledged to restore the soul of a nation must also restore its analytic capacity .
Starting with his first day in office , President Biden will face the daunting task of not only leading America out of the depths of the worst pandemic in a century but tackling the growing catastrophe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenge , the United States government must immediately signal that it is serious about setting course toward a 100 percent clean economy by midcentury , as scientists have made clear is necessary to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change .
Alongside an ambitious policy agenda , the president will have to rebuild the federal government ’ s scientific capacity .
The federal climate science apparatus is a vast , powerful and loosely coordinated set of activities across federal agencies , universities and international partnerships .
The United States has historically been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and climate research originating out of the scientific mobilization undertaken during and after World War II .
However , in four years of censorship , funding cuts , attacks on career scientists , and absent leadership , the federal climate science apparatus has suffered devastating workplace losses and programmatic contraction .
Left unaddressed , the status quo will hamstring effective climate action in the United States and globally for years to come .
It is not enough simply to replace what has been lost : new challenges require a concentrated expansion of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At once staggeringly complex and also fundamental to ensuring the basic livability of our communities , climate science and data have to be made more accessible to decision makers across levels of government , and especially to leaders at the local level .
As we move beyond an era of expanding our understanding of climate change into a period of urgent , ambitious action to combat a global crisis , the U.S. government must put the strength of its climate science apparatus into connecting the basic sciences with the social , economic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the international level to the community level .
This is essential for federal policymaking , and also for much more granular decision-making for frontline communities , businesses , municipal governments and school systems as they weigh matters from how to decarbonize and clean up toxic pollution in their cities to how and when to protect themselves from sea level rise , extreme weather , heat stress , changing patterns of precipitation , and pollution from the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries .
While institutional action and national leadership remain the biggest driver of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that understanding the actions of individuals in a crisis is also vital to any response .
None of these changes will happen without supporting the staff , funding and structures needed to encourage new ways of using science to guide decision-making .
In the first 100 days , the Biden administration should prioritize the recruitment of top , diverse talent into the federal climate science workforce ; establish guidelines to protect scientific integrity ; empower the Office of Science and Technology Policy to centralize prioritization and coordination of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S .
Global Change Research Program , NASA and the National Academies of Sciences , Engineering , and Medicine ; and match the leadership of Secretary John Kerry in international and security affairs with strong domestic and economic leadership at the White House .
The administration should also return to the international science and technology efforts abandoned or neglected by their predecessors : the U.N .
Framework Convention on Climate Change , the Arctic Council , the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC ) , as well as Mission Innovation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Energy Ministerial ; the U.S. should join the International Solar Alliance .
The climate crisis is a global challenge , and the science informing solutions will require global coordination that begins with a strong domestic strategy .
If 2020 has come with any lessons , it ’ s that trust in science makes the difference between incalculable human suffering and a future in which we thrive .

As President-elect Biden takes office, he will assume leadership of the U.S. government’s scientific enterprise that was once the envy of the world, but which has been battered and marginalized for the past four years. The Trump administration steadfastly refused to follow the lead of scientific experts during the COVID-19 crisis, promoting scam cures with no evidence and undermining public trust in measures like masks and social distancing. Their failure to heed the advice of experts has had predictably deadly effects: more than 300,000 dead Americans in the grim equivalent of a daily 9/11. Although hard to imagine, the assault on climate science and federal climate scientists has been even more severe. The Biden-Harris administration will face the unprecedented task of putting science before politics and building anew the trust of the public. A president who has pledged to restore the soul of a nation must also restore its analytic capacity.
Starting with his first day in office, President Biden will face the daunting task of not only leading America out of the depths of the worst pandemic in a century but tackling the growing catastrophe of climate change. To meet this challenge, the United States government must immediately signal that it is serious about setting course toward a 100 percent clean economy by midcentury, as scientists have made clear is necessary to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change.
Alongside an ambitious policy agenda, the president will have to rebuild the federal government’s scientific capacity. The federal climate science apparatus is a vast, powerful and loosely coordinated set of activities across federal agencies, universities and international partnerships. The United States has historically been a scientific powerhouse, with federal energy and climate research originating out of the scientific mobilization undertaken during and after World War II. However, in four years of censorship, funding cuts, attacks on career scientists, and absent leadership, the federal climate science apparatus has suffered devastating workplace losses and programmatic contraction. Left unaddressed, the status quo will hamstring effective climate action in the United States and globally for years to come.
It is not enough simply to replace what has been lost: new challenges require a concentrated expansion of our government’s climate science capacity. At once staggeringly complex and also fundamental to ensuring the basic livability of our communities, climate science and data have to be made more accessible to decision makers across levels of government, and especially to leaders at the local level. As we move beyond an era of expanding our understanding of climate change into a period of urgent, ambitious action to combat a global crisis, the U.S. government must put the strength of its climate science apparatus into connecting the basic sciences with the social, economic and behavioral sciences that will underpin decision-making from the international level to the community level.
This is essential for federal policymaking, and also for much more granular decision-making for frontline communities, businesses, municipal governments and school systems as they weigh matters from how to decarbonize and clean up toxic pollution in their cities to how and when to protect themselves from sea level rise, extreme weather, heat stress, changing patterns of precipitation, and pollution from the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries. While institutional action and national leadership remain the biggest driver of the transition to a clean economy, the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that understanding the actions of individuals in a crisis is also vital to any response.
None of these changes will happen without supporting the staff, funding and structures needed to encourage new ways of using science to guide decision-making. In the first 100 days, the Biden administration should prioritize the recruitment of top, diverse talent into the federal climate science workforce; establish guidelines to protect scientific integrity; empower the Office of Science and Technology Policy to centralize prioritization and coordination of climate science; refocus the research of the U.S. Global Change Research Program, NASA and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; and match the leadership of Secretary John Kerry in international and security affairs with strong domestic and economic leadership at the White House.
The administration should also return to the international science and technology efforts abandoned or neglected by their predecessors: the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Arctic Council, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), as well as Mission Innovation, the Major Economies Forum and the Clean Energy Ministerial; the U.S. should join the International Solar Alliance. The climate crisis is a global challenge, and the science informing solutions will require global coordination that begins with a strong domestic strategy. If 2020 has come with any lessons, it’s that trust in science makes the difference between incalculable human suffering and a future in which we thrive.


scientificamerican--2020-12-21--The White House--Scene of COVID Outbreaks Under Trump--Will Get A Deep Clean For President-elect Bid

The White House--Scene of COVID Outbreaks Under Trump--Will Get A Deep Clean For President-elect Biden

It was a down-in-the-mud presidential campaign , but the dirtiest part comes on Inauguration Day .
As Joe Biden lifts his right hand to take the oath of office at noon on Jan. 20 at the Capitol , a team of specially trained cleaners will be lifting their hands to disinfect the White House .
The executive mansion will get a deep clean after two COVID-19 outbreaks this fall led to President Donald Trump and members of his staff and family becoming infected .
The departure of one president and the arrival of another is always a fast but highly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members and moving crews .
But this year is different .
The shift means more than rearranging the Oval Office and putting new clothes in bedroom closets : It means a top-to-bottom disinfection amid a pandemic .
Biden , who at 78 is taking office as the oldest president in U.S. history , is at high risk of complications from the virus .
So , the General Services Administration will oversee a thorough cleaning and disinfecting of every doorknob , toilet handle , light switch , stair railing , telephone , elevator button @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 55,000-square-foot mansion at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave .
But can such a large building get fully clean in just five or six hours ?
Experts say that should not be a problem with a large enough team and preparation time .
K. Mark Wiencek , lead microbiologist for South Carolina-based Contec Inc. , which sells cleaning supplies to hospitals , said GSA cleaners should focus on the rooms last occupied by the Trump staff , since the virus can ’ t survive long on surfaces .
Cleaning crews , he added , should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and not introduce any germs .
He recommended replacing the air filters and using fogging and spraying disinfectant to kill viruses .
The GSA said it is already cleaning the White House East Wing and West Wing offices daily with disinfectant .
GSA officials said they expect no difficulties in making the transition and pledged that all furniture and surfaces would be cleaned .
“ GSA will thoroughly clean and disinfect the building spaces between the administrations and ensure that everything is up to standard , ” a spokesperson said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave the cleaning chemicals on surfaces a full 10 minutes before wiping them down , said O.P .
Almaraz , a disaster relief expert in West Covina , California , and president of Allied Restoration , which has cleaned dozens of businesses after suspected COVID cases .
“ With a large enough crew , a professional disinfection company could apply disinfectants to the entire White House in six hours , ” he said .
It ’ s important , he explained , that the crew pay “ special attention to points that may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ door handles and light switches.
” As long as cleaners have an organized plan for each room , Almaraz doesn ’ t see them having trouble getting done before the Bidens move in at the end of the day .
Sheldon Yellen , CEO of Michigan-based Belfor Property Restoration , said cleaning crews need to be rehearsed and in fully ventilated suits to clean the White House in one afternoon .
“ It ’ s a level 3 clean , ” he said , noting the building needs the most intensive service because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disposing of anything that doesn ’ t have to stay for the Bidens , including pillows and bedsheets .
He said books need to be wiped down , not just on the binding but all sides .
He recommended cleaning the ductwork and ventilation systems as well .
Jack Shevel , co-founder of San Diego disinfection company Zappogen , said that because COVID-19 spreads by airborne transmission , it is best to disinfect using an electrostatic sprayer or fogger filled with a disinfectant designed to kill airborne pathogens .
That covers a large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ To truly disinfect all those rooms quickly and thoroughly , they should be sprayed with a fine micron mist that can reach all crevices and surfaces evenly , ” he said .
Still , the White House cleaners must be careful to remove paintings , antiques and other valuable items before spraying with disinfectant , said Ernesto Abel-Santos , professor of biochemistry at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas .
Those items should be cleaned by hand .
Abel-Santos said a simple alcohol-based disinfectant should be enough to kill the COVID virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on some surfaces for days , it typically degrades within hours .
People are much more likely to be infected by droplets expelled when someone coughs , sneezes or talks .
During the turnover , cleaners should focus on the most commonly used areas of the building , he said , such as the Oval Office and bedrooms .
“ The rest can get deep-cleaned as needed , ” he added .
Even more important than cleaning , however , is asking the new president and his family and staff to physically distance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hands , according to Abel-Santos .
“ You don ’ t realize how many times in a day you touch your face with your hands , ” he said .
“ If you touch a surface and then touch your face , it increases the probability of contagion.
” KHN ( Kaiser Health News ) is a nonprofit news service covering health issues .
It is an editorially independent program of KFF ( Kaiser Family Foundation ) that is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente .

It was a down-in-the-mud presidential campaign, but the dirtiest part comes on Inauguration Day.
As Joe Biden lifts his right hand to take the oath of office at noon on Jan. 20 at the Capitol, a team of specially trained cleaners will be lifting their hands to disinfect the White House.
The executive mansion will get a deep clean after two COVID-19 outbreaks this fall led to President Donald Trump and members of his staff and family becoming infected.
The departure of one president and the arrival of another is always a fast but highly synchronized behind-the-scenes ballet by White House staff members and moving crews.
But this year is different. The shift means more than rearranging the Oval Office and putting new clothes in bedroom closets: It means a top-to-bottom disinfection amid a pandemic. Biden, who at 78 is taking office as the oldest president in U.S. history, is at high risk of complications from the virus.
So, the General Services Administration will oversee a thorough cleaning and disinfecting of every doorknob, toilet handle, light switch, stair railing, telephone, elevator button, computer keyboard and other objects inside the 55,000-square-foot mansion at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
But can such a large building get fully clean in just five or six hours?
Experts say that should not be a problem with a large enough team and preparation time.
K. Mark Wiencek, lead microbiologist for South Carolina-based Contec Inc., which sells cleaning supplies to hospitals, said GSA cleaners should focus on the rooms last occupied by the Trump staff, since the virus can’t survive long on surfaces. Cleaning crews, he added, should wear masks and gloves to protect themselves and not introduce any germs.
He recommended replacing the air filters and using fogging and spraying disinfectant to kill viruses.
The GSA said it is already cleaning the White House East Wing and West Wing offices daily with disinfectant.
GSA officials said they expect no difficulties in making the transition and pledged that all furniture and surfaces would be cleaned. “GSA will thoroughly clean and disinfect the building spaces between the administrations and ensure that everything is up to standard,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
It’s vital that cleaners leave the cleaning chemicals on surfaces a full 10 minutes before wiping them down, said O.P. Almaraz, a disaster relief expert in West Covina, California, and president of Allied Restoration, which has cleaned dozens of businesses after suspected COVID cases.
“With a large enough crew, a professional disinfection company could apply disinfectants to the entire White House in six hours,” he said. It’s important, he explained, that the crew pay “special attention to points that may be touched often, like tabletops, door handles and light switches.”
As long as cleaners have an organized plan for each room, Almaraz doesn’t see them having trouble getting done before the Bidens move in at the end of the day.
Sheldon Yellen, CEO of Michigan-based Belfor Property Restoration, said cleaning crews need to be rehearsed and in fully ventilated suits to clean the White House in one afternoon.
“It’s a level 3 clean,” he said, noting the building needs the most intensive service because of confirmed COVID cases. That means disposing of anything that doesn’t have to stay for the Bidens, including pillows and bedsheets. He said books need to be wiped down, not just on the binding but all sides. He recommended cleaning the ductwork and ventilation systems as well.
Jack Shevel, co-founder of San Diego disinfection company Zappogen, said that because COVID-19 spreads by airborne transmission, it is best to disinfect using an electrostatic sprayer or fogger filled with a disinfectant designed to kill airborne pathogens. That covers a large area more easily than just wiping surfaces.
“To truly disinfect all those rooms quickly and thoroughly, they should be sprayed with a fine micron mist that can reach all crevices and surfaces evenly,” he said.
Still, the White House cleaners must be careful to remove paintings, antiques and other valuable items before spraying with disinfectant, said Ernesto Abel-Santos, professor of biochemistry at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. Those items should be cleaned by hand.
Abel-Santos said a simple alcohol-based disinfectant should be enough to kill the COVID virus. Although the virus can be detected on some surfaces for days, it typically degrades within hours. People are much more likely to be infected by droplets expelled when someone coughs, sneezes or talks.
During the turnover, cleaners should focus on the most commonly used areas of the building, he said, such as the Oval Office and bedrooms. “The rest can get deep-cleaned as needed,” he added.
Even more important than cleaning, however, is asking the new president and his family and staff to physically distance, wear their masks and wash their hands, according to Abel-Santos.
“You don’t realize how many times in a day you touch your face with your hands,” he said. “If you touch a surface and then touch your face, it increases the probability of contagion.”
KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a nonprofit news service covering health issues. It is an editorially independent program of KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation) that is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.