HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Arctic and Antarctic when they go into lockdown over winter . They call it ‘ winter-over syndrome ’, which is a form of ennui . Under more extreme conditions – such as returned hostages that Dr Leach has worked with – there is a deeper withdrawal during captivity that causes cognitive disruptions , especially in the ability to think about the future .
He explains that once the shock of capture wears off , people can only think in the present . They gradually acquire the ability to think in the immediate past and then the longer past . But it takes longer to think in the other direction , to the future .
He observed a similar effect during the lockdown and Dr Leach expects people to perk up when they progress through these stages .
“ With pandemic lockdowns it ’ s important to keep in mind that the situation is temporary ,” he says . “ As we have seen , there is a coming out of it .”
Dr Leach says that if lockdowns become a periodic response to managing this or any future pandemic , an effective coping measure is to find ways to celebrate days that are special for some reason , and to work at imposing routine into daily life . These are small but workable techniques for regaining mental and emotional control .
Dr Emma Maynard of the University of Portsmouth ’ s School of Education and Sociology says this advice is particularly important for children , given their sense of time is more drawn out than adults and needs routine and structure .
“ Everything that punctuates children ’ s lives was thrown out the window when schools closed ,” she says . “ Children displaced from schools are one of the groups hardest hit as they struggle to organise their time .”
Dr Maynard advises creating structures that include activities to divert children ’ s attention . That can include games , cooking activities , stories and conversation starters that take the attention away from frightening talk of the virus .
BUSINESS SUPPORT The matrix of research support has been further exemplified by researchers such as Dr Adam Cox , who is beginning the conversation on considering and mitigating the mental health risks associated with the pandemic-driven economic downturn , and Professor Tamsin Bradley , who is applying her experience to inform approaches to minimise lockdown-related domestic violence as more people are working from home . The University ’ s Faculty of Business and Law stepped up to bring its research and practical expertise to help the business sector and the local business community understand not just the evolving challenges , but also the potential solutions and strategies required to deliver business and economic success .
Peter Hooley , Director of Business Development , and David Pickernell , Professor of Small Business
With pandemic lockdowns it ’ s important to keep in mind that the situation is temporary . As we have seen , there is a coming out of it .
– John Leach
Everything that punctuates children ’ s lives was thrown out the window when schools closed . Children displaced from schools are one of the groups hardest hit as they struggle to organise their time .
– Emma Maynard
Enterprise , teamed up to reach out to the business sector early in the pandemic , creating a business survey that identified the evolving challenges faced by business and the long-term opportunities and solutions to ensure a thriving economy .
Through this , the team has accumulated vital data on the business impact of COVID-19 , providing an evidence base that has been compiled into a ‘ big picture ’ to drive funded activities and chart a path to regional economic prosperity .
“ Data on the evolving and emerging business needs of the region will be critical to ensure the community directs its efforts where they are most needed ,” Mr Hooley says . “ It is important for there to be a clear understanding of business needs , challenges and aspirations , and for this to be evidence-based .”
Survey findings have been published in a freely available report through the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Resilience Forum . The findings have already led to the University delivering 10 online webinars and being awarded more than £ 700,000 from the UK Government to help improve small and medium enterprise leadership and productivity .
THE VIRUS DETECTIVES Acquiring a sense of community control over the pandemic has also been critical from morale and medical perspectives . Integral to acquiring this has been the work by Dr Sam Robson at the University ’ s Centre for Enzyme Innovation ( CEI ). He leads a team of researchers from the University of Portsmouth , working in collaboration with Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust , that redeployed their expertise within the new national surveillance system – the COVID-19 Genomics UK ( COG-UK ) Consortium .
The surveillance system uses genome sequencing technology , which has come into prominence within the last decade , to quickly and cheaply ‘ read ’ the genome of virus particles extracted from thousands of patient swabs .
Dr Robson explains that every time the virus replicates in a human , it does so imprecisely . These mutations diverge as the virus moves through a population , allowing its movement to be tracked with forensic precision , like tracing back a family tree .
As the genomics data accumulates , Dr Robson says , additional benefits become possible .
New computational capabilities ( called bioinformatics ) make it possible to detect patterns and trends in the overall big data . These allow for correlations between genetic variation in the genome to things such as disease severity , immune responses and vexing issues such as whether people can be infected twice . This understanding then has implications for the development of vaccines and treatments .
“ Monitoring how the virus changes over time allows us to understand how it is adapting and
ISSUE 02 / 2021
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