Flu pandemics, schizophrenia and the immune system: could history repeat itself?

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Sameer Jauhar summarises a recent narrative review about the risk of schizophrenia linked to the Spanish Influenza Pandemic over 100 years ago. He relates this work to our current pandemic and considers the possibility of a link between COVID-19 and an increased risk of psychosis.

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COVID trauma response: pandemics require trauma-informed mental health support

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Sarah Steeg reviews the new trauma-informed guidance for healthcare workers, developed by the COVID Trauma Response Working Group from UCL and the Camden and Islington NHS Trust. The guidance aims to provide a coordinated, trauma-informed and evidence-based psychological response to the COVID outbreak.

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Cheers Covid-19: Will we consume more alcohol during this crisis?

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Ian Hamilton reflects on the empty shelves in the Supermarket alcohol aisle and wonders how our relationship with alcohol might change during the Coronavirus pandemic.

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Quarantine: infection prevention, but at what cost for mental health?

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As the COVID-19 lockdown enters its second week in the UK, Matthew Iveson and Andrew McIntosh consider the psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it.

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Surgical masks versus N95 respirators

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This review of the effectiveness of N95 respirators versus surgical masks for prevention of influenza included 6 RCTs involving 9171 participants. THe findings suggest that use of N95 respirators compared with surgical masks was not associated with a lower risk of laboratory-confirmed influenza.

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