According to a survey conducted among IT security professionals worldwide, an increase in cyber attacks since the COVID-19 pandemic has been mostly seen in the area of data exfiltration and leakage. This includes unauthorized removal or transfer of data from a device, either by a perpetrator or malware. Phishing emails were also increasingly encountered by **** of the respondents.

Did the COVID-19 pandemic really affect cybersecurity? Short answer – Yes. Cybercrime is up 600% due to COVID-19.

The Research and Development Survey (RANDS) is a platform designed for conducting survey question evaluation and statistical research. RANDS is an ongoing series of surveys from probability-sampled commercial survey panels used for methodological research at the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). RANDS estimates are generated using an experimental approach that differs from the survey design approaches generally used by NCHS, including possible biases from different response patterns and sampling frames as well as increased variability from lower sample sizes. Use of the RANDS platform allows NCHS to produce more timely data than would be possible using traditional data collection methods. RANDS is not designed to replace NCHS’ higher quality, core data collections. Below are experimental estimates of loss of work due to illness with coronavirus for three rounds of RANDS during COVID-19. Data collection for the three rounds of RANDS during COVID-19 occurred between June 9, 2020 and July 6, 2020, August 3, 2020 and August 20, 2020, and May 17, 2021 and June 30, 2021. Information needed to interpret these estimates can be found in the Technical Notes. RANDS during COVID-19 included a question about the inability to work due to being sick or having a family member sick with COVID-19. The National Health Interview Survey, conducted by NCHS, is the source for high-quality data to monitor work-loss days and work limitations in the United States. For example, in 2018, 42.7% of adults aged 18 and over missed at least 1 day of work in the previous year due to illness or injury and 9.3% of adults aged 18 to 69 were limited in their ability to work or unable to work due to physical, mental, or emotional problems. The experimental estimates on this page are derived from RANDS during COVID-19 and show the percentage of U.S. adults who did not work for pay at a job or business, at any point, in the previous week because either they or someone in their family was sick with COVID-19. Technical Notes: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/covid19/rands/work.htm#limitations

According to an endpoint resilience report, there was a 62 percent increase in instances of sensitive data on enterprise devices in mid-March 2020, in the beginning of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. On May 15, 2020, as the pandemic went on, there was a 41 percent increase in instances of sensitive data - such as personally identifiable information (PII) - stored on enterprise endpoints. Now in 2021, the percentage point increase compared to pre-COVID results is only 10 percent.

In 2020, some cybersecurity challenges appeared to be simultaneously occurring due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, namely a reduction in security teams, with almost a third of respondents in the security industry answering as such; and also a strong belief that their organization is more likely to experience a data breach given the pandemic, with two-thirds answering as such. The impact of both challenges are forcing these security professionals to face more threats while dealing a reduction of staff and resources.

To date, one million confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 virus have been reported worldwide with a death toll of over 50,000 (1). Particular concern has been raised regarding the exposure of healthcare professionals. Early reports from the Wuhan province in China described up to 29% infection rates among healthcare professionals before the use of personal Protection equipment (PPE) was fully established (2). Several measures are being established with regard the correct use of PPE and reduction in aerosol generating procedures. However to the authors’ knowledge, no specific guidance is available regarding the potential risk of aerosolization of SARS-Cov-2 virus via chest drains in patients with active air leak.Viral Spread and Air LeakThe SARS-CoV-2 virus, which leads to COVID-19, has been demonstrated to remain viable in aerosol form and is transmitted by droplets (3). Despite the current coronavirus pandemic, we are still faced with patients requiring chest tube drainage for pneumothorax on cardiothoracic and respiratory wards, as well as in critical care units. Whilst drains may be inserted with lower risk of viral spread for simple pleural effusions, the authors fear there may be a high risk of aerosolization in cases of pneumothorax with active air leak, whether that be primary, secondary, or indeed iatrogenic in mechanically ventilated patients requiring high PEEP ventilation such as in patients with COVID-19.Citing a recent example of a postoperative thoracic surgical patient in the authors’ unit who had a prolonged air leak and who later was found to be positive for SARS-CoV-2, they have considered the implications of aerosolization from the chest drain and in particular the chest drain bottle. This may represent an under-recognised means of viral spread, which may put patients and health care professionals at risk of infection.Chest Drains and Risk of AerosolizationTraditional under water seal chest drain bottles have a port which allows attachment to low pressure wall suction. Most modern drain systems also have a safety valve which opens to air should the suction be accidentally turned off in the presence of an air leak, to avoid creating a closed system effect which could lead to a tension pneumothorax. If the drain bottle is not attached to suction, then the port is open to the atmosphere.When air leaks into a chest drain bottle, it causes the fluid inside to bubble. Given the aerosolization that is likely to occur inside the drain bottle, which then escapes through the suction port or safety valve, this may be a potentially important mode of viral transmission. Alternatives to a traditional chest drain bottle include a number of different digital chest drainage systems. Whilst these do not have a port open to room air, they are not closed systems and the air escapes from the system into the air without any specific viral filter.A number of patients on the authors’ unit’s thoracic ward have since tested positive for COVID-19. Whilst the patient with the air leak may not have been the source of infection, they feel this should be considered. In their patient, a digital chest drainage system was being used.In light of this, and until further robust evidence regarding the volume of aerosolization from a chest drain bottle emerges, the authors would recommend the use of closed drainage systems, i.e. connecting the standard drain bottle to wall suction to avoid the spread of viral load via aerosolization. However, in order to obtain this, the safety valve will have to be occluded with potential risk of increasing intrathoracic pressure and cause tension, should the suction system be switched off whilst still connected to the bottle. Furthermore, keeping the bottle attached to wall suction will significantly limit the mobilization of patients, which is a significant risk factor for postoperative complications in the surgical patient.A Bespoke Chest Drain SystemIn order to overcome this, a possible consideration would be to attach an antimicrobial filter, such as those used in ventilator circuits, to the chest drain suction port leaving the drain off suction and occluding the safety valve. Connecting the filter directly to the chest drain should be discouraged, as fluid and moisture directly from the chest cavity are likely to interfere with the functioning of the filter.Therefore, the authors designed a bespoke drainage system using the Filta-Guard™ ventilator filter from Intersurgical Ltd© 2020 and a segment of endotracheal tube to use in their unit (Figures 1 and 2). The filter guarantees a filtration efficiency of >99.999% as tested on Hepatitis C and Mycobacterium tuberculosis in addition to standard test micro-organisms (4). The SARS-Cov-2 diameter varies from 60 to 140 nm, and therefore is larger than hepatitis C virus, which has an average diameter of about 55 nm. The authors postulated that given the larger size compared to Hep C virus, this filter should be effective in preventing flow of SARS-Cov-2 across the filter, however to their knowledge, this has not been clinically tested. Regarding the possible resistance to the system added by the filter and related risk of building up pressure in the chest cavity, they believe this should be marginal. Published data suggest the above filter would generate a resistance against the passage of 30L/min of 1.0cm H2O and 2.3cm H2O at 60L/min (4).ConclusionsThe efficacy of this chest drain modification clearly needs to be further investigated, however, given the current pandemic, any method of reducing viral spread should be considered.Acknowledgements: The authors would like to acknowledge Mr Panagiotis Theodoropoulos and Mr Duncan Steele, Specialist Registrars in Thoracic Surgery at Hammersmith Hospital, London.ReferencesJohns Hopkins University & Medicine. COVID-19 Map. https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html. Published 2020. Accessed April 2, 2020.Chen W, Huang Y. To protect healthcare workers better, to save more lives. Anesth Analg. 2020:1-15. doi:10.1213/ANE.0000000000004834van Doremalen N, Bushmaker T, Morris DH, et al. Aerosol and surface stability of SARS-CoV-2 as compared with SARS-CoV-1. N Engl J Med. 2020. doi:10.1056/NEJMc2004973Systems ICR. Filta-GuardTM range - high efficiency. https://www.intersurgical.com/products/airway-management/filtaguard-range-high-efficiency#1944000. Published 2020. Accessed April 2, 2020.

Incidents of data breaches in the Philippines reached roughly 0.7 million during the fourth quarter of 2024, indicating a decrease from the previous quarter. The number of data breaches peaked in the second quarter of 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Challenges in cybersecurity As one of the countries in Asia with a high internet penetration, Filipino online users have been surfing the web to access social media and other entertainment platforms. Recently, particularly at the height of the global pandemic, Filipino internet users also adopted online shopping and digital payment services for their essential and non-essential needs. With the increased digitalization of most services comes the heightened risk of being a victim of cyber threats such as phishing, online scams, data theft, and mobile malware. Such incidents were especially prominent among users lacking cyber hygiene or those unaware of how to protect their personal information when doing their online transactions. Cybersecurity market insights Despite the increased risks of online threats in the Philippines, the cybersecurity market remains modest compared to other countries. In particular, the Philippines ranked 12th out of 14 among countries in the Asia-Pacific region regarding the size of its cybersecurity market and was forecast to grow to about 344 million U.S. dollars in 2028.

Dataset from the CounterCOVID study evaluating the efficacy of oral imatinib in hospitalised patients with COVID-19. Date Submitted: 2022-09-16

DESCRIPTION

Sequences identified as Influenza A virus, Spodoptera frugiperda rhabdovirus and Nipah henipavirus have been previously identified within the early HiSeq 1000 and HiSeq 3000 sequencing data of SARS-CoV-2, SRR11092059,SRR11092060,SRR11092061 and SRR11092062, and were being used to support the hypothesis that a "simultaneous outbreak of multiple zoonotic viruses" have happened in the Huanan Seafood market. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/s4td6

However, a closer examination of these sequences revealed that they were not sequences of actual wild viruses, but were in stead fragments left behind from PCR products and cloning vectors harboring both cDNA clones and infectious clones of such viruses, with evidence of viral sequences being joined directly to DNA sequences of vector and non-human origin within the same short reads.

Here are the vector sequences and PCR product-like sequences recovered from the earliest WIV SRA sequencing data of Human SARS-CoV-2 from dataset SRR11092059,SRR11092060,SRR11092061,SRR11092062.

Sequences associated with Vectors and PCR products from 3 distinct viral species have been obtained: The 3'-end of a Nipah Henipahvirus with fusion to a Hepatitis D virus Ribozyme, a T7 terminator and a Tetracycline resistance gene, The 5'-end of the same Nipah Henipahvirus with fusion to sequences found in diverse vectors, A complete vector genome encoding the HA gene of Influenza A virus subtype H7N9 under a CMV promoter and a bgH polyA terminator, and 221 Contiguous sequences corresponding to the Spodoptera frugiperda rhabdovirus reference genome fused to sequences that were homologous to multiple Plastid sequences and Notably Mitochondrial sequences of Rodents.

As sequences corresponding to a rescued infectious clone of a BSL-4 organism (Nipah Henipahvirus) were found in sample sequences that supposedy represents patient samples that were obtained from Hospital ICU and sequenced in a pathogen diagnosis laboratory (which is separate from the Virology Research laboratory which is implied by the context of an Infectious Clone of such an organism, evident by the 3'-HDV ribozyme and T7 terminator fused directly to the 3'-terminus of the Nipah Henipahvirus reads), The discovery of artifact-containing sequences of at least 3 different pathogen species that are phylogenetically and methodologically distinct from each other in samples that were supposedly submitted by a laboratory that is Separate from the virological research laboratories that could have hosted such clone sequences imply extensive crosstalk and cross-contamination between the various laboratories within the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which includes at least one BSL-4 laboratory with evidence of containment breach of a BSL-4 organism and it's subsequent introduction into RNA-seq samples that were processed by a laboratory of distinct and separate purposes than the basic virological research evidenced by the Infectious Clone of the Hipah Henipahvirus.

Such a discovery therefore likely imply a major security breach happening within the Wuhan institute of Virology at the time when the first sequences of SARS-CoV-2 was sampled and sequenced, which have important implications on the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus itself.

METHODS

The metagenomic sequencing datasets, SRR11092059,SRR11092060,SRR11092061 and SRR11092062 were first analyzed using the NCBI phylogenetic analysis tool, which identified viral sequences that is not related to SARS-CoV-2 itself. These include Influenza A virus (IAV, subtype H7N9), Spodoptera frugiperda rhabdovirus and Nipah Henipahvirus.

The datasets were then subjected to BLAST search using MEGABLAST against the reference sequences of such viruses to verify the existence of the viral sequences and determine the exact sybtype of such viruses and the closest sequences on GenBank that corresponds to the reads. There seuqences are MH926031.1 for the Spodoptera frugiperda rhabdovirus, KY199425.1 for the Influenza A virus and AY988601.1 for the Nipah Henipahvirus.

A second round BLAST analysis with these identified sequences were then performed, which unexpectedly revealed numerous reads corresponding to Cloning vectors and non-human Mitochondrial and Plastid sequences being fused directly to the sequences of the identified viral species. Reads were then downloaded and subjected to assembly using the CAP3 sequence assembly program and the EGASSEMBLER tool. Contig sequences were then queried against the NCBI nr/nt database which unanimously identified the original sample sequences as viral sequences inserted into cloning vectors.

The complete sequence of the Influenza A virus Haemagluttinin (HA) gene clone was obtained from SRR11092061,SRR11092062 using multiple rounds of BLAST search and sequence assembly expansion on the existing vector-virus junction contigs, and a partial sequence corresponding the 3'-end of Nipah Henipahvirus AY988601.1 fused to a 3'-HDV ribozyme, T7 terminator and a Tet resistance gene was obtained from SRR11092059. In addition, 221 Contig sequences corresponding to the Rhabdovirus MH926031.1 fused to Chloroplast sequence MN524635.1 and Rodent Mitochondrial sequence MT241668.1 have been recovered from SRR11092061.

We then performed a BLAST search using the identified vector sequences on SRR11092059,SRR11092060,SRR11092061 and SRR11092062, which confirms the existence of these two vetor sequences in all 4 datasets.

Abstract

COVID-19 caused significant disruption to the global education system. A thorough analysis of recorded learning loss evidence documented since the beginning of the school closures between March 2020 and March 2022 finds even evidence of learning loss. Most studies observed increases in inequality where certain demographics of students experienced more significant learning losses than others. But there are also outliers, countries that managed to limit the amount of loss. This review consolidates all the available evidence and documents the empirical findings. Data for 41 countries is included, together with other variables related to the pandemic experience. This data is publicly available and will be updated regularly.

Geographic coverage

The data covers 41 countries.

Analysis unit

Country

Kind of data

Aggregate data [agg]

Mode of data collection

Other [oth]

An August 2020 survey of fraud examiners worldwide revealed increases in different types of fraud risks after the start of the coronavirus pandemic. In May 2020, 29 percent of respondents reported a significant increase in identity theft risk. Additionally, 43 percent of respondents expected a significant increase in identity theft risk over the next twelve months.

Analysis of ‘Loss of Work Due to Illness from COVID-19’ provided by Analyst-2 (analyst-2.ai), based on source dataset retrieved from https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/aff30812-e69e-42c9-9724-88083a583fac on 26 January 2022.

--- Dataset description provided by original source is as follows ---

The Research and Development Survey (RANDS) is a platform designed for conducting survey question evaluation and statistical research. RANDS is an ongoing series of surveys from probability-sampled commercial survey panels used for methodological research at the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). RANDS estimates are generated using an experimental approach that differs from the survey design approaches generally used by NCHS, including possible biases from different response patterns and sampling frames as well as increased variability from lower sample sizes. Use of the RANDS platform allows NCHS to produce more timely data than would be possible using traditional data collection methods. RANDS is not designed to replace NCHS’ higher quality, core data collections. Below are experimental estimates of loss of work due to illness with coronavirus for three rounds of RANDS during COVID-19. Data collection for the three rounds of RANDS during COVID-19 occurred between June 9, 2020 and July 6, 2020, August 3, 2020 and August 20, 2020, and May 17, 2021 and June 30, 2021. Information needed to interpret these estimates can be found in the Technical Notes. RANDS during COVID-19 included a question about the inability to work due to being sick or having a family member sick with COVID-19. The National Health Interview Survey, conducted by NCHS, is the source for high-quality data to monitor work-loss days and work limitations in the United States. For example, in 2018, 42.7% of adults aged 18 and over missed at least 1 day of work in the previous year due to illness or injury and 9.3% of adults aged 18 to 69 were limited in their ability to work or unable to work due to physical, mental, or emotional problems. The experimental estimates on this page are derived from RANDS during COVID-19 and show the percentage of U.S. adults who did not work for pay at a job or business, at any point, in the previous week because either they or someone in their family was sick with COVID-19. Technical Notes: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/covid19/rands/work.htm#limitations

--- Original source retains full ownership of the source dataset ---

Brazil Person w/ COVID-19 Symptom: Loss of Smell or Taste: South data was reported at 183,883.423 Person in 22 Aug 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 151,586.387 Person for 15 Aug 2020. Brazil Person w/ COVID-19 Symptom: Loss of Smell or Taste: South data is updated daily, averaging 144,950.278 Person from May 2020 to 22 Aug 2020, with 15 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 193,343.772 Person in 08 Aug 2020 and a record low of 66,014.199 Person in 06 Jun 2020. Brazil Person w/ COVID-19 Symptom: Loss of Smell or Taste: South data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. The data is categorized under Brazil Premium Database’s Socio and Demographic – Table BR.GAG004: Continuous National Household Sample Survey: PNAD COVID-19.

Citizens’ concerns about data privacy and data security breaches may reduce adoption of COVID-19 contact tracing mobile phone applications, making them less effective. We implement a choice experiment (conjoint experiment) where participants indicate which version of two contact tracing apps they would install, varying the apps’ privacy preserving attributes. Citizens do not always prioritize privacy and prefer a centralised National Health Service system over a decentralised system. In a further study asking about participants’ preference for digital vs human-only contact tracing, we find a mixture of digital and human contact tracing is supported. We randomly allocated a subset of participants in each study to receive a stimulus priming data breach as a concern, before asking about contact tracing. Salient threat of unauthorised access or data theft does not significantly alter preferences in either study. We suggest COVID-19 and trust in a national public health service system mitigate respondents’ concerns about privacy.

Replication data and code for "COVID-19 Learning loss and recovery: Panel data evidence from India", forthcoming in the Journal of Human Resources

This dataset tracks the updates made on the dataset "Loss of Work Due to Illness from COVID-19" as a repository for previous versions of the data and metadata.

As countless lives are being lost to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the idea of building a similar platform to memorialize COVID-19 losses was suggested. It is easy to see the news and be overwhelmed by the numbers, while forgetting these numbers represent real lives that were loved by their friends and family.At a time of such great loss, there is also hope, as over a million diagnosed cases have recovered from the virus. So in a similar vein, a platform to share stories of recovery has also been created.Original storymap and details seen here: https://coronavirus-stories-of-loss-and-recovery-giscorps.hub.arcgis.com/#igotvaccinatedCreated by Jeremiah Lindemann, jlindemann_GISCorps

Brazil Person Who Presented Combined COVID-19 Symptom: Loss of Smell or Taste or Fever, Cough and Difficulty Breathing or Fever, Cough and Chest Pain: South data was reported at 209,559.533 Person in 22 Aug 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 188,535.980 Person for 15 Aug 2020. Brazil Person Who Presented Combined COVID-19 Symptom: Loss of Smell or Taste or Fever, Cough and Difficulty Breathing or Fever, Cough and Chest Pain: South data is updated daily, averaging 164,312.973 Person from May 2020 (Median) to 22 Aug 2020, with 15 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 218,310.895 Person in 09 May 2020 and a record low of 95,156.820 Person in 06 Jun 2020. Brazil Person Who Presented Combined COVID-19 Symptom: Loss of Smell or Taste or Fever, Cough and Difficulty Breathing or Fever, Cough and Chest Pain: South data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. The data is categorized under Brazil Premium Database’s Socio and Demographic – Table BR.GAG004: Continuous National Household Sample Survey: PNAD COVID-19.

To understand the communicational and psychosocial effects of COVID-19 protective measures in real-life everyday communication settings. An online survey consisting of close-set and open-ended questions aimed to describe the communication difficulties experienced in different communication activities (in-person and telecommunication) during the COVID-19 pandemic. 172 individuals with hearing loss and 130 who reported not having a hearing loss completed the study. They were recruited through social media, private audiology clinics, hospitals and monthly newsletters sent by the non-profit organisation “Audition Quebec.” Face masks were the most problematic protective measure for communication in 75–90% of participants. For all in-person communication activities, participants with hearing loss reported significantly more impact on communication than participants with normal hearing. They also exhibited more activity limitations and negative emotions associated with communication difficulties. These results suggest that, in times of pandemic, individuals with hearing loss are more likely to exhibit communication breakdowns in their everyday activities. This may lead to social isolation and have a deleterious effect on their mental health. When interacting with individuals with hearing loss, communication strategies to optimise speech understanding should be used.

ABSTRACT Purpose: to survey the national and international literature on the impacts of the coronavirus infection on the auditory system. Methods: an integrative review with search in the BIREME, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Sciences databases. Inclusion criteria: articles in Portuguese and English whose subject was the coronavirus infection and its effects on the auditory system. Exclusion criteria: information from books and/or chapters, letters to editors, review articles, experience reports. The search strategy was based on the following combined descriptors, respectively in Portuguese and English: “Infecções por coronavírus”, “Audição”, “Perda auditiva”, “Coronavirus infections”, “Hearing”, “Hearing Loss”. Results: out of 43 articles found, two approached the issue. The first study assessed 20 patients that tested positive for COVID-19, though asymptomatic, who underwent pure-tone threshold audiometry and otoacoustic emissions. A significant increase in the auditory thresholds at high frequencies and a smaller response amplitude in the transient evoked otoacoustic emissions of those who tested positive for COVID-19 were observed when compared to that of controls. The second study reported the case of an asymptomatic 35-year-old COVID-19 female patient, who complained of otalgia and tinnitus, after being contaminated. The pure-tone threshold audiometry and tympanometry indicated mild unilateral (right ear) conductive hearing loss, with a type B tympanometric curve on that side. Conclusion: the studies included in this review showed different consequences of COVID-19 on hearing, with possible impairments on the sensory and mechanical structures of the auditory system. The knowledge of COVID-19 is limited, and further studies on its real impact on the auditory system are necessary.