Tag: Auto

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Sheey Auto Stores, DCD Automotive Among Buyers In 4 Dealership Acquisitions

4 dealership groups included shops in the mid-Atlantic, Midwest and New England in four transactions late in the 3rd quarter and early in the fourth quarter.

Here’s a glance at the discounts that included import and domestic brand names. One transaction involved a dealership team ranked on Automotive Information‘ prime 150 dealership teams centered in the U.S.

Sheehy grows in Virginia
Sheehy Auto Retailers of Fairfax, Va., has acquired import- and domestic-manufacturer shops in Fredericksburg, Va., about an hour’s travel south of its headquarters.

The Sheehy group, led by President Vince Sheehy, on Sept. 29 acquired Top Buick-GMC and Best Subaru from Randy Harris, president of Supreme Automotive. Sheehy by now experienced a Toyota retail outlet in Fredericksburg.

“Sheehy Automobile Retailers is thrilled to be expanding in the Fredericksburg current market,” Vince Sheehy reported in a assertion. “With the Toyota, Subaru and Buick-GMC brands, we will be in a fantastic position to have specifically the new and utilized autos our customers want.”

Sheehy has renamed the acquired dealerships Sheehy Buick-GMC Fredericksburg and Sheehy Subaru Fredericksburg.

The transaction marks the third Subaru keep and next Buick-GMC dealership for Sheehy, which has dealerships in Maryland and Virginia.

In January, Sheehy purchased a single of the previous CarMax Inc. franchised dealerships: CarMax Laurel Toyota in Maryland. It also marketed a Ford dealership in Marlow Heights, Md., in April.

Sheehy ranks No. 44 on Automotive Information‘ listing of the leading 150 dealership groups centered in the U.S., retailing 19,441 new autos in 2020.
Efficiency Brokerage Companies, an Irvine, Calif., invest in-sell agency, handled the Sheehy-Top transaction.

DCD enters new condition
Growing DCD Automotive Holdings Inc. has entered Rhode Island with the acquisition of two import dealerships.

DCD on Oct. 1 purchased Tarbox Toyota and Tarbox Hyundai, both of those in North Kingstown, R.I., from Ed Tarbox. Tarbox obtained the Toyota dealership in 1996 and experienced owned the Hyundai store since 2004. North Kingstown is south of Warwick, R.I.

The outlets have been renamed Nucar Tarbox Toyota and Nucar Tarbox Hyundai.

“The Tarbox dealerships have terrific histories, with even better groups, and we glimpse forward to making upon their already reliable foundations to provide buyers with a top quality vehicle-buying encounter, quality consumer assistance and a high-quality range of motor vehicles — manufactured even additional expansive with our company’s shared assets and stock,” DCD CEO Chris Dagesse explained in a assertion.

DCD, of Norwood, Mass., now has 18 dealerships during Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. In March, DCD bought two Boston-region Chevrolet dealerships.

Woody Woodward and John Hyland of DCG Acquisitions, a Dave Cantin Group firm, handled the DCD-Tarbox transaction.

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Nutson’s Weekly Auto News Wrap-up: Sept 26


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AUTO CENTRAL CHICAGO – October 3, 2021: Every Sunday Larry Nutson, The Chicago Car Guy and Executive Producer, with able assistance from senior editor Thom Cannell from The Auto Channel Michigan Bureau, compile The Auto Channel’s
“take” on this past week’s automotive news, condensed into easy to digest news Nuggets.

LEARN MORE: Links to full versions of today’s news nuggets along with a million pages of the past 25 year’s automotive news, articles, reviews and archived stories residing in
The Auto Channel Automotive News Library can be found by just copying and then inserting the main headline into the News Library Search Box.

Nutson’s Automotive News Wrap-up – Week Ending October 2, 2021 ; Below are the past week’s important, relevant, semi-secret, or snappy automotive news, opinions and insider back stories presented as
expertly crafted easy-to-digest news nuggets.

* September U.S. auto sales continued to be significantly hampered by an ongoing lack of new-vehicle inventory. According to a forecast released by Cox Automotive, the pace of auto sales, or seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR), is expected to finish near 12.1 million, the slowest pace since May 2020, when much of the country was closed during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The September 2021 sales pace will be down from August’s 13.1 million pace and down from the September 2020 pace of 16.3 million. Sales volume is forecast by Cox Automotive to come in near a notably low 1.0 million units. The low volume expectations for September 2021 put the month on course to be among the worst in the past decade. Sales volume is expected to be down nearly 26{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} from last September and down 8.5{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} from last month.

* The ongoing global shortage of semiconductor chips will hit carmakers harder than experts had initially forecast in May as COVID-19 continues to disrupt chip production. A report released by consulting firm AlixPartners said the chips crisis will cost the global auto industry $210 billion in revenues this year. That’s almost double its estimate in May of $110 billion. AlixPartners forecasts that automakers will lose production of 7.7 million vehicles this year. In May, it had forecast a production loss of 3.9 million. Thanks to the Detroit Free Press for this news item.

* More technology comes with every new vehicle model year. The 2022 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban will offer more. A cool new feature is Google Assistant functionality that allows drivers to adjust HVAC, control media and more with their voice. A new standard feature that surely will bring out opinions is Buckle to Drive to help remind drivers to buckle up before driving. The feature does not allow a shift out of park until the driver and front passenger, if detected, have their seat belts fastened. So when you need to back out of your garage to get the lawn mower out, remember to buckle up.

* Automotive News reports a group of 21 state attorneys general, the District of Columbia, and several major U.S. cities has urged the Biden administration to finalize stricter vehicle emissions rules than it has proposed. The Environmental Protection Agency in August called for reversing the Trump-era loosening of vehicle emissions rules with a new plan to boost efficiency 10 percent in the 2023 model year and aiming for a fleet average of 52 miles per gallon by 2026. But the states and cities want more stringent rules.

* Ford is very serious about EVs. Ford Motor Company announced plans to bring electric vehicles at scale to American customers with two new massive, environmentally and technologically advanced campuses in Tennessee and Kentucky that will produce the next generation of electric F-Series trucks and the batteries to power future electric Ford and Lincoln vehicles. Ford, together with its South Korean battery partner, SK Innovation, plans to invest $11.4 billion and create nearly 11,000 new jobs at the Tennessee and Kentucky mega-sites, strengthening local communities and building on Ford’s position as America’s leading employer of hourly autoworkers. An all-new $5.6 billion mega campus in Stanton, TN, called Blue Oval City, will create approximately 6,000 new jobs and reimagine how vehicles and batteries are manufactured. The plants will be up and running in 2025.

* The two-row 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee was unveiled online and will add a plug-in hybrid electric version to its lineup. The Grand Cherokee 4xe will join a 4xe version of the Jeep Wrangler as the brand’s first two plug-in hybrids available in the United States.

* OPEC’s annual World Energy Outlook acknowledges that more electric vehicles will be on the road and the push for alternative and renewable energy will usher in a decline in the demand for oil in rich countries. However, growth in countries of expanding economies will mean oil will be the world’s No. 1 source of energy through 2045. OPEC forecasts global vehicle population to grow by 1.1 billion to 2.6 billion by 2045 with 500 million being electric powered.

* A new consumer survey carried out by MINI USA finds that American consumers are increasingly looking to electrify their daily on-road travel. Survey results say that half of all consumers expect the American automotive market to be mostly electric within just 15 years. Driving range concerns are balanced by 78{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of respondents saying they do not travel more than 50 miles per day on average. Younger consumers hold an especially positive attitude toward EVs, with Gen Z and Millennial consumers, indicating they are more likely to consider purchasing an EV in five years at 39{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} and 41{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}, respectively.

* ABB is launching an innovative all-in-one Electric Vehicle (EV) charger, which provides the fastest charging experience on the market. ABB’s new Terra 360 is a modular charger which can simultaneously charge up to four vehicles with dynamic power distribution. This means that drivers will not have to wait if somebody else is already charging ahead of them. They simply pull up to another plug. The new charger has a maximum output of 360 kW and is capable of fully charging any electric car in 15 minutes or less, meeting the needs of a variety of EV users, whether they need a fast charge or to top their battery up while grocery shopping. We are getting closer to the refueling time of a gasoline pump!

* Hyundai and Kia are recalling more than 550,000 cars and minivans in the U.S. because the turn signals can flash in the opposite direction of what the driver intended. The recall covers the Hyundai Sonata midsize sedan from the 2015 through 2017 model years, and Sonata Hybrid from 2016 and 2017. The Kia Sedona minivan from 2015 through 2017 also is affected.

* The all-women’s 2021 Rebelle Rally, the longest off-road rally in the United States, features eight days of fierce competition across more than 1,500 miles of Nevada, Arizona and California desert. It begins Oct. 7 at the Hoover Dam in Nevada and culminates Oct. 16 in California’s Imperial Sand Dunes. Nissan unveiled its red, white and blue one-off 2022 Frontier PRO-4X features a range of new NISMO Off Road parts, including NISMO Off Road 4-inch Lights, NISMO Off Road Performance Exhaust, NISMO Off Road Suspension Kit and NISMO Off Road AXIS Wheels – which appeared recently at the 2021 Overland Expo West. The rally team is Team Wild Grace with co-captains Sedona Blinson and Lyn Woodward.

* Lewis Hamilton claimed an historic 100th F1 career victory for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team in a pulsating Russian Grand Prix. This marked Lewis’s 79th victory with the Mercedes works team, extending its 100{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} win record in Russia which began with victories for Mercedes in 1913 and 1914. In claiming his 25 points, Lewis surpassed 4000 points in F1, the first driver to reach that milestone. Lewis Hamilton (246.5 points) leads the Drivers’ Championship from Max Verstappen (244.5), while Valtteri Bottas is in third position (151 points). The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team (397.5 points) lead Red Bull (364.5 points) by 33 points in the Constructors’ Championship.

* Alex Palou clinched his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship with a composed drive to fourth place in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, a race won by Colton Herta. Palou became the first Spaniard to win an INDYCAR SERIES championship and is Chip Ganassi Racing’s second consecutive title winner and 14th INDYCAR SERIES champion overall. This is his first season with the powerhouse team in the No. 10 NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, joining CGR after his rookie season in 2020, when he finished 16th in the standings.

Stay safe. Be Well.

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9 sexual health myths addressed

9 sexual health myths addressed

Sexually transmitted bacterial infections (STIs) have been on the increase in the United States. In April 2021, the Facilities for Ailment Command and Avoidance (CDC) introduced that, in 2019, STIs had achieved an all-time superior for the sixth consecutive calendar year, Get Auto Tips.

In 2019, the CDC received reviews of about 2.5 million circumstances of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis.

The Environment Overall health Corporation (WHO) estimates that 1 million STIs are acquired all over the world every single working day.

In spite of soaring prices, there is nonetheless important stigma connected to STIs. For some, this may possibly indicate men and women are a lot less eager to converse about sexual wellness fears or elevate queries with a health practitioner.

This unwillingness to communicate brazenly about sexual overall health can breed misinformation.

Of program, the internet is a practical initially port of get in touch with when somebody has a question they would like to check with anonymously. Sadly, not all details that appears on the world-wide-web can be trustworthy.

Here, Healthcare News Right now approached some prevalent myths linked with sexual health and fitness and questioned for enter from an professional:

Dr. Sue Mann, a consultant in sexual and reproductive health and a professional medical specialist in reproductive wellness at Community Health and fitness England.

Escalating comprehending of sexual health will help people today make informed, risk-free conclusions. While one article can’t brush absent deeply ingrained falsehoods, the much more dependable data that is offered, the much better.

This is a myth. Oral contraception can not secure in opposition to contracting an STI.

As Dr. Mann described to MNT, “oral contraception […] only is effective to avoid pregnancy. The only way to defend you from finding an STI when working with oral contraception is by carrying a condom.”

Mirroring this, the CDC states: “Birth handle solutions like the pill, patch, ring, and intrauterine gadget (IUD) are extremely productive at preventing pregnancy, but they do not safeguard towards [STIs] and HIV.”

The so-termed withdrawal approach, also referred to as coitus interruptus or the pull-out strategy, is when the penis is pulled out of the vagina in advance of ejaculation. Despite the fact that it may perhaps minimize the prospect of being pregnant, “the withdrawal system is not a reputable way to avoid pregnancy,” mentioned Dr. Mann.

When applied accurately, it can lessen the hazard of pregnancy, but precision can be difficult in the warmth of the minute.

Furthermore, the penis releases pre-ejaculate, or pre-cum, before ejaculation. In some cases, sperm can be present in this fluid.

In a person review, for occasion, experts examined samples of pre-ejaculate from 27 individuals. The experts recognized practical sperm in 10 of the participant’s pre-ejaculate.

Every volunteer delivered a highest of 5 samples. Interestingly, the researchers identified sperm in either all or none of their samples. In other text, some people are inclined to have sperm in their pre-ejaculate, while other individuals do not. The authors concluded:

“[C]ondoms need to continue to be utilized from the first minute of genital speak to, while it could be that some adult males, less very likely to leak spermatozoa in their pre-ejaculatory fluid, are ready to practice coitus interruptus more correctly than some others.”

Using the withdrawal approach, “you can however get an STI, this sort of as HIV, herpes, syphilis, gonorrhea, or chlamydia,” explained Dr. Mann.

It is easy to understand why individuals could believe two condoms would provide twice the safety, but this is a myth.

“It is in fact extra dangerous to use two or much more condoms when owning sex,” said Dr. Mann. “The chance of the condom breaking is greater owing to the amount of money of friction the condom is enduring. A single condom is the finest solution.”

This is maybe just one of the most persistent myths involved with STIs. Yet, even with currently being frequently debunked, it remains a fantasy. Dr. Mann told MNT:

“STIs are spread by way of unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex, and by genital call and sharing sex toys.”

She also spelled out that the viruses that cause “STIs are unable to endure for extensive outside the house the human system, so they frequently die speedily on surfaces like bathroom seats.”

In the same way, the microorganisms accountable for STIs, these types of as chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, can’t endure outdoors the body’s mucous membranes for a considerable volume of time. For that purpose, they would not survive on a bathroom seat.

This is not real. Having said that, while they can be taken care of, not all can be fixed. The WHO points out that 8 pathogens make up the wide the vast majority of STIs.

Four of the 8 are curable: the bacterial bacterial infections syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, and the parasitic infection trichomoniasis.

The remaining four are viral: hepatitis B, herpes simplex virus (HSV), HIV, and human papillomavirus (HPV). These simply cannot however be fixed. However, it is worthy of noting that HPV infections are usually cleared by the physique the natural way.

“Penetrative intercourse isn’t the only way an individual can deal an STI. Oral intercourse, genital get hold of, and sharing sexual intercourse toys are other ways that STIs can be unfold,” Dr. Mann instructed MNT.

Outside of sexual contact, it is also feasible to deal an STI from exposure to blood that incorporates the infectious pathogen, together with through sharing needles.

This is an additional longstanding and entirely incorrect assumption. In accordance to Dr. Mann:

“Anyone, irrespective of sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, age, or gender, can deal HIV. If you have HIV and never know it, you’re additional most likely to pass it on. But if you know your status, you can make certain you and your partner(s) are taking techniques to stay healthier.”

Dr. Mann underscores the relevance of tests, describing that in a lot of countries, “testing is free, easy, and private. You can even do a examination in the ease and comfort of your possess property.”

“A ton of people today move on STIs to some others with no even figuring out,” claimed Dr. Mann. “STIs can be spread with signs and symptoms or with out.”

Certainly, the WHO describes that “[t]he the greater part of STIs have no signs or only delicate signs or symptoms that might not be regarded as an STI.”

“That is why,” Dr. Mann discussed, “it is critical to be examined on a regular basis and to use a condom to avoid STIs as much as doable.”

To summarize, STIs are popular but preventable. Typical screening and being familiar with how to hold by yourself secure are critical to remaining STI-free.

After finishing a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience at the U.K.’s College of Manchester, Tim adjusted system solely to operate in gross sales, internet marketing, and assessment. Knowing that his heart actually lies with science and composing, he transformed study course as soon as extra and joined the Healthcare News These days staff as a News Writer. Now Senior Editor for information, Tim potential customers a group of top rated notch writers and editors, who report on the latest health care study from peer reviewed journals he also pens a handful of article content himself. When he gets the likelihood, he enjoys listening to the heaviest metallic, observing the birds in his garden, considering about dinosaurs, and wrestling with his kids.

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MG Astor variants leaked ahead of launch

MG Astor variants leaked ahead of launch

MG Motor India is all established to introduce its fourth presenting- the MG Astor in India, in the 1st 7 days of Oct. We drove the automobile and our initially push evaluate of the MG Astor will go reside on September 30, 2021 at 12pm, but forward of its formal launch, the variants of the new SUV had been leaked on the world-wide-web, which gave us a closer glimpse at what the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun rival has to present, Business Loan.

The impending MG Astor will be available in 8 variants- Fashion, Tremendous, Sensible Std., Intelligent, Sharp Std., Sharp, Savvy and Savvy Crimson. As the Astor is a petrol-only SUV, it will appear with two motor alternatives- a 1.4-litre turbo petrol and a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated motor. When the previous will occur mated with only a 6-speed automatic torque convertor, the latter will be available with a 6-pace handbook and an 8-speed CVT unit. Now, the greater displacement device mated to the guide gearbox will receive Design, Super, Smart Std., Sensible, Sharp Std., Sharp variants. The 8-velocity CVT unit will only be supplied in 7 trims- Tremendous, Sensible Std., Wise, Sharp Std., Sharp, Savvy and Savvy Pink trims. The turbo petrol unit will also be obtainable in 7 trims- Tremendous, Good Std., Intelligent, Sharp Std., Sharp, Savvy and Savvy Pink trims. On the other hand, the foundation edition of the Astor is also said to be loaded to the brim, albeit a number of variants.

The MG Astor seems to be just like its all-electric counterpart the ZS EV, but is in point primarily based on the facelift ZS on sale in the United kingdom and Australia. Within, the Astor arrives with a new 10.1 inch touchscreen infotainment system, which controls each and every action of the auto, and is Android Vehicle/Apple CarPlay compatible as nicely. The Astor also will come with the company’s initial private AI assistant unit placed at the centre of the dashboard. Moreover, the Astor will also appear with a panoramic sunroof, heated ORVMs, a digital vital, automatic weather management, rain-sensing wipers, a 7.-inch electronic instrument cluster, 6-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat and high quality leather upholstery. The interior concept is available in a twin tone Sangria red, twin tone Iconic Ivory and solitary-tone Tuxedo black.

The MG Astor will come with Stage-2 State-of-the-art Driver Aid Methods (ADAS) functions which carry with it many lively basic safety functions, these kinds of as Adaptive Cruise Handle, Forward Collision Warning, Automated Crisis Braking, Lane Continue to keep Assist, Lane Departure Prevention and Speed Support to name a handful of. We hope MG Motor India to price the MG Astor in between Rs 11.50 lakh to Rs 17 lakh (ex-showroom, India).

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Debit Card, Credit Card Auto Payment to Fail from Today If you Don’t Follow New Rule

To assure the security of transactions, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) mandated a new rule for the automobile-debiting facility of banking transactions that had been established to just take outcome from Oct 1, Friday. The new RBI mandate indicated that there was to be no extra automatics recurring payments for the numerous solutions that are linked with it, this kind of as utility payments, recharge of cellular phone, DTH and OTT payments. This is since starting off from nowadays, the apex bank’s directive mentioned that there needs to be an additional variable of authentication (AFA) in advance of any transaction can be presented the go-in advance.

This fundamentally signifies that with out the customer’s seal of approval, no cash can or will be deducted from the lender account on the foundation of an automated debit payment. The RBI reported that the cause for the introduction of AFA is to carry forth additional layers of security to any transactional approach. The apex bank’s principal objective, in this case, is to secure lender shoppers from fraudulent transactions although concurrently also improving customers’ advantage.

The deadline has been moved up quite a few instances to day. The motive powering it is that a lot of of the significant financial institutions these as HDFC Bank, ICICI Banking companies and the Point out Financial institution of India (SBI) had not complied with the issued mandate, which compelled the RBI to increase the deadline by 6 months.

Talking on the similar, the RBI said in a circular, “The framework has not been thoroughly executed even right after the prolonged timeline. This non-compliance is observed with significant worry and will be dealt with individually. The hold off in implementation by some stakeholders has presented increase to a situation of doable large-scale customer inconvenience and default. To reduce any inconvenience to the prospects, Reserve Financial institution has resolved to extend the timeline for the stakeholders to migrate to the framework by six months, i.e., till September 30, 2021.”

Acquiring stated that, right here are five things that you ought to know about this new rule heading forward into the calendar thirty day period of Oct.

1) Progress Alerts

As for each the new norms of the RBI mandate, your respective financial institution with which you have your transactional accounts will have to mail you data or an alert regarding the recurring payment dues, 24 hrs in progress. It is sent in progress so as to give the client time to accept and confirm the payment, due to the fact, without the need of that acceptance from the account holder, the lender will not finalise the transaction. This added layer of safety makes sure that the purchaser is involved in every and each and every transaction that sees money move out of their accounts.

2) One-Time Registration

Now, while it may well sound like a laborous system, it actually is not. Consumers will need only go as a result of the process of registration at the time under this new mandate and it is only the initial transaction that needs the added factor of authentication. After the very first time, consumers can carry out other future transactions without having the AFA. In reality, while registering, buyers can offer the validity period of time for long run transactions.

3) OTP Payments Exceeding Rs 5,000

If the recurring payment is higher than the restrict of Rs 5,000, then according to the RBI mandate, the financial institution in query is needed to deliver the consumer a 1-time password (OTP), just before the transaction is processed.

4) It Is Optional

For the sake of convenience, buyers of any financial institution can select to choose-out of the mandate or any specific transaction at any place in time. This can be completed through the use of the pre-debit notification which has a backlink that will acquire you to a portal where it can be carried out step-by-step. Maintain in head that at the close of the day this mandate was released to secure your financial institution account and the money therein.

5) No Impacts on Car-Debits

Any standing guidelines that were registered for employing present financial institution accounts for mutual funds, SIPs or equated monthly instalments for loans would not be impacted by these new principles and adjustments.

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COVID-19 lockdowns ‘deepened social inequality’

COVID-19 lockdowns ‘deepened social inequality’
A COVID-19 vaccination centre sign stands at St Thomas' hospital opposite Westminster on September 13, 2021 in London, United KingdomShare on Pinterest
A COVID-19 vaccination center sign stands at St Thomas’ Hospital opposite Westminster on September 13, 2021, in London, United Kingdom. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
  • Lockdown measures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have changed people’s lives.
  • Different social groups felt these changes disproportionately.
  • Future research is necessary to determine if, how, and why these social inequalities continue to persist.

The United Kingdom officially announced its first lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 23, 2020. Two more national lockdowns occurred in the months that followed, Home Decoration.

The lockdowns resulted in unprecedented changes to people’s lives, but not all these changes ended when the lockdowns were over.

A recent study, which appears in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, explores the longer-term impacts of COVID-19 on various dimensions of different social groups.

Stay informed with live updates on the current COVID-19 outbreak and visit our coronavirus hub for more advice on prevention and treatment.

Researchers at the University of Oxford, U.K., used data from the first eight waves of the U.K. Household Longitudinal Survey on COVID-19 — from March 2020 to March 2021. They also used data from the main survey of two waves before the pandemic — from 2017 to 2019.

The panel survey covers a representative sample of 51,000 adults from approximately 40,000 households. The researchers reached out to individuals aged 20–65 years who participated in the main study to ask them to join the COVID-19 supplementary study. This required monthly online reporting from April 2020. In May 2020, the researchers added the option to report by telephone.

In total, nearly 16,000 individuals responded, representing a 42{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} response rate.

The authors reviewed the impact of COVID-19 and COVID-19-induced measures as the surveyed population reported.

The researchers were especially interested in how income, their use of time, and their well-being changed throughout different stages of the pandemic. In addition, they wanted to determine if these factors varied based on the sex, ethnicity, and education level of those surveyed.

Many of the measures officials implemented to contain the spread of COVID-19 involved reducing physical contact between people. As a result, the first wave of lockdowns impacted global social behavior immediately.

For example, business closures and remote work altered working patterns. Countries that introduced lockdown measures, such as the U.K., Australia, and the United States, immediately recorded reductions in work earnings.

Studies conducted following the first U.K. lockdown indicated that women and parents experienced a more negative influence on their subjective well-being than that of other social groups. Black, Asian, and minority ethnic immigrants were also more likely to have experienced economic hardship.

“So often, we focus just on cases and hospitalization, ICU usage, and mortality numbers, but it’s important to also look at the social impacts,” said Richard M. Carpiano, Ph.D., in an interview with Medical News Today.

Carpiano is a public and population health scientist and a medical sociologist. “A pandemic is very much a sociological phenomenon as much as it is the spread of a virus.”

As more lockdowns occurred, people’s health and overall feeling of well-being changed, not only because of the possibility or actuality of contracting SARS-CoV-2 but also because of related worry and stress.

The study showed that at the start of the pandemic, individuals who worked experienced a reduction in average earnings and the hours they worked per week. In addition, there was an increase in distress levels.

Data indicates that the mental health of most U.K. adults returned to pre-pandemic levels after the first lockdown, but that was not true for everyone.

Another study that appears in The Lancet supports this observation. It showed that 1 in 9 people did not experience an improvement in their mental health once the first lockdown lifted.

These lingering lockdown effects differed across the sexes, ethnicities, and between degree and nondegree holders. For example, during the first lockdown, the decline in pay was smaller for female than for male workers, possibly because of a higher proportion of women working in key sectors. Later, however, paid work time for men recovered faster than that for women.

Initially, the subjective well-being experienced by women suffered more than that of men. Then, as women’s subjective well-being began to recover, men’s distress levels began to rise.

Regarding earnings, Black, Asian, and marginalized ethnic people were more negatively affected than white individuals. This earnings gap persisted after easing lockdown restrictions.

The researchers conclude that the long-lasting pandemic and related restrictions have produced persistent negative consequences for earnings, work patterns, and subjective well-being.

Author Muzhi Zhou spoke with MNT about the study:

“Some changes in social inequality seem to disappear once lockdown measures are lifted, while other changes remain persistent throughout the whole year. It is worrying to see that the deepened social inequality could be long term for certain social groups.”

The study concludes by noting, “The negative impacts of the spread of COVID-19 and its related measures vary not only in their extent but also in their speed among different social groups.”

The authors suggest further research to understand the factors that have driven and exacerbated these social inequalities. To stress their point, they quote poet Damian Barr: “We are in the same storm, but we are not all in the same boat.”

Speaking about future research, Zhou told MNT: “I think that given the richness of this continuing dataset and the growing number of people contracting [SARS-CoV-2], it is time to examine whether positive and negative COVID-19 test results have different impacts on people of different social groups. Moreover, whether people respond and behave differently after they have taken the vaccine is another very interesting topic.”

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