Covid-19: U3A students’ report on the impacts of social isolation on physical and mental health and access to information about the virus during the pandemic

ABSTRACT

Covid-19 is a global public health crisis, which in addition to making victims is changing the living habits of the population. The objective of this study was to investigate the impacts of social isolation on the physical and mental health of older adults and to learn how they are informing themselves about the pandemic. It is a qualitative study with a phenomenological basis, composed by telephone interviews with 35 older adults (70,5 ± 4,7 years) of both genders, members of a Brazilian University of Third Age, during the period of the pandemic. The testimonies revealed a considerable degree of concern about the possibility of being infected by the virus, increased anxiety due to tragic news, the growing number of deaths, the collapse of the Brazilian economy and the rising unemployment rate. The group reported sleep disorders, joint pain, loss of appetite, weight loss, and reduced functional capacity. Everyone felt sufficiently informed about Covid-19. The main means of gaining information about the pandemic was radio, followed by TV, dialogue with family and friends, and WhatsApp. Only 30% of the participants used WhatsApp, praised because of its multiple functions and the ability to re-read the news.     

From Dakar to Brasilia: monitoring UNESCO’s education goals

Active participation of Brazilian civil society, coupled with the 2007 education development plan launched by the Brazilian government, provides an interesting example of the influences of the Dakar Goals. The two domestic initiatives share the same name, spirit and direction proposed in Dakar 2000. Here we analyze changes in the Brazilian policies and indicators related to the Dakar Education Goals. Since they were promulgated, we note: (1) an increase in enrolment over the relevant period; (2) access to primary education was nearly universal by 2000; (3) numbers of over-aged youth and adult students declined considerably during the period, but access did not expand; (4) illiteracy has been falling at a rate which, if sustained, will enable us to meet the goal; (5) gender discrimination was not apparent in Brazil; (6) most pupil proficiency indicators have deteriorated progressively from what was already a low standard. In summary, quantitative indicators did improve over the period while most qualitative indicators worsened.