Lone man wearing mask Photo by Mark Claus on Unsplash
A global initiative which aims to assess the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on the studies and working lives of university students and staff has been launched by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), in collaboration with Healthbit.com
The LockedDown survey will capture how measures to combat the pandemic are affecting staff and students’ educational, professional and financial lives, as well as their wellbeing - socially, mentally and physically. This will include the effect of the different types of actions which have been implemented internationally and their impact in different cultural, social and economic circumstances.
The survey takes just five minutes to complete and is available at https://www.healthbit.com/the-lockeddown/. A version of the survey can also be taken by members of the wider public.
Dr Leeza Osipenko, Senior Lecturer in Practice in LSE’s Department of Health Policy and the academic who is leading the project, said: “While governments are focusing on preventing premature deaths from the virus, it is important not to miss the opportunity to assess the wider impacts of the lockdown.
“Our project will contribute to the many other initiatives attempting to capture this information, as well as catalyzing data collection in other countries.
“Our aim is to generate information that will be useful to both universities and policymakers. Whether it is to prepare for a second wave, or to plan an exit strategy from the current situation, we must learn from the present.”
The survey will be available in 15 languages and the LockedDown team is building collaborations with academic partner organisations. These will help maximise the project’s international reach and will lead the analysis in local settings. Universities interested in getting involved should email lockeddown@healthbit.com.
Dr Osipenko said: “Whether we are in lockdown or in isolation, have continued to work or stopped studying, none of us should be invisible or unaccounted. Every experience matters and this survey will help give people a voice and a chance to share their stories from across the globe.”