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<ul class="summary-list"><li>With <keyword id="23050" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Sweden">Sweden</keyword>'s unusual <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> response, the country did not impose a compulsory <keyword id="91743" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="lockdown">lockdown</keyword>, instead trusting people to socially distance themselves.</li><li>Eleven people living there told us what their daily lives were like, from changing their commutes to still eating in restaurants.</li><li>They say their lives are not normal and that they are making changes to reduce the spread of the virus. But many are continuing habits like going to the gym and cafes, which is impossible in other countries.</li><li>Experts debate Sweden's strategy as its death toll soars above neighbors. But it is still lower than many locked-down countries, and Swedes are mostly happy with the plan.</li><li>Some people who are new to the country say they're more skeptical and are taking more extreme steps than many locals.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>Mazdak Dorosti is no longer taking the metro to get to his banking job across <keyword id="80261" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Stockholm">Stockholm</keyword> and is now cycling instead. But on his new, virus-adapted commute, he sees restaurants and coffee shops filled with people, sitting close together.It's a scene that has become almost unthinkable for many millions of people in other countries as the coronavirus spreads and prompts seismic changes to everyday life.But Sweden refused to lock down to try slow the spread of the virus. It is instead relying on people to follow guidelines without closures or much compulsion.Shops, restaurants, bars, parks and elementary schools are open. People are advised to keep apart, to work from home if possible, to stay inside if aged over 70, and to avoid unnecessary <keyword id="6354692" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Travel">travel</keyword>.<div type="image" title="Sweden Coronavirus" height="1200" width="1800" msid="75506868" hostid="261"></div>The only hard restrictions include a ban on gatherings of more than 50 people. Bars and restaurants may only serve seated customers, with no standing to reduce crowding. Visits to nursing homes are forbidden.For Dorosti, some aspects of life have changed. His company has dividing workers into multiple offices and encouraging others to work from home. He tries to stay in his neighborhood on weekends.But other parts continue: He and his colleagues sometimes eat lunch in restaurants, and he can still get coffee, even if he's trying to minimize his trips.It's a situation mirrored across Sweden.<h2>Taking steps to distance, but normal life continues</h2>Asli Tamer Vestlund, who has lived in a Stockholm suburb for four years after moving from the UK, told Business Insider that her family is using public transport less, seeing fewer friends, and ordering takeaway more. But they are continuing with lots of their usual activities."We spend more time in the forest and outdoor spaces as a family than indoor places. But our kids still go to swimming lessons. I go for pedicures and manicures, we go to the hairdresser etc. We try to be careful but don't take it to the extreme."Karin Beland Lindahl, an associate professor at Luleå University of Technology, lives close to the Arctic Circle. There is no immediate threat there from the virus, which is most active in the south of the country where most Swedish people live. However, she expects it to take hold even in the north eventually.<div type="image" title="Sweden coronavirus" height="1200" width="1800" msid="75506872" hostid="261"></div>Lindahl is working from home, since university campuses are closed. She celebrated her father's 80th birthday over Zoom. "But otherwise life in our community is running in many ways normally: We go shopping, you can go out to lunch."Her 18-year-old son Jakob said his school teaching online had been the biggest change. He's avoiding the gym, "but we still have football training as normal, I go to my friend's houses, I go to the supermarket as usual."Cathy Xiao Chen, who has lived in the city of Uppsala for seven years and helps lead a coworking space, said she still visits his office every day but has added new safety steps."My working hours have decreased," she said, "but I continue to go to the office every day to scan and email.""My daily routine now is to sleep in, take the train in the middle of the day and work late to avoid traveling when there are many others." She orders delivery so restaurants "can stay in business."Ylva Beland, a medicine student at Umeå University, said she's trying to reduce the number of people she sees and is not visiting her grandparents. She said: "I do meet my friends and study together and eat together, and I am still teaching gymnastics."<div type="image" title="Sweden coronavirus" height="1272" width="1800" msid="75506873" hostid="261"></div>University teaching is online, but students can still use the library. "I am still in the gym three times a week," she said, "but people aren't going out to pubs and restaurants as much, even though we don't have a law against it.""People think Sweden is living as normal. We live more normal than most countries, but it's really not as life is normal."Some at-risk people are taking further steps. Magnus Sean Clarke, who lives in Stockholm, has asthma, and said he is cycling and showering more and reducing his number of grocery trips and visits with friends. His company has staff working from home, and the soccer games he referees have been cancelled.<div type="image" title="Stockholm" height="1416" width="1800" msid="75506876" hostid="261"></div>But he said he has started to return to the gym, and sometimes visits a cafe, which he says has been "important for my mental well being, as this allows me to interact with people and spend some time on self-reflection."<h2>Sweden's strategy is controversial, but Swedes are largely happy</h2>Katarina Eckerberg, a political <keyword id="41551" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="science">science</keyword> professor at Umeå University in the north of the country, told Business Insider that the suggestion things are unchanged in Sweden during the outbreak is a "misunderstanding."She said most people are changing their habits in some way, rather than switching to an entirely new way of living. Many are now meeting friends outdoors more, she said, "which is quite nice."Eckerberg said she has been to restaurants twice during the outbreak. "Both times we were almost alone there, and the restaurants thanked us for coming."Experts are conflicted over Sweden's strategy. People are still in work, and some of the ill-effects of lockdowns seen elsewhere have been minimized. But the country's death toll is significantly higher than its neighbors, which introduced harsher restrictions.Sweden, with its population of over 10 million, has more than 2,500 deaths. Per capita, that's almost six times higher than Norway and more than three times higher than Denmark. It is, however, still significantly lower than Europe's worst-hit countries.Polls in Sweden show the strategy is popular: <a href="https://qz.com/1842183/sweden-is-taking-a-very-different-approach-to-covid-19/">more than 80% of people there support the approach</a>.<div type="image" title="sweden coronavirus outdoors" height="1467" width="2200" msid="75506878" hostid="261"></div> Every Swedish person Business Insider spoke to said that they and those around them are largely happy, citing the tendency of Swedes to trust and follow both experts and government officials.Those originally from other countries expressed more concern.<h2>People new to Sweden say they're taking more steps</h2>Jules Bevis, a UK national living in Stockholm, said that people treat her strangely for taking the virus more seriously than the government advice."The fact that I still get strange looks for wearing a mask is like living in a time warp – it makes me think: 'What bubble is this country in?'"She said she moved house because her roommate was ignoring distancing recommendations, even when her son had a fever and a cough.But overall, she said, "life hasn't changed much, other than people annoying me [by] telling me to go out all the time because it's not healthy to stay indoors."Muhammad Haseeb Asif, a Pakistani master's student in Stockholm, said he self-isolating, only going outside for early morning walks and groceries."It seems people are following quarantine protocol according to their home countries and trying to stay home and not going out a lot, contrary to the open protocol in Stockholm," he said.<div type="image" title="stockholm easter coronavirus social distancing sweden" height="1307" width="2000" msid="75506879" hostid="261"></div>Fabio De Ferrari, a PhD student at Stockholm's KTH Royal Institute of Technology, went back home to Italy in March because he didn't want to be locked down in Sweden.He said that he struggled to find Swedish people who were skeptical of their government's approach."Talking to locals, the impression that no one really wanted to talk about COVID-19, and if I were to raise any concern, the answer would always be the same: 'There is no need to scare people: if the government doesn't enforce social distancing it means that there is no need for it. Let's just try to keep everything as normal as possible.'"But even as people in Sweden live more normally than millions elsewhere, there have been unavoidable changes to people's lives. Dorosti founded the Stockholm Pub Crawl five years ago. But he's now had to pause it because people have stopped coming to the city. "We don't have any tourists right now."And Jakob Beland said his prom isn't going ahead and his school graduation might not take place. "It's all sad, but there's not much you can do about it really."Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-what-life-is-like-sweden-with-no-lockdown-guidelines-2020-5">Business Insider</a>

11 people in Sweden told us what it's like living in one of the few countries with no compulsory coronavirus lockdown

By Shakoor Rather New Delhi, Apr 7 () The protective self-quarantine and lockdown measures around the world due to COVID-19 scare have reduced the human-caused seismic noise, as a result of which earthquakes of smaller magnitudes can be detected with more accuracy and specificity, say scientists, adding however that this has not made the Earth's crust shake less. Seismic noise is a relatively persistent vibration of the ground that is usually an unwanted component of signals recorded by seismometers, according to the scientists. Earlier studies have reported that human activity of all kinds generates these vibrations that distort measurements from finely tuned seismic instruments. While the lockdowns enforced in many parts of the world have reduced these disturbances, seismologists, including Supriyo Mitra, a professor at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata, believe it is wrong to say that the Earth's crust is now "moving or shaking slowly" as has been reported in several media reports. In Belgium, data shows that measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Brussels caused human-induced seismic noise to fall by nearly 30 per cent. The resulting quiet means surface seismic readings are as clear as the ones scientists usually get from the same instruments buried deep beneath the Earth's surface, noted the scientists. A noise reduction of this magnitude is usually only experienced briefly around Christmas, said Thomas Lecocq, a seismologist at the Royal Observatory of Belgium in Brussels, who made the new observation. In India, Mitra is working on similar kind of seismic data and readings. "We want to collect the data from the lockdown and see exactly in what band the seismic noise has gone down," Mitra told . He noted that the cultural noise or ambient noise because of anthropogenic activities is one hertz and above -- and one hertz is the standard frequency at which the earthquake energy comes in. "So if the noise is high, then you generally have a lower detection of earthquakes," Mitra noted. What has happened as a result of the lockdown, he explained, is there is less vehicular movement and human activity, causing reduction in the ambient noise. "The threshold of detection has gone down. So there is more detection of smaller earthquakes," he said. Seismologist Kusala Rajendran, a professor at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru said that with low levels of human activity, the seismic sensors can now detect smaller earthquakes which would have otherwise been part of the noise. She explained seismic stations are installed away from traffic, ocean waves, and other kinds of noises. "To keep up with spatial coverage and accessibility many stations are located within the range of human activity. These stations are so sensitive that they can record a person walking within 500 meters," Rajendran told . "If the noise level is set very low these sensors would record everything -- even a large fruit dropping in the yard, not to speak of cultural noise," she explained. The leading Indian seismologists also noted that it will be wrong to say that the Earth's crust is "moving or shaking slowly" due to the COVID-19 lockdowns across the world. "Because that would mean the plate tectonics have slowed down, which is not the case," Mitra, who is also affiliated to the Centre for Climate and Environment Studies said. "Saying the crust is moving slowly is a misrepresentation of facts. The Earth's crust is not moving slowly," he noted. Rajendran agreed with Mitra, saying that only anthropogenic noise has reduced due to the lockdown. "Seismic activity does not get affected. Recorders located near cities etc. will record at a quieter levels and hence will pick up microtremors that would otherwise be undetected," she explained. "So there is no increase or decrease -- just better detection for some stations," the scientist added. Belgian seismologists are not the only ones to notice the effects of lockdown. Celeste Labedz, a graduate student at the California Institute of Technology in the US, tweeted that a similar fall in noise had been picked up by a station in Los Angeles. "The drop is seriously wild," she said. SAR VIS SARSAR

COVID-19 lockdowns didn't make Earth shake less, but improved quake detection, scientists say

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The post-pandemic shift to working from home has given some fathers more time with their kids.</li><li>But WFH can have downsides for dads, whether partner conflicts or work disruptions.</li></ul>The work-from-home <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/work-from-home-remote-work-changed-economy-pandemic-2023-4">revolution</a> has transformed family life, encouraging and allowing many fathers to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stay-at-home-dad-less-manly-freeloader-wife-2024-8">spend more time</a> with their children. But the seismic shift has come with downsides.Not commuting to work has <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/husband-returning-to-office-more-work-me-spend-money-childcare-2023-11">freed more dads</a> to have meals with their kids, pick them up and drop them off at day care or school, and enjoy some pre-dinner playtime.Working fathers who were once oblivious to what their partners did all day, from running the house to raising the kids, had their eyes opened during pandemic lockdowns.Some are now more understanding and able to help, with those in heterosexual couples <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/work-from-home-women-careers-jobs-pandemic-flexibility-gender-equality-2023-7">no longer defaulting</a> to moms taking care of everything."Having fathers work remotely is generally good for families," Daniel Carlson, the interim chair of the University of Utah's department of family and consumer studies, told Business Insider."Most dads want to be engaged with their home and children and so it offers them the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pandemic-made-parenting-easier-for-me-husband-around-to-help-2022-3">opportunity to do so</a>. For those not inclined to be engaged at home, it can expose them to all the demands of home they may otherwise miss. It sensitizes them to how much their partners have to do and leads them to want to share the load."Carlson noted that many families have two working partners, but the female partners "often shoulder a second shift of domestic labor and childcare. So, if dads can work from home, even if it's just occasionally, then this can lead to a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-sachs-employee-job-stay-at-home-dad-2024-8">more equitable division</a> of labor in families."<h2 id="df1b0888-a492-4f19-8260-b2647b7a7c94">Pluses and minuses</h2>Yet Carlson noted that a WFH father isn't a magical cure for families."Remote work is not a panacea. While it has benefits, it can also have costs," he said."Remote work can solve work-family conflicts as well as create them," he continued. "The question is how remote work fits into your life. It's not so much whether people work remotely, it's whether they have the option to do so, and the support to make it work for them."Having two people share a typically small space can lead to feelings of claustrophobia and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-work-from-home-affected-pandemic-relationships-2021-6">spark arguments</a> over who does more chores or more childcare.Work can also <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/australia-law-right-to-disconnect-ignore-calls-after-hours-work-2024-8">creep into the home</a> (think logging on after dinner or checking emails in bed), which can fuel stress and resentment, and make it harder for people to switch off.On the other hand, some people may feel pressure to complete household tasks during the working day. They might also feel obliged to run errands, such as mailing a package or picking up food for dinner."The parent who's working from home becomes the housewife," Jennifer Glass, a sociology professor at the University of Texas, Austin, told Vox last year. She said that was especially true for mothers but applied to fathers too.There's also a risk of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/working-remotely-feel-isolated-from-coworkers-quit-2024-7">isolation and loneliness</a> among the WFH crowd if they miss out on water-cooler conversations, after-work drinks, and office sports. They can <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/work-friends-spouses-loneliness-remote-hybrid-benefits-of-work-connections-2024-6">become detached</a> from their teams as longtime colleagues leave and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/work-friends-are-over-remote-jobs-gen-z-relationships-pandemic-2024-6">new faces join</a>, particularly if they only ever communicate virtually.<h2 id="44c4daa1-1bbf-4407-9401-3ea9d19fe558">Childcare concerns</h2>The lack of a commute and reduced presence in society could also mean people <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/work-from-home-sitting-standing-routine-better-health-2024-2">get less exercise each day</a> and develop unhealthy habits. They might also fear they're less likely to be promoted, or at <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/working-from-home-remote-work-increased-layoff-risk-job-market-2024-2">greater risk of being laid off</a>, if they're never in the office.There's also a heightened chance of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/woman-works-from-home-and-still-needs-childcare-explains-why-2023-1">distraction or disruption</a> when parents are in the same room as children or just a door knock away. They might be asked to watch the baby, pick up a sick toddler from day care and look after them for the rest of the day, or take their child to a doctor's appointment."Both mums and dads can get pulled into childcare when they WFH, so for both genders this is definitely an issue," Nicholas Bloom, a Stanford economics professor, told BI.He noted that studies show that moms are far more likely to be called upon in childcare emergencies than dads. He also suggested disruption might be necessary if there's no alternative.It's easy to see how having children can magnify the downsides of WFH. Sleep deprivation from staying up all night with a newborn can stoke arguments between partners. More people in the house mean more dishes and tidying up to do.The demands of childcare can also make it harder to finish work tasks during the working day, or to find time to meet friends, fueling stress and loneliness.<h2 id="e163a636-7fe6-4e15-a4b7-dbd3b3cad77a">Finding the right balance</h2>There's significant variance in how much WFH is best for a particular employee's health, Bloom told BI.Bloom, who's part of the WFH Research team behind the US Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes (SWAA), said about a quarter of respondents "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dream-job-in-office-work-full-time-flexibility-benefits-2024-3">love fully remote</a> as they might live near a park or a gym, or just having the time and peace to WFH is great for exercise."Close to half of people like a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-xers-boomers-return-to-office-remote-work-hybrid-wfh-2024-6">hybrid model</a> or mix of in-person and home working. The final quarter prefers going to work every day, perhaps because of the social benefits and ease of joining team activities, Bloom said."I do find WFH saves on the commute, about one hour per day for the typical person, and that's a lot of time," he said. Bloom noted that he clocks a 50-minute run during the time saved from commuting most days."So my sense is the best WFH for employees' health is <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hybrid-work-from-home-office-culture-remote-jobs-productivity-happiness-2024-6">the one they choose</a>."If he's correct, dads experiencing some of the challenges of staying home might consider going to work more. But that's not always feasible if they're needed at home to care for a child or other relative.

Dads are work-from-home winners — but ditching the office has downsides

Much like a shiver announcing a fever, the <keyword id="6359982" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="earth" source="Orion">Earth</keyword> has been demonstrating various pangs to warn us of the bleak crisis-riddled future ahead. From intensifying natural disasters to worsening pandemics, the planetary symptoms are only getting worse every passing day. And now, scientists have discovered that the effects of <keyword id="6361617" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-change" source="Orion">climate change</keyword> are literally rocking the world we live in! A new study has found that climate-induced changes have been affecting the behaviour of ocean waves, especially those driven by storms. Over the past four decades, these waves have not just caused sea levels to rise, but are also shaking the Earth — literally. Seismologists use instruments called seismographs to monitor and study earthquakes. However, these sensitive machines also record a wide range of natural and human-caused seismic phenomena, from volcanic eruptions and meteor strikes to even human activities and environmental changes. Interestingly, seismographs noted a decrease in human-caused seismic noise due to COVID-19 lockdown measures worldwide in 2020. While seismographs spike during certain strong events, they also have a constant background thrum of shakiness, which scientists have been able to identify as driven by storm-driven ocean waves. These global microseisms provide unique insights into the state of our oceans and the broader climate system. In general, ocean waves are gently shaking the planet in two ways. The primary microseism is where the ocean waves directly push and pull on the seafloor, prominently in regions where the depth is less than 1,000 feet. The other method, termed secondary microseism, is when waves interact with each other, applying a variety of pressures on the seafloor. This study, in particular, focused on the primary variant, looking back at the history of such jolts since the 1980s. Out of 52 seismograph sites around the world with extensive records, 79% of these stations showed that the waves are beginning to turn more energetic, and thus imparting a stronger background hum to the Earth. The team also found that the <keyword id="19431539" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ocean-wave" source="Orion">ocean wave</keyword> energy has been increasing at a median rate of 0.27% per year since the late 20th century. However, since 2000, this increase rate has risen to 0.35% per year. While the change might seem small, it reflects a worrying trend of intensifying ocean wave activity. With the oceans absorbing 90% of the excess heat from human activities, the added energy is translating into more damaging and powerful ocean waves. The regions experiencing the most significant microseism energy are found in the Southern Ocean near the Antarctica peninsula, a generally <keyword id="43950" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="storm" source="Orion">storm</keyword>y part of the world. However, the study also highlighted that North Atlantic waves have seen the fastest intensification in recent decades. This aligns with research indicating an increase in storm intensity and coastal hazards in the North Atlantic. If this trend continues, it spells further disaster for coastal communities, which are already prone to rising sea levels. Soaring ocean wave heights can pose a considerable threat, causing damage to infrastructure and eroding coastlines. When combined with ongoing sea level rise and subsidence, these impacts become even more pronounced. The seismic data also reveals the seasonal variations in strong winter storms between the Northern and Southern hemispheres and their connections to phenomena like El Niño and La Niña. These findings underscore the complex relationship between climate change and ocean dynamics. Climate change is not just affecting our environment; it's literally shaking the Earth beneath our feet, demanding our attention and action. It's time we reciprocate.

Global warming is rocking the world harder — literally!

<ul><li>Quarterly analyst calls revealed a spate of updates on how companies expect the economy to change throughout its recovery.</li><li><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/gs-stock">Goldman Sachs</a> pored over more than 130 calls and found a collection of nascent trends influencing corporate behavior.</li><li>Here are the four key themes that emerged throughout the second quarter, according to the bank.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingestutm_source=msn.com&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=msn-slideshow&amp;utm_campaign=bodyurlutm_campaign=bodyurl">Visit the Business Insider homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>Second-quarter <keyword id="1773977" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="earnings-calls">earnings calls</keyword> reveal a few trends likely to inform <keyword id="31671" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="markets">markets</keyword> and the economy's future until well after the coronavirus pandemic ends, according to <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/gs-stock">Goldman Sachs</a>.The three-month period was the first to entirely fall within the pandemic, offering analysts a look at how companies are adapting to the longer-than-expected downturn. Online retail operations grew, stay-at-home products flourished, and the financial industry thrived on a wave of new retail investors. Yet a resurgence in virus cases and prolonged quarantine activity has now turned once-temporary phenomena into lasting trends. Here are the four themes the team led by <keyword id="661088" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="David-Kostin">David Kostin</keyword> sees shaping the economy as it rebounds.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stock-picks-to-buy-beat-the-market-returns-morgan-stanley-2020-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MORGAN STANLEY: Buy these 9 top-rated stocks now for market-beating returns of 15% or more over the next 3 months</a><h2>Home work</h2>The jury's still out on whether remote work is the new norm or an aberration. Several companies expressed positive outlooks towards continuing stay-at-home work, while others repeated their plans to get back into offices as soon as possible.A select few firms are already transitioning to either hybrid or entirely-remote setups as a way to cut down on office costs and broaden their talent pool, Goldman said. Tech firms are likely to be the first to make major work-from-home shifts, while industrial companies or those reliant on factories may face continued weakness as the virus rages on, the bank added.<h2>Back to the drawing board</h2>Many companies are reworking their operations to survive — or even profit from — the virus-slammed economy. Executives continued to accelerate digitization and e-commerce initiatives, the analysts said. Consumers spent the quarter increasing their use of online shopping, contactless payments, and virtual wallets. Food-delivery businesses surged in popularity, with Uber's own Eats segment offsetting losses in its flagship rideshare service for the first time ever.While the first quarter had most companies viewing the pandemic and related lockdowns as a temporary problem, the recent quarter showed firms making permanent changes meant to unlock value for years to come.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stock-picks-to-buy-tech-ai-robotics-post-pandemic-companies-2020-8">Travis Briggs has more than doubled his clients' money since 2014 by investing in robotics. He told us the 5 stocks best-positioned for the seismic technological shifts the coronavirus has caused.</a>"Executives emphasized their ability to improve scalability and health safety by automating previously manual supply chain processes," Goldman said.Some firms focused on cost-cutting instead of investment. Airlines retired planes, companies slashed workforces, and frivolous travel expenses were eliminated. The saving activity helped push quarterly earnings above hopes and boost margins more than expected. Goldman <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/sp-500-3600-ifhigher-us-gdp-forecast-realized-goldman-sachs-2020-8-1029504824">raised its S&amp;P 500 forecast</a> in response, seeing the stronger profits last well into 2021.<h2>Everlasting uncertainty</h2>Though several companies doubled-down on their stay-at-home pivots, most expressed concern around the economy's uncertain trajectory. Executives touted mixed opinions on whether a vaccine would arrive on time to quell the virus. Some firms pointed to strong early trial results as a sign of economic recovery to come. Others were more doubtful and suggested that, even after a vaccine is approved, it may take longer than anticipated for citizens to embrace it.Other companies looked to rebounding infection rates as a cause for concern. Normalization in some industries was relatively short-lived, as soaring case counts plunged several states back into quarantines. The infection rate has since slowed again, and Goldman sees the economic recovery smoothing out if one key threat is avoided."Our economists do not expect the economy to face another hard lockdown and believe that the reopening of schools will be the largest near-term risk to infection rates," the analysts said.Lastly, some companies worried that the upcoming presidential election would further roil the economy. Should Vice President Joe Biden take the White House, the potential raising of corporate tax rates could slam all sectors, Goldman said. Energy firms are particularly vulnerable to a Biden presidency, as the candidate has pitched aggressive regulation of the fossil fuel industry. However, Biden's proposed fiscal expansion could offset some losses, the bank said.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/investing-advice-portfolio-allocation-stock-market-sp-500-sectors-goldman-2020-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Goldman Sachs explains the biggest factors that will drive returns in all 11 stock-market sectors amid virus uncertainty — and lays out how you should position your portfolio in each one</a><h2>Spending all over again</h2>Companies highlighted efforts capitalize on lasting demand for pandemic-related products."Although many 'Stay at Home' metrics have moderated since the initial lockdowns, social distancing campaigns and virus prevention measures continue to drive consumers to activities at home or outdoors," the team said. Revenues for takeout dining and indoor recreation surged, as did those for outdoor activities like camping and home improvement. Goldman's reopening scale reached a 4 this week, with 1 signifying a full lockdown and 10 representing complete reopening. Though back-to-normal businesses should see an improvement, stay-at-home plays continue to succeed.Now read more markets coverage from Markets Insider and Business Insider:<a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/novavax-stock-price-coronavirus-vaccine-deal-uk-government-doses-covid-2020-8-1029505731">Novavax soars 13% after inking deal with UK for 60 million doses of coronavirus vaccine</a><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/tesla-stock-upgraded-price-target-boosted-morgan-stanley-battery-day-2020-8-1029505357">Morgan Stanley upgrades Tesla stock and boosts price target on high hopes for battery business</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gold-investing-advice-strategies-from-bullish-george-milling-stanley-2020-8">A 50-year gold vet and co-creator of its largest ETF shared 2 strategies investors should be using now amid the rise to new highs — and told us why his 'bull-case scenario' hasn't yet come to pass</a>

Goldman Sachs lays out 4 themes from 2nd-quarter earnings set to shape the economy's future

<ul class="summary-list"><li>I lost 35 pounds during the pandemic while starting a new job as <keyword id="79969" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="insider">Insider</keyword>'s DC bureau chief.</li><li>The weight probably wouldn't have come off had I not first gotten an intestinal infection common for people in their 40s.</li><li>A nutritionist helped me stop eating sugar, carbs, and fats and instead choose healthier options.</li></ul>None of my work clothes fit anymore. It's a good problem to have, and one I'll start doing something about once I'm fully vaccinated and return to an actual office.In the meantime, I'm rejoicing in how I've shed 35 pounds during the <keyword id="8764262" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid">COVID</keyword> pandemic when it could have been so easy to go the other way.The story of how my health took such a dramatic turn for the better dovetails with another healthy change in my <keyword id="6360041" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="life">life</keyword>. Just before the pandemic gripped the nation, Insider hired me away from Politico to lead its new Washington DC bureau. Opportunities like that are rare in journalism, and it was appealing to build something from scratch while incorporating all the different things I'd learned in all my previous newsrooms. I'd also be able to step away from the break-neck pace I'd been keeping as a reporter on the Trump legal beat. My new job entailed recruiting, then editing a team tasked with doing exclusive, enterprising political journalism. My pitch to recruits was decidedly optimistic. They could join the newest division of a growing, thriving news organization at a moment when so many others were shrinking - or even shutting down.But little did I know that my big professional move would portend major personal changes, too.<h2>An untimely ER visit</h2>After leaving Politico in late February 2020, I had planned to visit my mom in South Florida for the first time in more than a year, taking advantage of several weeks of free time in-between jobs.But the nationwide travel lockdown pretty much coincided with my first days on sabbatical, limiting my travel options to the streets around my DC neighborhood. My wife and I did puzzles and adopted a feral cat. We baked.It admittedly felt wonderful to not be part of feeding the 24/7 news cycle as the pandemic engulfed the world. I'd been pumping out articles at a relentless pace, and really, pretty much since arriving in Washington about 20 years earlier, during the final days of the lame-duck Clinton administration. Still, that feeling didn't last long. The news was relentless. I ultimately decided to begin work at Insider earlier than my planned start time in mid-May.Our <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/scammers-are-luring-states-into-fake-mask-deals-2020-4">first story</a> for the DC bureau published in early April about the crazy black market that had taken off around the country as local, state, and federal government officials frantically searched for wholesale purchases of N95 masks and other personal protection equipment. Then came a dramatic detour. My wife and I were playing catch on a beautiful Saturday afternoon just a few days after my 45th birthday. I was pretending to be the shortstop for the Chicago Cubs.I woke up limping on Sunday morning. By Monday, just as I was starting my second week at Insider, I came down with a fever and a seismic pain radiating around my inner thigh and leg.My imagination started running wild about what was going on, and for good reason. Since childhood, I've been legendary for sickness and injuries. I lost my two top childhood front teeth flying into a couch in my Superman Halloween costume. A year later, I yanked out my bottom two teeth pulling on a balloon string at my brother's Bar Mitzvah. Family vacations were regularly interrupted by visits to doctors for sore throats and ear infections. I had mono three times in high school. I've broken my arms six different times. I had a tonsillectomy not long after my honeymoon. I've gotten swimmer's ear in my stomach.So I did as told when my doctor instructed me to get to a hospital. I was an absolute whimpering wreck as my wife handed me off to emergency room nurses dressed in full hazmat gear. I waited for the results of my first COVID test writhing in pain. I did my best to distract myself by watching a years-old college football game inside a hermetically sealed room. I later learned I was inside one of the most active hospitals for the novel coronavirus in all of the DC region.<div type="image" title="Darren Samuelsohn hospital" height="1739" width="2319" msid="81841275" hostid="261"></div><h2>Diverticu-what?</h2>Thankfully, I didn't have COVID. It wasn't anything to do with my baseball exploits, either. I had diverticulitis. My doctors explained that my bad diet had finally caught up to me and given me this intestinal infection that's common for people in their 40s. I should have seen this coming. I stress-ate amid writing a never-ending stream of stories about Trump and the Mueller investigation. The free all-you-can eat snackbar at Politico endlessly tempted me, especially the peanut M&amp;Ms. I couldn't resist my favorite chicken finger food truck. I had ballooned to almost 250 pounds. That's dangerous stuff for a middle-aged man with a family history of diabetes, heart disease, and all the other stuff so common in America today. Two nights in a hospital during the early days of the pandemic served as a reality check. So did the next two weeks recovering at home desperate to find a comfortable way to sit and sleep. We celebrated when I could graduate from clear liquids to carrot soup and scrambled eggs. Diverticulitis comes with some pretty strict rules on what foods you're supposed to avoid.My new nutritionist told me to cut out lots of foods I liked: almonds, strawberries, everything bagels, and anything else the digestive system doesn't easily break down. And she implored me to do even more to get healthy - before it was too late. I needed to eliminate even foods I loved: ice cream, cookies, French fries, and fried chicken fingers. I also needed to dramatically limit bread and starches. All those sugar and carbs going in were like igniting dynamite inside my body. Ignoring her advice could lead to grave consequences. Some changes took time, but were simple enough, such as eating just one starch per meal. I also gradually started measuring serving sizes. I watched my fat intake. Curiously, my taste buds changed. By summer, I stopped craving chocolate and soon discovered just how amazing fresh fruit can be when you're not always consuming artificial sweeteners. My breakfasts shifted from eggs, bacon, and a toasted bagel with cream cheese to non-fat yogurt - one of the most versatile foods on planet Earth - blended with frozen fruit. I have pickles instead of potato chips during lunch and keep away from the garlic bread for dinner if we are already having pasta. I eat two apples with peanut butter every afternoon. Wine and spirits, without added syrup, are fine in moderation. Frozen fruit doubles as an amazing ice cream substitute.I also added a far more rigorous exercise routine. I started walking every day. Then I added short bursts of jogging. I couldn't go far at first, just between a couple of mailboxes. Eventually, I could make it several blocks without stopping. I'm now doing about two-to-four miles a day, five times a week. The 35 pounds came off at a pretty steady pace for much of 2020 and only recently began to stabilize. My goal is to still try to lose another 20 or 30. We'll see how that goes. But I feel great. My bloodwork is amazing. My doctor joked during my last physical exam that I looked hot. <div type="image" title="DC Bureau Insider group March 2020" height="1000" width="2000" msid="81841281" hostid="261"></div><h2>Stay away from the chicken fingers</h2>Whether you've packed on the dreaded COVID 15, or have been struggling with your weight for years, know there's hope for making a lasting change - and with luck, it won't require a health scare.My own personal health transformation has gotten a major boost because I've been lucky enough to work from home at a news organization that's prioritized its employees' pandemic-era well-being.As I lead Insider's Washington Bureau from my home office, my wife and I have significantly changed how we shop, cook, and exercise. You can't eat cookies if there aren't any cookies in the cupboard. No commute means there's time to prepare healthy meals. Insider also encourages its reporters to get away from their computers, take breaks, and take time off. Maintaining your sanity is so much easier after getting fresh air - or some extended time to not think about work. Now I'm steadying myself and my newfound willpower for what comes next once I get my COVID shots. I'm looking forward to that first visit to my mom in South Florida - and, of course, my favorite hometown restaurants. Our DC bureau will finally open its doors sometime soon, too - we've been a virtual bureau since we sprung into existence almost a year ago. The idea of working in physical proximity to colleagues makes me a drop giddy. Some of us have never even met in person. I just need to brace myself for the home-baked cookies and the chicken finger food truck. I want to be able to keep wearing those new work clothes I'll soon be buying.

You Searched For "lockdown seismic activity" and got 6 results

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Time to go clothes shopping. How I lost 35 pounds during the COVID pandemic.

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