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BACKGROUND: There is a lack of knowledge on how people at increased risk of severe illness from Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) experienced the infection control measures. This study aimed to explore their perspectives and needs during the coronavirus outbreak. METHODS: A qualitative longitudinal interview study was conducted in Austria during lockdown due to COVID-19 containment and afterwards. People older than 65 years of age and/or affected by a chronic medical condition participated in individual telephone interviews at two time points. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data and saturation was defined as no new emerging concepts in at least 10 subsequent interviews. RESULTS: Thematic saturation was reached when 33 individuals (75.8% female, mean age ± standard deviation [SD] 73.7±10.9 years) were included. A total of 44 lower level concepts were extracted and summarized into 6 higher level concepts. They included (i) a general positive attitude toward COVID-19 measures, (ii) challenges of being isolated from the community, (iii) deterioration of health status, (iv) difficulties with measures due to their health condition, (v) lack of physical contact and (vi) lack of information versus overload. Participants suggested environmental adaptations for strengthening resilience in people at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19. CONCLUSION: Strategies and interventions are needed to support people at risk under pandemic conditions. Their perceptions and needs should be addressed to reduce the potential deterioration of health conditions and ensure well-being even during prolonged periods of crisis.

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Information on chemical fertility status and on trace element concentrations for Singapore soils is sparse. In this study, concentration and distribution of nutrients and trace elements in forest soils of Singapore, and the effect of geology on the current conditions of soils, were evaluated. Litter and mineral soil samples (0-10 cm, 10-20 cm, 20-50 cm) were divided into three groups according to geology (sedimentary rocks, Neogene-Quaternary sediments and igneous rocks). Basic soil properties, exchangeable cations including cation exchange capacity (CEC), and pseudototal concentrations of 17 elements including nutrients and potentially toxic elements (PTE; As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, Zn) were determined. Results showed that the soils of Singapore were acidic (pH 3.7-6.2) and characterised by a low CEC (maximum mean value: 100 mmolc kg-1) and low P concentrations (mean values of 0.28 g kg-1 or less) irrespective of geology. Pseudototal concentrations of PTE were also low, except for As. However, significantly (p < 0.05) higher concentrations of soil organic carbon, total P, base forming elements, exchangeable base cations and PTE (except As and Cd) were found in soils developed on sedimentary rocks and Neogene-Quaternary sediments compared to those developed on igneous rocks. Although total N and S concentrations did not differ significantly between the three geological groups, the differences in nutrient status were more pronounced than in trace element levels across geology. The properties of forest soils, which are mainly unaffected by anthropogenic activities, vary depending on the parent material, i.e. igneous or sedimentary rocks and Neogene-Quaternary sediments.

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Analyses of organic and inorganic carbon are of great interest in the field of soil analyses. Soil samples from a national monitoring project were provided for this study, including more than 130 forest sites from Austria. We investigated the humus layers (if present undecomposed litter (L), of mixed samples of F- (intermediate decomposed organic matter) and H-(highly decomposed organic matter) (FH)) and upper mineral soil layers (0-5 and 5-10 cm) of the samples. Mid-infrared spectra were recorded and evaluated by their band areas; subsequently we calculated models with the partial least squares approach. This was done by correlating calculated data of the mid-infrared spectra with gas-volumetrically determined carbonate values and measurements of organic carbon from an elemental analyzer. For carbonate determination, this approach gave satisfying results. For measurements of organic carbon, it was necessary to discriminate into humus layers and mineral soils or even more groups to obtain satisfactory correlations between spectroscopically determined and conventionally measured values. These additional factors were the presence of carbonate, the forest type, and the dominant tree species. In mineral soils, fewer subdivisions were necessary to obtain useful results. In humus layers, groupings of sites with more similar characteristics had to be formed in order to obtain satisfying results. The conclusion is that the chemical background of soil organic matter leading to different proportions of functional groups, especially in the less humified organic matter of the humus layers, plays a key role in analyses with mid-infrared spectroscopy. Keeping this in mind, the present approach has a significant potential for the prediction of properties of forest soil layers, such as, e.g., carbonate and organic carbon contents.