Reemerging from lockdown at a safe distance, we’re back with a selection of surveys and stats from the ResponseSource Press Release Wire. Unsurprisingly, much of the data in July’s releases focused on the impacts of, and reactions to, the COVID-19 crisis and how both work and life will continue during the relaxation of lockdown and beyond.

Read on to see how opinions and predictions made over the last month compare to the realities of now – topics cover face masks, puppies, pregnancy and what we’re all searching for on Google.

At home…
While lockdown has been hard on all families, the University of Bedfordshire’s survey of 449 UK-based parents and family carers of autistic children and young people (CYP) found that this group in particular haven’t felt adequately supported, or even addressed, by officials during the pandemic. 86% of the parents polled felt there was a lack of Government support during lockdown, despite the relaxed legislation on lockdown measures for autistic people brought into effect in mid-April. Read the full story.

Wellbeing and self-care have been big stories since 16 March, but where face masks, staying hydrated and getting a full eight hours of sleep every night may not have helped, dogs have. Eight in 10 dog owners said that their pet was extremely important to their mental wellbeing during the lockdown, according to a study from Pet Munchies. And if you’re wondering whether the pups were also happy to be spending more time with their humans – 77% of those humans believed their dogs were very happy during lockdown. We’re sure some munchies now and then probably helped with that. Read the full story.

As for what people were searching Google for while stuck inside (and before you wonder, this is safe for work) – orangeries, garden rooms and conservatory searches doubled during lockdown. Research from Westbury Garden Rooms compared search volumes for April to June 2020 with the same period in 2019, finding ‘garden rooms’ were the most sought after extension type, with a 165% increase. With increasing strain on living spaces, and staring out of windows becoming a legitimate hobby, property expansion looks to be getting more popular than ever with those who can afford it. Read the full story.

Outside…
If you’ve already had altercations on public transport or in shops with non-mask wearers (or you’ve seen the selfies anti-maskers have been proudly posting on social media) the following won’t surprise you. British, American and other English speakers are some of the least likely across the world to wear face masks and socially distance to prevent the spread of COVID-19, according to the Durham University Business School’s survey of 8,300 people. Read the full story (and please mask-up in Waitrose, whatever your native language).

And along with masks, fashion-forward outside-goers can keep cool with what they wear – ‘Bamboo absorbs around 70 per cent more moisture than cotton does,’ says Bart Hoorntje, CEO of hand-crafted bamboo clothing brand Bamigo. Fast fashion is on the way out, and sustainable brands are in – also, nine of 10 pandas would probably agree that the picture on this release is one of the best the Press Release Wire saw during the month of July. Read the full story.

And at work…
If you’re one of the people heading back into the office soon, be warned that you’re more likely to become pregnant if your colleagues are. Research from the University of Cologne found that pregnancies are ‘contagious between colleagues in the workplace and between siblings in the family’. But, no, it’s not something in the water – the evidence suggested to those running the survey that social learning is what leads to the spread of fertility through social networks. Read the full story.

We provide these as a jumping-off point for your own research and you should perform your own checks on any of these stories – a few tips in this post. If you’d like to source experts, further information or case studies for any of these topics or something else you’re working on, head to the (free) Journalist Enquiry Service to save hours of research and expand your network of sources.