What Were BU’s Most-Read Science, Research, and COVID-Related Stories of 2021?
Articles on everything from vaccines to boosters to menstruation to mental health to sign language to exercise were huge hits on our science and research website, The Brink
Photo by Cydney Scott
What Were BU’s Most-Read Science, Research, and COVID-Related Stories of 2021?
Articles ranging from vaccines to boosters to menstruation and mental health to sign language to exercise were huge hits on our science and research website The Brink
Another year of news, another year of headlines dominated by COVID-19. That was certainly the case for The Brink, Boston University’s research and science news website. (Stories from The Brink also appear on BU Today.)
It was hardly surprising that coronavirus stories drew the most readers in 2021. But some surprising coronavirus stories in particular seemed to catch the most attention. Our story highlighting myths versus facts around vaccines, for instance, saw huge readership, and has more than 150 (and counting) comments. And a story about a BU researcher studying if the vaccines impact menstruation has more than 330 comments—our most of any story for the year. Here is the full list, in order of most readers.
1
Boosters, boosters, boosters, and everything you need to know. By far it was the most-read story of the year.
2
With so much COVID-19 misinformation on social media, we focused on facts versus myths, and the story saw huge readership and strongly worded comments (not surprisingly, plenty of people insisted our facts were myths).
3
When a BU researcher won a National Institutes of Health grant to study if COVID vaccines might impact menstruation, it became our most-commented-on story for months, as hundreds of concerned women rushed to share their own personal stories.
4
The pandemic has raised levels of depression, loneliness, and anxiety in college students. Our story showed just how much interest there is in issues of mental health and well-being.
5
A new word joined our lexicon: Omicron. And our story explored how worried we should be.
6
Should President Trump be banned from social media after his role in the January 6 attack on the US Capitol? For some, but not all, the answer was obvious.
7
When the first COVID-19 vaccines arrived at BU, it was big news.
8
At President Biden’s inauguration, there was endless fun and curiosity around Senator Bernie Sanders and his mittens—and we explained the popular meme through science.
9
The world’s largest database of American Sign Language, or ASL, helped make it more accessible and easier to communicate with the hard of hearing.
10
Are we a nation of couch potatoes? What about the Peloton-obsessed Americans? We learned that walking is good for the heart, but moderate and more vigorous exercise is a lot better.
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