Some of the most unusual economic indicators you've probably never heard of-

A thread...

1. Men’s underwear Index: Accordingly to this index, a decline in men’s underwear sales indicates a poor overall state of economy, while an upswing in sales predicts an improving economy.
Hence, by tracking the sales of men's underwear, we might be able to detect the relative health of the economy.
2. The First Date Indicator:
When an economy bottoms out, people seek the comfort of relationships to overcome depression and loneliness. The indicator shows how there is an increased traffic on online dating sites during recession.
This was seen during the crisis of 2008, when US-based online dating service Match. com reported the highest surge in traffic in over seven years.
3. The Garbage Indicator:
The more money people have, the more they buy, and the more they toss away. This indicator suggests that a booming economy is likely to lead to increased waste disposal. According to economists, the indicator has an 82% accuracy to US economic growth.
4. The R-Word Index:
This indicator, created by The Economist, keeps a count on how many times the word “Recession” appears in the news. The idea is that during an economic downturn there is a surge in the usage of the “scary word starting with R.”
5. The Champagne Index:
When you have reasons to celebrate, you pop open a bottle of champagne. So champagne sales are normally associated with rising income levels in the economy. They tell us whether shoppers are buying luxury or premium goods, indicating the market sentiment.
6. Buttered Popcorn Index - Conventional wisdom suggests that when the economy is in tatters, people tend to get frugal. But when times are tough people also need an escape, like watching a movie with a bucket of buttered popcorn.
This indicator shows how the movie business can thrive during an economic downturn. Reports found that the US box office saw one of its best years during the 2008 recession, and plummeted as the markets eased later

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Viruses and other pathogens are often studied as stand-alone entities, despite that, in nature, they mostly live in multispecies associations called biofilms—both externally and within the host.

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Microorganisms in biofilms are enclosed by an extracellular matrix that confers protection and improves survival. Previous studies have shown that viruses can secondarily colonize preexisting biofilms, and viral biofilms have also been described.


...we raise the perspective that CoVs can persistently infect bats due to their association with biofilm structures. This phenomenon potentially provides an optimal environment for nonpathogenic & well-adapted viruses to interact with the host, as well as for viral recombination.


Biofilms can also enhance virion viability in extracellular environments, such as on fomites and in aquatic sediments, allowing viral persistence and dissemination.
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