IMPACTS OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Gundes, S. (2022) Trends in Global Infrastructure Investment and Financial Consequences. European Journal of Sustainable Development, 11(1), 66-76. https://doi.org/10.14207/ejsd.2022.v11n1p66
Abstract
Governments all around the world are faced with economic and social problems borne from the need for modern and reliable infrastructure. Rapid urbanization, increasing population size and economic growth are the main causes of increasing infrastructure investment needs in the world. While the need is growing, government budgets are increasingly squeezed by demands for healthcare improvements, defence, education and many others. The problems in the provision of finance for these investments are aggravated with the new Covid crisis, as the funds reserved for infrastructure investments are now likely to be allocated to urgent needs such as healthcare and unemployment benefits. In such a volatile environment, identifying future investment needs and discussing how these needs will be met is important and timely more than ever. This paper, introduces the global infrastructure investment trends in the future and discusses the use of public and private finance for infrastructure spending. In this concept, the following questions are explored, (1) What is the volume and trend of global infrastructure investment needs? (2) How do infrastructure investment needs differ among regions? (3) How will this infrastructure investment needs be financed?, and (4) What may be some of the future issues to be solved? To find out future infrastructure investment needs and trends, reports outlining the future prospects of the infrastructure sector are examined and trends are revealed. Then, a review of financing mechanisms is introduced in the light of the main procurement systems used by governments for realizing infrastructure projects. In this concept, design-bid-build, design-build and project finance models are explored in terms of their organizational and financial structure. Future issues to be solved are mainly derived from a cross examination of concerns raised in published infrastructure investment case studies and of future trends. Results reveal that the need for investment in infrastructure is growing steadily. As a response to this growth, the use of private finance is increasingly being encouraged by governments all over the world and a variety of international organizations. However, it appears that long-standing private finance issues predominantly observed in demand-based projects will continue to be discussed over the coming years by policymakers, scholars and communities. Indeed, many governments and organizations are already speeding up research efforts into ensuring the resilience of public private partnerships (PPP) in infrastructure projects. The insights from this research are expected to revive interest and research efforts into the potential future challenges for infrastructure financing and options available for governments.

The poor economic conditions caused by the Covid-19 virus pandemic that hit all parts of the world had a significant impact on the survival of business entities. This change brings risks to the accounting profession, especially an auditor. If they are not careful in carrying out their profession, an auditor will be threatened by the continuity of his profession. This study aims to determine the shift in the application of internal control and audit in support of the realization of good corporate governance by reviewing journals related to the role of internal audit and then analyzed to obtain a paradigm related to the application of internal control and audit in creating good corporate governance. The results of this study indicate that there is a shift in the application of internal control and audit, namely by changing the approach through remote auditing.

The article concerns the problem of efficiency of the Just-In-Time (JIT) system, taking into account the benefits for the company and external costs. The aim of the article was to present the conditions conducive to the effective implementation of the JIT system. The article refers to recent discussions in various publications on the effectiveness of the lean management (LM) concept and the JIT system in the context of the pandemic. It also presents the results of simulations carried out with the use of a model developed by the author concerning the transport distances at which JIT deliveries are profitable and the impact of JIT deliveries on the costs of logistics processes and external costs. The results of the conducted simulations showed in which specific cases JIT solutions were beneficial. The results showed that the scale of benefits was strongly dependent on the value of products and the scale of production. Simulations were carried out for four product groups: food products...

The sudden effect of the corona pandemic in many nations has seriously harmed the physical, social, and mental well-being and the global economy. Higher education is the bedrock of every nation that the Pandemic has ravaged. The entire educational system has unexpectedly moved to digital, creating a serious challenge for both students and teachers to adapt to. Is it a challenge, a boon, or a bane for counties in the MENA region to have their higher education systems turned upside down? The complexities of online education will be discussed in this report. The study employed qualitative techniques, which were accomplished through desktop review. The result indicates that eLearning is both boon and bane on higher education in countries in the MENA region. As a result, we can conclude that the eLearning education system should be geared up, and internet accessibility in the MENA region should be strengthened.

The Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic that has occurred has had an impact on life in Bali, which relies on tourism. The crisis cannot be avoided, both economic and psychological, for tourism actors in Bali. Many hotels experience a crisis and then close because they cannot survive during the pandemic. Therefore, this study aims to determine Bali's hotel crisis management strategy during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study uses a qualitative approach. The sample was determined purposively, and data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation. The sample of this study were employees of 3-star hotels in Kuta, Bali, with as many as 20 respondents from different hotels. This research was conducted from May 2020-April 2021. Data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion were drawn in qualitative data. The results of this study are that crisis management strategies in Bali are carried out based on the crisis level category of each Hotel. Of the to...

COVID-19 has disrupted most of the industries in the world. Education is the only industry that is completely transferred to online mode in most countries around the world. Online learning was the best solution for continuing education during the pandemic, especially in tertiary education. This study aims to determine the challenges and obstacles confronted by English language learners (EFL) in Science and Arts College, Alula, Taibah University, Saudi Arabia, during switching to online learning in the second semester of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The contribution of this study is to evaluate the learners' new experiences in online education and to assess the feasibility of the virtual methods of learning. This is achieved by analyzing 184 learners' responses to the survey-based questionnaire. A descriptive statistical method was used to test the validation of the study. It is found that the main problems that influence and impact online EFL learning during COVID-19 are related to technical, academic, and communication challenges. The study results show that most EFL learners are not satisfied with continuing online learning, as they could not fulfill the expected progress in language learning performance.

The Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic that has occurred has had an impact on life in Bali, which relies on tourism. The crisis cannot be avoided, both economic and psychological, for tourism actors in Bali. Many hotels experience a crisis and then close because they cannot survive during the pandemic. Therefore, this study aims to determine Bali's hotel crisis management strategy during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study uses a qualitative approach. The sample was determined purposively, and data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation. The sample of this study were employees of 3-star hotels in Kuta, Bali, with as many as 20 respondents from different hotels. This research was conducted from May 2020-April 2021. Data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion were drawn in qualitative data. The results of this study are that crisis management strategies in Bali are carried out based on the crisis level category of each Hotel. Of the total objects studied, there are three categories of hotel crisis levels, namely healthy-owning companies (20%), struggling-owning companies (45%), and unhealthyowning companies (30%). A healthy-owning company implements a defensive strategy by focusing on budget efficiency, changes in marketing strategy, and product innovation. While struggling

Business strategy is an action that is constantly increasing, and is carried out based on the perspective of what customers expect in the future. Thus, strategy almost always starts with what can happen rather than what happens to achieve long-term goals to be achieved and find the company's position in the industry so that the company can protect itself against competitive pressures. Several studies have analyzed the external environment using PEST analysis and Porter's five strengths and using the internal environment through business functions. Then perform a SWOT analysis and matrix it so that it can produce several alternatives in developing a business strategy.

This essay by a physician-philosopher compares the COVID-19 pandemic to Plato’s allegory of the cave, where prisoners see only shadows cast on the walls of their cave and know them as their only reality. Raised there since childhood, they experience sensory deprivation, impacting their brains and their minds, limiting their perceptions and their understanding. The philosopher who escapes from the cave into the harsh light of day and returns to tell the truth is met by fellow prisoners with derision. The pandemic’s preventive measures of confinement and social distancing may induce sensory deprivation and trauma, creating an “experimental childhood” for billions of vulnerable youth. In the political sphere, philosophers like Giorgio Agamben warn that the COVID-19 crisis creates a pretext for emergency measures, at worst a “techno-medical despotism” in a new form of biopolitics, declaring a medical state of exception where the pandemic crisis is the new normal.

Key words: Plato’s cave, COVID-19 pandemic, sensory deprivation, confinement, social distancing, biopolitics

The COVID-19 affected each and every industry sector around the world. Most of the educational institutions of India as well as the world got affected very badly. It has forced worldwide lockdown and created an atrocious effect on student life. The COVID-19 affected all the sectors in (T) the whole world, especially the education system around the world. In India, approximately 32 crore students stopped going to schools and colleges, and other training activities did not happen properly due to COVID-19. The outbreak of COVID19 and associated impact on student movement has advised us that change is inevitable in the education system. It has given a challenge and an opportunity to all the educational institutions to find a solution by determining suitable platforms and techniques for effective implementation of quality educational services, which has not been used before. Accordingly, the education sector has been fighting to continue its existence with a different approach by digitizing the challenges to wash the threat of the sickness. This paper also highlights some measures taken by Govt. of India to provide unified education in the country. Both the positive and negative impacts of COVID-19 are discussed and some productive suggestions are specified to bring out the educational activities back to normal during this bad situation. In this situation, every institution has adopted an online education model using information communication and computation technology (ICCT) due to COVID-19. This analysis is about how these technologies can help institutions continue online education and to know the student’s capability to take-up online education. The major discussion is to know whether an institution can continue online education for students in future days or not.

As the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) virus has continued beyond the first half of 2020, in addition to health and safety concerns the world has increasingly speculated on the economic impact of the containment measures (lockdown) applied by governments to limit the spread of the disease. Most organizations have processed data in order to provide an overview of the changes and trends we will likely face. The purpose of this compilation is to extract key information from existing reports by some of the world’s most authoritative organizations: The OECD, The World Bank Group, The IMF, Eurodata, The EBU, and PwC.

The book comprises a collection of vignettes outlining ideas and arguments about how secondary and intermediary cities can recover from the impacts of COVID-19 and adopt a pathway towards more sustainable and regenerative development. It explores nine key sub-themes to the recovery, based on the evidence and opinions of experts in each field. It provides policy and planning recommendations, as well as practical initiatives and approaches that secondary cities can use.

Frente al escenario pandémico actual, la función de la OMS ante incidencias sanitarias de dimensiones
internacionales se ha revalorizado. Sin embargo, la nueva normalidad desatada por la pandemia implica
consecuencias de diversas características al multilateralismo. La pandemia ha profundizado dichos
efectos, lo cual implica que nos aproximemos al análisis del multilateralismo actual, priorizando en
nuestro eje de análisis el contexto de la OMS.

Why do we believe in and embrace fake news?”
We believe in fake news because what people but on social media and we assume that it’s real but it turns out to find out that it is not real news we do run with the fake news because everyone talks about and repost it to say it’s real and have fake pages about information and misleading people the wrong thing and sometimes we do get caught into fake news by those fake pages we see online all the time but then it’s not because we haven’t heard the news says anything about it.  So everything that we see and hear we think is real and also we get very influence by it a lot because social media does play a big role in the fake news that we believe in. After all, sometimes it will be false news and not the creditable source. We have to be careful what we hear and see because not everything will be the truth so always watch for those fake frauglity news.

CEL NAUKOWY: Celem badań było poznanie postrzegania możliwości uzyskania pomocy w szkole przez uczniów i uczennice w czasie pandemii COVID-19. PROBLEM I METODY BADAWCZE: Uczestnikami badania byli uczniowie i uczennice (N = 1955) korzystający z dziennika elektronicznego VULCAN w wieku od 9 do 20 lat, uczący się w szkołach podstawowych i szkołach średnich. Zastosowano metodę sondażu diagnostycznego. Zebrane dane poddano analizie statystycznej z wykorzystaniem statystyk opisowych, analizy częstości, testów istotności różnic (test niezależności chi-kwadrat). PROCES WYWODU: W tekście zaprezentowano podstawy teoretyczne badań, metody, przebieg badań oraz wyniki z interpretacjami. WYNIKI ANALIZY NAUKOWEJ: Uczniowie oceniają, że w sytuacji trudnej pomoc uzyskają raczej od wychowawcy klasy, ewentualnie innych nauczycieli niż od psychologa szkolnego. Co piąty uczeń nie wie, czy w szkole jest psycholog, a 5% deklaruje, że go nie ma (głównie mieszkańcy wsi i uczący się w szkołach wiejskich). Ponad jedna trzecia uczniów ocenia nisko możliwość otrzymania pomocy od psychologa w szkole. Chłopcy bardziej niż dziewczęta mają poczucie, że pomoc od wychowawcy i nauczycieli podczas pandemii zmniejszyła się. Uczniowie szkół wiejskich uważali, że możliwość uzyskania pomocy od psychologa szkolnego zmniejszyła się podczas pandemii. WNIOSKI, INNOWACJE, REKOMENDACJE: W funkcjonowaniu szkół, niezależnie, czy w formie stacjonarnej czy zdalnej, należy szczególnie zadbać o dostępność pomocy psychologicznej, szczególnie w szkołach wiejskich, a także budować świadomość uczniów i uczennic, w jaki sposób i komu mogą zgłaszać swoje problemy w szkole.

The COVID-19 global health crisis has affected the mental and psychological health and well-being of the people around the world. However, little is known about the impact of COVID-19 among Filipino teachers. This study was conducted to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the quality of life (QoL) of professional teachers in the Philippines. A descriptive cross-sectional study was used involving 139 licensed professional teachers. The COVID-19 Impact on Quality of Life (COV19-QoL) was the primary measure used in this study. Descriptive statistics, t-test, and one-way ANOVA were the statistical tools employed to analyze the data. Results indicated a moderate COVID-19 impact on the QoL of the teachers. There was a significant difference in the impact of COVID-19 on QoL by degree program. However, the impact of COVID-19 on QoL did not significantly differ by age, sex, marital status, employment status, monthly salary, presence of a COVID-19 case near their residence, perso...

The emerging-market banking sector plays a significant role in modern-day banking sector stability. In this study, we have used the dynamic conditional correlation (DCC) version of the Generalised autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (GARCH) model to estimate the correlation among Emerging Markets (BANKSEK), Latin America (BANKSLA), Brazil, Russia, India, and China (BRIC) (BANKSBC), Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, and Spain (PIIGS) (BANKSPI) and Far East (BANKSFE). The study covers more than 100, 200 and 300 trading days of the GFC (starting July 8, 2008) and the COVID-19 pandemic (starting January 1, 2020). We have found that generally, in the short-term excluding PIIGS, all banks show similar pairwise correlation, and the pattern holds in the medium and long term. The far east banking sector displays a reduced correlation than their counterparts, even following the same pattern.

This report analyses the impact of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic on civil society organisations (CSOs) in Ghana. It specifically explores the effect of the pandemic on CSOs’ operations and programmes, funding and domestic resource mobilisation and their sustainability. It also analyses donor-CSO relations as well as CSOs’ role and relationship with key stakeholders during the pandemic.
CSOs operate in an uncertain environment. The uncertainty in the environment has caused disruptive change which has led to the collapse of some organisations while others have been able to respond effectively. Resilient organisations are those which demonstrable ability to turn challenges into opportunities. The existing literature on CSOs and environmental uncertainty highlights how some CSOs all over the world have successfully adapted to external threats to their existence. However, the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the operations of CSOs in Ghana and the manner in which these organisations are responding to the threats of the pandemic has received very little empirical attention and documentation.
This study aimed to address this knowledge gap by examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the operations of CSOs in Ghana with the hope of strengthening their capacities to become more resilient and responsive to future disruptions. The study draws on a mixed methods research design by combining both quantitative and qualitative data, analysis and interpretation.
The research findings show that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on CSOs in Ghana has been dramatic in the short term and is expected to have some medium to long-term effects on the civil society sector. The strategies implemented by the Government of Ghana to curb the spread of the virus placed restrictions on movement and large gatherings, amidst social distancing and other protocols. These interventions and response measures affected the operations and programmes of CSOs in the
country.

Towards the end of 2020, the International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage published an issue devoted to the impact of Covid-19 on religious tourism and pilgrimage. At the time of publication, the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus was having a devastating effect not only on public health but also on the global religious tourism industry. Places of worship were still closed, pilgrimage events and activities were cancelled, and travel restrictions limited the scope of human mobility. A viable vaccination was predicted to be eighteen months away. One contributor even asked, ‘Is this the end of pilgrimage?’

The aim of the present article is to  re-examine and re-evaluate the impact of COVID-19 one year on, taking up some of the themes introduced in the 2020 issue. Focusing on western pilgrimage, and harnessing evidence from online English-language articles and social media commentaries, the article examines how the global pandemic, and the constraints on human movement and interaction, have impacted pilgrimage destinations and their visitors between March 2020 and November 2021.

As well as documenting the difficulties faced by pilgrims and pilgrimage centres, online media sources have highlighted the different ways in which pilgrim destinations, and the pilgrims themselves, have adapted to the pandemic. The article discusses how the restrictions imposed on religious sites and events have led to alternative ways of experiencing pilgrimage, and four ‘pandemic trends’ which particularly caught media attention are outlined. It is argued that these seemingly new pilgrimage approaches are, in fact, not new at all, but either have medieval precedents or were already emerging in western, post-secular culture. After briefly considering two case studies – Lough Derg in Ireland and the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France – the article offers some tentative speculation about the relevance of these pandemic pilgrimage trends in a future post-pandemic world.

The novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused the abrupt curtailment of on-campus research activities that amplified impacts experienced by female and racialized faculty. In this mixed-method study, we systematically and strategically unpack the impact of the shift of academic work environments to remote settings on tenured and tenure-track faculty in Canada. Our quantitative analysis demonstrated that female and racialized faculty experienced higher levels of stress, social isolation and lower well-being. Fewer women faculty felt support for health and wellness. Our qualitative data highlighted substantial gender inequities reported by female faculty such as increased caregiving burden that affected their research productivity. The most pronounced impacts were felt among pre-tenured female faculty. The present study urges university administration to take further action to support female and racialized faculty through substantial organizational change and reform. Given the disproportionate toll that female and racialized faculty

The publication is a succinct yet comprehensive collection of relevant case studies from local civil society organizations that have responded to and provided support to communities and sectors that have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. This work was made possible by the DRR Community of Practice Project, a Give2Asia-funded undertaking that was led by Center for Disaster Preparedness (CDP) in coordination with other members of the PH DRR Community of Practice.

The author wrote the case study for CDP which featured the wisdom, experience, and insight the organization had gathered and learned from its partners at the frontline who bore the brunt of this public health disaster. Moreover, the case study also shares the significant experiences and lessons brought about by CDP's response efforts, particularly its conduct of Mental Health and Psycho-Social Support (MHPSS) Sessions for partner communities and duty-bearers at the local/subnational levels.

Editorial Director/Layout Artist: Michael Vincent Mercado
Writer/Associate Editor & Publication Coordinator: Elyse Conde
Technical Support/Proofreader: Alex Costea

This paper discusses the rise of the app- based transport business in Indonesia, taking the case of two currently pre- dominant app-based transportation companies (Go-Jek and Grab), and how workers have responded to it by devising different organisational mod- els and organising strategies. It argues that drivers of app-based transporta- tion in Indonesia have been innovative in their attempts to organise to fight for their rights in the face of adverse circumstances. Workers in this newly emerging sector are aware that they occupy a strategic point in the pro- duction of app-based transport, and they have the capacity to disrupt the business. Solidarity-building in actual practice as well as the common practice of providing mutual aid among drivers have become well-established in most driver organisations, clearly demonstrating drivers’ great potential through their significant association- al power resources. The research specifically analyses a drivers’ union (SPDT-FSPMI)’s organising initiative in the form of a case study, employing the power resources approach, which looks at the union’s attempt to mobi- lise its power resources.

The paper highlights the impact of app- based transportation, covering issues of digital platform domination, the im- balance in bargaining power between companies and drivers, algorithmic labour control, and occupational safety and health problems. Power resources that different workers‹ organisations use to confront app-based transport companies as well as the government are analysed. Experience with labour organising and the collective repertoire that some workers have developed on the basis of their past experience provide an important basis for the articulation of political demands. It also discusses the gender dimension of this gig economy, touching upon specific issues of female workers in the sector. The paper concludes with a few reflections on how driver organisations in Indonesia could mobilise their power resources to achieve recognition of drivers as regular workers entitled to labour rights.

Authoritarianism and neoliberalism in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the limits of development theory anchored on economic growth models in a globalized market of unbridled liberalization and privatization. The virus immobilized people and economies already beset by a global trade war and the rise of autocrats. The pandemic, however, has a disproportionate impact on people and countries, exacerbating inequality and poverty within and among countries. Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte rode on the wave of economic growth in a regime of low inflation with the country enjoying the so-called 'strong macroeconomic fundamentals.' But COVID-19 radically changed the global landscape and unraveled market failures. For the first time in decades, the economy shrank to its lowest and now in recession. The country imposed the longest and strictest lockdowns while grappling to contain the coronavirus. In the midst of a crisis, Duterte ramps up repressive measures but was stingy on stimulus spending. Government's response to address the pandemic in political, fiscal, monetary and human development measures would be looked into in this paper. 1

This paper examines the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which, according to the World Health Organization, has affected every country and has caused millions of deaths as well as huge financial losses. This paper, then, explores recent statistics documenting the disruption of the world economy. Of course, the blow at the level of business, market, employment, income, industries, companies, and so on is an issue that should be constantly investigated. The ongoing impact study proposal is based on the fact that each developing country has taken measures and enacted policies to reduce the direct impact of COVID-19. However, as research shows, each country has different records and sizes of impacts to their economies, and any government effort to reduce these effects should take into account national losses and impacts so the recovery measures are proportionate. Government measures should be adapted to the operational needs and difficulties of the country to effectively ensure...

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the career plans of high school graduates in 2020 is examined in article. At the stage of graduating from high school and admission to university, career self-determination is considered in the context of professional self-determination, an indicator of the development of which is a conscious choice of a professional future. As a result of a survey and diagnostic of 127 first-year students of Smolensk State University, it was found that students who entered the university with formed professional plans have a higher level of development of personal competencies that are significant for career self-determination. Most of them implemented their university admission plans despite the limitations associated with the COVID-19 pandemics. At the same time, students who did not have formed career ideas at the time of admission experienced more difficulties in entering; their choice of the training program was due to external factors.

The widening of education equity gap and generation of novel social differences through learning incompetency will be one of the significant social impacts of the COVID-19 virus outbreak in India.  Where education empowers people and improves their ability to communicate, argue, and choose in informed ways (Sen, 1999), it is now selectively available mostly to the economically privileged group under the locked-in situation. Globally, the need for physical distancing has pushed over 1.2 billion children out of the classroom (Li and Lalani, 2020) and confines the learning process to home. The disenabling of economically marginalized learners raised the concerns for the inheritance of incapabilities in an already education-deprived and unjust society.
Changing role of an earlier space of domesticity to now a robustly appropriated space for various work-learn engagements makes a house more than a shelter. Lack of adequate learning space, electronic devices and internet infrastructure and, competence to guide the learner are the new unexpected challenges which are faced in both urban and more acutely in rural India. In villages and small towns, where the majority of Indian population lives, not only encounters disconnect from education but also basic amenity distribution by government schools such as mid-day meals and sanitary pads.  The permanent school dropouts will be many more as the need for earning livelihood has increased manifolds due to the reverse-migration induced unemployment leading to uneducated and unskilled child-labour force and many more child marriages. The unexpected circumstances raise many questions about the achievement differences among the students; economic capacity induced social strains and; the prevalence of sense of inferiority. To achieve education equity for an equitable society, this paper strongly recommends learning strategies during a locked-in situation.

The present work of analysis and research prepares, starting from the biological, clinical, socioeconomic and political analysis, an effective intervention plan to eradicate the pandemic problem and its direct and indirect consequences. Passing through the analysis of the therapies and treatments suggested and recommended in case of Covid-19 symptomatology, it is then suggested an integrative clinical plan according to individual needs, to fi nally focus on the need for socioeconomic political intervention at the community and international level, with direct and immediate effectiveness, with the preparation of a single world currency valid for the pandemic period, a plan for total homestay functional to prevent the spread of infections and a common clinical protocol, suggesting greater attention to the hypothesis of biological therapy and convalescent plasma, waiting for a monoclonal therapy and/or pharmacological more aware and less negatively impacting on the right to individual health than the gene therapies/vaccines of which we do not know yet the medium and long term effects on human health. We analyze the individual critical issues related to vaccine/gene therapy that at the current state of the science: a) have effectiveness that is still lower than natural immunization and does not provide a lasting coverage over time, if not to the extent of 6-9 months to be repeated virtually annually like seasonal fl u vaccines; b) do not provide safe immunization over time concerning potential new reactivations and variants of the virus itself. It is no coincidence that we have seen new positivity in subjects already immunized or with the inoculation carried out; c) do not guarantee certain data concerning individual health, in the medium and long term, as well as we do not know the degree of toxicity of the same; d) does not exempt the citizen from the use of the disposable surgical mask, from the social distancing and the hygienic-sanitary rules provided. Based on the evidence found and waiting to fi nd out the fate of the use of convalescent plasma therapy and/or the effectiveness of monoclonal therapy, the most effective drug therapy appears to be the combination of dexamethasone, hydroxychloroquine, heparin (if the D-dimer is high) or salicylic acid (if the D-dimer is not high and there is a modest thrombotic risk), and azithromycin; desirable, if compatible with the clinical picture, the supplements of vitamins A, B (group), C, D and E, in addition to the use of prebiotic supplements, probiotics, omega 3-6-9, coenzyme q10, fl avonoids (such as quercetin), glucosamine and lactoferrin, from the earliest moments of the morbid condition, both in preventive and in management phase of the serious patient, in addition to the necessary oxygen therapy support if the clinical conditions require it.

Already evident with High Street retail closures, the activity restrictions derived from Covid management lead to a further focus on retail survival. But emphasis on commercial transactions has sidelined the in-person benefits of 'going to town'. This note offers a summary of such in-person benefits of urban public spaces, with particular reference to English market towns.

Background: In high income countries, racialized/ethnic minorities are disproportionally affected by COVID-19. Despite the established importance of community involvement in epidemic preparedness, we lack in-depth understanding of these communities' experiences with and responses to COVID-19. We explored information and prevention needs, coping mechanisms with COVID-19 control measures and their impact on lived experiences among selected racialized/ethnic minority communities. Methods: This qualitative rapid assessment conducted in Antwerp/Belgium used an interpretative and participatory approach. We included migrant communities with geographic origins ranging from Sub-Saharan Africa, North-Africa to the Middle East, Orthodox Jewish communities and professional community workers. Data were collected between May 2020-May 2021 through key informant-, in-depth interviews and group discussions (N = 71). Transcripts were analyzed inductively, adopting a reflexive thematic approach. A community advisory board provided feedback throughout the research process. Results: Participants indicated the need for tailored information in terms of language and timing. At the start of the epidemic, they perceived official public health messages as insufficient to reach all community members. Information sources included non-mainstream (social) media and media from home countries, hampering a nuanced understanding of virus transmission mechanisms and local and national protection measures. Participants felt the measures' most negative impact on their livelihoods (e.g. loss of income, disruption of social and immigration support). Economic insecurity triggered chronic stress and fears at individual and family level. High degrees of distrust in authorities and anticipated stigma were grounded in previously experienced racial and ethnic discrimination. Community-based initiatives mitigated this impact, ranging from disseminating translated and tailored information, providing individual support, and successfully reaching community members with complex needs (e.g. the elderly, digitally illiterate people, those with small social networks or irregular legal status).

The sudden effect of the corona pandemic in many nations has seriously harmed the physical, social, and mental well-being and the global economy. Higher education is the bedrock of every nation that the Pandemic has ravaged. The entire educational system has unexpectedly moved to digital, creating a serious challenge for both students and teachers to adapt to. Is it a challenge, a boon, or a bane for counties in the MENA region to have their higher education systems turned upside down? The complexities of online education will be discussed in this report. The study employed qualitative techniques, which were accomplished through desktop review. The result indicates that eLearning is both boon and bane on higher education in countries in the MENA region. As a result, we can conclude that the eLearning education system should be geared up, and internet accessibility in the MENA region should be strengthened.

This presents a collaborative autoethnography to examine the impact of COVID-19 and concurrent shifting immigration policy on Latinx undocumented women in higher education. The authors leverage an intersectional lens to analyze the matrix of stressors that impact undocumented students during the pandemic. Findings show that: (1) the impacts of the pandemic were exacerbated by concurrent, rapidly-shifting immigration policy; (2) undocumented students take an increasing role in helping their families navigate and respond to their family's needs during COVID-19; and (3) both the pandemic and policy shifts created additional instability during key transitions for both DACA and fully undocumented individuals in higher education. This collaborative method of research also creates a space for intersectional praxis through which undocumented students and scholars can build community, mobilize action, and co-produce knowledge. This study builds on the knowledge of the experiences of undocumented students in the pandemic, which can serve as a starting point to create institutional and policy solutions to support undocumented students in recovery from COVID-19.

Introducción: La pandemia por el Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) generó efectos psicológicos negativos en toda la población. Nuestro objetivo es describir ese impacto en los trabajadores de la salud de la República Argentina. Material y métodos: Estudio de corte transversal, multicéntrico, desde junio a septiembre de 2020, que evaluó ansiedad, depresión, burnout, alteraciones de los estilos de vida y las relaciones personales mediante una encuesta anónima. Resultados: Se encuestó a 1221 trabajadores de la salud, con una mediana de edad de 42 años (RIQ 34,5-52), 65,9% eran mujeres. El 77,2% residía en la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires y en la provincia de Buenos Aires. El 66,7% eran médicos o enfermeros especialistas, el 41,1%, de especialidades clínicas, 29,8% médicos de unidades de cuidados intensivos o unidades coronarias y 10,2% kinesiólogos o enfermeros. El 51,8% manifestó que en su trabajo no se cumplían todas las recomendaciones de bioseguridad. Se detectó el 40,5% de ansiedad, 22,1% de depresión mayor (4,5% refirió ideación suicida frecuente), 10,9% depresión menor y 38,7% burnout. El 9,4% aumentó el consumo tabáquico y el 22% el de alcohol; el 62,1% empeoró su calidad de sueño, el 50,2% redujo la realización de ejercicio físico, y el 18,4% deterioró su relación afectiva. El 40,4% sufrió discriminación por ser personal de salud. Conclusión: La pandemia por Coronavirus ha generado un aumento de depresión, ansiedad, burnout y hábitos de vida no saludables en los trabajadores de la salud de Argentina encuestados.

Covid-19 und sinkende Ölpreise haben in Saudi-Arabien zu einer wirtschaftlichen und sozialen Krise geführt. Arbeiter*innen und Migrant*innen leiden am stärksten unter den Maßnahmen zur Pandemiebekämpfung (die Große Moschee von Mekka unter Covid-19-Beschränkungen, Juli 2021).

Purpose – This study explores the factors responsible for influencing online classes for business school
during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study also examines the level of influence of these factors on online
classes.
Design/methodology/approach – Primary data were collected online from 716 business school students
using a questionnaire developed by the researcher. Smart PLS3 software was used to analyze the data.
Findings – Attitude, curriculum, motivation, technology and training were found to have an impact on online
classes. Three variables (attitude, motivation and training) have a positive impact on online classes, whereas two
variables (curriculum and technology) have a negative impact on the online classes.All the factors have been found
to be significant except technology which is found to have an insignificant impact (p 5 0.356) on online classes.
Research limitations/implications – Only one university’s students were surveyed.
Practical implications – Outlines the factors which have a positive and significant impact on online classes
during COVID-19 pandemic. This study can be generalized through a student’s community across the world as
the students face similar problems associated with online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Social implications – Suggest factors that can be considered while COVID-19 pandemic during social
distancing to make online classes more effective and to reduce the impact of this pandemic.
Originality/value – No study has documented the factors associated to impact the online classes during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Keywords Education, Business school, Pandemic, Covid-19, Online classes, Social distancing
Paper type Research paper

The Covid19 pandemic have brought the world in chaos. This havoc of pandemic
influenced the life style of approximately every human on this planet. Due to the sudden change in life styles, people are living differently, buying differently and in many ways, thinking differently. This has caused the largest and fastest change in consumer behavior which led the huge impact on globalization. In more ways, pandemic has resulted in the greatest and most rapid reduction in international flows, including trade, foreign direct investment, and international travel. With this context, the present research was planned which aimed to find out the preference of brands of selected products and services during Covid19 pandemic, to ascertain the change in consumer buying behavior during Covid19 pandemic The present research was descriptive in nature. A Questionnaire was prepared to collect data from 160 consumers which were selected randomly. The data were gathered online which was distributed via Google form.The questionnaire contained four section aimed to collect information regarding background characteristics of the respondents, preference of brands of selected products and services during Covid19 pandemic, the change in consumer buying behavior during Covid19. For finding out the preferences of brands, a list was prepared for selected brands and services and respondents were asked to state their preference of local, Indian and Foreign brands for that particular products and services. A likert type scale having 3 point continuum was prepared for finding out the change in buying behavior of the consumers during COVID – 19 pandemic. The findings of the study will be helpful to can assist governments and policymakers to take fast measure and more proficiently to improve the situationsthat limit the spread of the virus and reduce the threat to local and global economies.

As countries report mounting cases of the COVID-19, the outbreak presents them and the global community with unprecedented challenges in recent times. FAO monitors the experience of those heavily affected by the pandemic looking at the immediate impacts and the mitigation measures of countries in responding to the crisis. Drawing from the experience of Italy in dealing with the outbreak, this article aims to inform policy makers on response options, best practices and lessons learned. Particular attention in the review is given to small-scale producers and their access to markets.
Cite this content as:
FAO. 2020. Observations on the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on farmers: Case of Italy. Rome.

Governments all around the world are faced with economic and social problems borne from the need for modern and reliable infrastructure. Rapid urbanization, increasing population size and economic growth are the main causes of increasing infrastructure investment needs in the world. While the need is growing, government budgets are increasingly squeezed by demands for healthcare improvements, defence, education and many others. The problems in the provision of finance for these investments are aggravated with the new Covid crisis, as the funds reserved for infrastructure investments are now likely to be allocated to urgent needs such as healthcare and unemployment benefits. In such a volatile environment, identifying future investment needs and discussing how these needs will be met is important and timely more than ever. This paper, introduces the global infrastructure investment trends in the future and discusses the use of public and private finance for infrastructure spending. I...

Symposium Title:

Could the recovery of a psychotic patient be achieved without psychoeducation programs and without the involvement of families and caregivers?

Said Fattah, Yann Hodé, Mathew Varghese, Vincenzo Di Nicola

Chairs: Mathew Varghese, Hachem Tyal

Considering the main theme of the Congress “Innovations in Social Psychiatry Across the World,” our symposium, which is organized by the WASP Section of Family Intervention Programs, will address both themes proposed by the congress: Psychosocial Interventions in Psychiatry and Mental Health Users and Care Givers and their role in improving the recovery of psychotic patients, especially with the Covid-19 pandemic tsunami:

(1) Prof. Mathew Varghese will talk about Family interventions with psychoses, in the time of the Covid-19 pandemic through a trial of an online caregiver training program.

(2) Dr. Yann Hodé’s presentation addresses whether the Family Intervention Program “Profamille” reduces suicidality due to better compliance.

(3) Dr. Fattah’s presentation will develop a new management paradigm involving a former patient as a new agent of recovery and elaborate the role of the Peer Health Mediator within an outpatient unit and what he brings with his experiential knowledge of the disease, promoting recovery in patients and empowerment in their families.

(4) Prof. Vincenzo Di Nicola addresses the impact on vulnerable youth and families of the Covid-19 “syndemic” (defined as a series of simultaneous pandemics with both biological and social psychiatric vectors), with an emphasis on youth at risk for psychosis and related mental and relational disorders.

Key Words: Family Intervention Programs, Caregivers, Recovery