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The COVID-19 pandemic and its health, economic and social aftermath has currently overshadowed every other health concern throughout the world. There are numerous ways in which this will impact existing public health issues. In this article we aim to examine and reflect on the interactions between COVID-19 and tuberculosis (TB) another scourge which has long been the world's leading infectious killer. There are potentially grave consequences for existing and undiagnosed TB patients globally, particularly in low and middle income countries like India where TB is endemic and health services poorly equipped. TB control programmes are likely to be strained due to diversion of resources, and an inevitable loss of health system focus. This is likely to lead to a reduction in quality of TB care and worse outcomes. The symptoms of TB and COVID-19 can be similar, for instance symptoms like cough and fever. Not only can this create diagnostic confusion, but it could worsen the stigmatization of TB patients especially in LMICs, given the fear of COVID-19. Women with TB in India are a vulnerable group as gender disparities play a significant role in how men and women access healthcare in the public and private sectors. They are especially likely to suffer as part of the "collateral damage" and also experience the impact of the double stigma disproportionately. In this paper the researchers examine the impact of Covid 19 on women seeking TB care in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses the state of COVID-19 in the Pakistani and Indian prison systems. Using publicly available data, governmental documents, media, and non-profit organization reports, and scholarly literature, we provide an overview of COVID-19 in each country and the current state of each nation's prison system. We then analyze the impact of the novel coronavirus on the corrections systems and each government's response to the virus in its prison infrastructure. The pandemic provides both Pakistan and India with the opportunity to change course and move toward a more sustainable prison system that protects human rights while bolstering health security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2020 editor-in-chief (Andrew Malekoff) issued a special call for papers for group work stories on pandemic 2020. Among the 28 stories accepted for the series there were 16 from India, 9 from the United States, 2 from Canada and 1 from Israel. General submissions from the U.S., Canada and Israel were typical for the journal. Atypical are submissions from India. Rather than publish the stories in one special issue of the Journal, he decided to spread them out over several issues through 2022. In the course of organizing the special series (with a December 2021 deadline) he continued communication with a few of the authors from India, with particular interest and concern in the deteriorating situation as 2021 unfolded. Although the present commentary is not about group work per se, it is an update by Ajay Saini, Nancy and Andrew Malekoff on the current state of affairs in India, with some contrast to the situation in the U.S., that offers continuing context for the stories in the series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Karur, one of the oldest towns in Tamil Nadu, a southern state in India, embedded with its rich cultural history and heritage of over more than 2000 years can be considered a key textile hub in present times. Being perennially busy with home furnishings and garment exports, like any other "Textile" town of India or other textile players of the world, Karur was pushed into lockdown one after another from March 2020 for a few undecided months owing to the pandemic outbreak of the disease Covid-19 with a new class of corona virus, known as SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) being responsible for the occurrence of this disease. With uncertainty and a lack of clarity looming over their heads, many owners with the backing of their employees of the textile firms and industries jumpstarted their lives trying their best in beating the odds laid on themselves in quite successful ways backed with technical innovations. Though it happened for few, it didn't realize for some. This paper attempts to track and research on some of the life stories of achievement and the unprecedented misery few were suddenly pushed into. While this town's success stories as a meticulous process of change in its people's mindset in desperate times toward themselves and those around can be studied to be implemented as a role model for other towns, the future lying in its unpredictability can never be ascertained thereby only making the successful solutions of those a base study of learning for the next. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the impact of the recent restrictions/bans imposed by several nations on air travel to India in the light of the increasing number of infections amid the second wave of covid-19. We employ the standard event study method on a sample of 34 airline stocks across seven nations to find that the recent restrictions/bans on air travel significantly impact the global airline industry, although the country-specific impacts are not similar. We find that the post-event reaction in all nations has been different from those evidenced during the global pandemic declaration. We are the first to examine these impacts during the current wave of the pandemic. It contributes to the literature on the effects of the pandemic on the global airline industry. Further, it also provides practical explanations to the investors on how the airline stocks react to the persistence of the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the early phases of Covid-19, social media platforms became a significant source of misinformation, and India emerged as a global hotspot. Studies show that 'miracle cure' for preventing and treating Covid-19 infection has been a prominent topic of misinformation. This study explores the extent to which beliefs in cure for Covid-19 in three prominent medical traditions popular in India are associated with the exposure to and trust in various sources from which the public access information. We conducted an online structured questionnaire survey of 500 respondents in August 2020 in four major cities of India. Despite the scientific consensus at that time that there was no cure for Covid-19, close to three-quarters of our respondents believe that there was a cure in at least one of the three popular medical traditions in India: Allopathy, Homeopathy, and Ayurveda. We find that exposure to and trust in WhatsApp are associated with false beliefs regarding the existence of a cure for Covid-19 (p = 0.001 and p = 0.014, respectively). While trust in science is associated with correct beliefs (p = 0.025), there is evidence that trust in government information may foster incorrect beliefs (p = 0.031). The high trust in scientific research and its potential ability to instill correct beliefs could be exploited to combat Covid-19 misinformation in India. Potential interventions such as awareness campaigns to increase digital media literacy, regulating social media platforms, and voluntary content regulation by social media platforms – might help policymakers tackle Covid-19 related misinformation effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for agile and adaptable health systems to cope with disasters such as the COVID-19 pandemic is well established. Developing countries' health systems are a mix of market, hierarchy, and collaborative arrangements. Collaborative arrangements are considered superior in responding to a crisis, but a comparative assessment of the three modes in the face of a crisis needs to be improved. Further, very little is known about the adaptation of collaborative arrangements that existed before the crisis, as extant research has primarily examined arrangements that emerged in the wake of the crisis. We assess the response of three governance modes to the COVID-19 pandemic in India. A mixed-method approach has been adopted: structured interviews with the domain experts, secondary data, and Twitter analytics framework. Both hierarchy and markets demonstrated adaptability, but market arrangements were mal-adapted to exploit the situation. Contrary to expectations, hierarchy arrangements responded with agility and delivered services substantially. Preexisting collaborative arrangements had limited adaptability due to non-convergence of expectations and reduced dependence, leading partners to choose alternative venues rather than engaging in bargaining and negotiation. The findings contribute to the limited literature on the comparative assessment of modes of governance and adaptability of preexisting collaborative arrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pandemic of COVID-19 has negatively impacted most of the countries of the world. The present study is an endeavor to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the employees from India working in different private sector organizations. Applying Levene's F-test, Mann-Whitney U-test, Effect Size analysis, Spearman Correlation, etc. the present study finds a significant number of employees are adversely affected, especially the employees for whom the nature of their work is such that it cannot be performed from home, and there is a lack of proper infrastructure available at home nor provided by the organization to discharge the duties. The managerial level employees are getting the benefit of infrastructure from the organizations and the rest are not, or the nature of work does not allow them to perform from home. Mann-Whitney U-test and Effect Size analysis conclude that work from home and job security between managerial and non-managerial groups have significant differences. However, the non-managerial group are facing immense challenges from not having the option to work from home and consequently uncertainty in their job security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article starts with a case outlining ethical challenges encountered in participatory action research (PAR) on vaccine hesitancy in rural India during Covid-19. Community researchers were recruited by a not-for-profit organisation, with the aim of both discovering the reasons for vaccine hesitancy and encouraging take-up. This raised issues about the roles and responsibilities of local researchers in their own communities, where they might be blamed for adverse reactions to vaccination. They and their mentor struggled with balancing societal protection against individual rights to make choices. These themes are explored in two commentaries discussing the difficulties in balancing ethics in public health (prioritising societal benefits), social research (protecting participants from harm and respecting their rights not to be involved) and participatory research practices (maximising democratic participation and decision-making). As discussed in the first commentary, often these cohere, but tensions can arise. The second commentary also raises the issue of epistemic justice, questioning the extent to which the villagers could have a say in the design, implementation and interpretation of the research, and the dangers of not hearing the voices and arguments of people who reject vaccination. The case and commentaries highlight the complexities of PAR and additional challenges in a public health context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines how technopolitical response to covid-19 resulted in differentiated urban citizenship regimes in India's smart cities. Using Isin and Ruppert's framework, we argue that India's digital citizens enacted their subjectivities in response to acts of calling, closing and opening in the cyberspace. Acts of calling encouraged citizens to participate and engage with the state online, systematically excluding those who did not have access to digital infrastructures. Acts of closing were implemented through the technologies of the surveillance state diminishing rights of freedom and privacy. In response, digital citizens enacted their political subjectivities through acts of opening by means of online campaigns, petitions and citizen journalism. Although the risk of technocracy remains real, we argue that the interplay of calling, closing and opening digital acts enabled the enactment of digital citizenship in India by raising the old questions of social citizenship rights and new forms of data and digital rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 has destabilized economies, lives all over the globe with devastating impacts. Physical and mental health suffered hugely due to this pandemic. Moreover, educational institutes were forced to shift from offline to online mode. This study aims to identify critical societal constructs which got impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic in India and Bangladesh. Further, a comparative analysis has been carried out to assess these impacts between these two countries from a social science point of view. A cross-sectional study has been conducted through a structured questionnaire based on pilot study. Google Survey form link of questionnaire was active from March 15, 2020 to July 14, 2020 in which 1023 responses were received with a response rate of 54%. After the elimination of missing responses, 802 complete responses were finally coded on 48 variables including demographic profile of the respondents. Factor analysis is used to identify critical constructs of the study whereas hypothesis testing to carry out for comparative understanding. The study found that COVID-19 pandemic has severely impact on psychological, educational, economic, and social aspects of both countries whereas Bangladesh has significant adverse impact than India. Economic stimulus program such as tax exemption, EMI moratoriums, mental health training, E-learning, low interest rate of soft loan disbursement are noteworthy requirement to overcome the adverse impact of COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen the advent of novel medical devices and practices. Demand for quality healthcare services rose exponentially which eventually led to accessibility becoming a major issue of concern. In addition to this, in-person consultations and various other conventional treatment methods were proven to be problematic. Limitations of traditional health care systems such as in-person consultations were highlighted, and conventional treatment methods have proven to be problematic. As an alternative approach, telehealth services are now gaining recognition due to their high efficiency, ease of use, and state-of-the-art technology. In this article, trends of telemedicine and its evolving popularity across the medical community due to the pandemic and beyond are studied and highlighted. An online survey form was circulated to 42 medical practitioners and interns to analyse the growing interest in telemedicine. The questionnaire covered the physicians' perspectives, preferences, experiences, and other important aspects of home-based teleconsultation. Based on the responses collected from doctors and medical interns, 14.2% disapproved, whereas 38.1% favoured and 47.6% showed a neutral response to the teleconsultation. More than 50% of the respondents claim the process to be time-consuming and 42% of them perceived it to be the other way round. 4.8% of the doctors preferred it to be only through computers whereas 45.2% per cent preferred consultation through smartphones and 50% of them preferred it be both ways. More than half (59.5%) of the doctors preferred the pandemic scenario and the remaining for its continued usage post-pandemic. Although India has the world's second-largest online market, a major population in India is digitally illiterate according to the Digital Foundation of India. Thus, it is important to devise telehealth technology that is simplest to use to reach also the economically backward patient communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article offers a close textual and visual analysis of some of the most iconic photographs of the COVID pandemic's second wave in India, to examine how they evoke violence both within and outside the photographic frame, and become sites of critical reflection. The pandemic's second wave witnessed a proliferation of images in social media and online news portals representing mass deaths, corpses floating in rivers, and mass funerals executed in makeshift crematoria. Pointing out how the widely circulated photographs deployed an excess of violence to represent death as a dreaded event external to life, this article contends that the violence in these images not only evoked shock and horror but also interrupted mourning both in the private and the collective realm, furthered through violence in the images and the interruption of familiar mourning rituals for those dead. Deriving from Ariella Azoulay's idea of the 'civil gaze' to 'watch' photographs, the article explores how these photographs configure a space of critical reflection and responsibility towards those photographed, which uncovers the crucial biopolitical interfaces between disease, death, the state, and the precarity of citizens. It simultaneously deliberates on the role of the visual and the photographic gaze in foregrounding these intersections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Does Indian sovereign yield volatility reflect economic fundamentals, or whether it is a self-generated force flowing through markets with little connection to such fundamentals? To answer the question, this research explores the volatility dynamics and measures the persistence of shocks to the sovereign bond yield volatility in India from 1 January 2016, to 18 May 2022, using a family of GARCH models. The empirical results indicate the high volatility persistence across the maturity spectrum in the sample period. However, upon decomposing the markets into bull and bear phases, our results support the existence of weak volatility persistence and rapid mean reversion in the bear market. This shows that the economic response policies implemented by the government during the pandemic, including fiscal measures, have a restraining effect on sovereign yield volatility. For a positive γ, the results suggest the possibility of a "leverage effect" that is markedly different from that frequently seen in stock markets. Results further indicate that the fluctuations in Indian sovereign yields cannot be dissociated from inflation and money market volatility. Our findings herein provide valuable information and implications for policymakers and financial investors worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the social mechanisms that condition the negative policy feedback effects among powerless social groups. It uses the policy feedback theory to explain the role of the administrative burden as the intermediate negative policy feedback that can lead to end negative policy feedback effects. The article elaborates upon the unequal treatment of low-income migrants in cities during pre-pandemic times and how that has led to alienation and civil disobedience during the COVID-19 pandemic in India. It highlights the essential role of democratic mechanisms like media and the judiciary in mitigating the inequality exacerbating effects of public service encounters. The article makes a case for promoting an understanding of the concept of the administrative burden that converges its experience-distant and experience-near meanings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public health crises alter political landscapes. This article investigates social movement strategies during and between the HIV and COVID-19 pandemics. We conducted a set of eighteen in-depth interviews with eleven leaders of organisations working with sex workers, sexual minorities, and transgender people around India, all of whom had been actively involved in HIV prevention programs, before and after the arrival of COVID-19 in India. First HIV, and then COVID-19, altered the political landscape for these groups in relation to three types of institutions: (1) donors (by creating dramatic increases and decreases in the amount, type, and conditions of global funding and deepening inequalities among organisations) (2) the state (by shifting the balance of advocacy and human rights work toward immediate relief); and (3) other social movements (by expanding solidarities across groups but also placing them in competition for limited resources). We argue that, to weather these dramatic shifts, organisations relied on internal alliances and resources built in and after periods of crisis. In this way, despite the differences between the two pandemics, the legacies of HIV shaped the response to COVID-19. Though responses to COVID-19 seem improvised and temporary, they build on a longer-term social movement infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines institutional investors' investment activities and the impact of their trading styles on market volatility amidst COVID-19 in India. Specifically, it seeks to offer a comprehensive analysis of foreign portfolio investors' (FPIs) and domestic mutual fund managers' (MFs) investment on equity and debt securities. It examines whether their trading activities drive market volatility during the pandemic period. Also, it explores the impact of COVID-19 on the Indian equity market. This study finds that the growth of COVID-19 does not significantly affect the stock market volatility during the study period. Precisely, the findings reveal that the FPI's net selling of equity and their overall trading activities in the debt instruments positively impact the market volatility. Findings also show that the FPI's momentum buys and contrarian sales induce market volatility, whereas the MF's trading style does not significantly influence the volatility. The Granger causality tests indicate that the FPI's net sales of equity instruments cause the return volatility and that the market volatility does not drive the equity net sales. Findings also reveal that mutual-fund managers' trading behavior does not Granger cause market volatility; instead, volatility causes MF's net selling of debt instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In India, Parliamentary Constituencies (PCs) could serve as a regional unit of COVID-19 monitoring that facilitates evidence-based policy decisions. In this study, we presented the first estimates of COVID-19 cumulative cases and deaths per 100,000 population and the case fatality rate (CFR) between 7 January 2020 and 31 January 2021 across PCs and districts of India. We adopted a novel geographic information science-based methodology called crosswalk to estimate COVID-19 outcomes at the PC-level from district-level information. We found a substantial variation of COVID-19 burden within each state and across the country. Access to PC-level and district-level COVID-19 information can enhance both central and regional governmental accountability of safe reopening policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SARS-CoV-2 has had a lasting effect on the overall health of recovered patients, called 'long COVID'. Currently, there is a lack of a validated standard questionnaire to assess post-COVID health status. A retrospective observational study involving the recovered COVID patients admitted to a secondary care hospital in India between June to December 2020 (n = 123), was conducted using the EuroQol-5D-5L scale at discharge, 4 weeks and 8 weeks post-discharge. A significant difference in anxiety/depression scores was found (χ2 = 65.6, p < 0.000) among the 3 categories of time (discharge, 4 weeks and 8 weeks). The anxiety/depression dimension scores showed a significant change (p < 0.0001) between discharge and 8 weeks, using paired t-test. Age had a significant relationship with the anxiety/depression dimension at 4 weeks (OR = 5.617, 95% CI = 1.0320–30.5746, p < 0.05). A significant difference was found using Kruskal-Wallis rank-sum test on mean index scores (χ2 = 60.0, p < 0.000) among the three categories of time (discharge, 4 weeks and 8 weeks). There was a statistically significant difference of time on EQ Index scores as determined by one-way repeated measures ANOVA (F(2,375) = 18.941, p = <0.00001). Our study found time to have a statistically significant impact on the mean index scores, level sum scores and dimension scores. Smoking was found to be significantly associated with usual activity scores at 4 weeks. The most remarkable changes occurred in the anxiety/depression dimension. Overall, there was a general trend of health improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covid-19-induced curbs on movement and social distancing, imposed by governments around the world brought transportation and the economy to a standstill in many nations. In India, with its billion-plus population, it severely exposed the problems of the poor, especially millions of internal migrant workers working primarily in unorganised sectors as daily wagers (, 2020) with little or no culture of savings. When the Indian government announced its first lockdown on March 24, 2020 – factories, construction sites, offices, institutions, organisations and the sort immediately suspended all activities indefinitely, nullifying the migrant labour force's ability to earn a living and pay bills as they were forced indoors. Then began India's biggest migration since partition (, 2020), when millions of these migrant workers based in India's big cities began their march home to distant villages. This manuscript reflects on this sudden reverse labour migration, demystifying the reasons for this exodus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India, unlike several other countries, has witnessed a greater challenge in overcoming the pandemic during the second wave crisis. The strategies on lockdown imposition during the first wave of the pandemic were well implemented due to which the year-long wave did not witness uncontrollable surges in the infections. In this study, we present a detailed study on the disease spread during the first and second wave of COVID-19, by performing numerical simulation in a phase-wise manner as per the lockdown and unlock phases implemented in India. The inclusion of a piecewise treatment function in the framed epidemiological model is a noteworthy aspect of the study since this function takes into consideration the availability of medical equipment, based upon the threshold number of infections. This function framed in this model first grows linearly reaching a peak, then it declines due to shortage of medical resources and finally gets saturated. Analysis of the impact of lockdown is presented for each phase of the pandemic in India. Though the data considered for the study is for a period that marked the beginning of the pandemic, major analysis and predictions are presented based on the second wave data in terms of sensitivity analysis and time series behavior. A comparison of deterministic and stochastic differential equations is presented with simulation results on certain parameter set to examine variation in treatment and recovery. The simulations are performed using MATLAB and R softwares. The work is validated with the real data and model fitting is done applying the Maximum Likelihood method. The study implies that, under accurate lockdown strategies and sufficient medical care, the peak in cases would be attained by 16 May 2021, after which a decline in the cases could be observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online food delivery applications (OFDA) are an emerging area of an online-to-offline (O2O) service delivery platform. In times of the COVID-19 pandemic the OFDA apps can help the restaurant and catering industry to thrive by allowing the consumers to order food from the safety of their homes. In this aspect evaluating the end-to-end service quality is an important issue starting right from the interaction with the OFDA apps for searching and ordering food to the last mile consumer experience with the delivery quality and food quality. The initial experience with the OFDA apps is captured through three mobile app attributes: visual design, navigational design, and information design. Consumer satisfaction and loyalty are considered to be the dependent variables in this study. Data is collected using an online questionnaire from 315 university students in India who are actual users of different OFDA apps during the pandemic period. Data analysis is done using a Partial Least Squares – Structural Equation Modeling approach. The findings show that satisfaction is the greatest predictor of loyalty, followed by food quality. Among the mobile app attributes information design has the highest impact on both satisfaction and loyalty, followed by navigational and visual design respectively. Based on the results appropriate theoretical and practical implications are discussed and suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to identify the factors prevalent among health science librarians toward vaccine hesitancy. With the development of COVID-19 vaccines in 2021, numerous efforts are being taken to vaccinate people to control the spread of coronavirus. Recent research has shown a high level of vaccine hesitancy among various groups in various fields but no study has been conducted to explore the factors responsible for vaccine hesitancy among library professionals. A cross-sectional online survey of Indian health science librarians was conducted. Data was collected through an online questionnaire designed on Google Forms and analyzed using MS-Excel. Descriptive statistics were used in the study. The majority of respondents (77%) showed a high level of vaccine hesitancy due to issues of safety, negative information, and confusion over vaccines. Measures to increase vaccination uptake and authentic sources with respect to COVID-19 vaccines have been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research aims to understand the relationship between spiritual beliefs and practices with perceived general health and adherence to recommended self-protective behaviour during lockdown period of COVID 19 pandemic. Additionally, the study intends to find out the differences among socio-demographic segments of the Indian society across these variables. Online survey was carried out with 1,416 willing adult participants from different socio-demographic segments. Findings suggest that irrespective of age and faith, participants used spirituality as a method of coping. Various socio-demographic segments of the population differed in their self-protective behaviors, perceived general mental health, and practice of spirituality. Regular practice of spirituality was positively correlated with self-protective behaviors and perception of better general mental health. Findings suggest that improved understanding of behavioral responses of different socio-demographic segments under conditions of uncertainty would enhance the cultural competence of the intervention design and aid personalized care under uncertain and crisis situations like COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates and compares the continuance intention of full-time business school students and faculty in India and Italy who moved from traditional pedagogy style to the digital classroom due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study integrates the Expectation Confirmation Model (ECM) and Task-Technology Fit (TTF) to examine their continuance intention. Survey data was collected from 396 business school students and 130 faculty members from India and Italy and analysed using SmartPLS 3 software. The study found that perceived usefulness, satisfaction, and task-technology fit significantly impact the continuance intentions of students and faculty. Multigroup analysis of students indicates that Italian students are more driven by task-technology fit as compared to Indian students in their continuance intention; in comparison, Indian students rely more on gaining experience and knowhow on technology. Finally, the multigroup study of faculty suggests that Italian educators have a comparatively stronger orientation towards the fit between digital classroom technology and a portfolio of related tasks. In comparison, their Indian counterparts rely more on the perceived usefulness of technology. The strength of relationship between task-technology fit and continuance intention is comparatively lower for faculty as compared to students in both countries. Finally, implications for theory and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to depict the experience of the people in enduring the quarantine in the global supply chains breakdown during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Quarantined Individual's behavior can be defined as the means by which an individual withstands and behaves in response to the quarantine process. The study was a cross sectional, exploratory study carried out in India. Exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and correlation were performed from the data. Exploratory factor analysis was carried out to validate the Quarantined Individual's Behavior scale which reveals six factors which include quarantine awareness, quarantine anxiety, personal measures, domestic measures, hygiene measures, and societal measures. The survey was conducted online, 382 responses of the internet users of different groups was taken as valid. The first order confirmatory factor analysis was performed and further the Correlation was performed to check the multicollinearity. Thus, the scale Quarantined Individual's Behavior is proved suitable to be used in different context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to compare the leadership challenges and behaviours in the information technology (IT) sector in India and the United States during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Through a basic exploratory qualitative study, we examined the challenges faced by leaders in both countries and how they evolved their leadership behaviours to meet employee needs and maintain business continuity. Even though situations resulting from the national lockdown and remote work varied across the two countries, leaders faced similar challenges with employee productivity, increased isolation, teamwork, client interactions, and employee's work life balance. Our findings confirm that leaders from heterogeneous countries exhibit homogeneous behaviours. Leaders invested in increasing their virtual presence, demonstrates exemplary behaviour, and practiced distributed leadership to enable seamless communication among team members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article argues that India and Australia have a significant role to play amidst China's expanding maritime footprint in the Indian Ocean and growing influence in the South China Sea. With worsening relations between India and China as well as Australia and China, both New Delhi and Canberra have been deepening their connections, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic. The article explores China as a key point of interest in India–Australia maritime cooperation and concludes that India–Australia ties have opened up the possibilities for expanding the arc of India's strategic partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the climatic influence on COVID-19 transmission risks in 228 cities globally across three climatic zones. The results, based on the application of a Boosted Regression Tree algorithm method, show that average temperature and average relative humidity explain significant variations in COVID-19 transmission across temperate and subtropical regions, whereas in the tropical region, the average diurnal temperature range and temperature seasonality significantly predict the infection outbreak. The number of positive cases showed a decrease sharply above an average temperature of 10°C in the cities of France, Turkey, the US, the UK, and Germany. Among the tropical countries, COVID-19 in Indian cities is most affected by mean diurnal temperature, and those in Brazil by temperature seasonality. The findings have implications on public health interventions, and contribute to the ongoing scientific and policy discourse on the complex interplay of climatic factors determining the risks of COVID-19 transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we use a novel dataset on new investment projects undertaken, available for states in India in quarterly frequency, to forecast economic activities in the wake of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Panel data estimates for the country, employing fixed effect and Generalized Method of Moments, show a drop of approximately 50% in investment count during the financial years 2019–20 to 2021–22, compared to the counterfactual projection of an increase of 38% over the same period. State-level analysis reveals similar patterns, even though with considerable heterogeneity – relatively economically well-developed states may witness higher reduction in investment compared to the less developed ones. Given that incidence of Covid cases is also relatively higher in the more developed states, our findings can help in formulating policies appropriate for each state. This study can be generalized in the following three ways: it can be extended over a longer period of time, it can be applied in future crisis periods, and it can be made more precise given more granular data is available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An epidemiological study was conducted for investigation of bovine coronavirus by antigen Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit in dairy calves from Central India (Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh states) and North India (Uttar Pradesh state). Different epidemiological parameters like age, parity, colour and consistency of faecal materials and seasonal changes in a year were recorded. A total of 816 faecal samples were screened and out of which 7 (0.85%) animals were found to be positive for bovine coronavirus. The higher prevalence was recorded in north India followed by central India. Age wise higher prevalence was recorded below 2 month calves. Seasonally, the prevalence of coronavirus infection was higher in monsoon season and in first parity of calves as compared to other season and parity. Prevalence of coronavirus infection was higher in watery diarrhoea faecal materials than pasty yellow colour diarrhoea. The observations of the present study would provide the basis for further an effective explorative surveillance and epidemiological studies to know the real impact of coronavirus infection with associated risk factors in dairy calves of India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Information Technology (IT) industry in India is an integral part of the nation's economy. The COVID-19 pandemic is a cause of disquietude and is probably the gravest challenge encountered by the IT industry at present. Although the IT industry has contributed to varied sectors globally amid the crisis, IT professionals encounter a profusion of mental health challenges. Despite this, there have as yet been limited studies focusing on the mental health impact on IT professionals during this period. This study strives to explore the role of socio-demographic factors on perceived stress and to examine the association between gratitude and perceived stress among IT professionals in India during the pandemic. Data from 219 participants were included for analysis in this cross-sectional, correlational study. Findings suggest that there exists a significant difference in perceived stress based on gender, marital status, and parental status. Furthermore, the results demonstrate a significant negative association between gratitude and perceived stress. The study contributes to the field of cognitive ergonomics and broadens the theoretical knowledge base of perceived stress based on socio-demographic elements. Findings also have positive implications for organisational psychologists as they suggest that encouraging a focus on gratitude could aid in lower perceived stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 has created shortages of personal protective equipment. In resource-constrained situations, limited cycles of disinfection and extended use of gloves is recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conserve supplies. However, these guidelines are based on limited evidence. In this study, serial cycles of hand hygiene were performed on gloved hands using an ethanol-based hand rub (six and 10 cycles), 0.1% sodium hypochlorite (bleach) solution (10 cycles), or soap and water (10 cycles) on latex and nitrile medical exam gloves from the United States and India. A modified water-leak test evaluated glove integrity after repeated applications of these disinfecting agents. When aggregated, dilute bleach demonstrated the lowest difference between treatment and control arms: −2.5 percentage points (95% CI: −5.3 to 0.3) for nitrile, 0.6 percentage points (95% CI: −2.6 to 3.8) for non-powdered latex. For U.S.-purchased gloves tested with six and 10 applications of ethanol-based hand rub, the mean difference in failure risk between treatment and control gloves was within the prespecified non-inferiority margin of five percentage points or less, though some findings were inconclusive since outside the margin. The aggregated difference in failure risk between treatment and control was 3.5 percentage points (0.6 to 6.4) for soap and water, and 2.3 percentage points (−0.5 to 5.0) and 5.0 percentage points (1.8 to 8.2) for 10 and 6 applications of ethanol-based hand rub, respectively. Most leaks occurred in the interdigital webs (35%) and on the fingers (34%). This indicates that some combinations of glove types and disinfection methods may allow for extended use. Ten applications of dilute bleach solution had the least impact on glove integrity. However, the majority of glove and exposure combinations were inconclusive. Additional testing of specific glove and disinfectant combinations may inform future strategies to guide extended use during glove shortages. Additional considerations, not evaluated here, include duration of use, disinfectant chemical permeation, and the effects of hand temperature, movement, and manipulation of instruments on glove integrity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to explicate the factors determining customers' intention to use budgeting apps since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional survey in South India was conducted to collect data from 285 FinTech users. The data were analyzed using partial least square regression to estimate path coefficients and the PROCESS macro technique to identify moderation effects. Firstly, app engagement and self-efficacy were found to have a positive effect on the intention to use budgeting apps. Secondly, individuals who use FinTech services less frequently and those who use it to pay for a variety of expenses were found to have a greater effect on usage intentions of customer engagement, perceived trust, and perceived ease of use. Therefore, customization, real-time suggestions, providing tools for data visualization, smart data insights, and artificial intelligence-based recommendations and advice would assist customers in prudence money management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to disruption of employee well-being; changing the work scenario across the globe. The psychological impact of this pandemic is an undeniable stressor greatly affecting employee well-being across cultures. Social media, in such a time of crisis, can provide the requisite support by filling the emotional, informational and instrumental voids. In order to explain how reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic influences an individual's employee well-being, this study first examines the relationships between pandemic reactions, social media engagement and employee well-being, and then develops a completely mediated model by fully integrating these links. The results, of structural equation modelling analyses conducted for 304 employees from Hospitality (129) and IT/ITeS sector (175) in India, offered strong support for the proposed model. We found that pandemic reactions were indirectly and positively associated with employee well-being; mediated by social media engagement. This study theoretically contributes to the employee well-being literature by revealing how social media engagement completely mediates the relationship between pandemic reactions and employee well-being. The study also offers practical implications by stressing the significant role played by social media engagement in influencing employee well-being in these testing times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 has affected the lives of entire populations across the globe. Different sections of the society have been impacted, some more than others. In the context of India, which has a sizeable number of people living in adversity, the impact of COVID-19 has been more pronounced in the sub-section of 'migrant workers'. Due to the imposed lockdowns to contain the spread of the coronavirus, these workers have lost their jobs and the insecurity has led them to return to their home villages in arduous conditions. Their plight is showcased here which also exposes the role of the government which has been largely indifferent and reactionary at best. The article is based on secondary research and offers certain takeaways about how emergency situations need to be handled differently to ensure no particular section is neglected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India, which has a growing base of 350 million social media users and large proportion of which are unaware about fact checking of the sources. This study aims to assess the impact of COVID-19 misconceptions on knowledge, attitude and preventive (KAP) practices in India using an online cross sectional survey and using semi-structured interviews. sThe 5 sections of the e-form collected the demographic profile, COVID-19 information profile, knowledge, preventive practices and attitude toward COVID-19. Also, this study aims to assess the impact of misinformation on individual and social behavior through 24 semi structured open ended interview questions and suggests mitigation measures. The misinformation question included "Coronavirus is airborne disease," Frequent washing clothes can reduce spreading of COVID-19", "Consuming herbal products, home cures and supplements can prevent COVID-19" and "Gargling with salt water or vinegar can prevent COVID-19." Among the 520 responses, 44%, 51%, 44% and 32% agreed to these questions respectively. Binomial regression model was fitted to identify the predictors of KAP of COVID-19 prevention by taking the level of KAP separately and it revealed that the predictors for poor knowledge, negative attitude and noncompliance to preventive measures were associated with the misconceptions. The descriptive analysis in Tableau revealed that the trusted sources of information is majorly mass media. The content analysis of the interviews revealed that religious preventive methods, consumption of daily supplements, risk factors of the infection, disease statistics; treatments and conspiracy theory, are the subjective categories of the current outbreak. The consequences of misconceptions include stigma of discrimination, psychological distress and increased hygiene practices. The antidote to infodemics should include analyzing the information propagation and understanding the cognition and behavior of the population. In the era of the internet, health bodies can educate and address the people's concern with the help of digital and e- health literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indian banking has undergone structural changes from financial reform and the process of deregulation during the 1990s. Added to this is a new element, the COVID-19 pandemic, and its effects on the banking system. The categories of concentration and centralization of capital and the increasing instability of banking institutions will enable an assessment of banking fragility as well as the impact and repercussions of the pandemic. The economic fragility of India's banking system has been a constant over the past few decades. The objective of this article is to analyze the profitability of the banking system, the banks' non-performing loans and the government's strategy to prevent a banking crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines the impact of COVID-19 on Indian tourism and hospitality students' perception of career opportunities and future prospects. Our findings indicate that perceived industry image influences prospective employees' career decisions. Students consider the industry to revive itself in the near future and therefore, in spite of the slowdown due to the pandemic, they still preferred to work in the industry. Whilst they acknowledged significant changes in the nature of work, reduction in pay and benefits, and an increasingly competitive job environment, they still expressed unwillingness to work at entry level positions. Specific to the pandemic, students anticipated fewer job openings, reduced job security, higher terminations during probation period and slim chances of promotions. Pursuing higher studies in management (MBA) was regarded as the most viable alternate option during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conceptual model was developed to examine the probable relationship between determinants of online learning efficacy and satisfaction of Tourism and Hospitality Management students during COVID-19 Pandemic in India. An online survey was carried out for data collection to garner the variables for analysis and test the relationship. The result indicates that the intrinsic factors have a significant bearing on the self-efficacy and satisfaction of THM students. However, institutional resources (extrinsic factors) have no such bearing on the self-efficacy and satisfaction of THM students. The study assumes significance in the domain of service-based education programs that involve several practical components and service-centered operational skills for the successful career aspirations of the students. The study also provides scope for paying immediate attention to enhance the self-efficacy and satisfaction of students in the long run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the state of democracy in 2020. The world is still more democratic than it was in the 1970s and 1980s, but a trend of autocratization is ongoing and affecting 25 countries in 2020, home to 34% of the world's population. At the same time, the number of democratizing countries has dwindled by nearly half, reducing to 16 countries, home to a mere 4% of the global population. Freedom of expression, deliberation, rule of law and elections show the most substantial net declines in the last decade. A major change is that India, formerly the world's largest democracy, turned into an electoral autocracy. The V-Dem data suggests that direct effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on levels of liberal democracy were limited in 2020. Still, the longer-term consequences may be worse and must be monitored closely. Due to the pandemic and state restrictions on the freedom of assembly, mass mobilization declined to its lowest level in over a decade, yet the decline in pro-democracy protests in 2020 may well prove to be short-lived once the pandemic subdues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the teaching methodology across the world. Students are forced to study online in schools as well as in their private tuitions or coaching institutes. According to the IBIS world, the coaching industry is worth more than $15 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach $20 billion by 2022. At a time when the industry was waiting to achieve its annual revenue targets in the ensuing month or two, the COVID-19 struck, leaving the once overcrowded classrooms, with stacks of chairs gathering dust. The institutes made a swift transition and soon equipped themselves to provide classes online. After five months into these temporary arrangements, it became imperative to foresee whether online education will be the future trend or is ephemeral. A survey is conducted by taking some of the students' responses to find whether online coaching classes will survive post-COVID-19. A total of one hundred thirty-four (134) respondents stated their opinions and preferential objectives while studying online. This data is collected from India. The findings suggest that online education is acceptable to the students even beyond COVID-19 if institutes can deliver on satisfaction, sophistications of online testing and competition beyond geographical boundaries. The international players in the industry across the world can ponder ways to penetrate and garner market share in this sizable upcoming market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research work examines the impact of the psychological capital of owners and the managers of budget hotel on the organizational resilience during COVID-19. To understand these relationships, the study performed PLS-SEM on the data collected using purposive sampling from 103 respondents consisting of small business owners and the business managers of budget hotels from urban areas of India. Results show that the PsyCap of owners/managers of small hotels can instil hope and optimism in the employees too and can help them to accept the reality and prepare for future contingencies. It also highlights the impact of owner's life satisfaction on PsyCap and organizational resilience relationship stating that the levels of life satisfaction of owners and managers of budget hotels significantly influence the process of recovery of the business. This means that despite of adversities, resilient owners and managers would make efforts to get over the negativities of COVID-19 and try to get back to normal. From a practical perspective in the present scenario where tourism sector is struggling for survival, the findings of the study will help the owners and managers of budget hotels to navigate through the stages of COVID-19 pandemic for speedy recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic is a globalized health concern caused by a beta-coronavirus named Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Since December 2019, when this outbreak flared in Wuhan, China, COVID-19 cases have been continuously rising all over the world. Due to the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 mutants, subsequent waves are flowing in a faster manner as compared to the primary wave, which is more contagious and causing higher mortality. Recently, India has emerged as the new epicenter of the second wave by mutants of SARS-CoV-2. After almost eighteen months of this outbreak, some COVID-19 dedicated therapeutics and vaccines are available, and a few are under trial, but the situation is still uncontrolled. This perspective article covers the repurposing of childhood vaccines like Bacille Calmette–Guerin (BCG), Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR), and Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), which are live attenuated vaccines and have been shown the protective effect through 'trained immunity and 'crossreactivity.' This perspective article has suggested that combinatorial use of these childhood vaccines might exert a better protective effect along with the available COVID-19 therapeutic and vaccines which could be considered as a preventive option against SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as its subsequent waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the beliefs held by the public regarding sexual health, pregnancy, and breastfeeding during COVID-19 era.Methods: It was an online cross-sectional survey conducted through the Survey Monkey® platform and after proper ethical approval a self-designed questionnaire was circulated by the snowballing sampling technique through the Whatsapp platform.Results: 1636 people respondent to the survey questionnaire. 63% of the participants mentioned that kissing could spread nCoV-SARS. Unprotected sexual intercourse with the spouse can cause infection spread, was reported by about one-third (35.9%). Nearly one-fifth (22%) thought that unprotected sexual intercourse with unknown partners/persons could not spread the infection. About half (49.7%) of the participants reported COVID-19 infection can be transmitted from mother to the child/fetus during the process of birth or during pregnancy and one-fifth (21.3%) of the participants reported going ahead with the Cesarean section if the mother is suspected of having or is confirmed to have COVID-19 infection. About one-fifth feared for risk of birth defects and abortion in case the mother is infected with COVID-19. 28% of the participants reported COVID-19 infection can be transmitted to newborn by breastfeeding.Conclusions: The present study suggests that a significant proportion of people have misinformation about sexual intimacy, pregnancy, and breastfeeding in the ongoing pandemic which needs to be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the absence of pharmaceutical interventions for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), countries have taken drastic steps like quarantine, prohibit large-scale gatherings, limited transport, social distancing, curfews, and lockdowns to curtail the spread of the virus. In light of these events, the current study attempts to understand the short-term changes in road traffic patterns, using data from two Wi-Fi MAC Scanners deployed at strategic locations in Chennai, India. The results indicate that the road traffic activities significantly reduced due to the restrictions in non-essential trips, workplace suspensions, and strict surveillance during lockdowns. However, as the lockdown rules eased, the road traffic activities began to recover. It is found that complete closedown is most effective in reducing road travel activity, but ad-hoc short duration complete closedowns may only yield temporary benefits. Also, extended lockdowns without proper enforcement may be ineffective since the public appeared to ignore the advisory after a while. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transportation sector has been severely crippled by the COVID-19 crisis in India. Due to the strict enforcement of a nation-wide lockdown, the operators of long-distance transport in India by road, rail, and air have suffered leading to loss of jobs and pay cuts. As the year 2020 reaches an end, the severity of the pandemic began to subside and the common modes of long-distance travel such as trains, flights, buses, and taxis are now operational up to some extent. However, people are exercising caution while traveling amidst the pandemic, especially long-distance travel. This study aims to understand the mind-set and behavior of individuals traveling long-distances amidst the pandemic, also referred to as the 'New Normal.' Hence, a user opinion survey was conducted to comprehend the probable impact of COVID-19 on long-distance travel in India. The results revealed a significant change in the respondents' travel behavior and frequency of travel. The travel by air and own car are being preferred over other modes of transport. 'Comfort and Hygiene' is now the most important factor that affects the mode choice of travel followed by the cost and travel time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel corona virus has reached the pandemic levels since March 2020. This has exerted tremendous pressure on existing infrastructure. Amenities related to quarantine and isolation are new norms in healthcare set-ups all over the world. The present study helps to understand the guidelines needed to change the current available infrastructural resources of essential departments in addition to forecasting and organizing the infrastructure required to cater the special needs of the COVID-19 patients without compromising the smooth functioning of the healthcare facility and not risking the safety of the health care professionals delivering it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disasters and crisis are becoming more complex with deadly cascading effects. The current coronavirus pandemic is viewed as the newest form of health and socio-economic crisis that has disrupted the flow of normal life for millions. Viewing the pandemic as a unique or unpredictable occurrence shifts responsibility and accountability from a host of institutional actors to those who were unable to protect themselves from the direct and indirect effects of the pandemic and incurred heavy losses. Situating the pandemic within the well-established policy debates around disasters enables us to understand how the novel coronavirus rapidly transformed into a humanitarian crisis in India. Successful disaster risk reduction involves the creation of a "culture of resilience" but resilience thinking has been criticized as lacking in "moral compass", showing a poor understanding of power relations and as governance that emphasizes individual responsibility. Chronically poor people can be "resilient" at the expense of their long-term wellbeing. Drawing on the moral, political and philosophical debates about the shift toward "resilience" in global disaster policy, this article examines the rhetoric of "self-reliance" to address COVID-19 dislocation. We find that disaster policies that rely mainly on resilience and compliance increase state power while absolving them of responsibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spread of the novel coronavirus that took over the world by a storm has caused a serious rupture in the social and economic order. As the Indian state is confronted by several challenges, the exodus of migrant labor appears as a gruesome spectacle. The already precarious lives of migrant labor owing to their employment in the informal economy has been amplified manifold with the outbreak of the pandemic. The eclipsed response of the state to acknowledge their misery has further exacerbated the problem. Since the state is entrusted with the responsibility of providing social security to the labor in the informal economy- a component that is also deemed necessary to be fulfilled by those the state seeks to govern, the pandemic has rendered the question of state's legitimacy to be probed further. Defined as the capacity and the right to rule, the legitimacy of the state is analyzed from the perspective of the effective provision of social security schemes as well as the expedition/suspension of labor rights. While the state may possess the capacity to provide for social security, and it certainly does as is evident from its boisterous declarations of fiscal stimulus' for labor welfare, it is argued that the state's blatant lack of willingness to translate its promises into concrete action puts the "right to rule" aspect under scrutiny and its legitimacy under jeopardy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]