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The first case of COVID‐19 in India detected on January 30, 2020, after its emergence in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The lockdown was imposed as anemergency measure by the Indian government to prevent the spread of COVID‐19 but gradually eased out due to its vast economic consequences. Just 15 days after the relaxation of lockdown restrictions, Delhi became India's worst city in terms of COVID‐19 cases. In this paper, we propose a variable‐order fractional SIR (susceptible, infected, removed) model at state‐level scale. We introduce a algorithm that uses the differential evolution algorithm in combination with Adam–Bashforth–Moulton method to learn the parameters in a system of variable‐order fractional SIR model. The model can predict the confirm COVID‐19 cases in India considering the effects of nationwide lockdown and the possible estimate of the number of infliction inactive cases after the removal of lockdown on June 1, 2020. A new parameter p is introduced in the classical SIR model representing the fraction of infected people that get tested and are thereby quarantined. The COVID‐19 trajectory in Delhi, as per our model, predicts the slowing down of the spread between January and February 2021, touching a peak of around 5 lakh confirmed cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the biggest health calamities that the world has faced, which has infected millions of people and lead to hundreds of thousands of deaths all over the world. It has impacted the economic, social and health aspects of the countries to quite an extreme level. But an indirect positive impact can also be seen on the environment. In this paper, taking the example of Delhi, one of the most polluted cities of India, an analysis has been done to compare the levels of air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, NOx and ozone) during the lockdown and the same period in the previous years. The study shows that the extent to which the industries, vehicles, power plants etc. release the air pollutants and severely impact the environment and human health. As during the lockdown when all such activities were either stopped or very much restricted, a reduction of almost 60% in the particulate matter pollution and up to 40% in the NOx pollution was observed while the ozone levels were reduced by 30-40% as compared to the same period during the previous two years. In the end, some suggestions have been made which can play some part to control air pollution once the lockdown is over. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With growing interest in the lives of individuals and communities during the COVID‐19 pandemic, there is consensus among scholars, academicians, and policy makers that the pandemic has had unequal impacts on different sections of the society. The dominant idea that “we are in this together” needs to be critically unpacked to understand the differential impact of the same pandemic on people with varied vulnerabilities. The concept of “intersectional vulnerability” has been key to understanding the unequal distribution of the pandemic risk. Using a gendered intersectional lens, this paper aims to understand the lived experiences of migrant women workers during the pandemic and their narratives of gendered inequality. Through a narrative study in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), India, from May to October 2020, this study brings out stories of precarity faced by five migrant women while battling the social, psychological, and economic effects of the pandemic. Loss of livelihood, home, savings, and prospects of a better future shape the narratives of these women. The pandemic exacerbated the already precarious positions of these women by creating a situation where—(a) patriarchal structures were further reinforced, and (b) losing gender solidarity and companionship through lockdown and social distancing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India went through an unprecedented lockdown from 25 March 2020 to combat the spread of Covid-19. Regrettably, a congregation of Tablighi Jamaat, a renowned Muslim missionary group, took place during the lockdown period in Nizamuddin Markaz of Delhi, one of the most densely populated places in the country's capital. The congregation was heavily criticised as it furthered the Covid-19 outbreak, with more than 4000 confirmed cases among the attendees. The immediate aftermath was a sharp nationwide uprising of Islamophobia and the promotion of the 'us versus them' ideology. Indeed, India's social and secular fabric was torn apart and crumbled catastrophically, inviting a series of discriminatory and inhumane perceptions and treatment towards Muslims. The recent hijab (head scarf) ban in educational institutes in the State of Karnataka is a part of the same series of Islamophobic events. The unfortunate Covid-19 incident of Tablighi Jamaat should be understood from social, political, legal, and human rights aspects. With a critical investigation of empirical data collected from various participants and stakeholders through an online questionnaire, this article examines the causes and consequences of violations of the rights of Muslims as a minority community in India in the aftermath of the Tablighi Jamaat incident. In particular, this article probes racial profiling and systematic discrimination violations and how they pierce the country's secular fabric. Based on the foregoing analysis, a few suggestions are made for tackling the growing animosity towards Muslims in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India's nearly 1-million strong band of quasi-volunteer accredited social health activists (ASHAs) have been key actors in government efforts to control COVID-19. Utilizing a nationalist rhetoric of war, ASHAs were swiftly mobilized by the government in March 2020 as 'COVID warriors' engaged in tracking illness, disseminating information, and caring for quarantined individuals. The speed at which ASHAs were mobilized into mentally and physically grueling labor was all the more stunning given these minimally paid community health workers have long been seen to have low morale given their precarious, informalized work arrangements. Building on work examining the spatialities of global health governance alongside literature on geographic contingency, this paper explores the ways that nationalist COVID-19 war rhetoric promulgated from Delhi worked as a technology of health governance to propel ASHAs into certain forms of action, yet also opened up spaces of potentiality for them to reimagine their relationship to both the state and the communities they serve. In particular, in our analysis of in-depth telephone interviews with ASHA workers in the state of Himachal Pradesh, we find that their hailing as COVID warriors inspired patriotic calls to duty and legitimized their (long over-looked) roles as critical governance actors, yet also was subject to resistance and reworking due to a combination of institutional histories, local politics, as well as happenstantial everyday encounters of ASHA work. The precarious employment of ASHAs – in terms of basic remuneration as well as the great on-the-job risks that they have faced – underscores both the fragile nature of India's health governance system as well as possible political movements for its renewal. We conclude by calling for geographers to give greater attention to community health care workers as a key window into understanding the uneven ways in which health systems are made manifest on the ground, and their ability to respond to citizens' healthcare needs – both in the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preventive measures are the best cure for any disease as they reduce the infection rate. Preventive measures are affected by knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards the disease. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the awareness, perceived risk, and protective behavior toward COVID-19 among undergraduate students of the Delhi and National Capital Region, India. An online questionnaire-based random survey was conducted amongst 605 undergraduate students to assess the demographic characteristics of participants, their level of awareness, perceived risk, and protective behavior regarding COVID-19. The overall awareness, perceived risk, and protective behavior for COVID-19 were found high in undergraduate students (0.000***,0.000***,0.000***). When variable (Gender, area of living, and subject studies) based analysis was performed among participants, a non-statistical significance difference was observed in total awareness among them (p>0.05) towards COVID-19 (p=0.996, 0.121, 0.937). Whereas Female, urban, and science participants were found to perceive the risk for COVID-19 more accurately in comparison to male, rural and non-science participants in total perceive risk analysis (p= 0.016**, 0.035**, 0.036**). However, urban participants showed more Total protective behavior as compared to the rural participants (p=0.048**) and there was no statistical significance difference in protective behavior in terms of Male/Female and Science/non-science participants (p=0.189, 0.100). These findings will contribute to the continued regional/global efforts to better understand preventive crisis response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study emphasizes the need for conducting periodic webinars for educational intervention for all college students which could be useful to create more awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lockdown was imposed by the Indian government in the month of March 2020 as an early precaution to the COVID-19 pandemic which obstructed the socio-economic growth globally. The main aim of this study was to analyse the impact of lockdown (imposed in March and continued in April 2020) on the existing air quality in three megacities of India (Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata) by assessing the trends of PM10 and NO2 concentrations. A comparison of the percentage reduction in concentrations of lockdown period with respect to same period in year 2019 and pre-lockdown period (February 14–March 24) was made. It was observed from the study that an overall decrease of pollutant concentrations was in the ranges of 30–60% and 52–80% of PM10 and NO2, respectively, in the three cities during lockdown in comparison with previous year and pre-lockdown period. The overall decrease in concentrations of pollutants at urban sites was greater than the background sites. Highest decline in concentrations of PM10 were observed in Kolkata city, followed by Mumbai and Delhi, while decline in NO2 was highest in Mumbai. Results also highlighted that capital city Delhi had the worst air quality amongst three cities, with particulate matter (PM10) being the dominant pollutant. Although COVID-19 has significantly affected the human life considering the mortality and morbidity, lockdowns imposed to control the pandemic had significantly improved the air quality in the selected study locations, although for the short amount of period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & aim: In the wake of COVID-19, organizations all over India have closed their premises and shifted to work from home policy to curb the further spread of the virus. This has led to increased stress and anxiety among employees, which explicably affects their satisfaction with life. Thus, the present study analyses the effect of COVID-19 induced stressors (role overload, lifestyle choices, family distraction, and occupational discomfort) on employees' distress levels and job performance. Subsequently, the impact of such distress and job performance on the employees' life satisfaction is analyzed during the lockdown period. Methodology: Data was collected from 433 working professionals of private and public organizations in the Delhi and NCR region of India during India's third and fourth phase of lockdown via a survey, which was distributed online. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was applied first to establish the validity of this study's model (measurement model validity) and subsequently test the hypothesized relationships in the model (structural model). Results: The COVID-19 induced stressors, i.e., role overload, lifestyle choices, and occupational discomfort, were significant predictors of distress during the lockdown. It has been found that role overload and change in lifestyle choice did not significantly affect job performance. Family distraction, occupational discomfort, and distress were significant in impacting job performance, with distress being the most significant one. During the COVID-19 pandemic, life satisfaction has reduced due to a significant increase in distress levels and lowered job performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although lockdown of the industrial and transport sector and stay at home advisories to counter the COVID-19 pandemic have shown that the air quality has improved during this time, very little is known about the role of ambient air pollutants and meteorology in facilitating its transmission. This paper presents the findings from a study that was conducted to evaluate whether air quality index (AQI), three primary pollutants (PM 2.5 , PM 10 and CO), Ground level ozone (O 3) and three meteorological variables (temperature, relative humidity, wind speed) have promoted the COVID-19 transmission in five megacities of India. The results show significant correlation of PM 2.5 , PM 10 , CO, O 3 concentrations, AQI and meteorological parameters with the confirmed cases and deaths during the lockdown period. Among the meteorological variables considered, temperature strongly correlated with the COVID-19 cases and deaths during the lockdown (r = 0.54 ; 0.25) and unlock period (r = 0.66 ; 0.25). Among the pollutants, ozone, and among the meteorological variables, temperature, explained the highest variability, up to 34% and 30% respectively, for COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths. AQI was not a significant parameter for explaining the variations in confirmed and death cases. WS and RH could explain 10–11% and 4–6% variations of COVID-19 cases. A GLM model could explain 74% and 35% variability for confirmed cases and deaths during the lockdown and 66% and 19% variability during the unlock period. The results suggest that meteorological parameters may have promoted the COVID-19 incidences, especially the confirmed cases. Our findings may encourage future studies to explore more about the role of ambient air pollutants and meteorology on transmission of COVID-19 and similar infectious diseases. [Display omitted] • During lockdown for COVID-19, air quality improved in five megacities of India. • PM 2.5 , PM 10 , CO concentration across the megacities reduced during the lockdown. • Delhi and Kolkata experienced rise in O 3 concentration during lockdown. • PM 2.5 , PM 10 , CO, O 3 , AQI and T correlated with COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths. • Temperature explained up to 30% variability for COVID-19 cases during the lockdown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The COVID-19 outbreak poses a global crisis in health care delivery system, including habilitation and rehabilitation services. In this study, we shared our experiences on telerehabilitation services established primarily for students with visual disabilities (SwVD) amidst COVID-19 pandemic and its outputs. Methods: Following the lockdown declared on March 23, 2020, the rehabilitative team of a tertiary eye center in north India received information that many visually challenged students (VCS) were stranded in schools for the blind in Delhi, and feeling with anxiety and panic in absence of teachers. Shortly, the room for vision rehabilitation clinic was set-up for telefacilities. The intended services were explained while disseminating the mobile numbers. A semi-structured questionnaire consisting of closed and open-ended was developed to record COVID-19 knowledge and concerns. Inductive content analysis was used to report the qualitative information. Results: As of June 30, 2020, a total of 492 clients contacted the team, with maximum from Delhi (41.5%), and predominantly males (78.8%). Around 80.3% of callers were VCS with age range of 11 to 30 years. The two most frequently encountered health needs were itching in eyes (36.1%) and headache (29%). Television news was the most used medium among callers to get COVID-19 information. Cough is a less frequently known mode of transmission (28%), similarly handwashing as a less known for prevention (17.2%). Eight concerns were recorded based on qualitative data analysis. Conclusion: Telerehabilitation provides valuable insights and has the potential to address various concerns, uncertainty, anxiety, and fear among VCS during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India implemented one of the world's most stringent lockdowns in response to the COVID-19 crisis. This study examines whether the impacts of the lockdown on employment differed by gender in areas surrounding Delhi. An ongoing monthly employment survey between March 2019 and May 2020 allows for comparison before and after lockdown. Estimates based on random-effects logistic regression models show that for men, the predicted probability of employment declined from 0.88 to 0.57, while for women it fell from 0.34 to 0.22. Women's concentration in self-employment may be one reason why their employment was somewhat protected. However, when looking only at wage workers, the study finds that women experienced greater job losses than men with predicted probability of employment declining by 72 percent for women compared to 40 percent for men. The findings highlight the gendered impacts of macro crises and inform policy considerations through ongoing phases of lockdowns and relaxation. HIGHLIGHTS Ongoing survey data reveals gendered changes in employment before and during India's pandemic lockdown. Results show substantial decline in employment for men and women during the lockdown period. Absolute decline in employment was larger for men than for women. However, broad comparisons mask gender differences in impact on different industries and occupations. Comparing only wage workers, employment decline was far greater for women than for men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was first noticed over Wuhan, China during December 2019. The spreading characteristics of COVID-19 infection from one person to another are resulting in a growing number of infected cases and created massive stresses across the world. The rapid dissemination of COVID-19 infection declares it as a pandemic. In India, till the mid of May 2020, there were around 75,048 confirm with 2440 number of death cases, specifically due to COVID-19. To break the chain of COVID-19, the Government of India had decided to implement the lockdown, first implemented on 23rd March 2020. Some of the significant benefits of lockdown resulted in the reduction in atmospheric pollutants of the cities across the world. The study is based on the fine and coarse particulate matters (PM) data corresponding to before lockdown and during lockdown periods. The efforts were made over Delhi (DEL) and one of the neighbouring cities, i.e. Gurgaon (GW) considering the duration 1st January 2020 to 15th May 2020 to understand the impact of lockdown on the particulate matter, i.e. PM (PM1.0, PM2.5 and PM10). Our investigation shows the decline in PM concentration during the lockdown period. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the rapid increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in DEL, India, and the inhabitants of about 14 million people. The significance of the particulate matter, temperature (°C) and relative humidity (%) on the dispersal of COVID-19 virus and its association to the total number of cases (TC), active cases (AC), recovered cases (RC) and death cases (DC) with special reference to DEL were also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]