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Internal migration is an essential part of regional population change. Driven by various determinants, internal migration has been unequal across time and space. Migration responses to the changes in societal circumstances make it relevant to investigate the spatial and temporal dimension of internal migration in Serbia before and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. The research aims to identify to what extent and in what way the pandemic has changed the magnitude and geographical patterns of internal migration in Serbia. The study is based on additionally processed official statistics on internal migration for the period 2018–2020, from March to December for each year, at the municipal, district (oblast, plural—oblasti), and regional levels. These are aggregate administrative data on usual residence registration by month. The derived data on the net migration rate is cartographically presented using the classification method natural Breaks (Jenks). Spatial dependence was assessed applying the spatial autocorrelation method, based on the Local Moran statistic. The results revealed that the pandemic affected not only the volume of internal migration but also its spatial patterns. The findings present new insights on the role of internal migration in reallocation of population across Serbia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic while underlying the importance of further research to deepen the understanding of internal migration trends upon the COVID-19 outbreak.

Abstract Background Coronaphobia refers to intensified and persistent fears of contracting COVID-19 virus infection. This study aimed to evaluate the newly termed phenomenon, coronaphobia, and address its associated correlates among Egyptian physicians during the outbreak. A cross-sectional study, including a total of 426 Egyptian physicians working during COVID-19 outbreak, was conducted between March 1st and May 1st, 2020. The Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were utilized for assessment of coronaphobia, and comorbid anxiety and depressive symptoms among physicians, respectively during the outbreak. Results Moderate-to-severe symptoms of anxiety and depression were reported by 28% and 30% of physicians, respectively. Physicians experiencing higher levels of coronaphobia were more likely to be females, nonsmokers, having death wishes and/or self-harming thoughts, receiving insufficient training, dissatisfied with their personal protective equipment (PPE), and had colleagues infected with COVID-19 virus infection. Coronaphobia was positively correlated with anxiety (r = 0.59, P < 0.001) and depressive symptoms (r = 0.47, P < 0.001). Conclusions Egyptian physicians experienced higher levels of coronaphobia, anxiety, and depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 outbreak. Yet, frontline physicians did not differ from their second-line counterparts regarding the aforementioned symptoms. Routine mental and physical assessment measures of medical staff should be implemented.

Outbreak of COVID-19 in different countries is an emergency in global public health recently. According to high spread of the newborn virus, airborne transmission potency of SARS-CoV-2 is possible. Until now, there are contradictory results for air evaluation of newborn virus in the contaminated area. We studied SARS-CoV-2 in the patient room of a hospital by two air sampling strategies. Filtration method and liquid impaction sampling were used simultaneously to assess SARS-CoV-2 in air. Indoor air of seven stations in three hospital wards was evaluated according to glass midget impinger and polytetrafluoroethylene filter. RNA of SARS-CoV-2 was evaluated by real time reverse transcription-PCR. Studied rooms were contaminated by eleven confirmed patients and four suspected cases. Our results show polytetrafluoroethylene filtration and DMEM impaction could not determine the viral concentration in the air samples. The concentration of SARS-CoV-2 in air samples is a trace in the studied stations. In conclusion, sampling strategy is a challenge for newborn virus due to the level of SARS-CoV-2 virus in the air. A trace level of SARS-CoV-2 in the contaminated area could be highlighted higher pathogenicity properties, not disapproval of airborne properties. However, more studies should be performed to characterize new properties of SARS-CoV-2 in the contaminated air.

The re-emerging outbreak of COVID-19 in Beijing, China, in the summer of 2020 originated from a SARS-CoV-2-infested wholesale food supermarket. We postulated that the Xinfadi market outbreak has links with food-trade activities. Our Susceptible to the disease, Infectious, and Recovered coupled Agent Based Modelling (SIR-ABM) analysis for studying the diffusion of SARS-CoV-2 particles suggested that the trade-distancing strategy effectively reduces the reproduction number (R0). The retail shop closure strategy reduced the number of visitors to the market by nearly half. In addition, the buy-local policy option reduced the infection by more than 70% in total. Therefore, retail closures and buy-local policies could serve as significantly effective strategies that have the potential to reduce the size of the outbreak and prevent probable outbreaks in the future.

Background: Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak negatively impacted on the mental wellbeing of infertile couples, because of the World Health Organization’s recommendation to stop all fertility treatments. This study aims to investigate the level of depression and hopelessness during the COVID-19 outbreak, in women with primary and secondary infertility. Methods: A 16-item online questionnaire was applied to a total of 220 women with primary and secondary infertility in June 2020. Participants’ knowledge and concerns about COVID-19 pandemic stop of treatments and follow-up preferences were evaluated. In addition, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) were adapted to Turkish and applied to each participant. Total scores of inventories between women were calculated. The correlation between depression and hopelessness levels of the groups was evaluated. Results: The BDI and BHS mean scores of 220 infertile women who completed our questionnaire were 14.63 ± 9.123 and 5.43 ± 5.026 and Cronbach’s α-values were 0.853 and 0.904, respectively. It was found that 142 women with secondary infertility had higher mean depression and hopelessness scores (15.92 ± 9.758, 11.81 ± 6.501; P = 0.001) VS 78 women with primary infertility (6.51 ± 5.262, 3.78 ± 3.670; P = 0.000). A strong positive correlation was detected between depression and hopelessness levels for each group (r = 0.625, P = 0.000 and r = 0.740, P = 0.000). Conclusions: Total depression and hopelessness scores of both groups were in a strong positive correlation with primary and secondary infertility during the COVID-19 outbreak. Particularly, women with secondary infertility had mild depression and low levels of hopelessness.

Abstract Background Hospitals and healthcare institutions should be observant of the ever-changing environment and be adaptive to learning practices. By adopting the steps and other components of organizational learning, healthcare institutions can convert themselves into learning organizations and ultimately strengthen the overall healthcare system of the country. The present study aimed to examine the influence of several organizational learning dimensions on organization culture in healthcare settings during the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods During COVID-19 crisis in 2020, an online cross-sectional study was performed. Data were collected via official emails sent to 1500 healthcare professionals working in front line at four sets of hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Basic descriptive analysis was constructed to identify the variation between the four healthcare organizations. A multiple regression was employed to explore how hospitals can adopt learning process during pandemics, incorporating several Dimensions of Learning Organizations Questionnaire (DLOQ) developed by Marsick and Watkins (2003) and Leufvén and others (2015). Results Organizational learning including system connections (M = 3.745), embedded systems (M = 3.732), and team work and collaborations (M = 3.724) tended to have major significant relationships with building effective learning organization culture. Staff empowerment, dialogues and inquiry, internal learning culture, and continuous learning had the lowest effect on building health organization culture (M = 3.680, M = 3.3.679, M = 3.673, M = 3.663, respectively). A multiple linear regression was run to predict learning organization based on the several variables. These variables statistically significantly predicted learning organization, F (6, 1124) = 168.730, p

The COVID-19 crisis has considerably changed the educational landscape and resulted in a scientific debate on the efficacy and prospects of online education. Recent research is focused on analyzing the psychological and instructional difficulties faced by both educators and learners during emergency remote teaching (ERT). However, a limited number of studies tends to present a holistic instructional framework that could benefit educators in situations of a similar educational crisis. This study aims at identifying psychological and pedagogical implications for instructional framework design in situations of abrupt transition to online learning. Employing a qualitative approach, this study is based on the dataset collected from 152 students obtaining bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social sciences. This dataset was analyzed and interpreted by means of descriptive statistics. The findings helped to identify students’ perceptions of ERT, core difficulties, and preferences which underlay the conceptualization of the instructional framework adjustable for ERT. The presented instructional considerations could contribute to the effective design of technology-assisted courses in the context of higher education.

This correlational study investigated the mediation of emotion regulation and self-compassion in the relationship between teacher need satisfaction/frustration and adoption of (de)motivating styles before and during the COVID-19. Two groups of Italian teachers tested in 2019 (n = 259) and 2020 (n = 233) completed a series of questionnaires. In both times, need satisfaction was positively associated with adoption of motivating styles (bright path), whereas need frustration was associated with demotivating styles (dark path). Before, emotion reappraisal mediated this relationship, whereas self-compassion was the mediating factor during the lockdowns, suggesting that coping mechanisms can differ in stressful circumstances. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. • Teacher need satisfaction related with adoption of motivating styles. • Teacher need frustration was associated with adoption of demotivating styles. • Before the pandemic emotional reappraisal mediated the relationship. • During the lockdowns self-compassion was the mediating factor. • Coping and adaptation differ in stressful vs not stressful contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cruise ship sector is a major part of the tourism industry, and an estimated over 30 million passengers are transformed worldwide each year. Cruise ships bring diverse populations into proximity for many days, facilitating the transmission of respiratory illnesses. The objective of this study is to develop a modeling framework to inform the development of viable disease risk management policies and measures to control disease outbreaks on cruises. Our model, parameterized and calibrated using the data of the COVID-19 outbreak on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in 2020, is used to assess the impact of the mitigation measures such as mask wearing, vaccination, on-board and pre-traveling testing measures. Our results indicate mask wearing in public places as the cheapest and most affordable measure can drop the number of cumulative confirmed cases by almost 50%. This measure along with the vaccination by declining the number of the cumulative confirmed cases by more than 94% is the most effective measure to control outbreaks on cruises. According to our findings, outbreaks are more predominant in the passenger population than the crew members, however, the protection measures are more beneficial if they are applied by both crew members and passengers. Regarding the testing measure, pre-traveling testing is more functional than the on-board testing to control outbreaks on cruises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 outbreak has had a huge impact on people's lives, families and communities after it was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. The success or failure of governments in the fight against the global COVID-19 epidemic is discussed from different perspectives. Considering the results obtained through these discussions, it is seen that the determining dynamics of the success of crisis management are strong state capacity and implemented government policies. The purpose of this study is to examine Turkey's struggle and implementation of government policies in the first period of deadly Covid-19 pandemic occurred in December of 2019 in China and spread on a global level in a short time March 11th-June 1) in the terms of crisis management perspective. As a result, it has been observed that three important factors stand out in Turkey's successful management of the crisis. The first is the immunity of the country against crises due to the state and government facing many crises in the last 10 years. Second, it would be given special importance to the health sector and the health sector is one of Turkey's leading countries in the world have facilitated the struggle of Turkey's crisis. Thirdly, the change in the political system with the transition to the Presidential Government system facilitated the effective and rapid decision-making of the state in this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Patients on maintenance haemodialysis (HD) have an increased risk of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and a reduced response to vaccines. Data are needed to identify immune correlates of protection in this population. Methods Following a COVID-19 outbreak among vaccinated patients in a HD unit, clinical data and serological response to BNT162b2 vaccine were retrospectively recorded. Results Among 53 patients present in the dialysis room, 14 were infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) alpha variant (COVID_Pos) and 39 were not. Compared with uninfected patients, COVID_Pos patients more frequently had additional causes of immunosuppression (50% versus 21%; P  = .046) and were more often scheduled on the Monday–Wednesday–Friday (MWF) shift (86% versus 39%; P  = .002). Moreover, COVID_Pos had lower anti-spike (S) immunoglobulin G (IgG) titres than uninfected patients {median 24 BAU/mL [interquartile range (IQR) 3–1163] versus 435 [99–2555]; P  = .001} and lower neutralization titres [median 108 (IQR 17–224) versus 2483 (481–43 908); P  = .007]. Anti-S and neutralization antibody titres are correlated (r  = 0.92, P  < .001). In multivariable analysis, an MWF schedule {odds ratio [OR] 10.74 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.9–93.5], P  = .014} and anti-S IgG titres 1 month before the outbreak [<205 BAU/mL: OR 0.046 (95% CI 0.002–0.29), P  = .006] were independently associated with COVID-19 infection. None of the patients with anti-S IgG >284 BAU/mL got infected. Ten of 14 COVID_Pos patients were treated with casirivimab and imdevimab. No patient developed severe disease. Conclusions Anti-S IgG titre measured prior to exposure correlates to protection from SARS-CoV-2 infection in HD patients. BNT162b2 vaccination alone or in combination with monoclonal antibodies prevented severe COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Pamukkale University Journal of Business Research / Pamukkale Üniversitesi İşletme Araştırmaları Dergisi is the property of Pamukkale University Journal of Business Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of International Anatolian Journal of Social Sciences / Uluslararasi Anadolu Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi is the property of Uluslararasi Anadolu Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Hitit Journal of Social Sciences is the property of Hitit University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

With the outbreak of COVID-19 in spring 2020, small, medium, and large companies were forced to cope with the unexpected circumstances. Faced by this health emergency, it was necessary to ensure that staff remained motivated and that they could continue to carry out their duties despite the obstacles. The main goal of this exploratory research was to characterize employees who teleworked and who did not, and their motivation during the lockdown. A total of 11,779 workers from different-sized companies in various sectors answered an ad hoc questionnaire. By using non-parametric comparisons and Classification and Regression Trees (CRTs), the results show differences in both the assessment of strategies put into practice by the companies and the level of motivation of teleworkers and non-teleworkers, with the latter being more highly motivated. Nonetheless, teleworkers assessed their companies' strategies and the role of their managers and colleagues more positively. This research helps to understand how different sectors have dealt with the crisis, according to the degree of teleworking implemented in each sector, and to what extent the motivation of the employees has been affected. The analysis of the large amount of data obtained confirms the importance of the role of managers in sustaining the motivation of their subordinates in times of crisis. In this sense, it is necessary to develop managers' competencies in order to develop and maintain relations of trust and support with their coworkers. On the other hand, it is necessary to foster employees' sense of meaningfulness and responsibility at work in order to keep them motivated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate impact of Yoga and Music Intervention on anxiety, stress, and depression levels of health care workers during the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: This study was conducted to assess psychological responses of 240 healthcare workers during COVID-19 outbreak. We used Yoga and Music Intervention in normal and abnormal subjects based on Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-42 (DASS-42). Results: Of all 209 participants, 105 (50.23%) had symptoms of depression (35.88%), anxiety (40.19), and stress (34.92%) alone or in combination. The data suggest that there is significant improvement in test scores after intervention. Majority of persons with abnormal score exhibited improved DASS-42 score on combined interventions of Yoga and music compared to control group. Even subjects without abnormalities on DASS-42 score also showed improved DASS-42 scores in intervention (n = 52) group compared to nonintervention (n = 52) group. Conclusions: Our findings highlighted the significance of easily available, simple, inexpensive, safe nonpharmacological interventions like Yoga and Music therapy to overcome stress, anxiety, and depression in present times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the last few years, several studies confirmed the effectiveness of music therapy (MT) for the rehabilitative management of patients with neurological disorders.Aim: Here we discuss the feasibility and disadvantages of tele-neurological MT (tele-NMT) compared to the traditional MT programmes.Methods: We selected all the articles registered in the Web of Knowledge, PubMed, Google Scholar and ScienceDirect from March 2020 to November 2021 concerning tele-NMT during the COVID-19 outbreak, collecting same examples and experiences.Results: With the advent of the COVID-19, several music-based interventions (MBIs) have been adapted from "in person" to a "remote and virtual" mode (through the telemedicine).Discussion: Tele-NMT could represent a promising option to provide constant care and support to people with neurological diseases during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mental and physical health of the world population. This study aims to investigate incidence of sleep-related difficulties and post-traumatic stress disorder in the school-aged children after 1 year of the pandemic. Methods: A sample of Italian children (6-12 years) was queried about their sleep behaviors after 1 year of the pandemic, answering the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ). We also evaluated trauma symptoms with the Children's Impact of Event Scale (CRIES-8). Results: Among 205 participants, 184 (89.8%) presented sleep-related difficulties. Out of all, 99 (48.3%) had a high risk to develop post-traumatic stress disorder. Ninety-five (51.6%) children with sleep-related difficulties also presented an abnormal CRIES-8 total score. A correlation was found between the CSHQ total score and the CRIES-8 total score (r = 0.354, P <.01). Conclusions: The sleep-related difficulties occurring during COVID-19 outbreak may compound to increase the risk to develop post-traumatic stress disorder among Italian children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital learning, social contact and COVID-19 outbreak are three different phrases have been often heard, read or spoken about since 2020. Undoubtedly, these phrases have brought fear of uncertainty, but also hope to find a new perspective to keep life matters on-going including learning in general, and language acquisition in particular. In order to find the impact of virtual learning and social contact on second language acquisition, a total of 389 second language university students have either online surveyed or been interviewed to validate the results and avoid any misleading. After analyzing the data, results revealed that virtual learning has given the learner a chance to develop understanding of different aspects of learning a second language. Flexibility, free-learning, and richness of knowledge source are positive aspects of virtual learning. Likewise, social contact has an essential role in deepen the understanding of contextual use, semantics and lexis, and other aspects of second language acquisition. Interestingly, both social and virtual aspects of learning motivate the learner to reach language mastery. Therefore, the findings urge the use of virtual learning regarding social contact in developing linguistic skills in second language acquisition. Further insights are recommended to enrich the future research in this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The even swaps method considering the trade-offs between criteria is an effective multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) method; nevertheless, when implementing it, decision makers are subjected to heavy psychological burdens. The prospect theory can model the psychological characteristics of decision makers to relieve the psychological burdens of decision makers. Thus, it is effective to incorporate the prospect theory into the even swaps method so as to lighten the psychological burdens of decision makers in the even swaps method. Given that the HFLTS is a useful tool to express complex and complete evaluation information, this study aims to propose an even swaps method based on the prospect theory with hesitant fuzzy linguistic term sets (HFLTSs). To catch this goal, in the even swaps method, the value function of the prospect theory is used to measure the utility changes in the trade-offs between criteria. Then, the swapped values used to rank alternatives under the measuring stick criterion are calculated based on the operations of HFLTSs. A case study about the selection of emergency logistics plans under the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak demonstrates the feasibility of the proposed method. The sensitivity analysis and comparative analysis illustrate the reliability and stability of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected public health and wellbeing. In response to the pandemic threat of the coronavirus epidemic, several countries, including China, adopted lockdown and quarantine policies, which may cause psychological distress. This study aimed to explore the psychological impact of province-wide lockdown and personal quarantine during the COVID-19 outbreak in China as well as the corresponding risk factors and protective factors. Methods: We examined the immediate (2-week) and delayed (2-month) impact of province-wide lockdown and personal quarantine on psychological distress in a national sample of 1390 Chinese residents. Results: No immediate impact of province-wide lockdown on psychological distress was observed, whereas personal quarantine increased individuals' anxiety, fear, and anger. Despite the lack of initial association, psychological distress increased among those in province-wide lockdown. Self-stigma and personal control both significantly moderated the association between lockdown and psychological distress, but in different directions. Those with higher self-stigma and lower personal control were more impacted by the lockdown. Government support moderated the impact of quarantine on psychological distress, but not that of lockdown. Conclusions: The delayed effects of lockdown and quarantine on psychological distress were observed, and self-stigma, social support, and perceived control moderate the relationships. This study is the first to demonstrate the psychological costs of province-wide lockdowns on individuals' mental health, providing evidence of the need for mitigation strategies and timely public mental health preparedness in countries with recent outbreaks of COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internal migration is an essential part of regional population change. Driven by various determinants, internal migration has been unequal across time and space. Migration responses to the changes in societal circumstances make it relevant to investigate the spatial and temporal dimension of internal migration in Serbia before and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. The research aims to identify to what extent and in what way the pandemic has changed the magnitude and geographical patterns of internal migration in Serbia. The study is based on additionally processed official statistics on internal migration for the period 2018--2020, from March to December for each year, at the municipal, district (oblast, plural--oblasti), and regional levels. These are aggregate administrative data on usual residence registration by month. The derived data on the net migration rate is cartographically presented using the classification method natural Breaks (Jenks). Spatial dependence was assessed applying the spatial autocorrelation method, based on the Local Moran statistic. The results revealed that the pandemic affected not only the volume of internal migration but also its spatial patterns. The findings present new insights on the role of internal migration in reallocation of population across Serbia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic while underlying the importance of further research to deepen the understanding of internal migration trends upon the COVID-19 outbreak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: All countries of the world caught unprepared for the COVID-19 pandemic. Nurses struggling with the global pandemic of COVID-19, work on the frontline to heal patients while facing various risks themselves. Aim: This study addressed this gap by identifying nursing staff solution proposals and problems related to working conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey. Methodology: Qualitative research design was used to identify the experiences of nurses. This study was conducted with 17 nurses working in COVID-19 services. The research data were collected from May to June 2020 using the "In-Depth Interview" method. Nurses' interview reports were analyzed using content analysis. Results: After the content analysis of the data, 4 main themes and 15 sub-themes were determined. The main themes determined are "journey into the unknown", "we learned through experiences", "two sides of life" and "recommendations for the future". It has been determined that nurses are at the forefront of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic and experience both positive and negative emotions together. Conclusion: It has been determined that nurses experience both positive and negative emotions together during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings showed that nurses realize the power of unity and the nursing profession in this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is recognized regarding teachers' beliefs about teaching with the appropriate framework integrating technology into language instruction, particularly during the COVID-19 outbreak. TPACK is a framework for apprehending knowledge domains required by EFL teachers nowadays. The preliminary study indicated that among the four English skills taught to middle school students, teaching writing was the most challenging. Therefore, it is essential to understand more about teachers' beliefs regarding the practice of the TPACK framework in teaching writing. For that reason, This study aimed to (1) explore teachers' beliefs about the TPACK framework and (2) analyze classroom practices in teaching writing. This case study examined three teachers from different senior high schools in Indonesia of their beliefs about teaching writing with the TPACK framework and their classroom practices. A semi-structured interview was administered to explore their beliefs, while classroom observations focused on their classroom practices. The results demonstrated similarities and differences among teachers' beliefs about learning objectives, teacher's role, and assessment, while in classroom procedure and instructional material, teachers shared identical beliefs. Indeed, there was a majority of consistency between teachers' beliefs and classroom practices of teaching writing with the TPACK framework. Despite its paramount consistency between teachers' beliefs and classroom practices, the presence of the government to educate teachers is urgently needed, which can be in the form of virtual TPACK training. Then, this study may provide references for teaching writing with the TPACK framework that can adequately be applied during the COVID-19 outbreak and new normal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Travel & Hospitality Management / Seyahat ve Otel İşletmeciliği Dergisi is the property of SIMEDYA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Annali di Igiene, Medicina Preventiva e di Comunità is the property of Societa Editrice Universo s.r.l. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Covid-19 pandemic forced Islamic banking in Oman to slow down and to change strategies adapting to the current situation. The Covid-19 outbreak has raised various challenges for Islamic banking. In order to maintain the sustainable growth of the industry, stakeholders of Islamic banking should strive collectively to solve these challenges. Nevertheless, Islamic banking was able to maintain and manage capital and liquidity buffers. The growth for 2021 is expected to remain stable for at least a single-digit growth. However, there would be asset-quality and profitability pressure for Islamic banks within the Sultanate of Oman. This paper highlights the performance of Islamic banking in Oman amid the Covid-19 outbreak. This paper demonstrates that the industry merely recorded a single-digit growth compared to the last seven years at double-digit growth due to the pandemic. The paper further delineates on the prospects and challenges of Islamic Banks Entities (IBEs). It also suggests some practical solutions for survival. This paper contributes to providing an alluded picture of the current conditions and situation of Islamic banks in Oman as well as insights to deal with the challenges to enhancing the banking performances during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Abstract Background The Pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has critically impacted the spread of infection within nursing facilities. We evaluated the usefulness of genetic and serological tests conducted during a COVID-19 outbreak in a nursing facility in Japan. Methods After the first identification of SARS-CoV-2 infection, a comprehensive, facility- and/or unit-wide PCR testing from nasopharyngeal swabs was repeatedly performed in a three-unit facility including 99 residents with dementia and 53 healthcare personnel. Additionally, PCR testing was conducted separately for residents and staff with fever of ≥37.5 °C. Facility-wide serological testing, including rapid kit testing and quantitative assay, was conducted twice over 1 month apart. Results A total of 322 PCR and 257 antibody tests were performed. 37 (24.3%) of the 152 individuals (25/99 residents, 25.3%; 12/53 staff, 22.6%) were identified as PCR-positive. Seven residents died with a mortality of 7.1% (7/99). Among the 37 individuals, 10 (27.0%) were asymptomatic at the time of testing. PCR positivity was concentrated on one unit (Unit 1) (20/30 residents, 66.7%; 9/14 staff, 64.3%). The other units showed a limited spread of infection. In unit-wide and separate tests, PCR positivity detection was highly prevalent (22.9 and 44.4%, respectively) in Unit 1, compared with that in the other units. Serological testing identified two additional infected residents with a negative PCR result and showed that no staff was newly identified as infected. Conclusions Thorough PCR testing, in combination with comprehensive and separate tests, is critical for managing COVID-19 outbreaks in nursing facilities, particularly, in units considered an epicenter. Serological testing is also beneficial for tracing contacts, confirming the number of infected individuals, and authorizing the termination of the outbreak.

Abstract The aim of this study is to examine the extreme return spillovers among the US stock market sectors in the light of the COVID-19 outbreak. To this end, we extend the now-traditional Diebold-Yilmaz spillover index to the quantiles domain by building networks of generalized forecast error variance decomposition of a quantile vector autoregressive model specifically for extreme returns. Notably, we control for common movements by using the overall stock market index as a common factor for all sectors and uncover the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on the dynamics of the network. The results show that the network structure and spillovers differ considerably with respect to the market state. During stable times, the network shows a nice sectoral clustering structure which, however, changes dramatically for both adverse and beneficial market conditions constituting a highly connected network structure. The pandemic period itself shows an interesting restructuring of the network as the dominant clusters become more tightly connected while the rest of the network remains well separated. The sectoral topology thus has not collapsed into a unified market during the pandemic.

After the analysis and forecast of COVID-19 spreading in China, Italy, and France the WHO has declared the COVID-19 a pandemic. There are around 100 research groups across the world trying to develop a vaccine for this coronavirus. Therefore, the quantitative and qualitative analysis of the COVID–19 pandemic is needed along with the effect of rapid test infection identification on controlling the spread of COVID-19. Mathematical models with computational simulations are the effective tools that help global efforts to estimate key transmission parameters and further improvements for controlling this disease. This is an infectious disease and can be modeled as a system of non-linear differential equations with reaction rates. In this paper, we develop the models for coronavirus disease at different stages with the addition of more parameters due to interactions among the individuals. Then, some key computational simulations and sensitivity analysis are investigated. Further, the local sensitivities for each model state concerning the model parameters are computed using the model reduction techniques: the dynamical models are eventually changed with the change of parameters are represented graphically.