COVID-19 Outbreak Research Articles

Managing the largest school-based COVID-19 outbreak: insights and mitigation strategies

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has significantly impacted educational environments due to their role in community transmission. Early reports indicated low transmission rates in schools, but subsequent studies showed variability, including significant outbreaks like the one in Israel. This study investigates a large COVID-19 outbreak in a boarding school in Brazil, analyzing transmission dynamics and the effectiveness of control measures such as mass testing and isolation. A total of 291 individuals from the school community were tested, revealing an overall infection rate of 64.6%. Initial cases were identified through antigen testing, followed by extensive RT-qPCR testing. Mass testing and timely isolation of infected individuals significantly reduced transmission rates. Whole-genome sequencing was performed on seven positive samples, and environmental contamination was confirmed, with 11 of 35 surface samples testing positive for SARS-CoV-2. The outbreak was controlled within 30 days through rigorous testing, isolation, and environmental disinfection. The study emphasizes the importance of mass testing, including asymptomatic individuals, and highlights the role of environmental contamination in transmission. The findings contribute to understanding COVID-19 outbreaks in educational settings and provide practical insights into managing future outbreaks through comprehensive testing and control strategies. These results may guide policymakers and public health officials in improving pandemic response measures in similar environments.

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Value Relevance of Customer Satisfaction

This study examines the impact of COVID-19 on customer satisfaction and the value relevance of customer satisfaction. COVID-19 is an unprecedented pandemic that has changed all areas of business. Customer relations are one of the biggest paradigm shifts of this period. Companies have placed more attention on customer relations than on any other areas, and customer relations are an essential element in corporate sustainability. The value relevance directly represents the sustainability of corporations. It is very important for firms to retain their customers in the market, create a potential demand, and, thus, increase the firm value. We investigate whether companies financially benefit from customer relations. Employing the value relevance model, we regress firm value on the customer satisfaction scores with other control variables. We find that the customer satisfaction score has increased throughout the sample period, and that the value relevance of customer satisfaction has declined after the COVID-19 outbreak. Together, we interpret the results as indicating the impact of COVID-19 on the value relevance of customer satisfaction, especially the decreasing trends in value relevance. The results are robust even after controlling endogeneity and outliers. This study has several implications for practitioners and academia regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the value relevance of customer satisfaction.

Shoprite Holdings LtdCase Study: Challenges for Expansion in Africa

This study investigates the obstacles faced by the African expansion efforts of Shoprite Holdings Ltd., a South African retailer. Shoprite pursued mergers and acquisitions within its native country but established wholly owned subsidiaries as its preferred entry route for expanding into other African states. As a result, Shoprite significantly increased its operations by expanding to 16 nations by 2020. However, Shoprite currently focuses its operation in ten countries, exclusively in southern African countries and its home country. This study seeks to comprehend the reasons behind Shoprite's rapid withdrawal from multiple African countries and shed insight into the challenges of conducting business in Africa's demanding business climate. The analysis revealed a combination of economic variables, such as reduced purchasing power of customers, currency volatility, increased operational costs, and the economic shocks caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. Additionally, high customer preference for informal markets and social factors were also identified. The findings indicate that Shoprite should prioritize strategic location selection, adopt a lower entry mode, and consider the potential for developing e-commerce as feasible measures. The report proposes that African retail businesses should comprehend the intricacies of the African market and employ strategies for international expansion, entrance techniques, and the significance of adjusting operations to local conditions and regulatory environments. These discussions offer insights to organizations considering international expansion, seeking to mitigate risks, and aiming to optimize their market entry strategy in various locations, specifically Africa.

Fourth COVID anniversary: does our practice have changed? The case of ENT outpatient consultations in Cameroon — a national cross-sectional survey

BackgroundIn Cameroon, the COVID-19 disease has demonstrated shortcomings in preventing nosocomial infections at both collective and individual levels. This study aimed to identify practice changes in ENT outpatient consultations in Cameroon inducted by the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThis was a descriptive cross-sectional study that took place in March 2024. A Google Form was submitted to ENT practitioners online across Cameroon. It consisted of 20 questions grouped into socio-professional and clinical data.ResultsSixty-four practitioners responded to the questionnaire. The average age of respondents was 36, with extremes of 31 and 70. The sex ratio was 0.35 in favor of women. In terms of experience, 47.7% had been practicing for less than 10 years. A total of 91.3% practiced in public health facilities. Before the COVID-19 outbreak, attitudes towards respiratory diseases were as follows: wearing of masks by suspected patients (4.3%), information posters in waiting rooms (13%), constant use of disinfectant gel (26.1%), wearing of masks by practitioners (0%), wearing of gloves (54.5%), wearing of gowns (87%), constant hand hygiene after each consultation (26.1%), and regular surface hygiene (30.4%). All precautions were improved after 4 years of the pandemic except wearing eye protection.ConclusionENT practice has been strongly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and many measures still need to be taken to improve infection control in hospitals in Cameroon.

“Stuck in, Can’t Come Out”: Physical Distancing and YouTube Spaces for LGBTQ Adolescents’ Wellbeing

The pandemic has led to physical distancing measures put in place to minimize the spread of COVID-19, leading schools and community centers to close their physical locations. For many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals living with their family, their home can be considered harmful and unsupportive due to their family’s rejection towards LGBTQ identity. LGBTQ YouTubers can be a unique avenue to understand how they can use their social media presence to act as an online supportive system that parallel traditional offline supportive systems during the pandemic where offline supportive spaces are limited. The purpose of the study is to analyze online video platforms (ie. YouTube) and whether LGBTQ YouTubers can act as support systems for their LGBTQ community during the pandemic through video content creation. Four LGBTQ YouTubers that have created videos related to the COVID-19 outbreak were chosen and their video comments (NVideo1 = 147; NVideo2 = 195; NVideo3 = 238; NVideo4 = 79) were analyzed through content analysis. Results revealed the following categories: 1) Community support and engagement between the community and the YouTuber, 2) diverse coping strategies as a result of COVID-19, 3) community’s emotional experiences surrounding COVID-19, 4) community members’ use of diverse support types, 5) YouTuber authenticity and relatability to community, and 6) intersectional identity (e.g., disability, ethnicity) experiences. Emerging themes suggest LGBTQ YouTubers can be informal online social support systems that can parallel the physical connections and support lost due to COVID-19.

One Step Forward, How Many Steps Back? Benchmarking the US Covid-19 Pandemic Response Against United Nations Sustainable Development Target 3.3

In 2015, the United Nations adopted 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs), mapping out specific targets to work toward in order to achieve worldwide peace and prosperity. SDG 3 promotes healthy living, while target 3.3 strives to end epidemics of various infectious diseases. In this project, I examine how the Covid-19 outbreak impacted the US’s progress toward SDG target 3.3, analyzing both academic literature and government documents in the form of a literature review. I discuss trends and flaws in the US pandemic response, briefly contrasting US containment measures with Singapore’s, before examining the pandemic’s effects on incidence rates and service outcomes for two communicable diseases — tuberculosis and HIV. Although a lack of internal and external coordination, the federalist structure of the US government, inflexible funding, and politicization of infectious disease control prevented the CDC from responding to the pandemic effectively, tuberculosis incidence rates dropped in 2020 due to less face-to-face contact and possible missed diagnoses, while HIV services experienced a rebound in late 2020 due to self test, telehealth, and antiretroviral therapy home delivery services. While Covid-19 did not dismantle the US’s progress toward UN SDG target 3.3, greater communication, deeper public understanding, and an ability to expect the unexpected would accelerate the US’s movement toward effective management of communicable diseases.

Human behavior-based COVID-19 transmission in two dining spaces

Since December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly disseminated globally, posing significant threats to the world. The dining spaces are high-risk indoor environments for the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, posing challenges for intervention and control. This study, based on surveillance videos from two COVID-19 outbreak cases in restaurants, obtained real data on human behaviors of close contact and surface touch. A respiratory infectious disease transmission model was developed, incorporating four transmission routes: short-range airborne, long-range airborne, fomite and large droplet. The results indicate that diners and staff spent 21.9 %−28.7 % and 17.5 %−27.8 % of their time on speaking, respectively, while spending 85.9 %−90.7 % and 83.4 %−87.6 % of their time on surface touching. The primary transmission routes were short-range (contributing 5.8 %−70.9 %) and long-range airborne (contributing 28.4 %−93.0 %), with fomite and large droplet routes contributing less than 12.0 %. Staff-only mask wearing reduced infection risk by 12.8 %−31.8 %. It is recommended that mandatory mask wearing for staff is necessary, while diners should wear masks as much as possible, and that the equivalent ventilation rate of clean fresh air is suggested to 30.0 m3/ (h·person). This study provides a scientific support to make non-pharmaceutical interventions in dinning spaces.

A cross-sectional survey on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychological well-being and quality of life in people with spinal cord injury

BackgroundSARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) has disrupted lives worldwide, affecting individuals from all walks of life. Individuals who have a spinal cord injury (SCI) are also affected by this phenomenon. This survey compares the quality of life (QOL), depression, and anxiety of SCI patients before and during COVID-19 in Wuhan City, China.MethodsA cross-sectional survey utilized an online questionnaire to assess the QOL, levels of anxiety, and depression among 189 SCI patients admitted to Wuhan Tongji Hospital during pandemic from November 2020 to April 2021. Data before COVID-19 outbreak from November to December 2019 was retrieved from hospital records with the same assessment previously performed in-person or during a follow up visit. However, some participants were excluded for various reasons, such as declining to participate, not being admitted to a rehabilitation program due to the pandemic, or being under 18 years old. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) QOL-Brief Version (BREF) and disability (DIS) modules, which focus on disability-related QOL, were used to assess the participants’ QOL.ResultsSCI patients had lower QOL scores during the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic times. Mean scores on the 12-item DIS module significantly differed before and during the COVID-19 period. Participants showed higher adherence to self-isolation and quarantine measures for high-risk encounters (64.94%), but lower compliance with home disinfection and proper rest practices (23.38%).ConclusionsThe COVID-19 pandemic has had a detrimental effect on the QOL of SCI patients in China, highlighting the urgent requirement for telehealth-based rehabilitation to mitigate its impact. It is crucial to provide essential.

Immunothrombosis: A bibliometric analysis from 2003 to 2023.

Immunothrombosis is a physiological process that constitutes an intravascular innate immune response. Abnormal immunothrombosis can lead to thrombotic disorders. With the outbreak of COVID-19, there is increasing attention to the mechanisms of immunothrombosis and its critical role in thrombotic events, and a growing number of relevant research papers are emerging. This article employs bibliometrics to discuss the current status, hotspots, and trends in research of this field. Research papers relevant to immunothrombosis published from January 1, 2003, to May 29, 2023, were collected from the Web of Science Core Collection database. VOSviewer and the R package "Bibliometrix" were employed to analyze publication metrics, including the number of publications, authors, countries, institutions, journals, and keywords. The analysis generated visual results, and trends in research topics and hotspots were examined. A total of 495 target papers were identified, originating from 58 countries and involving 3287 authors from 1011 research institutions. Eighty high-frequency keywords were classified into 5 clusters. The current key research topics in the field of immunothrombosis include platelets, inflammation, neutrophil extracellular traps, Von Willebrand factor, and the complement system. Research hotspots focus on the mechanisms and manifestations of immunothrombosis in COVID-19, as well as the discovery of novel treatment strategies targeting immunothrombosis in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Bibliometric analysis summarizes the main achievements and development trends in research on immunothrombosis, offering readers a comprehensive understanding of the field and guiding future research directions.

Examining the Status Quo Bias for the Recent Global Economic Crisis: The Case of Türkiye

The objective of this paper is to investigate the "status quo bias,” which is a key concept in behavioral economics, using macroeconomic data from the recent economic crisis in Türkiye. The current global economic situation provides a favorable opportunity to analyze this idea, as there are abundant and relevant inputs for this type of study. Specifically, this paper analyzes the nexus between consumption and income before and after the economic crisis that triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic in Türkiye, with the aim of examining the "status quo bias” by employing ARDL Bounds Test. The analysis findings support that Türkiye has exhibited status quo bias for the period from 2013 to 2022. This research fills a gap in the literature by presenting evidence that Türkiye, a country that has been overlooked in the field of behavioral economics, exhibits the status quo bias in the context of recent economic crisis triggered by the Covid-19 outbreak.

Applications of robot-assisted UV disinfection in dentistry.

Maintaining a microbial-free environment in healthcare facilities is more widely recognized as an essential component of therapies to minimize transmission of viruses associated with healthcare sector. The global spread of COVID-19 and recent outbreaks have presented humanity with previously unheard-of challenges. The development of autonomous disinfection robots seems to be necessary given the urgent need for constant sterilization in the face of a labor shortage. Due to their automated and perceived cost advantages by eliminating cleaning staff, these robots are being advertised more and more as an easy solution to immediately disinfect rooms and operating areas. The use of these services lowers the danger of infection, and expense of traditional cleaning and, most significantly, builds trust and security in medical facilities. Currently, routine (manual) cleaning is not replaced by disinfection robots; rather, they may support it. Additional hospital and device design alterations are necessary to address the overshadowing (visibility) issue allowing Ultraviolet disinfectant (UV-D) robots move freely in the medical environment. More technical developments and clinical studies in a variety of hospitals are needed to overcome the current challenges and find ways to integrate this unique technology into hospitals now and in the future. Thus, we present a review that includes detailing all elements required for it to function, as well as both its advantages and disadvantages. To the best of our knowledge, very limited studies have collected an in- depth data on the sterilization effect using a disinfection robot in the field of dentistry. We believe that this data will work as a foundation in more advanced uses at diverse sites that require disinfection and will highlight unsolved challenges and potential research avenues for UV robot operational concerns in dental hospitals. The goal of this work is to offer a comprehensive manual for UV-D robots covering pertinent information on traditional Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) system along with advancements in UV-D robots and thereby focusing on in-depth application in medical and dental facilities.

Correction: Muniyappan et al. Stability and Numerical Solutions of Second Wave Mathematical Modeling on COVID-19 and Omicron Outbreak Strategy of Pandemic: Analytical and Error Analysis of Approximate Series Solutions by Using HPM. Mathematics 2022, 10, 343

In the original publication [...]

The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on profitability performance and maqashid sharia performance in Islamic commercial banks in the ASEAN region

The outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020 has caused a crisis in various sectors, including the economic sector. In fact, its impact on the performance of Islamic banks in the ASEAN region is currently still unknown. Therefore, this study aims to obtain empirical evidence regarding the effect of COVID-19 on profitability performance and maqashid sharia performance in Islamic banks in the ASEAN region. Profitability performance is measured by return on equity (ROE) and return on assets (ROA). The number of observations from this study was 202 with a sample of 30 Islamic commercial banks in the ASEAN region in 2015–2021. The data analysis technique used is EViews 12. The results show that COVID-19 has no significant effect on profitability performance in Islamic banks, whether measured by ROE or ROA. On the other hand, COVID-19 has a significant effect on reducing the maqashid sharia performance. In addition, company size has been proven to positively affect profitability performance and maqashid sharia performance in Islamic banks before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Operating expense ratio (OER) has been proven to affect ROE and ROA, whereas FDR and non-performing financing (NPF) have been proven to only affect ROA. OER influences promoting welfare, while FDR and NPF influence establishing justice. The study results confirm the ability of Islamic banks to generate profits amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. They also confirm the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on three aspects of maqashid sharia performance.

Medow Brite Enterprises: a growth strategy dilemma

Learning outcomes After completion of this case study, students will be able to understand about characteristics of urban poor in the city of Mumbai which will aid in understanding about other emerging markets as well, to apply Health Belief Model to help students analyse behaviour change model, to apply social marketing strategies to popularize a social marketing cause, to learn about non-traditional intermediaries and apply to promote a social marketing cause, to apply Ansoff matrix and evaluate various strategies for growth and to analyse various challenges faced by social entrepreneurs and enable learners to arrive at solutions (applicable for social entrepreneurs and marketing executives). Case overview/synopsis This case study looked at a Mumbai-based organization, Medow Brite Enterprises, which sold sanitary napkins under the brand FeelOn to women particularly from urban poor background. The protagonist Mrs Ameeta Neel Ramesh was at the helm of the organization and was stuck with a dilemma – whether to enter rural markets or focus on selling incinerators and aid in disposing used sanitary napkins which was adding to the volume of non-biodegradable waste in the city. In 2019, Ameeta made her first investment in Medow Brite. The organization had seen turbulent times during COVID-19 outbreak. However, Ameeta with her astute strategy, helped the company get back on its feet. Medow Brite instead of manufacturing started procuring quality sanitary napkins from specific vendors. In contrast to many other sanitary napkins available in the market, FeelOn had cotton sanitary napkin variant without presence of plastic in the pads. Ameeta had taken a different route for sale of her sanitary napkin, she conducted awareness sessions with the help of non-governmental organizations in various locations of Mumbai as well as Maharashtra. Post these sessions she sold her sanitary napkins among the attendees of the awareness sessions. Complexity academic level The case study can be included in marketing management course, consumer behaviour as well as social marketing courses in both undergraduate level and postgraduate level. In addition, the case study is also suitable for social entrepreneurs and marketing executives to discuss about non-traditional sales and marketing approaches, identifying unique segments and understanding behaviour change theories. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 8: Marketing.

Factors affecting the adoption of air pollution control measures across firms in India

Air pollution control has emerged as one of the key concerns of recent times and business firms are one of the significant stakeholders in deteriorating the quality of the natural environment. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the factors affecting the adoption of air pollution control measures across firms and contribute to the existing knowledge on pollution control among firms in the context of an emerging market. The analysis shows a significant association between enterprise characteristics and the adoption of air pollution control measures and about 44.3 percent firms have reported the adoption of air pollution control measures. Further, the marginal effect analysis indicates that firms older in age, larger in size and having shareholders’ equity are more likely to adopt air pollution control measures. Similarly, firms practising lean operations, investing in research & development, availing bank credit, having quality certification and having better capacity utilisation are more likely to adopt air pollution control measures. Finally, firms perceiving obstacles related to business licensing & permits, tax administration, political instability, and business closure due to COVID-19 outbreak are more likely to adopt air pollution control measures. Our study provides useful implications for managers, policymakers and researchers for encouraging air pollution control technologies across business firms. The study also motivates undertaking future research on pollution control measures across various sectors of the economy.

Factors influencing the organizational engagement of village health volunteers, after the COVID-19 Outbreak in Phayao Province

Village health volunteers (VHVs) play a crucial role in promoting health advancements and enhancing community well-being. This cross-sectional descriptive study explores the factors that influence organizational engagement among VHVs in Phayao Province. Data were gathered from 400 volunteers using Krejcie and Morgan’s formula and analyzed through a questionnaire. Analytical methods included descriptive statistics, Pearson’s product-moment correlation, and multiple linear regression. The findings revealed that the majority of volunteers were female (77%), aged between 41-60 years (62.3%), married (81.3%), with over ten years of experience (61%), and had educational levels of high school or vocational certificate (46.8%). Most were agriculturists (63.5%), with incomes below 5,000 baht (54%), and served as general members (74.5%) in a single role (78.8%), primarily under the provincial administrative organization (54%). The scores for motivational factors, quality of life, and organizational engagement were high. Responsibility, the nature of work, and respect were identified as significant predictors of organizational engagement, accounting for 51.1% of the variance. These findings were statistically significant (R = 0.715, R Square = 0.511, P-value < 0.001). Based on these results, organizations are encouraged to ensure appropriate working conditions and respect to enhance engagement among village health volunteers.

The impact of liquidity risk and credit risk on bank profitability during COVID-19.

The COVID-19 outbreak caused a massive setback to the stability of financial system due to emergence of several other risks with COVID, which significantly influenced the continuity of profitable banking operations. Therefore, this study aims to see that how differently the liquidity risk and credit risk influenced the banking profitability during Covid-19 (Q12020 to Q42021) than before COVID (Q12018 to Q42019). The study employs pooled OLS, and OLS fixed & random effects models, to analyze the panel data on a sample of 37 banks currently operating in Pakistan. The results depict that liquidity risk has a positive and significant relationship with return on assets and return on equity, but insignificant relationship with net interest margin. Credit risk has a negative and significant relationship with return on assets, return on equity, and net interest margin. The study also applies quantile regression to address the normality issue in data. The quantile regression results are consistent with pooled OLS, and OLS fixed and random effects results. The study makes valuable suggestions for regulators, policymakers, and others users of financial institutional data. The current study will help to set policies for efficient management of LR and CR.

Regulating Carry Trades: Evidence from Foreign Currency Borrowing of Corporations in India

Abstract We establish that macroprudential controls limiting capital flows can curb risks arising from foreign currency borrowing by corporates in emerging markets. Firm-level data show that Indian firms tend to issue more foreign currency debt when the interest rate differential between India and the United States is higher. This “carry trade” relationship, however, breaks down once regulators institute more stringent interest rate caps on borrowing; in response, riskier borrowers cut issuance most. Prior to adoption of this macroprudential measure, stock price exposure of issuers to currency risk rises after issuance, as witnessed during the “taper tantrum” episode of 2013; this source of vulnerability is nullified by the measure, as confirmed during the October 2018 oil price shock and the COVID-19 outbreak. We find no evidence of the policy’s efficacy being undermined by leakage or regulatory arbitrage.

Co-infections and secondary infections amid COVID-19 outbreaks in Vietnam

BackgroundThe mortality risk of co-infections/secondary infections (CoI/ScI) is under-reported in patients with non-critical COVID-19, leading to the under-management of CoI/ScI and publication bias in the medical literature. We aimed to investigate the association between CoI/ScI and mortality in patients hospitalised with mild-to-severe COVID-19.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study at a COVID-19 treatment hospital in Vietnam and collected all eligible medical records, with CoI/ScI status as the exposure (non-CoI/ScI and CoI/ScI, with the latter including nature of pathogen [bacterial, fungal, or bacterial + fungal] and multidrug-resistance pathogen [no MDRp or ≥ 1 MDRp]). The outcome was all-cause mortality, defined as in-hospital death by all causes or being discharged under critical illness. We used time-dependent analysis to report rates of mortality with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI, Poisson regression) and hazard ratios (HR) with 95% CI (Cox proportional hazards regression with Holm’s method for multiplicity control).ResultsWe followed 1466 patients (median age 61, 56.4% being female) for a median of 9 days. We recorded 387 (26.4%) deaths (95/144 [66.0%] in the CoI/ScI group and 292/1322 [22.1%] in the non-CoI/ScI group). Adjusted mortality rates (per 100 person-days) of the CoI/ScI (6.4, 95% CI 5.3 to 7.8), including bacterial (8.0, 95% CI 7.2 to 8.9), no MDRp (5.9, 95% CI 4.8 to 7.4), and ≥ 1 MDRp (9.0, 95% CI 8.2 to 10.0) groups were higher than that of the non-CoI/ScI group (2.0, 95% CI 1.8 to 2.2). These corresponded to higher risks of mortality in the overall CoI/ScI (HR 3.27, 95% CI 2.58 to 4.13, adjusted p < 0.001), bacterial CoI/ScI (HR 3.79, 95% CI 2.97 to 4.83, adjusted p < 0.001), no MDRp CoI/ScI (HR 3.13, 95% CI 2.42 to 4.05, adjusted p < 0.001), and ≥ 1 MDRp CoI/ScI group (HR 3.89, 95% CI 2.44 to 6.21, adjusted p < 0.001). We could not attain reliable estimates for fungal and bacterial + fungal CoI/ScI.ConclusionCompared with the non-CoI/ScI group, patients with CoI/ScI had a significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality, regardless of resistance status. More evidence is needed to confirm the mortality risks in patients with fungal or bacterial + fungal CoI/ScI.

Corporate “dash-for-cash” amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic: Evidence from an Emerging Economy

This paper seeks to examine the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on corporate cash holding. The research collects data from 531 listed Vietnamese firms for the period 2020Q1-2021Q1. The data are analyzed using panel Fixed Effect model. Results show that corporations hoard more cash in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. This can be attributed to firms’ precautionary purpose and investment delays to a limited extent. Firms’ increased cash holdings are channeled through conservative payout policy. The results further reveal that hoarding cash amid the pandemic alleviates the adverse impacts of the Covid-19 outbreak on investment. Previous studies identified various determinants that affect firms’ cash holding. Our study adds another critical factor, a rare disaster, as an important determinant of corporate cash policy.