COVID-19 Period Research Articles

Оценка влияния пандемии COVID‑19 на распространённость эмфиземы по данным компьютерной томографии с применением технологии искусственного интеллекта

Respiratory diseases represent the most prevalent class of diseases in the Russian Federation, accounting for up to 25.0% of the total morbidity structure according to various authors. Several authors suggest that the proportion of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with emphysema has increased in recent years. One of the reasons for the rising prevalence of emphysema is the aftermath of COVID‑19. The aim of this study is to analyze the changes in the incidence of emphysema before, during, and after the COVID‑19 pandemic. Materials and methods. The study included the results of chest computed tomography (CT) scans processed using artificial intelligencebased software, enabling the assessment of the volume of emphysematous lung tissue damage. Patient samples were divided into four periods: the «pre-COVID period» (625 studies), the «COVID period» (6,809 studies), the «post-COVID2023» period (101,872 studies), and the «post-COVID2024» period (78,539 studies). Results. The proportion of studies indicating emphysema in the pre-COVID period was 5.60%, increasing to 9.37% during the COVID period, and then decreasing to 6.63% in the first post-COVID year (2023), with a subsequent increase to 7.67% in the second post-COVID year (2024). Statistically significant differences in the percentage of emphysema were found in 2022, 2023, and 2024 when analyzed pairwise. Notably, when categorized by the severity of the disease, significant emphysema (>6% lung involvement) was more prevalent in 2024, with an average percentage of 25.79% in this group. Conclusion. Our study confirms a significant increase in cases of emphysema in the population in recent years, which may be associated with the impact of the COVID‑19 pandemic. The proportion of patients with signs of emphysema in 2024 was 7.67%, which is 1% higher than in 2023.

Comparing Students’ Multicultural Awareness Development in Online vs. Face-to-Face Diversity Courses Before, During, and After COVID-19

Creating a global workforce is a driving need for our time. Higher education institutions are prioritizing helping students develop an awareness of their own and other cultures, as they are expected to participate in a diverse workforce. This study examines a large data set of learning assessment data for undergraduate students from an agriculture course focused on diversity and social justice, using the Beliefs, Events and Values Inventory (BEVI) instrument to assess the multicultural awareness development of the students. The study compared the impact of the medium of instruction (face-to-face versus online) in helping students develop multicultural awareness. The results revealed that students did not differ much in multicultural awareness across the medium of instruction. Moreover, to understand the multicultural awareness of the students in the pre-COVID period, during COVID and in the post-COVID period, the pre-test BEVI scores of the students were compared using ANOVA. The goal of this analysis was to capture the change in worldview of the students from the pre-COVID period to during COVID and post-COVID periods. The results revealed that pre-test BEVI scores for the pre-COVID period showed a lower degree of multicultural awareness than students during the COVID and post-COVID times. Also, there was no significant difference in the pre-test BEVI scores for the students in the COVID and post-COVID periods. Overall, the study makes important contributions to higher education literature as it reveals that (1) medium has negligible impact on the multicultural awareness of the students, and that (2) student worldviews have shifted significantly since the height of the global pandemic.

Health expenditure and fiscal marksmanship before and during the coronavirus pandemic across the federal states of India

This study examined state-level health expenditure, fiscal marksmanship, and COVID-19 deaths among selected states in India. It (1) compared health expenditure between the pre-COVID-19 and the COVID-19 period in India and selected states; (2) investigated the fiscal marksmanship in the context of health expenditure at the national and state level; and (3) assessed the relationship between COVID-19 deaths, population density, health expenditure, and fiscal marksmanship. The study period from 2017 to 2021 was divided into pre-COVID-19 (2017-late – 2019) and COVID-19 (late-2019 – 2021). This study focused on India and selected Indian states, using data from state budget documents, Census 2011 for population density, and COVID-19 data from the government website. Descriptive statistics, percentages, ratios, graphs, and tools such as Theil’s U-Statistic and Pearson’s correlation were employed for analysis. Simple linear regression was used to analyze the impact of fiscal marksmanship and other variables on the case fatality ratio. This study revealed challenges in maintaining fiscal discipline during COVID-19, with disparities in capital expenditure among states. The results emphasized the need for increased health spending and structural changes to enhance resilience to future health crises, advocating for investments in infrastructure and services to improve preparedness.

Connectedness between energy cryptocurrencies and US equity markets: A quantile-based analysis

Energy cryptocurrencies emerge as a new class of digital assets for morally conscientious investors to build long-term portfolios with high risk-adjusted returns. Focusing on this unique asset class, the current study investigates the static and dynamic spillovers between energy cryptocurrencies and US equity sector stocks at various quantiles. We apply the quantile VAR technique on the selected sample of four energy cryptocutrrencies and eleven major US equity markets for February 27, 2018 to November 25, 2022. This period includes two important subperiods: COVID-19 and the Russian-Ukraine War. Our findings support higher connectedness levels at the extreme lower and upper quantiles compared to the mean and median quantiles. While all energy cryptocurrencies are shock receivers at the extreme lower quantile, the majority of US equity sector stocks are shock transmitters at the lower quantile. The IT sector is a shock receiver at all quantiles, whereas the energy sector is a shock transmitter. Overall connectedness fluctuates over time and shows a significant rise at the start of the COVID period. Our results provide insights to investors, portfolio managers, and policymakers regarding portfolio allocation, forecasting, and risk management during downward and upward market conditions. Additionally, the ideal hedge ratios slightly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, which increased the cost of asset coverage.

The COVID-19 period influence on pediatric deep neck abscess: Occurrences and clinical presentation

ObjectiveThe purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence of deep neck infections (DNIs) in pediatric patients. In addition, it describes the clinical, laboratory, and microbiology presentation as well as the clinical outcomes. Study designRetrospective cohort study. SettingsA single tertiary medical center. MethodsAll patients ≤18 years with a diagnosis of DNI, between the years 2010–2022, were included in the study and the yearly incidence of DNI was calculated. Patients were divided according to their diagnosis of retropharyngeal abscesses (RPAs) and parapharyngeal abscesses (PPAs), and according to age; Group 1 (aged 0 to ≤4 years) and Group 2 (aged>4 to ≤18 years). ResultsA total of 46 cases of DNIs; 24 were RPAs and 22 were PPAs, age group 1 had 20 patients, and age group 2 had 26 patients. The overall DNI incidence during 2010 was 0.81 and declined in 2020 (COVID-19 pandemic period) to 0.33, followed by a surge in the incidence of 4.85 in 2022 (post-COVID-19 period).In age group 1 RPAs were more dominant (70 %) while PPAs were dominant (61.5 %) in group 2. (p = 0.034). A higher prevalence of positive cultures was seen in the RPA group compared to the PPA group (75 % vs 33 %, p = 0.025, respectively), and in age group 1 compared to age group 2 (77 % vs 30 %, p = 0.001, respectively). ConclusionIn conclusion, our study provides valuable insights about the disease and vulnerable communities. In addition, we showed a decrease during the COVID-19 pandemic followed by an increase in DNI incidence post-COVID-19 pandemic era. A larger comprehensive prospective study is warranted to gain a deeper understanding of these trends and their underlying causes.

Female directors on the sensitivity of investment to growth opportunities

AbstractThis paper shows that female directors decrease the sensitivity of investment to the market misvaluation of growth opportunities. When the market misvaluation is high, such as during the COVID period, the sensitivity of investment to overall market valuation exhibits a significant drop. On the other hand, female directors increase the sensitivity of investment to alternative measures of growth not associated with market assessment. Firms with female directors achieve higher investment efficiency. Further analyses indicate that this contribution is mainly channelled through the board's advising function. Our main findings are robust to a battery of alternative explanations and robustness checks. Overall, this paper provides novel evidence that female directors contribute to capital investment decisions through their comprehensive information processing strategy.

Psychological Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Health Care Workers of a Field Hospital in UN Peacekeeping Mission

Background: The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly affected the healthcare system worldwide as well as the psychological state of all. The objective of the current study was to assess the psychological conditions of the healthcare workers in Enhanced Level 1+ Hospital, Bouar, Central African Republic (CAR). This assessment can help in the guideline development and implication psychological interventions which in turn can improve the quality of life, working environment and decision-making capabilities of health care workers during widespread pandemic. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 40 medical personnel working in Enhanced Level 1+ Hospital, Bouar, Central African Republic. The study was performed from June 2022 to August 2022. Assessment of psychological status of military healthcare providers was done by analyzing the results derived from the Mental health survey, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Hospital records were analyzed to assess the changes in workload. Results: The working hour increased significantly from Pre Covid to Post Covid period (1920±34.1 hours/week to 2120±67.3 hours/week) although the number of weekly patients in OPD and Emergency decreased slightly from 51.9 to 40.6. Elevated mental stress was observed during outbreak (average PSS-10 score in June 22 was 20.4 which reduced to 9.7 in August). The same pattern was observed in case of GAD-7 score (15.6 to 10.8) and PHQ-9 score (12.4 to 6.1). The percentage of concerns regarding Covid19 was high during the outbreak, 37/40 (92.5%), which decreased after wards to 18/40 (45%). Conclusion: The UN field hospitals are inadequate to support mass outbreak like COVID 19 in the context of both staff and medical supplies. During Covid 19 outbreak, sharp rise of workload and difficulties in restocking of essential medical items played a vital role in the mental state of the medical professionals. The field hospitals in UN peacekeeping missions require intensive effort especially on disaster and epidemic management during pre-deployment training. Moreover, reconsidering distribution of human resources in field hospitals is also required. Bangladesh Armed Forces Med J Vol 57 No (1) June 2024, pp 35-42

Volatility spillovers and time-varying correlations across stock and commodity markets: An assessment during the epidemic crisis era

The financial and economic stability of the business world is greatly damaged by a number of crises over the years. These crises also change and affect stock markets around the globe. This study examines the nonlinear behavior of well-known stock markets in the US, Europe, Canada, and Asia (S&P 500, Nikkei 225, CAC40, DAX30, Bombay Stock Index, Hang Seng Index, and Canadian Stock Index). We also investigate the commodity indexes (Gold, Bitcoin, Brent Crude Oil, and West Texas Crude Oil). The transmission of returns and the volatility propagation pattern across stock-commodity markets during the COVID-19 era is analyzed using the VAR DCC MEGARCH model. The results demonstrate that correlations intensify and become more complicated during the COVID-19 period, especially between financial market indices and oil commodity indices. However, the volatility spillover statistics during the pandemic period show a definite rise in the uncertainty of financial market indices due to index instability. The analysis also shows that financial markets experience a substantial leverage effect during the pandemic crisis. According to the research, Bitcoin is crucial for reducing portfolio risk during the health crisis, and gold proves to be the best option for investors to diversify their financial risk.

The Impact of the Covid – 19 Pandemic on Runway Service Life

Government policies that carry out large-scale social restrictions during the Covid-19 period have had an impact on reducing air traffic both for landings and takeoffs, which will have an impact on the life of runway services. Service life is the strength of road pavement in standing the repetition of permit loads before experiencing failure, by knowing that the service life can be directly used to determine the right time for runway maintenance. The purpose of this research is to determine the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the life of runway services. The method used in this research is the FAA method with the help of FAARFIELD software, this software calculates the service life based on the CDF value of each aircraft. The data used is secondary data in the form of aircraft type data, CBR ground, and existing pavement data. From the results of the research, it is known that the COVID-19 pandemic has a positive impact on the life of runway service by increasing the life of runway service by 4 years, where in the condition of covid-19 conditions it has a CDF value of 0.20 with a service life of 19 years and in normal conditions the CDF value is 0.22 with a service life of 15 years. The results of this research contribute to decision-making in carrying out maintenance and repairs on the runway of Soekarno Hatta International Airport so that the runway can operate sustainably in accordance with performance requirements throughout the life of the plan, to maintain flight safety and comfort.

Quality of life of covid-19 patients attending selected post-covid units

Background: Disease process and its outcome can create impacts on human life; it also impairs quality of life (QoL). During the COVID-19 pandemic situation, a devastating impairment of quality of human life has been occurred over the world. This study aimed to state the quality of life of COVID-19 patients attending post-COVID units of Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 90 COVID-19 Patients (post-COVID period) in post COVID unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University by pretested structured questionnaire, from July 2021 to December 2021, using a convenient sampling method. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews. Results: The majority of the respondents (46.7%) were within the 30 to 39 years of age group. In this study about 73.3% of respondents lead poor quality of life after recovery from COVID-19. The findings revealed that, Post COVID depression history of the respondents was associated with the quality of life of the respondents after recovery from COVID-19 (p=0.001). The findings also revealed that the type family of the respondents was associated with the quality of life of the respondents after recovery from COVID-19 (p=0.001). Those who were not admitted into hospital during COVID-19 period maintain good quality of life after recovery from COVID-19 than those who were admitted on hospital during COVID-19 period (p=0.006). Inferential statistics were done at a 95% confidence interval and 5% level of significance. Conclusions: This study described state of quality of life of COVID-19 patients attending on post-COVID units. It was found that near about three fourth of the respondents seemed that their quality of life became poor after recovery from COVID-19. JOPSOM 2023; 42(1):49-53

The Relationship between Covid-19 and Consumption Patterns of Poor Households

Objective: This research aims to analyze the relationship between Covid-19 and Consumption Patterns of Poor Households. The phenomenon of the Covid-19 pandemic has caused various social and economic changes. Changes in behaviour and preferences are an important part of the research by emphasizing the analysis of changes in expenditure during the Covid-19 pandemic and post-Covid-19. Method:This research is in the form of quantitative descriptive, the type of data used by researchers is primary data using a questionnaire that refers to the IFLS (Indonesian Family Life Survey) questionnaire. Primary data includes questionnaires and poor people during and postpandemic in 2019 and 2022 in rural and urban areas. The research area includes several village comparisons of Bandar Lampung City, South Lampung Regency, and Pringsewu Regency. The multiple linear methods are performed with the t-test in pairs using the statistical tool Stata. Results: The results of the study concluded that in the different tests there was no difference in food expenditure during the Covid-19 and post-Covid-19 period, between urban and rural areas, because of the tendency to have both low food expenditures during the pandemic and increase in post- pandemic. The food consumption patterns of the two regions still tend to buy the same staples. There is a difference in non- food expenditures during the rural Covid-19 period is higher because health and urban costs are lower, in the post-Covid-19 rural areas are lower and urban areas are higher. Conclusion and suggestions: The advice to the government, as cases of the Covid-19 pandemic, rise again, is to focus on providing free health services to the poor, because the expenditure on health services is quite large during the covid-19 pandemic. The government is also expected to be able to provide prolonged food staples to poor households plus complementary ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, milk, meat, and foods with high nutrition and protein.

Incidence, Antibiogram, and Comorbid Conditions of Nontyphoidal Salmonella Infections Before and After the COVID-19 Outbreak: A Retrospective, Cross-sectional Study

Abstract Background: The number of patients with diarrheal diseases admitted to the hospital was reduced during the COVID-19 lockdown. Following the relaxation of the lockdown, admissions of nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS) infection showed a two-fold rise compared to pre-COVID-19 years. This retrospective study aimed to detect the incidence of NTS in the pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 outbreak periods, along with describing the antibiogram and comorbid conditions of the patients. Materials and Methods: Using a retrospective design, from January 2015 to December 2022, we studied stool samples for the presence of NTS. Antibiogram with ampicillin, co-trimoxazole, ceftriaxone, chloramphenicol, and ciprofloxacin were studied. The presence of comorbid conditions was noted. Results: We examined 2312 and 937 stool samples collected during the pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 outbreak period, respectively. The number of samples collected during the outbreak (2020) was 273. During the pre-COVID-19 period (2015–2019), the average annual isolation rate of NTS was 5.63%. During the lockdown of 2020, the corresponding rate was 5.49%. The isolation rate showed a significant rise (11.45%) during the relaxation of the lockdown (P < 0.001). No significant change in resistance to antibiotics other than ciprofloxacin was noted in the present study. Malignancy was the leading comorbid condition (11.91%) followed by chronic liver diseases (10.31%). Conclusions: A significant rise in NTS diarrheal cases was detected following the COVID-19 outbreak. During this period, people were attending more celebrations and feasts. No significant change in antibiotic resistance was noted when comparing pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 periods. Malignancy was the leading comorbid condition.

Antibiotic Resistance Pattern of Pathogens Isolated from Pediatric Patients during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background/Objectives: The present study aims to highlight the possible significant changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the resistance of pathogens involved in cases of pediatric infections. Methods: This study included children hospitalized in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Surgery and Pediatrics from a tertiary teaching hospital, during and after the COVID-19 period (2020-2023). Results: The research included 845 samples collected during 2020-2023, from 685 pediatric patients. A total of 937 bacterial isolates were obtained, of which 509 isolates (54.32%) were Gram-negative bacteria. Around 30% of all the pathogens were multidrug-resistant (MDR), with a statistically significant increase post-pandemic, in the case of the MDR Escherichia coli strains (p < 0.05). A very high percentage of MDR Acinetobacter spp. isolates was found, with an important, but not statistically significant, increase in the post-pandemic period. The highest percentage of the MDR Gram-positive pathogens was registered in the case of S. aureus strains (31.80%). Over 20% of the Coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CoNS) strains isolated between 2020 and 2023 were MDR, with an important increase in the post-COVID-19 period. The proportion of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative pathogens significantly decreased in the post-COVID-19 period compared with the COVID-19 period (p < 0.05), especially in the case of the Klebsiella spp. strains. Conclusions: Our findings revealed the increase in the post-COVID-19 period of the prevalence of MDR strains of Acinetobacter spp., CoNS, and Escherichia coli isolated in pediatric patient samples and a significant decline in the trend of the carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative pathogens, which may be due to the testing rate and to the specific pathology of the pediatric patients hospitalized in the two periods.

The effect of viral anxiety experienced by nurses working in pediatric service on psychological factors during Covid-19 period

During the Covid-19 period, nurses, as healthcare professionals, have been under a great workload, and their anxiety levels have also increased their psychological effects. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine the effect of viral anxiety experienced by nurses working in the pediatric ward during the Covid-19 period on psychological factors. This is a descriptive study. Permission was obtained from Hakkari University Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Committee for research permission. Sociodemographic data were collected online from 1200 nurses working in the pediatric service who voluntarily participated in the study between October 13, 2023 and December 25, 2023 using the sociodemographic data collection form and the stress and anxiety scale for health workers due to virus epidemic-9 items (SAVE-9), Patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Obsession with Covid-19 Scale (OCS), Reassurance-seeking behavior scale against coronavirus (CRBS). In order to compare SAVE, PHQ, OCS and CRBS scale scores according to sociodemographic information and vaccination status variables, independent groups t test one-way variance analysis Levene's F test was applied and data were analyzed using a statistical package program. It is understood that 59.9% of the participants are male and 40.1% are female. The proportion of married participants was 95.4%. The results of the scores obtained from the SAVE and PHQ scales show that the stress and anxiety related to the virus epidemic are above the middle level, the result of the OCS scale score shows that the dysfunctional thoughts associated with the coronavirus, and the scores obtained from the CRBS Total scale show that the assurance-seeking behavior is exhibited according to the results. The effect of viral anxiety on the psychological factor according to sociodemographic characteristics (gender, age, marital status, socioeconomic status, educational status, working area in pediatric service, vaccination status) showed significant and different results according to scale scores. It was concluded that the viral anxiety experienced by the nurses working in the pediatric service during the Covid-19 period showed different characteristics in terms of psychological factors and sociodemographic characteristics, and the nurses were not very effective due to the decrease in the effect of Covid-19.

Factors affecting sustainability of SMEs in the culinary industry during the COVID-19 period

This research attempts to investigate elements such as products, prices, shifting target markets, online advertising, capital, and accounting understanding of the sustainability of the food industry during the COVID-19 Period, Bintaro Modern Market. Micro-scale business players in the culinary industry at Bintaro Modern Market served as the study's population, and there were 129 participants. As a measurement analysis method with a structural model in this work, researchers employed partial least squares (PLS). A direct survey and the usage of a google form are the methods employed in this descriptive and quantitative research kind. The findings of this study show that the variables, such as products, prices, and changes in consumer preferences, are factors that impact the sustainability of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the culinary industry. This research provides unique long-term value by analyzing how micro-scale culinary businesses adapted to the challenges of the COVID-19 period. Focusing on key elements like products, prices, shifting target markets, online advertising, capital, and accounting understanding, it identifies critical factors influencing the sustainability of SMEs in the food industry. The study fills a gap in the literature on the pandemic's impact on this sector and offers actionable insights for crisis management and sustainable practices in micro-scale enterprises, benefiting both policymakers and entrepreneurs globally.

National Trends in the Prevalence of Self-Perceived Overweight Among Adolescents Between 2005 and 2022: Nationwide Representative Study.

Despite several studies on self-evaluation of health and body shape, existing research on the risk factors of self-perceived overweight is insufficient, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to identify the risk factors affecting self-perceived overweight and examine how the prevalence of self-perceived overweight has changed before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, we analyzed the impact of altered lifestyles due to COVID-19 on this phenomenon. The data used in the study were obtained from middle and high school students who participated in the Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (N=1,189,586). This survey was a 2-stage stratified cluster sampling survey representative of South Korean adolescents. We grouped the survey results by year and estimated the slope in the prevalence of self-perceived overweight before and during the pandemic using weighted linear regression, as well as the prevalence tendencies of self-perceived overweight according to various risk factors. We used prevalence ratios to identify the risk factors for self-perceived overweight. In addition, we conducted comparisons of risk factors in different periods to identify their associations with the COVID-19 pandemic. The prevalence of self-perceived overweight was much higher than BMI-based overweight among 1,189,586 middle and high school participants (grade 7-12) from 2005 to 2022 (female participants: n=577,102, 48.51%). From 2005 to 2019 (prepandemic), the prevalence of self-perceived overweight increased (β=2.80, 95% CI 2.70-2.90), but from 2020 to 2022 (pandemic) it decreased (β=-0.53, 95% CI -0.74 to -0.33). During the pandemic, individuals with higher levels of stress or lower household economic status exhibited a more substantial decrease in the rate of self-perceived overweight. The prevalence of self-perceived overweight tended to be higher among individuals with poor academic performance, lower economic status, poorer subjective health, and a higher stress level. Our nationwide study, conducted over 18 years, indicated that self-perceived overweight decreased during the COVID-19 period while identifying low academic performance and economic status as risk factors. These findings suggest the need for policies and facilities to address serious dieting and body dissatisfaction resulting from self-perceived overweight by developing counseling programs for adolescents with risk factors such as lower school performance and economic status.

Factors Influencing Mobile Banking Usage Among Malaysians During Covid-19 Period

The COVID-19 pandemic has indeed brought about significant changes in various aspects of human life, including daily activities, the global economy, and the financial sector. Restrictive measures aimed at controlling the spread of the virus have prompted greater reliance on digital solutions, including mobile banking, due to limited physical access to traditional banking services. For this reason, this study aims to investigate the factors that influence individual attitudes towards the use of mobile banking during this period. Therefore, this study uses a survey method through a developed questionnaire to collect responses. The questionnaire comprises several sections on the socio-demographic profile and the Likert-scale questions on the interest factors. A total of 274 respondents is successfully obtained through the online medium. The findings suggest that the Perception of Ease of Use (PEOU) and Enjoyment (PE) have a significant positive effect on attitude. In contrast, the Perception of Usefulness (PU) and Perceived Credibility (PC) are then discovered to have no significant impact on attitude toward the use of mobile banking. In summary, this study contributes valuable insights into the factors influencing individual attitudes toward mobile banking at a time when digital financial solutions are becoming increasingly relevant due to the pandemic. The findings underscore the importance of user experience and security considerations in shaping consumer attitudes and, subsequently, the use of mobile banking services.

How does the social unrest of 2020/21 affect the teaching of Religious Education? Findings of a European study on the effects of the COVID-19 period

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic brought various issues such as social cohesion, social inequalities, climate change and racism to the forefront. Religious Education (RE) teachers were confronted with questions as to how and if they respond to such issues in their teaching. This study investigates the research question How do RE specialists see the effects of social issues on RE in a challenging time? using the data analysis of a 2022 European qualitative study, which explored what COVID-19 revealed to RE specialists about their subject. Regarding the effects of social unrest, a frequency analysis of social issues identified in the survey responses is provided, followed by analysis and discussion of perceived effects of social issues on RE. Conclusions relate to commonalities and differences across responses and their potential contributions to discourse concerning understandings of RE.

Global Stock Markets during Covid-19: Did Rationality Prevail?

This study assesses the validity of the Efficient Markets Hypothesis (EMH) during the Covid-19 period by evaluating whether various stock markets around the world accurately predicted economic performance in their respective countries. The underlying premise is that stock prices should discount future company cash flows, and the projection of these cash flows can be proxied by investors' ability to forecast macroeconomic conditions. We assess stock market performance from January 2020 to February 2022 in 16 countries, equally split between developed and emerging markets. While results varied, the study suggests that stock markets generally predicted economic activity during Covid-19. The modeling test indicated that stock markets significantly predicted economic activity in 11 out of 16 countries, particularly in developed markets. Furthermore, incorporating the stock market as a variable, improved economic forecasts in all 16 countries. Unlike other studies that mainly focused on the characteristics of share price movements, this research judges the rationality of stock markets against an external criterion. Ultimately, it suggests that EMH was mostly vindicated during the Covid-19 period.

Investigating the characteristics of mumps outbreaks in Fujian Province, China

ObjectivesIdentifying the specifics and potential causes of mumps outbreaks in the Fujian Province during the period of 2017 to 2022. MethodsMumps cases reported by the National Notifiable Communicable Disease Report System (NNCDRS) in China during the observation period of the 5 years were investigated annually and by age to detect homogeneity of the spread of the disease over time. If specific age-peaks may appear, we investigated those figures by analysing group characteristics in mumps cases presented as outbreaks. Those characteristics include demography (age and sex), clinical symptoms, place and time identification, and vaccination status. Regarding the latter, it was hypothesized that cases manifesting an outbreaks and appearing in young adults should have a low vaccination coverage, and a long-lasting period since they received their vaccine. ResultsThe total number of mumps cases reported during the observation period was 15,294, leading to incidence rates ranging from 3.2/100,000 to 8.0/100,000 per year. In the older age-group the disease spread by year and age (9 to 15y old) manifested 20 outbreaks accounting for 710 cases, all happening during 2017 to 2019. Thereafter those outbreaks disappeared in that age-group. The group characteristics specified that all the outbreaks happened in school settings, with a median age of 13y (range 6 to 19y). Parotid gland enlargement was observed in 82.7 %. The median duration of the outbreaks was 28 days, varying from 14 to 74 days. Only 27.6 % of the cases received at least one dose of the MuCV vaccine, and among these vaccinated individuals, 94.9 % developed mumps more than 5 years after vaccination. The dramatic reduction in outbreaks after 2019 could be explained by the public health measures taken during the COVID period and/or the new vaccination policy implemented in 2008 (free vaccination, 1 dose) and 2020 (2 doses) of young children causing therefore a lower rate of circulation of the virus. ConclusionMumps outbreaks observed in young adults during 2017–2019 causing a disease peak, indicated a potential link to unsatisfactory vaccination coverage with prolonged interval since receiving the vaccine. As those disease peaks disappeared since 2020, close monitoring for new outbreaks in young adults is recommended that may initiate a new vaccination strategy for that age-group.