Government Lockdown Research Articles

Using Digital Technologies by Human Resource Management During COVID-19: A Case Study of E-Office and E-Learning

Digital Technologies (DTs) have been developed for employees of the Directorate General of Treasury (DGT) in Indonesia to help them access data and learn using e-office and e-learning. In Indonesia, the COVID-19 outbreaks have forced DGT employees to fully utilise DTs to work from home (WFH) during the government lockdown. This research employed a qualitative approach using a case study method. Moreover, five out of the fifty DGT employees in Banten Province were selected as informants via a purposive sampling method. Next, the five DGT employees shared their impressions in employing DTs during the COVID-19 outbreaks. In this study, the data analysis applied a semi-structured interview and organised a focus group discussion (FGD) with the informants. The findings showed that the e-office implementation plays a significant role in daily office activities and has become a means of WFH due to the COVID-19 outbreaks. This study is useful to support the implementation of e-office and e-learning. Furthermore, this study discovered that e-learning implementation had changed human resources management (HRM).

Using Digital Technologies by Human Resource Management During COVID-19: A Case Study of E-Office and E-Learning

Digital Technologies (DTs) have been developed for employees of the Directorate General of Treasury (DGT) in Indonesia to help them access data and learn using e-office and e-learning. In Indonesia, the COVID-19 outbreaks have forced DGT employees to fully utilise DTs to work from home (WFH) during the government lockdown. This research employed a qualitative approach using a case study method. Moreover, five out of the fifty DGT employees in Banten Province were selected as informants via a purposive sampling method. Next, the five DGT employees shared their impressions of employing DTs during the COVID-19 outbreaks. In this study, the data analysis applied a semi-structured interview and organized a focus group discussion (FGD) with the informants. The findings showed that the e-office implementation plays a significant role in daily office activities and has become a means of WFH due to the COVID-19 outbreaks. This study is useful to support the implementation of e-office and e-learning. Furthermore, this study discovered that e-learning implementation had changed human resources management (HRM).

The COVID-19 Pandemic: The effect on open lower limb fractures in a London major trauma centre - a plastic surgery perspective.

COVID-19 has created huge pressures on healthcare systems. The ongoing provision of major trauma services during this time has proved challenging. We report our experience of managing open lower limb fractures (oLLFs) during the pandemic in a London major trauma centre (MTC). This was a prospective study of all open lower limb fractures presenting to our unit over the initial 48 days of UK government lockdown - 24th March till 10th May 2020. Results were compared to the same time period in 2019 retrospectively. Epidemiological data, mechanism, Gustilo-Anderson (G-A) severity grading, time to initial debridement and definitive coverage were analysed. There was a 64% reduction in emergency department (ED) attendances (25,264 vs 9042). There was an 18% reduction in oLLFs (22 vs 18). Approximately three-quarters of injuries were in males across both cohorts (77% vs 78%) and tended to occur in younger patients (median age, 37 vs 35). Road-traffic-accidents (RTAs) were the most common injury mechanism in both 2019 and lockdown, but a rise in jumpers from height was seen in the latter. A similar pattern of G-A severities were seen, however only 3 injuries during lockdown required major soft tissue reconstruction. There was no significant difference in times taken for initial debridement (p=0.72786) or definitive wound coverage (p=0.16152). A greater proportion of independent operating was seen during lockdown between orthopaedics and plastic surgery. Despite government lockdown measures, oLLFs still placed significant burden on our MTC. Notwithstanding significant staffing alterations and theatre pressures, we have been able to ensure these lower limb emergencies remain a surgical priority and have managed to utilise resources appropriately.

The COVID19 Pandemic's Emergence and Its Impact on Stock Market Volatility

This study empirically examines the impact of COVID 19 on the volatility of the Indian stock market using a generalized autoregressive conditional heterogeneous variance model. From September 3, 2019 to July 10, 2020, the analysis was performed using the daily closing prices of the Nifty and Sense stock indexes. In addition, this study compared stock price returns before and after COVID 19. According to the data, the Indian stock market is characterized by pandemic volatility. Comparing the results with COVID, we found that the period prior to COVID 19 had higher index returns than the period prior to COVID19 periods. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as government lockdown announcements, has created uncertainty in global business operations. Surprisingly, The stock market has been impacted significantly by a health crisis. The value of India's key stock indices has fallen by about 40%, making it one of the world's most significant emerging markets. Next, we investigated the short-term impact of pandemics on the Indian Stock Market Primary Index (NIFTY50) and its sectors. In our research, we used three alternative event research methods: a constant return model, a market model, and a market adjustment model. our outcomes are heterogeneous and heavily influenced by the sectors. Every sector was temporarily impacted; However, the banking industry was hit the worst. The effects of Parma, consumer goods, and information technology were all positive or minimal. We go over some of the theories that could explain this. These findings may aid investors in protecting Make smarter investment decisions to protect your equity portfolio from unexpected shocks and avoid huge unplanned losses.

Response to the COVID-19: Understanding implications of government lockdown policies

The rising number of COVID-19 cases and economic implications of lockdown measures indicate the tricky balancing act policy makers face as they implement the subsequent phases of 'unlock'. We develop a model to examine how lockdown and social distancing measures have influenced the behavioral conduct of people. The current situation highlights that policy makers need to focus on bringing awareness and social restraint among people rather than going for stringent lockdown measures. We believe this work will help the policy makers gain insights into the troubled COVID-19 times ahead, and based on the estimates, they can frame policies to navigate these wild waves in the best possible way.

Psychological Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Among Italians During the First Week of Lockdown.

Pandemics and government-mandated quarantining measures have a substantial impact on mental health. This study investigated the psychological impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis on Italian residents during the first week of government-imposed lockdown and the role of defense mechanisms as protective factors against distress. In this cross-sectional study, 5,683 Italians responded to an online survey assessing socio-demographics, overall psychological distress, post-traumatic symptoms, and defense mechanisms using validated measures as the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90), the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and the Defense Mechanisms Rating Scale-Self-Report-30 (DMRS-SR-30). Data were collected from March 13 to March 18, within the first week of lockdown in Italy. Results showed that younger age and female gender were associated with increased psychological distress. Having positive cases nearby, more days on lockdown, and having to relocate were also associated with greater distress. Higher overall defensive functioning (ODF) was associated with lower levels of depression (r = −.44, 95% CI −0.48, −0.40), anxiety (r = −.38, 95% CI −0.42, −0.35), and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) (r = −.34, 95% CI −0.38, −0.30). Conversely, less adaptive defensive functioning was related to greater affective distress across all domains. Each increased unit of ODF decreased the chances of developing post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) by 71% (odds ratio = 0.29, p < 0.001, 95% CI.026,.032). The psychological impact of COVID-19 among Italians during the early weeks of government lockdown has been significant. The pandemic continues to have extraordinary mental health impact as it moves across the globe. Given the salience of defensive functioning in psychological distress, consideration of interventions that foster the use of more adaptive defenses may be an important component of building resilience amidst a pandemic.

An analysis of initial service transformation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in two inner-city substance misuse services

ABSTRACT Background The COVID-19 pandemic presents challenges to substance misuse services. Patients face a higher risk of infection and transmission to others. Services were required to reconfigure quickly in response to the government lockdown. These changes had to be completed before national guidance was published. Method To examine the strategy and operational delivery of two London boroughs and measure how convergent they were with national guidelines. Referral data were analyzed and compared to a similar time frame pre-COVID-19. Results Both services adopted similar strategies and pace of change. Longer supplies of opiate substitution therapy (OST) were prescribed, with less restrictive arrangements for collection. There was an increase in opiate assessments and a reduction in alcohol assessments. There was no overall increase in mortality. There was minor deviation from national guidance when it was initially published. Conclusions The services were well equipped to respond to the rapid changes demanded during early lockdown. Reduced restrictions in OST may not be associated with negative service or patient outcomes. The move to remote consultations and home working are likely to have value in substance misuse services after the pandemic. The long-term impact of lockdown presents uncertainties in terms of clinical safety and requires evaluation.

Life under lockdown: Illustrating tradeoffs in South Africa's response to COVID-19.

This research note sheds light on the first three months of the COVID-19 outbreak in South Africa, where the virus has spread faster than anywhere else in the region. At the same time, South Africa has been recognized globally for its swift and efficient early response. We consider the impact of this response on different segments of the population, looking at changes in mobility by province to highlight variation in the willingness and ability of different subsets of the population to comply with lockdown orders. Using anonymized mobile phone data, we show that South Africans in all provinces reduced their mobility substantially in response to the government's lockdown orders. Statistical regression analysis shows that such mobility reductions are significantly and negatively associated with COVID-19 growth rates two weeks later. These findings add an important perspective to the emerging literature on the efficacy of shelter-in-place orders, which to date is dominated by studies of the United States. We show that people were particularly willing and able to act in the provinces hit hardest by the pandemic in its initial stages. At the same time, compliance with lockdown orders presented a greater challenge among rural populations and others with more precarious livelihoods. By reflecting on South Africa's inequality profile and results of a recent survey, we demonstrate how the country's response may deepen preexisting divides. This cautionary tale is relevant beyond South Africa, as much of the continent - and the world - grapples with similar tradeoffs. Along with measures to contain the spread of disease, governments and other development focused organizations should seriously consider how to offset the costs faced by already marginalized populations.

Sexual health among Kenyan male sex workers in a time of COVID-19

Objective: This report identifies the profound effects that the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant government lockdown have had on sexual health services delivery to a community of marginalised male sex workers in Nairobi, Kenya. Methods: Based on the experiences shared during ongoing virtual conversations with peer health workers, a case study was developed to identify the challenges encountered by peer health workers. Findings: Peer health workers confronted the new health crisis surrounding COVID-19 while also persisting in their efforts to deliver HIV services to male sex workers. Unable to receive status as ‘essential workers’, their actions often fell short in efforts to maintain male sex workers’ access to vital HIV prevention, treatment and care resources. Conclusion: The struggles encountered, amid dwindling resources, underscore the vital work needed to meet the health needs of a marginalised group that remains largely excluded from the government health system.

Recommendations for skin cancer consultation and surgery during COVID-19 pandemic.

Linked articles: COVID‐19 SPECIAL FORUM. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2020; 34: e433–e466.

SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in a Belgian cohort of patients with cystic fibrosis

BackgroundIn Belgium, COVID-19 epidemy began on February 4, 2020 with a peak on April 10, 2020. Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) followed in the Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc were rapidly isolated before the government lockdown. MethodsAfter the peak of the epidemy, we measured anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies in 149 patients and collected clinical data. ResultsOnly 3 asymptomatic patients presented IgG against the virus. In one patient hospitalized for COVID-19 (positive molecular testing), we did not detect any anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, as in thirty-five other symptomatic patients considered as possible cases. ConclusionsEven if respiratory symptoms linked to CF are frequent and compatible with COVID-19, anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies were detected only in 3 asymptomatic patients. This reassuring study concerning the risk of COVID-19 in patients with CF illustrates the difficulty to distinguish COVID-19 symptoms from respiratory exacerbations and the need of generalized molecular testing to make a precise diagnosis.

COVID-19: the current situation in Nepal.

The recent global pandemic of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is increasingly alarming. As of 21 June 2020, there are more than 8.7 million cases worldwide, with 460 000 deaths. Nepal is not an exception to COVID-19 and is currently facing a challenge to prevent the spread of infection. The analysis of the detected cases, severity and outcomes of the cases within a country is important to have a clear picture of where the pandemic is heading and what measures should be taken to curb the infection before it becomes uncontrollable. We collected data regarding all the cases, recoveries and deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Nepal starting from the first case on 23 January to 21 June 2020. At present, COVID-19 has spread all over Nepal, with a rapid increase in the number of new cases and deaths, which is alarming in a low-income country with an inadequate healthcare system like Nepal. Although the government implemented early school closure and lockdown, the management to contain COVID-19 does not appear to be adequate. Understanding the current situation regarding COVID-19 in Nepal is important for providing a direction towards proper management of the disease.

Following COVID-19 clinicians now overwhelmingly accept virtual clinics in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

Virtual consultations and telemedicine have been an emerging trend in modern medicine, which has seen acceleration in uptake across a wide range of specialties as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Following on from previous work by the authors in 2019 examining clinician and patient appetite for virtual consultations in maxillofacial surgery, we sought to evaluate whether there had been a change in attitudes as a result of the pandemic. A clinician survey of the consultants at a large teaching hospital and prospective data collection of virtual consultation outcomes was carried out from the inception of UK government lockdown measures to tackle the pandemic. From 151 consultations, 149 (98.7%) successfully established a working diagnosis and treatment plan and/or concluded an episode of patient care, without the need to convert to a face-to-face encounter between clinician and patient. The total number of consultations (virtual or otherwise) was significantly lower than the same time period the preceding year however (1,223 compared with 465 consultations). All consultants surveyed felt the pandemic had altered their opinion of virtual clinics and their place in maxillofacial surgery but cited a number of issues. Further work is required to understand the driving forces behind staff attitudes and the long-term adoption of telemedicine within the specialty as services return to some sense of normalcy.

Global Effects of COVID-19, government restrictions and implications for sex workers: A focus on Africa

There has been an unusually high media reporting of the impact on sex workers across the globe in relation to Covid -19 and related government lockdown, movement restrictions and reduced employment. This paper utilises a media analysis which examined N=541 media articles identified for the period 1st March to 31st May. N=103 of these focused on different countries in Africa and n=43 articles had a Kenyan focus. The media analysis is important as it is a lens through which sex workers are constructed, discourses are reinforced and knowledge is transferred throughout the globe. In this paper we reflect on: 1) The global effects on sex workers to show generic trends around economic impacts and health care across the global north and south; 2) core themes which affected sex workers daily lives across the African continent such as changes in mobility in cities and across borders, reduced movements, police interactions and violence, homelessness; 3) outline some of the global and localised responses from sex worker rights organisation, support projects and NGO's, in the absence of government safety nets. These media reports have illuminated the crisis experienced by sex workers during the period of initial first wave occurrences of Covid in countries globally and governmental measures to suppress the virus. These reductions in income, access to health care and medicines and challenges for housing will persist for some time with devastating effects on an already vulnerable and marginalised community.

The management of adult appendicitis during the COVID-19 pandemic: an interim analysis of a UK cohort study

BackgroundAcute appendicitis (AA) is the most common general surgical emergency. Early laparoscopic appendicectomy is the gold-standard management. SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) brought concerns of increased perioperative mortality and spread of infection during aerosol generating procedures: as a consequence, conservative management was advised, and open appendicectomy recommended when surgery was unavoidable. This study describes the impact of the first weeks of the pandemic on the management of AA in the United Kingdom (UK).MethodsPatients 18 years or older, diagnosed clinically and/or radiologically with AA were eligible for inclusion in this prospective, multicentre cohort study. Data was collected from 23rd March 2020 (beginning of the UK Government lockdown) to 1st May 2020 and included: patient demographics, COVID status; initial management (operative and conservative); length of stay; and 30-day complications. Analysis was performed on the first 500 cases with 30-day follow-up.ResultsThe patient cohort consisted of 500 patients from 48 sites. The median age of this cohort was 35 [26–49.75] years and 233 (47%) of patients were female. Two hundred and seventy-one (54%) patients were initially treated conservatively; with only 26 (10%) cases progressing to an operation. Operative interventions were performed laparoscopically in 44% (93/211). Median length of hospital stay was significantly reduced in the conservatively managed group (2 [IQR 1–4] days vs. 3 [2–4], p < 0.001). At 30 days, complications were significantly higher in the operative group (p < 0.001), with no deaths in any group. Of the 159 (32%) patients tested for COVID-19 on admission, only 6 (4%) were positive.ConclusionCOVID-19 has changed the management of acute appendicitis in the UK, with non-operative management shown to be safe and effective in the short-term. Antibiotics should be considered as the first line during the pandemic and perhaps beyond.

Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on labor market surveys at the German institute for employment research

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated government lockdown restrictions have fueled a high demand for survey data on how individuals and establishments are coping with the restrictions. However, the pandemic has also dramatically affected surveys themselves, forcing research institutes to adapt their fieldwork operations to the uncertain and evolving conditions. This paper documents the specific impacts of the pandemic on several ongoing surveys at the Institute for Employment Research in Germany, and describes how these impacts have been addressed. In addition, this paper summarizes efforts to rapidly develop new Covid-19 surveys to help meet the increasing demand for timely data about the effects of the Corona-Crisis on the labor market.

COVID-19: Stroke Admissions, Emergency Department Visits, and Prevention Clinic Referrals.

We assessed the impact of the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic on code stroke activations in the emergency department, stroke unit admissions, and referrals to the stroke prevention clinic at London's regional stroke center, serving a population of 1.8 million in Ontario, Canada. We found a 20% drop in the number of code strokes in 2020 compared to 2019, immediately after the first cases of COVID-19 were officially confirmed. There were no changes in the number of stroke admissions and there was a 22% decrease in the number of clinic referrals, only after the provincial lockdown. Our findings suggest that the decrease in code strokes was mainly driven by patient-related factors such as fear to be exposed to the SARS-CoV-2, while the reduction in clinic referrals was largely explained by hospital policies and the Government lockdown.

Pandemic Lockdown: The Role of Government Commitment

This paper studies lockdown policy in a dynamic economy without government commitment. Lockdown imposes a cap on labor supply, which improves health prospects at the cost of economic output and consumption. A government would like to commit to the extent of future lockdowns in order to guarantee an economic outlook that supports efficient levels of investment into intermediate inputs. However, such a commitment is not credible, since investments are sunk at the time when the government chooses a lockdown. As a result, lockdown under lack of commitment deviates from the optimal policy. Rules that limit a government's lockdown discretion can improve social welfare, even in the presence of noncontractible information. Quantitatively, lack of commitment causes lockdown to be significantly more severe than is socially optimal. The output and consumption loss due to lack of commitment is greater for higher intermediate input shares, higher discount rates, higher values of life, higher disease transmission rates at and outside of work, and longer vaccine arrival times.

Pre COVID-19 Market Conditions Persist &amp; the Stocker Industry Can Dampen the Damage

The effects of COVID-19 on the livestock market are well known and felt. Some effects include depressed futures and cash prices, unusual basis patterns, decreased packer bids and sale barn volume, packing plant closures, consumer hording of meat products, and shifting food service products for retail consumption. All these effects occurred as market participants grappled with everchanging government and industry policy which reduced consumer demand and resulted in bottlenecks and increasing supply gluts upstream. Simultaneously reducing demand and increasing supply always cause prices to plummet, and in the case of COVID-19 very rapidly. Some segments of the market are likely to begun to stabilize as government lockdown restrictions are lifted. However, the beef complex still has significant supply and demand issues to sort through in the coming months.

A Study of Perceptions of Students and Teachers Towards E-Learning and its Effectiveness – A Cross-Sectional Study During COVID-19 Lockdown in JNUIMSRC

Background: One severely impacted sector during a COVID-19 pandemic is the field of Medical Education Initially, when the Medical students were sent home based on Government Lockdown orders, it was very hard to imagine that it would change the way of teaching especially in this field After successfully adjusting to this new scenario the question of the hour is how many students and the teachers did adjust? What were their perceptions? And overall what was the effectiveness of this exercise? This study puts in a sincere effort to find the same Methods: The student’s and the teacher’s perceptions were taken using Likert’s scale when the online sessions were going on Another student’s perception was taken about a live lecture class in a classroom The perception scores of the students were compared An online test was taken after online sessions which were proctored by teachers and the marks attained by the students reflected the effectiveness of the programme Results: The perception score of the students was better for live classes than that for the online session There is no significant difference between the marks scored after the online session when compared to the marks scored when live lectures were being taken Conclusion: The medical students have been benefitted by this exercise during the pandemic Further, this mode of teaching should be implemented when regular classes will go on © @IJCRR