Pandemic Scenario Research Articles

Dentophobia in Children During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Dentophobia is a significant problem in oral health management. In the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the associated sanitary measures (quarantine, social distancing) at national level, the fear and dental anxiety are supposedly increased, especially in children. Pediatric patients are emotionally affected when they faced with the need for emergency dental intervention.
 The current study seeks to assess the emotional state of children aged 8-12, who needed dental care during quarantine, at the regional level, as well as the degree of anxiety of their parents. Dental anxiety was assessed independently by the dentist, parents and children themselves. If in children, the level of dental anxiety increased insignificantly, compared to the pre-pandemic period, the levels of parental anxiety were higher. The boys in the pandemic group had a higher level of anxiety, especially in the parental assessment.
 The results suggest that the reorganization of oral care in the pandemic scenario did not have a major effect on children's dental anxiety. However, the results of the assessment in boys show that they may be more vulnerable and need special care to alleviate their anxiety and reduce their risk of dentophobia in the future. These conclusions should be treated with caution, given the small sample size, which requires further confirmation. It is also important to convince parents of the safety of a visit to the dentist during a pandemic, to minimize their anxiety about their children's dental fears.

Overcoming the paradigm of traditional teaching methodology in pharmacology monitoring: innovations in medical education driven by the pandemic

In the course of the last decades there has been a transformation of medical education, aiming to change from a traditional model centered on the teacher to active methodologies, which involve students in a participative, practical and critical way. The pandemic highlighted the importance of differentiated approaches, such as dialoged classes and the inverted classroom. While they bring benefits, they also present challenges, such as preparedness and the necessary infrastructure. Training assessment and Think-Pair-Share (TPS) methodology are also important in this context. Accordingly, the adaptation of the ative methodologies for the teaching of pharmacology is considered relevant for forming doctors prepared for the future demands. The objective of the present study was to report the experience of the monitors in the discipline of Pharmacology in the context of adaptation between the pandemic scenario with remote activities and the return to face-to-face teaching, maintaining the strategy of active methodologies and the formative evaluation, which was initially structured during the pandemic in a digital context. The discipline of Pharmacology offered to the undergraduate course in Medicine of the State University of Rio de Janeiro has therefore started to integrate medical theory and practice, involving classroom, asynchronous and clinical cases. In this way, the teachers teach the subjects and the student monitors, with the supervision of the teachers, select clinical cases based on practical experiences, and use the strategy of the TPS for discussions with small groups of students, which, afterwards, are shared with the whole group. Clinical cases are based on supporting texts, but the discussions encourage the addition of new information to widen the understanding of the discipline. In this context, the monitoring project in Pharmacology involves an active teaching approach, encouraging students to participate in clinical case discussions and broaden theoretical knowledge. This practice enriches academic skills, arouses interest in teaching and is well evaluated by students. The approach aligns with Glasser's learning pyramid, favoring knowledge retention. The use of the TPS methodology promotes collaboration and clinical reasoning and the impact has been positive, which is evidenced by student evaluations and feedback to the discipline and to the monitors. Therefore, the restructuring of the Pharmacology discipline adopted more dynamic and active teaching strategies, seeking to stimulate the active participation of students and critical reasoning. Monitoring played an important role in this approach, promoting debate, proactivity, and clinical skills. The monitoring experience has been positive, deepening the technical knowledge of the monitors and challenging them to constantly improve teaching strategies. Accordingly, the work reflects the importance of more ative, critical medical teaching that is aligned with social demands.

Cyberchondria and perceived stress as mediated by fear of pandemic fear: A pandemic and post-pandemic comparative study from India

The present study compares the association between cyberchondria with perceived stress through fear of COVID-19 during the pandemic and post pandemic scenario. Studies were conducted in two waves among 651 and 742 Indian university students respectively. Structural equation modeling was performed for analysis. The study revealed the positive association between the cyberchondria and perceived stress, and supported the mediation of pandemic fear. A reciprocal model relationship between the cyberchondria and perceived stress also found to be significant with fear of COVID-19 as mediator. Whereas, the relations found less strong during the post pandemic scenario compare to pandemic. A collective approach, including the individuals, family and friends, psychological practitioners, institutions and authorities, may provide a betterment of current situation with proper analysis and regulations. Future studies may develop longitudinal design to explore behavioral changes over time.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic in the Brazilian maternal mortality ratio: A comparative analysis of Neural Networks Autoregression, Holt-Winters exponential smoothing, and Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average models.

The acute respiratory infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has resulted in increased mortality among pregnant, puerperal, and neonates. Brazil has the highest number of maternal deaths and a distressing fatality rate of 7.2%, more than double the country's current mortality rate of 2.8%. This study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Brazilian Maternal Mortality Ratio (BMMR) and forecasts the BMMR up to 2025. To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the BMMR, we employed Holt-Winters, Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA), and Neural Networks Autoregression (NNA). We utilized a retrospective time series spanning twenty-five years (1996-2021) to forecast the BMMR under both a COVID-19 pandemic scenario and a controlled COVID-19 scenario. Brazil consistently exhibited high maternal mortality values (mean BMMR [1996-2019] = 57.99 ±6.34/100,000 live births) according to World Health Organization criteria. The country experienced its highest mortality peak in the historical BMMR series in the second quarter of 2021 (197.75/100,000 live births), representing a more than 200% increase compared to the previous period. Holt-Winter and ARIMA models demonstrated better agreement with prediction results beyond the sample data, although NNA provided a better fit to previous data. Our study revealed an increase in BMMR and its temporal correlation with COVID-19 incidence. Additionally, it showed that Holt-Winter and ARIMA models can be employed for BMMR forecasting with lower errors. This information can assist governments and public health agencies in making timely and informed decisions.

Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on HIV Outcomes in the United States: A Modeling Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted sexual behaviors and the HIV continuum of care in the United States, reducing HIV testing and diagnosis, and use of preexposure prophylaxis and antiretroviral therapy. We aimed to understand the future implications of these effects through a modeling study. We first ran our compartmental model of HIV transmission in the United States accounting for pandemic-related short-term changes in transmission behavior and HIV prevention and care provision in 2020 to 2021 only. We then ran a comparison scenario that did not apply pandemic effects but assumed a continuation of past HIV prevention and care trends. We compared results from the 2 scenarios through 2024. HIV incidence was 4·4% lower in 2020 to 2021 for the pandemic scenario compared with the no-pandemic scenario because of reduced levels of transmission behavior, despite reductions in HIV prevention and care caused by the pandemic. However, reduced care led to less viral load suppression among people with HIV in 2020, and in turn, our model resulted in a slightly greater incidence of 2·0% from 2022 to 2024 in the COVID-19 scenario, as compared with the non-COVID scenario. Disruptions in HIV prevention and care services during COVID-19 may lead to somewhat higher postpandemic HIV incidence than assuming prepandemic trends in HIV care and prevention continued. These results underscore the importance of continuing to increase HIV prevention and care efforts in the coming years.

A importância da Biologia Molecular no diagnóstico do SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by the etiologic agent SARS-CoV- 2, started at the beginning of 2020. And create a big challenge in the scientific community from all around the world. The symptoms can variate of levels manifestation to severs cases of pneumonia. Studies are seeking ways of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the disease. In view of the pandemic scenario and the worsening number of cases and deaths due to the disease, the search for an accurate diagnosis is essential. Therefore, the aim of this study is demonstrating the importance of using molecular biology through the technique of Real Time Transcriptase Reverse Polymerase Chain Reaction (Real Time RT-PCR), for the detection of the genetic material of SARS-CoV-2 from data found in the literature. After a critical analysis of the literature, it was possible to confirm the importance and efficiency of using the Real Time RT-PCR technique in the diagnosis of infection, since this technique allows a good performance in the detection of viral genetic material, guaranteeing a high success rate when differentiating an infected patient from the non-infected. Concluding that until now this technique is considered as the main diagnostic method for the disease, remaining as a “gold standard”.

Developing a causal framework of internet of things adoption barriers for agile manufacturing in post COVID-19

In order to remain competitive in a post-COVID-19 scenario, manufacturing organizations should use the pandemic scenario as a lever to make IoT adoption more agile and faster by reinventing their business models. Although, IoT has vast potential in multiple sensors’ direct integration without human intervention, its adoption has observed significant barriers during COVID-19. In this context, the current research aims to identify, prioritize, categorize, and investigate inter-dependencies among the significant barriers to adopting IoT technologies in the manufacturing industry. The analysis used two-stage integrated AHP-TOPSIS (Analytical Hierarchy Process-Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) and ISM (Interpretative Structural Modeling) techniques. For AHP and ISM techniques, a group of 8 experts from academia and industry with at least 10 years of experience was surveyed to capture their perceptions. Whereas, for TOPSIS, data were collected from 433 operational-level users. The research discloses that the significant driver barriers that hamper the adoption of IoT technologies are: poor internet infrastructure, high adoption & operating costs and lack of government regulations. This study will assist practitioners, decision-makers and organizations in understanding the significant barriers to seamless IoT implementation.

Quantitative Study on American COVID-19 Epidemic Predictions and Scenario Simulations

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on people’s lives, making accurate prediction of epidemic trends a central focus in COVID-19 research. This study innovatively utilizes a spatiotemporal heterogeneity analysis (GTNNWR) model to predict COVID-19 deaths, simulate pandemic prevention scenarios, and quantitatively assess their preventive effects. The results show that the GTNNWR model exhibits superior predictive capacity to the conventional infectious disease dynamics model (SEIR model), which is approximately 9% higher, and reflects the spatial and temporal heterogeneity well. In scenario simulations, this study established five scenarios for epidemic prevention measures, and the results indicate that masks are the most influential single preventive measure, reducing deaths by 5.38%, followed by vaccination at 3.59%, and social distancing mandates at 2.69%. However, implementing single stringent preventive measures does not guarantee effectiveness across all states and months, such as California in January 2025, Florida in August 2024, and March–April 2024 in the continental U.S. On the other hand, the combined implementation of preventive measures proves 5 to-10-fold more effective than any single stringent measure, reducing deaths by 27.2%. The deaths under combined implementation measures never exceed that of standard preventive measures in any month. The research found that the combined implementation of measures in mask wearing, vaccination, and social distancing during winter can reduce the deaths by approximately 45%, which is approximately 1.5–3-fold higher than in the other seasons. This study provides valuable insights for COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control in America.

Postmortem chest computed tomography in COVID-19: A minimally invasive autopsy method

ObjectivesPerforming autopsies in a pandemic scenario is challenging, as the need to understand pathophysiology must be balanced with the contamination risk. A minimally invasive autopsy might be a solution. We present a model that combines radiology and pathology to evaluate postmortem CT lung findings and their correlation with histopathology. MethodsTwenty-nine patients with fatal COVID-19 underwent postmortem chest CT, and multiple lung tissue samples were collected. The chest CT scans were analyzed and quantified according to lung involvement in five categories: normal, ground-glass opacities, crazy-paving, small consolidations, and large or lobar consolidations. The lung tissue samples were examined and quantified in three categories: normal lung, exudative diffuse alveolar damage (DAD), and fibroproliferative DAD. A linear index was used to estimate the global severity of involvement by CT and histopathological analysis. ResultsThere was a positive correlation between patient mean CT and histopathological severity score indexes - Pearson correlation coefficient (R) = 0.66 (p = 0.0078). When analyzing the mean lung involvement percentage of each finding, positive correlations were found between the normal lung percentage between postmortem CT and histopathology (R=0.65, p = 0.0082), as well as between ground-glass opacities in postmortem CT and normal lungs in histopathology (R=0.65, p = 0.0086), but negative correlations were observed between ground-glass opacities extension and exudative diffuse alveolar damage in histological slides (R=−0.68, p = 0.005). Additionally, it was found is a trend toward a decrease in the percentage of normal lung tissue on the histological slides as the percentage of consolidations in postmortem CT scans increased (R =−0.51, p = 0.055). The analysis of the other correlations between the percentage of each finding did not show any significant correlation or correlation trends (p ≥ 0.10). ConclusionsA minimally invasive autopsy is valid. As the severity of involvement is increased in CT, more advanced disease is seen on histopathology. However, we cannot state that one specific radiological category represents a specific pathological correspondent. Ground-glass opacities, in the postmortem stage, must be interpreted with caution, as expiratory lungs may overestimate disease.

From historical pandemics to the COVID-19 crisis: lessons learned, challenges faced, and future directions in global health

This study aims to assess the coping strategies employed during major historical pandemics and their implications for mental health. An integrative literature review was conducted, encompassing the following databases: SciELO, PubMed, Lilacs, and Google Scholar. Scientific studies were identified using relevant Health Sciences Descriptors (DeCS) and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) combined with Boolean operators AND and OR. Seventeen publications that met the eligibility criteria and were published between 2003 and January 2023 were selected for analysis. The findings revealed that 9 articles (52.94%) focused on COVID-19, 2 articles (11.76%) discussed the Black Death, 3 articles (17.64%) explored the Spanish flu, 4 articles (23.52%) addressed H1N1, 1 article (5.88%) examined Perinthus cough, and 6 articles (35.29%) investigated mental health in pandemic scenarios. The study demonstrates that coping strategies have significantly improved with advancements in scientific and technological knowledge, leading to a better understanding of the transmission and prevention of pandemics, as well as the promotion of mental well-being.

Death Unpreparedness Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Concept Analysis.

The COVID-19 pandemic imposed changes upon the capacity of healthcare systems, with significant repercussions on healthcare provision, particularly at end-of-life. This study aims to analyze the concept map of death unpreparedness due to the COVID-19 pandemic, capturing the relationships among the attributes, antecedents, consequences, and empirical indicators. Walker and Avant's method was used to guide an analysis of this concept. A literature search was performed systematically, between May 2022 and August 2023, using the following electronic databases on the Elton Bryson Stephens Company (EBSCO) host platform: Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (Medline), Psychological Information Database (PsycINFO), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) Complete, Cochrane Library, and Nursing and Allied Health Collection. Thirty-four articles were retrieved. The unexpected and unpredictable impositions associated with inexperience and unskillfulness in dealing with COVID-19 configured challenges for healthcare professionals, family/caregivers, and even the dying person. Nine key attributes emerged in three main domains: (1) Individual: (a) disease-related conditions, (b) separation distress, and (c) scarcity of death and grief literacy; (2) Relational: (a) Dying alone, (b) poor communication, and (c) existential issues; and (3) Contextual: (a) disrupted collective mourning and grieving, (b) disrupted compassionate care and, (c) pandemic social stigma. This study contributed a full definition of death unpreparedness in a global pandemic scenario such as COVID-19. In this sense, feeling unprepared or unready for death brought new challenges to the bioecological resources of those affected. It is essential to embrace strategies capable of providing emotional and spiritual support in the dying process and to respect patient wishes. The lessons learned from COVID-19 should be applied to events with a comparable impact to minimize their consequences.

Research instruments and data analysis for mode choice in travel within the university environment

This article reviews recent literature on data collection and analysis procedures regarding modal choice in university travel. The review method included the search, selection, and critical analysis of studies published in indexed journals in the bibliographic databases between 2018 and 2023. While most studies utilized online questionnaires, there was some adherence to in-person surveys. Strategies such as social media promotion and prize incentives have been employed. Regarding analysis tools, it was observed that most studies employ quantitative approaches, including statistical tests, discrete choice models, and integrated and latent variable models. In addition to commonly used variables such as socioeconomic or behavioral factors, there has been an inclusion of variables that explain the effect of the global pandemic scenario on the travel behavior of the academic community.

COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on the Trajectories of Cognitive Decline and Depression Symptoms in Long-Term Care Facility Residents

ObjectivesTo compare the longitudinal rates of change in cognition and depressive symptoms between 2019 (pre–COVID-19 pandemic) and 2020 (COVID-19 pandemic) among long-term care facility (LTCF) residents in Iowa, which ranked among the top 10 US states that suffered from extreme nursing staff shortages during this crisis. DesignA longitudinal cohort study analyzing the Long-Term Care Minimum Data Set (MDS) version 3.0 between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2020. Setting and ParticipantsLTCF residents from the state of Iowa, with a first assessment before March 10 for each year (2019 and 2020), LTCF stay period >60 days, and at least 2 documented assessments with a minimum of 45 days in between. LTCF residents with a Brief Interview for Mental Status score (BIMS) <3 were excluded. MethodsWe computed doubly robust estimators by combining regression and propensity score models for BIMS (cognitive decline) and Nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9; depression symptoms) monthly scores for 2020 vs 2019. ResultsA total of 24,025 residents from 436 LTCFs were included. Our research revealed a marginally accelerated monthly decline in BIMS scores during 2020 as opposed to 2019, with a rate of −0.012 per month (95% CI −0.022, −0.002; P = .016). Simultaneously, we observed a monthly increment of 0.016 in the PHQ-9 scores among LTCF residents in 2020 (95% CI 0.006, 0.028; P = .003). Conclusions and ImplicationsOur study identified a notable yet modest increase in cognitive decline and depressive symptoms among NH residents in Iowa during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although statistically significant, the changes were small and may not have clinical relevance over 1 year. Further research is needed to examine risk factors for cognitive decline during pandemic scenarios such as social isolation, loneliness, inappropriate patient-centered care, and the relationship with staff shortage and facility resources.

From catering for death rituals to establishing a restaurant – the journey of KSN Iyengar Catering Service

Learning outcomes The learning outcomes of this case study are to develop an understanding of informal business practices (IBP) from an economic and a behavioural perspective, identify the pros and cons of IBP and how they can hinder the realization of entrepreneurial aspirations, use the effectuation perspective to understand the entrepreneurial journey of the protagonist and apply the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis and effectuation theory to understand the need for transition from informal to formal business practices. Case overview/synopsis KSN Iyengar Catering Services (KSNICS) had gained popularity for cooking and serving traditional “Iyengar” cuisine during festivals, ceremonies and other auspicious occasions. With the passage of time, KSNICS slowly diversified into offering food carrier services, corporate catering and preparation of sweets/savouries during the Diwali festival. The enterprise managed to sustain itself without additional investments from external sources. KSNICS was managed in an informal manner by the protagonist, Krishna Kumar. After almost 30 years of KSNICS’s existence, in 2021, Kumar felt that they should diversify into the restaurant business by establishing an authentic “Iyengar” restaurant. In spite of the unpredictable market and the challenging times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he had somehow managed to sustain his catering business. However, given the informal methods through which he operated his catering services and in the post-COVID-19 pandemic scenario, would it be prudent on his part to establish a restaurant? Complexity academic level This case study is suitable for post-graduate- and executive-level instruction in courses such as managerial skills, entrepreneurship and human resource management. In managerial skills course, it can be used for applying SWOT analysis from a particular perspective for effective decision-making. In entrepreneurship-related courses, it can be used to introduce aspects such as entrepreneurship orientation, effectuation and decision-making. In organizational behaviour and HR-related courses, it can be used to highlight how employees can be trained and motivated and how businesses can be sustained within the scale, especially during challenging times. Irrespective of the course, the IBP discussion would remain a constant point of reference because that was the context under which the current business was operating. Supplementary material Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Estresse ocupacional no setor bancário: implicações na saúde do trabalhador e na funcionalidade da organização

Abstract This article aimed to identify the main implications of occupational stress for workers’ health and for the functionality of a banking organization located in Minas Gerais, Brazil, during the COVID-19 pandemic. We developed a quantitative study through a survey of 306 banking professionals. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. As a result, the construction of a structural model stands out, making it possible to verify the implications and effects between the individual, social, and functional dimensions. This study contributed to the discussion of variables associated with occupational stress, considering the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, marked by adversities and so far with few studies related to professionals in the financial sector, especially banking. Considering the pandemic scenario, the relationships between the dimensions served as the basis for identifying the manifestations of occupational stress in individuals and their impacts on the organization’s functionality.

Attention Feature Fusion Network via Knowledge Propagation for Automated Respiratory Sound Classification.

Goal: In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the early diagnosis of respiratory diseases has become increasingly crucial. Traditional diagnostic methods such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), while accurate, often face accessibility challenges. Lung auscultation, a simpler alternative, is subjective and highly dependent on the clinician's expertise. The pandemic has further exacerbated these challenges by restricting face-to-face consultations. This study aims to overcome these limitations by developing an automated respiratory sound classification system using deep learning, facilitating remote and accurate diagnoses. Methods: We developed a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) model that utilizes spectrographic representations of respiratory sounds within an image classification framework. Our model is enhanced with attention feature fusion of low-to-high-level information based on a knowledge propagation mechanism to increase classification effectiveness. This novel approach was evaluated using the ICBHI benchmark dataset and a larger, self-collected Pediatric dataset comprising outpatient children aged 1 to 6 years. Results: The proposed CNN model with knowledge propagation demonstrated superior performance compared to existing state-of-the-art models. Specifically, our model showed higher sensitivity in detecting abnormalities in the Pediatric dataset, indicating its potential for improving the accuracy of respiratory disease diagnosis. Conclusions: The integration of a knowledge propagation mechanism into a CNN model marks a significant advancement in the field of automated diagnosis of respiratory disease. This study paves the way for more accessible and precise healthcare solutions, which is especially crucial in pandemic scenarios.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) in Indonesia: A Systematic Literature Review

The COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia put pressure on assisted reproductive technology (ART) practices. Travel restrictions and hospital closures reduced access to ART which are located mostly in capital cities. Thus, investigating how the pandemic affected Indonesian ART services is crucial. This study reviewed literature using PRISMA method. PICO Model criteria were used to search articles. During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Papers were obtained from Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and Cerdika databases. Researchers searched journals spanned between 2022 – 2024 for “COVID-19” and limited the publication year to 2020 – 2021, the year of pandemic. The results of the study show that the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant effect on Indonesia’s use of ART. It was more challenging to reach and use ART therapies with travel restrictions and health facility closures. Nonetheless, most fertility clinics had changed their health standards in response to the circumstances. The recommendations point to more investigation to better understand how the pandemic had affected ART services and to create fresh approaches to deal with the evolving pandemic scenario. We suggest that more hospitals and primary health care institutions have a better standard for ART in a significant force situation. Also, multiply the services in more locations; thus, if travel restrictions happen in some circumstances, the patient still gets to the services closest to their house.

Digitization in the Tourism Industry Concerning Covid19 Pandemic Scenario

Digitization in the Tourism Industry Concerning Covid19 Pandemic Scenario

Government guidelines for the practice of learning assessment in the Covid-19 pandemic scenario in the state of Paraná

Resumo O artigo resulta de pesquisa realizada com o objetivo de examinar as concepções que orientam o processo de avaliação da aprendizagem durante o cenário pandêmico da Covid-19 e suas implicações para a prática pedagógica dos professores. A metodologia de pesquisa é de abordagem qualitativa e os dados do estudo são os documentos oficiais − Deliberações do Conselho Estadual de Educação−, destinados às escolas de Educação Básica do estado do Paraná. As análises destacam que os documentos focalizam o controle do desenvolvimento de aulas remotas; orientam pouco a direção da realização da avaliação e da promoção dos estudantes. Estão centrados no desempenho e resultados obtidos e no cuidado com a produção de relatórios sobre as aulas ofertadas, de maneira que priorizam o registro das atividades sobre a efetividade da promoção da aprendizagem dos estudantes.

Uncertainties and Dynamic Connectedness Among Sectors: A Case of the USA, India, France, Germany and Russia

This study examines the connectedness among the sectoral indices for the USA, India, France, Germany and Russia stock markets pre and post-COVID-19. We use the Diebold and Yilmaz spillover index to examine the study's objectives. This study finds that volatility spillover is higher during COVID-19 than before COVID-19. In addition, the volatility transmission across the sectors demonstrated mixed results regarding net volatility receivers and transmitters. However, the degree of transmission is higher for the net volatility receivers than for the net volatility transmitters. This study will help policymakers draft related policies to immunise their economy and market from spillover contagions of international markets during varying pandemic scenarios. This study would also help potential investors, including foreign institutional investors, diversify their portfolios based on the sectors with net volatility transmitters and receivers.