Post-pandemic World Research Articles

Post-Pandemic Health Communication: Adoption of Digital Technologies in Healthcare by Residents of Mumbai

Digitalization has become an important part of human lives in many fields, ranging from education to healthcare. Digital technologies are one of the priorities in the development of the healthcare sector worldwide. During the COVID-19 pandemic, patients became more engaged about medical communication and used digital technologies than ever. Health professionals started using more online/digital platforms to provide patients prescriptions and check patients’ reports. This paper is aimed at examining various forms of digital platforms on healthcare, which patients use for consultation with health professionals. This study is an exploratory observational study in which researcher conducted a semi-structured interviewsin Mumbai suburban housing society. The objectives were to understand nature of health communication post pandemic, perception of family about health and which digital platforms they are using? How are igital platforms being helpful in day-to-day life ? The Study found that most respondents still use an online consultation option with their doctors, pharmacy and lab investigation. The reasons for using digital platforms in spite of scope for physical outreach are time, money and energy savings. They visit hospital or doctor’s clinic in emergency or on unavoidable situations. It was also found that some organizations that pay medical benefits to their staff also started collecting medical prescriptions via WhatsApp. The study emphasizes the importance of digital platform, time and health communication in post pandemic world. The majority of respondents were satisfied with the digital platforms and would like to continue in the future. Among all digital platforms “WhatsApp” was most popular and used, which is still getting used in India. The respondents had significant impact by the use of digital platforms. Although some respondents showed concern related to data privacy. This also indicate shift from oral, face to face communication to mediated digital communication in Asian societies.:Digitalization has become an important part of human lives in many fields, ranging from education to healthcare. Digital technologies are one of the priorities in the development of the healthcare sector worldwide. During the COVID-19 pandemic, patients became more engaged about medical communicationand used digital technologies than ever. Health professionals started using more online/digital platforms to provide patients prescriptions and check patients’ reports. This paper is aimed at examining various forms of digital platforms on healthcare, which patients use for consultation with health professionals. Thisstudy is an exploratory observational study in which researcher conducted a semi-structured interviews in Mumbai suburban housing society. The objectives were to understand nature of health communication post pandemic, perception of family about health and which digital platforms they are using? How are digital platforms being helpful in day-to-day life ? The Study found that most respondents still use an online consultation option with their doctors, pharmacy and lab investigation. Thereasons for using digital platforms in spite of scope for physical outreach are time, money and energy savings. They visit hospital or doctor’s clinic in emergency or on unavoidable situations. It was also found that some organizations thatpay medical benefits to their staff also started collecting medical prescriptions via WhatsApp. The study emphasizes the importance of digital platform, time and health communication in post pandemic world. The majority of respondents were satisfied with the digital platforms and would like to continue in thefuture. Among all digital platforms “WhatsApp” was most popular and used, which is still getting used in India. The respondents had significant impact by the use of digital platforms. Although some respondents showed concern related to data privacy. This also indicate shift from oral, face to face communication to mediated digital communication in Asian societies.:

Human mobility reshaped? Deciphering the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on activity patterns, spatial habits, and schedule habits

Despite the historically documented regularity in human mobility patterns, the relaxation of spatial and temporal constraints, brought by the widespread adoption of telecommuting and e-commerce during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a growing desire for flexible work arrangements in a post-pandemic work, indicates a potential reshaping of these patterns. In this paper, we investigate the multifaceted impacts of relaxed spatio-temporal constraints on human mobility, using well-established metrics from the travel behavior literature. Further, we introduce a novel metric for schedule regularity, accounting for specific day-of-week characteristics that previous approaches overlooked. Building on the large body of literature on the impacts of COVID-19 on human mobility, we make use of passively tracked Point of Interest (POI) data for approximately 21,700 smartphone users in the US, and analyze data between January 2020 and September 2022 to answer two key questions: (1) has the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated relaxation of spatio-temporal activity patterns reshaped the different aspects of human mobility, and (2) have we achieved a state of stable post-pandemic “new normal”? We hypothesize that the relaxation of the spatiotemporal constraints around key activities will result in people exhibiting less regular schedules. Findings reveal a complex landscape: while some mobility indicators have reverted to pre-pandemic norms, such as trip frequency and travel distance, others, notably at-home dwell-time, persist at altered levels, suggesting a recalibration rather than a return to past behaviors. Most notably, our analysis reveals a paradox: despite the documented large-scale shift towards flexible work arrangements, schedule habits have strengthened rather than relaxed, defying our initial hypotheses and highlighting a desire for regularity. The study’s results contribute to a deeper understanding of the post-pandemic “new normal”, offering key insights on how multiple facets of travel behavior were reshaped, if at all, by the COVID-19 pandemic, and will help inform transportation planning in a post-pandemic world.

Особенности социологических исследований старения в постпандемийное время

The new coronavirus infection, general uncertainty and constant variability of the post-pandemic world influenced transformations in the understanding of age and aging, as well as the emergence of new perspectives in aging research and understanding of this process in the social sciences. Defining age boundaries, understanding the activities of elderly people in the post-pandemic reality and the prospects for researching such activities are important issues for the domestic and foreign scientific community. The article examines the latest publications on the sociology of aging, social policy, health of elderly people and their necessary activities. In total, the author analyzes 1,000 publications released in 2022 and 2023 and devoted to the peculiarities of elderly people’s life after the pandemic. The author uncovers important factors for better integration of elderly people into social life and overcoming the problems caused by the pandemic: activating the social life of elderly people; developing the integration of elderly people into social life; understanding the employment of elderly people as a multi-vector direction, which may include hobbies and their monetization, non-permanent employment or employment for pleasure and communication.

Navigating New Horizons: The Future of International Student Mobility in the Post-Pandemic World

The global higher education landscape has undergone significant change in the wake of COVID-19. There’s been a notable surge in students opting for more affordable programs, alongside a considerable rise in those pursuing overseas education for immigration purposes. Countries like Canada and Australia have responded by easing visa constraints to lure international students. Meanwhile, India and China, as two key players in sending students abroad, are experiencing divergent trajectories. While China is fostering its domestic education sector and implementing policies to draw in international students, its population is expected to decline. Conversely, the rapidly growing youth population in India offers a favorable opportunity for overseas students. For nations reliant on the overseas education sector, striking a balance between the economic benefits and local employment impacts is crucial, while also addressing market share challenges posed by China and India. Exploring alternative markets is imperative. Nigeria, Kenya, and other nations show high growth potential, while the rising middle class in Latin America offers another potential source market. Kazakhstan emerges as a notable contender, with its pre-pandemic economic expansion and government initiatives promoting international student mobility and ambitious targets. The declining cost of studying abroad reflects not only the economic challenges facing the global education sector but also a democratization of access to international education, no longer confined to affluent families. A noticeable rise of international students from Asian countries—such as China, Russia, Japan, and South Korea—indicates a slow shift in the market share away from popular study locations. This shift underscores a broader trend of diversification in the global higher education landscape.

Acute Care Nurse Practitioner: Collaboration in a Postpandemic World.

Acute Care Nurse Practitioner: Collaboration in a Postpandemic World.

Investigating VET teachers’ experiences during and post COVID

Vocational education and training teachers play an integral role in ensuring students, both international and domestic, gain quality learning experiences and positive outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic caused rapid changes and abruptly shifted vocational education from face-to-face teaching to teaching at a distance. This study aims to investigate vocational education and training teachers’ experiences during and post COVID-19. A systematic review and analysis of 26 publications, published between 2019 and 2022 in English-language peer-reviewed journals, revealed areas that were underexamined and warranted deeper exploration, including the impacts on pedagogy and recognition of the precarity under which many vocational teachers work. Such challenges impact students and teachers economically and mentally. Investigation of teacher experiences can aid management and policymakers to respond to the uncertainties of the post-pandemic world as it provides us with critical moments to rethink the management of professional development and support for teachers to be able to provide equitable opportunities to students’ differentiated needs.

When this is over: reflections on an unequal pandemic; The post-pandemic world and global politics

When this is over: reflections on an unequal pandemic; The post-pandemic world and global politics

Evil Re-Examined: Barthian Insights Post-Covid Pandemic

This paper delves into Karl Barth's unique interpretation of evil within the context of the 2019-2022 global COVID-19 pandemic, guided by Kenneth Surin's concept of 'practical theodicy.' Employing a critical analysis of Barth's theological works, with a particular focus on 'das Nichtige' (nothingness), it uncovers a fresh understanding of Barth's theological intentions concerning the problem of evil. Barth's theology highlights the inherent malevolence of evil and its ultimate defeat through Christ, providing a theological framework for addressing post-pandemic suffering challenges. This reinterpretation holds specific relevance for Indonesia's and global Christian community, offering a practical theological foundation for navigating the pandemic's aftermath. The research's implications extend to theology and ethics, offering a new perspective on how Christians can comprehend and respond to suffering in a post-pandemic world. Informed by 'practical theodicy,' Barth's theological insights prompt a reconsideration of our approach to evil and its implications for human existence. This paper reevaluates Karl Barth's theology of evil through a contemporary lens, presenting a novel interpretation that is particularly valuable to scholars and theologians seeking fresh viewpoints on the enduring issue of suffering. Moreover, it offers practical guidance for Indonesia's Christian community in addressing the challenges posed by the global pandemic.

Water consumption and biodiversity: Responses to global emergency events

Given that it was a once-in-a-century emergency event, the confinement measures related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused diverse disruptions and changes in life and work patterns. These changes significantly affected water consumption both during and after the pandemic, with direct and indirect consequences on biodiversity. However, there has been a lack of holistic evaluation of these responses. Here, we propose a novel framework to study the impacts of this unique global emergency event by embedding an environmentally extended supply-constrained global multi-regional input-output model (MRIO) into the drivers-pressure-state-impact-response (DPSIR) framework. This framework allowed us to develop scenarios related to COVID-19 confinement measures to quantify country-sector-specific changes in freshwater consumption and the associated changes in biodiversity for the period of 2020–2025. The results suggest progressively diminishing impacts due to the implementation of COVID-19 vaccines and the socio-economic system’s self-adjustment to the new normal. In 2020, the confinement measures were estimated to decrease global water consumption by about 5.7% on average across all scenarios when compared with the baseline level with no confinement measures. Further, such a decrease is estimated to lead to a reduction of around 5% in the related pressure on biodiversity. Given the interdependencies and interactions across global supply chains, even those countries and sectors that were not directly affected by the COVID-19 shocks experienced significant impacts: Our results indicate that the supply chain propagations contributed to 79% of the total estimated decrease in water consumption and 84% of the reduction in biodiversity loss on average. Our study demonstrates that the MRIO-enhanced DSPIR framework can help quantify resource pressures and the resultant environmental impacts across supply chains when facing a global emergency event. Further, we recommend the development of more locally based water conservation measures—to mitigate the effects of trade disruptions—and the explicit inclusion of water resources in post-pandemic recovery schemes. In addition, innovations that help conserve natural resources are essential for maintaining environmental gains in the post-pandemic world.

Emerging Paradigms in Sustainable Supply Chain Management: A Comparative Study of Pre– and Post–COVID-19 Research Trends

The COVID-19 pandemic has ushered in an unprecedented global crisis, profoundly affecting industries and managerial sectors worldwide, including supply chain management (SCM). This study explores the impact of the pandemic on research trends in sustainable supply chain management (SSCM), which has gained significant attention in recent years due to its promising advantages and environmental imperatives. By comparing pre- and post-pandemic periods, we investigate the paradigm shift in SSCM issues caused by COVID-19. To conduct our analysis, we utilised data from the Scopus database, focusing on published research spanning the past decade (2010–2021). Through trend estimations, we identified the key areas that experienced shifts in research focus, shedding light on the evolving landscape of SSCM in the COVID-19 environment. This study contributes to the literature by providing valuable insights into how the pandemic has influenced research directions within the domain of sustainable supply chains. Scholars and practitioners can use these findings to assess the most explored and overlooked areas in SSCM during the COVID-19 era. Ultimately, our research aims to guide future investigations and inform strategies for resilient and environmentally conscious supply chain practices in the post-pandemic world.

Reshaping the corporate landscape: Navigating changes in real estate strategies

The changing corporate landscape, influenced by global events and shifting workforce dynamics, has led to a new era of workplace adaptation and innovation. The COVID-19 pandemic has catalysed a significant shift towards remote work, with a profound impact on corporate real estate (CRE). As we navigate a post-pandemic world, it is clear that the traditional office model has transformed into a more flexible and multifaceted concept. The rise of remote and hybrid work has prompted businesses to rethink their real estate strategies, resulting in a surge in office vacancies and the need for creative solutions. Companies are at a crossroads of reinventing their physical workspaces and redefining their organisational cultures to address challenges such as rising delinquency rates, employee engagement and well-being. In the current business environment, organisations are prioritising the alignment of their future of work strategies with their mission and vision. They are taking advantage of their unutilised office spaces to reduce expenses, enhance the employee experience, promote sustainability and facilitate hybrid work arrangements. This transformation, however, necessitates a re-evaluation and optimisation of their real estate utilisation and functionality to cater to the needs of their ever-changing workforce. To accomplish this, corporate real estate professionals are looking for ways to adopt crucial strategies that foster efficiency and effectiveness in the workplace. This paper delves into these strategies and provides valuable insights into their successful implementation.

Burnout: A Silent Rising Phenomenon

Burnout is an increasing issue in our post-pandemic world. Since the 1970’s we have recognized the causes, theconsequences, and even potential solutions of burnout. New research dives in even further by categorizing the threecause of burnout, the several measurement tools that have developed since the 1970's, and the expandingdemographic that is affected by burnout.

Healthcare management in a post-pandemic world: Lessons learned and future preparedness: A review

This review paper examines the profound impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare management, highlighting lessons learned and proposing strategies for future preparedness. It explores the immediate challenges healthcare systems face, such as resource allocation and staff shortages. It discusses the rapid adaptations and innovations that emerged, including the expansion of telehealth and digital health technologies. The paper also reviews policy and management adjustments. It applies theoretical frameworks like organizational change, crisis management, and health systems resilience to understand these changes. Key findings emphasize the importance of resilience, flexibility, and innovation in healthcare management. Recommendations for practice and policy focus on enhancing public health infrastructure, investing in digital health, and fostering international cooperation. The paper concludes with directions for future research, including the evaluation of digital health interventions and strategies to address healthcare disparities, underscoring the need for a robust, adaptive, and equitable healthcare system in the post-pandemic world.

The ‘Inter-AI Period’: how management mathematics can help shape an AI-enabled future

Abstract Accepted by: Aris Syntetos Launched in a post pandemic world primed for technological solutions, Gen AI marked the beginning of a transformational period. Uses, norms, standards and values embedded in artificial intelligence (AI) technology are evolving at a dizzying pace and are in flux. The current period—termed ‘the Inter-AI Period’—presents an opportunity for researchers in management mathematics to shape an AI-enabled future. This window of opportunity will be short, after which mathematical principles and decision processes embedded in AI algorithms will harden. Technological evolution will certainly continue thereafter. But the views, norms, practices and strategies would have been embedded in the technology. It is up to researchers to act now to shape an AI-enabled future—one that harnesses the powers of AI but with guardrails to protect users and humanity. This invited essay is based on research involving interviews of dozens of business leaders and scholars and is intended as a call to action for researchers to grasp the gravity of this period and act now.

HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT IN A POST-PANDEMIC WORLD: LESSONS LEARNED AND FUTURE PREPAREDNESS - A REVIEW

This review paper examines the profound impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare management, highlighting lessons learned and proposing strategies for future preparedness. It explores the immediate challenges healthcare systems face, such as resource allocation and staff shortages. It discusses the rapid adaptations and innovations that emerged, including the expansion of telehealth and digital health technologies. The paper also reviews policy and management adjustments. It applies theoretical frameworks like organizational change, crisis management, and health systems resilience to understand these changes. Key findings emphasize the importance of resilience, flexibility, and innovation in healthcare management. Recommendations for practice and policy focus on enhancing public health infrastructure, investing in digital health, and fostering international cooperation. The paper concludes with directions for future research, including the evaluation of digital health interventions and strategies to address healthcare disparities, underscoring the need for a robust, adaptive, and equitable healthcare system in the post-pandemic world.
 Keywords: Covid-19 Pandemic, Healthcare Management, Digital Health Technologies, Crisis Management Theory, Healthcare System Resilience.

Future Potentials for International Virtual Exchange in Higher Education Post COVID-19: A Scoping Review

(1) Background: International virtual exchanges (IVEs) are here to stay. The coronavirus pandemic of 2019 (COVID-19) necessitated global virtual interactions to solve wicked problems. Within industry during the pandemic, the use of online technologies expanded at a never-before-seen rate to form global partnerships At the same time, higher-education institutions lessened traditional international offerings, reimagining “campus” education using “just in time online education”. Still others leveraged international partnerships to fully embrace IVEs. Adopting virtual learning technologies to support global exchange in this way develops the knowledge and skills required in a post-pandemic world. To continue to shape knowledge that supports international collaboration toward addressing increasingly complex societal issues, higher education must learn to leverage IVEs, addressing issues of access, equity, and cost. (2) Methods: This research was conducted according to the “Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews” (PRISMA-Scr) guidelines. It systematically analyzed the literature published since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, exploring methods, models, and the outcomes of IVE in higher education. (3) Results: The findings demonstrate the potential for IVE to be scaled across higher education to promote the knowledge and skills required by a global ecology.

Real-life behavioral and neural circuit markers of physical activity as a compensatory mechanism for social isolation

Social isolation and loneliness pose major societal challenges accelerated by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, especially for mental health. In this cohort study using accelerometry, electronic diaries and neuroimaging in a community-based sample of 317 young adults, we show that people felt affectively worse when lacking social contact, but less so when engaging in physical activity. This putative compensatory mechanism was present even at small physical activity doses and was pronounced in individuals with higher brain functional connectivity within the default mode network signaling risk for depression. Social-affective benefits of movement were higher in people showing exacerbated loneliness and were replicated throughout the pandemic. These findings extend the state of knowledge on the dynamic interplay of social contact and physical activity in daily life identifying an accessible protective strategy to mitigate the negative effects of social isolation, particularly among at-risk individuals, which comes with the potential to improve public health in the post-pandemic world.

The demand for online grocery shopping: COVID-induced changes in grocery shopping behavior of Canadian consumers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a lasting impact on many economies around the globe. One area where significant changes have been documented is consumer behavior. A questionnaire survey was carried out to understand the impact of COVID-19 on grocery purchase behavior of Canadian consumers and evaluate the permanence of these effects. With a focus on online grocery shopping, this work integrates multiple existing theories of consumer behavior to explore the influence of different factors on consumers' adoption of online mode of grocery shopping during the pandemic and their intentions to continue the use of this mode in the post-pandemic world. A total of more than 600 usable survey responses were analyzed using statistical analysis and a Logit econometrics technique. The results reveal that 72% of the survey participants had to alter their grocery shopping habits as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; 63% of these consumers claim that the changes that occurred would prevail in the future, with no return to the "pre-COVID normal". The results also show that the pandemic resulted in significant proliferation of online grocery shopping among Canadian consumers. Further, the findings show that the important factors that explain adoption of online grocery shopping and the shift towards higher reliance on online grocery purchases in the future include the perceived threat of COVID, pre-COVID shopping habits, socio-demographic characteristics, and the variables that capture technological opportunities and abilities.

The Widening of the North–South Divide: Debt Sustainability in a World Weakened by COVID-19

This research compares the global debt trends in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on economies that frame the North and South divide. The research centers on debt ratios, which serve as indicators of countries’ ability to finance recovery and development projects. The study period runs from 2015 to 2022 and follows the IMF’s country classification, which divides the world into advanced economies (AE) and emerging market and developing economies (EMDE). The research employs panel data regressions to assess three key debt ratios—external debt to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), external debt to exports, and public debt to GDP—against various pandemic-related indicators and control variables. The analysis provides three major contributions. Firstly, an examination of external and public debt burdens is conducted, showing that escalated external and public debt burdens in EMDE contrast with increasing public debt in AE, primarily due to fiscal stimulus. Secondly, it is argued that the ongoing pandemic has intensified the widening economic gap between the North (AE) and the south (EMDE). Thirdly, a review is presented of both orthodox and heterodox policies identified in existing literature that are considered capable of mitigating external vulnerabilities in EMDE. Findings highlight the critical need for multifaceted measures to address debt vulnerability and promote sustainable economic recovery in a post-pandemic world.

Competitiveness, quality education and universities: the shift to the post-pandemic world

PurposeThis article aims to investigate whether there is a relationship between education for the labor market in the post-pandemic stage and the educational quality of universities, taking as a sample a group of Latin American countries and their main trading partners. Reference is made to the Global Competitiveness Report 2020 of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) index, which evaluates the quality of universities.Design/methodology/approachCorrelations, clusters and T-tests were generated to test for significant differences, resulting in two blocks of countries being identified with statistically significant differences in educational efforts to prepare their citizens for the labor market and the quality of their universities.FindingsIt is concluded that there are examples of Latin American countries that, although they are emerging economies, are updating their educational systems at an accelerated pace to meet the needs demanded by the labor market, such as Chile and Argentina. In addition, there are some particular cases of Latin American QS universities that although they are not at a high level in their overall educational quality as a university, compared to North American and Asian universities, their graduates do show a high employability index. This means that in the graduate profile, these universities are also accelerating efforts to position them at a high level of preparedness to respond to the jobs and markets of tomorrow, just as the universities in developed economies do.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the sample size is a limitation of this work, since it is based on secondary information reported by the WEF (2020) and the QS World University Rankings (2021), it contributes value by analyzing specific cases. Despite its limitations, the study yields meaningful results that put the challenges of post-pandemic employment and the role that universities play in a comprehensible framework.Originality/valueThese results put special attention on the work of universities as a crucial entity to prepare citizens to develop the competencies needed for the post-pandemic labor market, especially in terms of critical thinking and digital skills. Human capital formation will drive the post-pandemic recovery process of leading countries and universities.