ABSTRACT
This research investigates how the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has affected digital banking usage in India. The study is made by utilizing a panel of data consisting of 108 firm-month observations during covid period from 2020 to 2022, with data mainly collected to analyze the impact of COVID-19 uncertainty. Most of the determinants were collected from the RBI data website. The main emphasis of this study is on the utilization of digital banking services in the context of the pandemic, and the research assesses the factors that have influenced this trend, including the number of physical bank branches, the utilization of debit and credit cards at automated teller machines (ATMs) and points of sale (PoS), as well as the level of economic policy uncertainty (EPU). The analysis was conducted using panel regression analysis, a suitable method for handling the error components in the model that are either fixed or random. The findings indicate that the uncertainty caused by the pandemic has had a negative impact on the use of digital banking services. Additionally, the study highlights that the usage of debit and credit cards at PoS has significantly contributed to promoting the progress of digital banking services during the pandemic. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into how digital banking services have evolved during a period of significant uncertainty and disruption. © 2023 by the authors.
ABSTRACT
Infectious disease is mainly caused by bacteria and viruses. Over time, the world has suffered from various bacterial and viral-born endemics or pandemics such as Ebola, SARS-CoV-2, and influenza. Hence, the development and advancement of a rapid, scalable, and cost-effective platform is essential for supplying on-demand vaccines for prophylactic and therapeutic use. Recently, the vaccine development platform is shifting toward self-amplifying mRNA (saRNA) technology for providing a quicker response against emerging infectious outbreaks. In this chapter we have focused on a brief introduction of vaccinology history, the benefits of saRNA over mRNA, and the immune response provoked by the saRNA vaccine. Additionally, we have addressed preparation, purification, delivery, and pharmacokinetic aspects of the saRNA vaccine. We have limited our discussion to the saRNA vaccine for infectious disease, clinical translation, and future prospects. © 2022 selection and editorial matter, Yashwant V. Pathak;individual chapters, the contributors.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: COVID-19 is a global pandemic that has led to crisis in the supply of essential goods and services and personal protective equipments including face masks. Aim: The aim of the study is to compare Adi's five-layered cotton face masks with N95 masks and surgical face masks with regard to cost and efficacy. Materials and Methods: After IEC approval, a sample size of 10 was randomly selected. In a closed chamber made up of glass, three plates of blood agar, chocolate agar, and MacConkey Agar (MCA) were kept and at four different times, first without mask (Group D), second with N95 mask (Group N), third with surgical mask (Group S), and finally with Adi's face mask (Group A). Participants at first coughed three times then sang for 3 min and finally spoke for 2 min for each group. Plates were observed for growth after 24 h. Inclusion Criteria: Age 18-40 years of either sex, with no comorbidities. Exclusion Criteria: Anyone having cough, cold, or fever. Results: Group A (Adi's face mask with filter) showed no growth all ten times, Group N (N95 Mask) showed no growth of colonies four times, and one colony growth six times. As far as Group D (Direct speech without mask) is concerned, it showed multiple colonies all ten times and Group S (Surgical mask) showed one colony growth all ten times. Conclusion: Adi's mask is almost equivalent to wearing an N95 mask. It is easy to use, innovative, simple, scientific, and cost-effective. © Medical Journal of Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth 2022.
ABSTRACT
The Covid-19 pandemic is an unparalleled threat in today’s environment of quick development, and we face it as a global community. Like climate change, it is challenging our resilience from environmental health, social security, and government to knowledge exchange and economic policy in all sectors of the economy and growth fields. So much as climate change, this too would require everybody to come together and take an appropriate initiative. The coronavirus outbreak has highlighted our strengths and vulnerabilities that it has influenced and enabled us to benefit from each other’s accomplishments and shortcomings. The entire globe might appear small amid this state of disaster and global travel bans. However, it is a period when the concept of teamwork and looking forward were never more relevant. In the wake of Covid-19, all contact-based biometric attendance systems have been rendered practically useless. Thus, a contactless biometric attendance system is the need of the hour to prevent the spreading of Covid-19. The present-day attendance systems are quite difficult to manage and maintain record. The attendance in classes or industries is mostly done manually, and logbooks are used to maintain records. This can be a cumbersome process as sometimes humans can make a mistake which might lead to inconsistency. This chapter proposes a completely automatic attendance system that uses contactless biometric as a health-care major in the Covid-19 pandemic. In a system using facial recognition, there are lots of challenges involved most of the time. These may include low intensity of light or face that is occluded. The You Only Look Once (YOLO) algorithm for facial detection has been used in this chapter to overcome this issue. © The Institution of Engineering and Technology 2022.
ABSTRACT
Background: Since its first identification in December 2019, in WUHAN (CHINA), SARS-COV-2, causative agent of Corona virus pandemic, has affected millions of people worldwide, causing thousands of death. There is much speculation about the interplay between ACEI/ARB and Corona virus infection, as for internalization into host cell SARS-COV-2 binds through S spike protein to ACE-2, aided TMPRSS2. Methods: A record based observational study has been conducted (data obtained from the clinics of fourteen physicians) in two worst affected districts of West Bengal, to find out the association of ACEI/ARB on patients, suffering from Corona virus infection. The study-protocol has already been approved by Clinical Research Ethics Committee of Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine. (IEC Ref. No: CREC-STM/2020-AS-37) Results: Increasing age, male sex and presence of co-morbidities (viz. Diabetes, COPD) are significantly associated with the occurrence of moderate and severe disease. Drugs (viz. ACEI/ARB), though are associated with less severe disease, have not achieved statistical significance, in the present study. Conclusion: Drugs, like ACEI/ARB, should be continued in patients suffering from COVID-19 infection, (if they are already on these drugs). © 2021 Journal of Association of Physicians of India. All rights reserved.