Did Covid-19 Precautions and Lockdowns Cause Better Air Quality? Empirical Findings from Turkish Provinces

The Covid-19 pandemic have dramatically affected the socio-economic structure in the world since governments put into action considerable precautions including lockdowns to reduce the speed of the contagion. Focusing on this point, we empirically investigate the environmental outcomes of the Covid-19 precautions and lockdowns in Turkey. The empirical analysis through the data obtained from different measurement stations indicate that the air pollution in the selected Turkish cities decreased due to the implemented precautions. The findings suggest that the Covid-19 might be an opportunity to rethink some economic and behavioral practices, as demonstrated by the reduction in the emission of air pollutants.

Presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA on particulate matters: A multi central study in turkey

RATIONALE: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by the SARS-CoV-2, has been affecting the world since the end of 2019. Turkey is severely affected with the first case being reported on March 11th 2020. Several studies suggest an association between air pollution and the spread of the infection, and that ambient particulate matters (PM) can present a potential, as virus carriers. The aim of the present study was to investigate the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA on ambient PM. METHODS: Ambient PM samples in various size ranges were collected from 13 sites including urban, urban background locations and hospital gardens in 10 cities including Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Zonguldak, Tekirdag, Eskisehir, Bolu, Bursa, Konya, and Antalya across Turkey, between 13th of May and 14th of June, 2020. The nucleocapsid (N) 1 gene and RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) gene expressions were analyzed in PM samples for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 by applying quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and three dimensional (3D)-digital PCR methods. RESULTS: A total of 155 daily samples (Total Suspended Particulate [TSP], n=80;PM2.5, n=33;PM2.5-10, n=23;PM10, n=19;and 6 size segregated, n=48) were collected using various samplers in the each city. According to RT-PCR and 3D-RT-PCR analysis, dual RdRP and N1 gene positivity were detected in 20 of the samples (9.8 %). The highest percentage of virus detection on PM samples was from hospital gardens in Tekirda Zonguldak, and Istanbul, especially in PM2.5 mode. Samples collected from two urban sites, Ankara and Eskisehir, were also positive. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 may be transported by ambient particles, especially at sites close to the infection hot-spots such as hospital gardens. Whether this has an impact on the spread of the virus infection remains to be determined.

Descriptive analysis of online mathematic learning implementation that oriented to HOTS during Covid-19 pandemic

This research is qualitative research aims to describe the implementation of online mathematics learning that oriented to Higher Order Thing Skills (HOTS) during covid-19 pandemic. Beside that this study aims to describe students’ HOTS abilities during the implementation of online mathematics learning. This research was conducted at SMK Telkom Malang. The online mathematics learning was implemented in class X RPL 4. There are 36 students that are included in this online learning. Class of X RPL 4 was selected as subject of this study caused by two reasons. The reasons are the material about trigonometry has been studied in this class and the mathematics abilities of students in this class are balanced among low, medium and high ability. The learning model that is implemented in this research is discovery learning. Discovery learning consist of 6 stages, namely stimulation, problem statement, data collection, data processing, verification and generalization. Data collection in this study was carried out by using observations, interviews and students’ work results This study presents description of teaching and learning activities that stimulate students’ HOTS in each stage of discovery learning. Beside that, this study indicates that online mathematics learning using discovery learning can stimulate students’ HOTS.