Innovation sharing a remedial measure: the case of Covid-19 pandemic

Purpose: This study has aimed to analyse the role of innovation-sharing collaboration in the large-scale manufacturing of Covid-19 vaccination across the globe and its impact on the mortality rate of the countries where the pharmaceutical manufacturers received such innovation. Design/methodology/approach: The authors have relied upon the difference-in-difference (DID) approach by utilizing the data available on public platforms such as World Health Organization (WHO) databank, organization for economic co-operation and development (OECD) data bank, istat, Indian bureau of statistics and European centre for disease prevention and control (ecdc) from 2020 to 2021 to establish the empirical inference of the analysis. Findings: This study's results present that after the invention and commercialization of the vaccine, the Covid-19 impact was still intact and people were dying continuously. However, it was impossible to fulfil the demand of the 7 billion population in a short time. In the light of these facts, the WHO encouraged sharing vaccine innovation with other countries to enhance production capacity. The authors found that after vaccine innovation sharing, Covid-19's devastation slowed: the fatality rate was marginally reduced, and economic conditions started their recovery journey. Originality/value: This study's findings present that the Covid-19 vaccine played a pivotal role in tackling the Covid-19's devastating impact on the entire world. It emphasizes the role of innovation-sharing collaborations in curtailing hazardous consequences, including the mortality rate during a crisis, and such collaborations' impact on the countries where institutions involved in them reside. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Do the Outbreak of COVID-19 Influence the China Stock Market?

This study aims at the impact outbreak of COVID-19 influence Chinese currency and stock market over the period December 2, 2019, to January 04, 2021. The Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Homoscedastic approach captures the most common stylized fact about index returns (such as multivariate to capture the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchange). Our finding shows the explosive process and risk premium for the Shenzhen stock exchange (SSE) and Shanghai stock exchange (SZSE) index. And the standard deviation depreciation of the Chinese currency during the COVID-19 equivalent to 0.46% improved stock market return by 81% average returns. These results explain that high volatility of index returns is present in the Chinese stock market over the sample period. According to the analysis results, it can be concluded that the number of new cases and the number of recent deaths have a significant effect on the stock market, causing uncertainty in the sustainability.

Innovation sharing a remedial measure: the case of Covid-19 pandemic

Purpose: This study has aimed to analyse the role of innovation-sharing collaboration in the large-scale manufacturing of Covid-19 vaccination across the globe and its impact on the mortality rate of the countries where the pharmaceutical manufacturers received such innovation. Design/methodology/approach: The authors have relied upon the difference-in-difference (DID) approach by utilizing the data available on public platforms such as World Health Organization (WHO) databank, organization for economic co-operation and development (OECD) data bank, istat, Indian bureau of statistics and European centre for disease prevention and control (ecdc) from 2020 to 2021 to establish the empirical inference of the analysis. Findings: This study's results present that after the invention and commercialization of the vaccine, the Covid-19 impact was still intact and people were dying continuously. However, it was impossible to fulfil the demand of the 7 billion population in a short time. In the light of these facts, the WHO encouraged sharing vaccine innovation with other countries to enhance production capacity. The authors found that after vaccine innovation sharing, Covid-19's devastation slowed: the fatality rate was marginally reduced, and economic conditions started their recovery journey. Originality/value: This study's findings present that the Covid-19 vaccine played a pivotal role in tackling the Covid-19's devastating impact on the entire world. It emphasizes the role of innovation-sharing collaborations in curtailing hazardous consequences, including the mortality rate during a crisis, and such collaborations' impact on the countries where institutions involved in them reside. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Incidence and predisposing factors for de novo post-COVID-19 irritable bowel syndrome

OBJECTIVE: Postinfectious irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a known entity. We evaluated the incidence of post-COVID-19 IBS in patients discharged from the hospital and analyzed its correlation with the clinical and laboratory parameters, and treatment during the hospital stay.

Study of Mask Fibers for Protection Against SARS-Cov-2 Via Luminescent Aerosolized Silicon Nanoparticles

During the 2020-current COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of wearing a mask to reduce infection and spread is key. The mask works as filter for the different microorganisms. In this work the geometrical part of the filtration process of the N95 and surgical masks was studied using luminescent ultra-small silicon nanoparticles (Si-NPs) to represent the SARS-CoV-2 by spraying it on the mask using atomizer. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and optical microscope were used to check the mask. The obtained images show that the Si nanoparticles to are trapped by the PE fiber network, indicating its ability to filter SARS-CoV-2. This visualization using nanotechnology can help to further improve mask designs for better filtration. © 2022 ECS - The Electrochemical Society.

Integrating the Role of Green Fiscal Policies With Energy Prices Volatility and Energy Efficiency: Presenting a COVID-19 Perspective

Energy and other related sectors are changing in China. This study attempted to estimate the energy product price volatility with energy efficiency during COVID-19 with the role of green fiscal policies. For this, we applied unit-root tests, ADCC-GARCH, and CO-GARCH techniques to infer the study findings. The results showed that energy price volatility was significantly connected until 2018. More so, the green fiscal policies were significantly connected between energy product price volatility and energy efficiency during COVID-19 (2019-2020). From energy products, the crude oil price volatility was significant at 16.4%, heating oil volatility was significant at 18.2%, natural oil price volatility was 9.7%, gasoline price volatility was 28.7%, and diesel price volatility was 34.1% significant with energy efficiency, due to the intervening role of green fiscal policies. The findings of this study are robust in comparison to previous studies. Multiple stakeholders can take guidelines from the findings of the recent study. As per our best understanding and knowledge, if suggested recommendations are implemented effectively, these results will help to enhance energy efficiency through green fiscal policies in the post-COVID period.

The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Stock Market Returns in Emerging Economies: Empirical Evidence from Panel Data

From several socioeconomic perspectives, the present health crisis can be connected to the 2008 financial and economic catastrophe. Governments worldwide are working hard to keep the markets in check, as evidence suggests that the health crisis may soon become an economic crisis. This paper aims to analyze the effect of COVID-19 on the selected stock market. Using a panel of daily COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths and the stock market from 22 developing countries, we exploit an oil price as a shock to the stock market and examine the effect of COVII-19 on the slowdown of the stock market. We fmd a negative and significant impact of COVID-19 on the stock market in the first stage till April. However, there is no net influence on the stock market downturn when we extend the period. However, further study suggests that the outbreak's negative influence on the selected stock market has diminished and has begun to decline as of mid-April. As a result of the COVID-19 effect on the chosen stock, our findings imply that the government in the chosen market should consider a regulatory mechanism to reduce the stock market slowdown induced by the pandemic COVID-19.

Study of Polyethylene Fibers Used in Masks Via Luminescent Aerosolized Silicon Nanoparticles

Commercial polyethylene (PE) fiber-based masks are currently used as personal filters for protection against various microorganisms. Due to the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic of 2020, the use of masks has become the critical mechanism in reducing the spread. The PE mask filter uses a sieve (geometry) in a spider web fashion to filter out microorganisms using Van der Waals atomic forces. However, the non-geometrical part of the filtration process is not fully understood. In this work, we utilized luminescent ultra-small silicon nanoparticles, which are Si-H or/and Si-OH terminated to examine how the filter operates at a chemical level. The particles were sprayed onto the fiber network by an atomizer and we used scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical microscope and fluorescence spectroscopy under UV radiation. The images and measurements clearly showed that the Si nanoparticles bonded to the PE fiber network. The results were analyzed in terms of chemical bonding between Si nanoparticle and fiber. Our findings suggest that the PE fibers could act as a chemical filter via hydrogen or hydrolysis-based bonding or via Si-C bonding, which is complementary to their physical filtration ability via the geometric sieve process. Graphic Abstract

Smoking May Increase the Risk of COVID-19 Infection: Evidence from In Silico Analysis

Introduction: SARS-CoV2, first reported in December 2019 in Wuhan as COVID-19 causing respiratory illness, rapidly evolved into a pandemic owing to its very high infectivity. There is insufficient evidence about if and how smoking affects the risk of COVID-19 infection, and the reports on whether smoking increases or reduces the risk of respiratory infections, are contradictory. Therefore, the current study was designed to determine the effects of nicotine consumption on the infectivity of COVID-19. Methods: We performed in silico computer simulation-based study. The structures of SARS-CoV2spike ectodomain, and its receptor ACE2, were obtained from PDB. The structure of nicotine and its metabolites NNK and NNAL were obtained from the PubChem chemical database. After optimization, they were interacted using AutoDock 4.2, to see the effect of nicotine, NNK, or NNAL presence on the docking of viral spike protein to its receptor ACE2. Results: ACE2 vs spike protein interaction results were used as a control (ZDOCK score 1498.484, with four hydrogen bonds). The NNK+ACE2 vs spike protein docking formed 10 hydrogen bonds with the highest ZDOCK score of 1515.564. NNAL+ ACE2 vs spike protein interaction formed eleven hydrogen bonds with the ZDOCK score of 1499.371. Nicotine+ACE2 vs spike protein docking showed the lowest ZDOCK score of 1496.302 and formed 8 hydrogen bonds. Whereas, NNK+spike vs ACE2 interaction had a ZDOCK score of 1498.490 and formed eight hydrogen bonds. NNAL+spike vs ACE2 docking formed eleven hydrogen bonds with a ZDOCK score of 1498.482. And Nicotine+spike vs ACE2 interaction showed a ZDOCK score of 1498.488 and formed 9 hydrogen bonds. Conclusions: The binding of nicotine to either spike of virus or its receptor ACE2 is not affecting the viral docking with the receptor. But binding of NNK, a metabolite of nicotine, is facilitating the viral docking with its receptor indicating that smoking may increase the risk of COVID-19 infection.