Does Your Post-COVID-19 Travel Dream Talk about Sustainability? Insights from Potential Tourists in India

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the tourism industry globally. It is essential to explore the post-COVID-19 travel intentions of potential tourists. The exploratory study is aimed to investigate the potential Indian tourists’ travel plans, tourism perceptions, and their behavioral intentions regarding the adoption of sustainable tourism practices post-COVID-19. Methodology: The study was based on primary data. Through an online survey, 225 responses were collected using convenient sampling. Data were analyzed with SPSS 20.0 software. Simple percentage, frequency, and mean were calculated to examine the post-COVID-19 travel plans and tourism perception of Indians. Factor analysis was used to analyze the adoption of sustainable practices. Findings: Since May 2020, with the unlocking process, travel has been resuming in India. People are obligating to their “right to travel” and foreseeing travel plans. The study found that potential tourists will prefer short-duration trips with family and friends and intend to avoid crowded destinations post the pandemic. Indian tourists are inclined to consider environment conservation and sustainability in future travels and are more willing to explore natural sites. Offbeat destinations are expected to gain popularity. People believed that tourists will adopt more sustainable and innovative practices post-COVID-19. Originality/Value: This study enhances the understanding of tourism policymakers, practitioners, and services providers concerning tourism behavior post-COVID-19. Implications: The study focused on potential tourists’ planning;the perceptions of service providers can also be studied for future research to gain profound insights regarding the tourism sector. © 2021 Emerald Publishing Limited.

Sustainable Development Goals and Businesses

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with 17 goals at its heart, is one such initiative that emerged at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro in 2012, the purpose of which was to produce a set of universal goals that would help combat the urgent environmental, political and economic challenges projected to face our world by 2030. [...]to cater to the diverse requirements of these stakeholders, different and varied perspectives of sustainable development have to emerge. References Goel, Nisha;Singh, Gurinder;Kota, Hima Bindu;Mir, Monir;and Smark, Ciorstan, Sustainable Development Goals and Economic Growth in Emerging Economies: A Study of Sustainability through International Investments, Australasian Accounting, Business and Finance Journal, 15(5), 2021, 41. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14453/aabfj.v15i5.4 Gupta, Lovleen and Jham, Juhi, Green Investing: Impact of pro-environmental preferences on stock market valuations during turbulent periods, Australasian Accounting, Business and Finance Journal, 15(5), 2021, 59-81. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14453/aabfj.v15i5.5 Kaur, Jaspreet and Bhardwaj, Neha, Their Control will Make or Break the Sustainable Clothing Deal-A Study of the Moderating Impact of Actual Behavioural Control on the Purchase Intention-Behaviour Gap for Sustainable Clothing in India, Australasian Accounting, Business and Finance Journal, 15(5), 2021, 59. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14453/aabfj.v15i5.6 Khalique, Fehmina;Madan, Poornima;Puri, Geetika;and Parimoo, Daleep, Incorporating SDG 8 for Decent Work Practices: A study of MNC Subsidiaries in India, Australasian Accounting, Business and Finance Journal, 15(5), 2021, 99-114. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14453/aabfj.v15i5.7 Singh, Amit Kumar;Kota, Hima Bindu;Sardana, Varda;and Singhania, Shubham, Does Gender Diversity on Board Promote Corporate Social Responsibility?

Myeloid cell interferon responses correlate with clearance of SARS-CoV-2 (preprint)

The emergence of mutant SARS-CoV-2 strains associated with an increased risk of COVID-19-related death necessitates better understanding of the early viral dynamics, host responses and immunopathology. While studies have reported immune profiling using single cell RNA sequencing in terminal human COVID-19 patients, performing longitudinal immune cell dynamics in humans is challenging. Macaques are a suitable model of SARS-CoV-2 infection. We performed longitudinal single-cell RNA sequencing of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cell suspensions from adult rhesus macaques infected with SARS-CoV-2 (n=6) to delineate the early dynamics of immune cells changes. The bronchoalveolar compartment exhibited dynamic changes in transcriptional landscape 3 days post- SARS-CoV-2-infection (3dpi) (peak viremia), relative to 14-17dpi (recovery phase) and pre-infection (baseline). We observed the accumulation of distinct populations of both macrophages and T-lymphocytes expressing strong interferon-driven inflammatory gene signature at 3dpi. Type I IFN response was highly induced in the plasmacytoid dendritic cells. The presence of a distinct HLADR+CD68+CD163+SIGLEC1+ macrophage population exhibiting higher angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) expression was also observed. These macrophages were significantly recruited to the lungs of macaques at 3dpi and harbored SARS-CoV-2, while expressing a strong interferon-driven innate anti-viral gene signature. The accumulation of these responses correlated with decline in viremia and recovery. The recruitment of a myeloid cell-mediated Type I IFN response is associated with the rapid clearance of SARS-CoV-2 infection in macaques.

Myeloid cell interferon responses correlate with clearance of SARS-CoV-2 (preprint)

The emergence of mutant SARS-CoV-2 strains associated with an increased risk of COVID-19-related death necessitates better understanding of the early viral dynamics, host responses and immunopathology. While studies have reported immune profiling using single cell RNA sequencing in terminal human COVID-19 patients, performing longitudinal immune cell dynamics in humans is challenging. Macaques are a suitable model of SARS-CoV-2 infection. We performed longitudinal single-cell RNA sequencing of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cell suspensions from adult rhesus macaques infected with SARS-CoV-2 (n=6) to delineate the early dynamics of immune cells changes. The bronchoalveolar compartment exhibited dynamic changes in transcriptional landscape 3 days post- SARS-CoV-2-infection (3dpi) (peak viremia), relative to 14-17dpi (recovery phase) and pre-infection (baseline). We observed the accumulation of distinct populations of both macrophages and T-lymphocytes expressing strong interferon-driven inflammatory gene signature at 3dpi. Type I IFN response was highly induced in the plasmacytoid dendritic cells. The presence of a distinct HLADR+CD68+CD163+SIGLEC1+ macrophage population exhibiting higher angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) expression was also observed. These macrophages were significantly recruited to the lungs of macaques at 3dpi and harbored SARS-CoV-2, while expressing a strong interferon-driven innate anti-viral gene signature. The accumulation of these responses correlated with decline in viremia and recovery. The recruitment of a myeloid cell-mediated Type I IFN response is associated with the rapid clearance of SARS-CoV-2 infection in macaques.

IFN signaling and neutrophil degranulation transcriptional signatures are induced during SARS-CoV-2 infection (preprint)

The novel virus SARS-CoV-2 has infected more than 14 million people worldwide resulting in the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Limited information on the underlying immune mechanisms that drive disease or protection during COVID-19 severely hamper development of therapeutics and vaccines. Thus, the establishment of relevant animal models that mimic the pathobiology of the disease is urgent. Rhesus macaques infected with SARS-CoV-2 exhibit disease pathobiology similar to human COVID-19, thus serving as a relevant animal model. In the current study, we have characterized the transcriptional signatures induced in the lungs of juvenile and old rhesus macaques following SARS-CoV-2 infection. We show that genes associated with Interferon (IFN) signaling, neutrophil degranulation and innate immune pathways are significantly induced in macaque infected lungs, while pathways associated with collagen formation are downregulated. In COVID-19, increasing age is a significant risk factor for poor prognosis and increased mortality. We demonstrate that Type I IFN and Notch signaling pathways are significantly upregulated in lungs of juvenile infected macaques when compared with old infected macaques. These results are corroborated with increased peripheral neutrophil counts and neutrophil lymphocyte ratio in older individuals with COVID-19 disease. In contrast, pathways involving VEGF are downregulated in lungs of old infected macaques. Using samples from humans with SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19, we validate a subset of our findings. Finally, neutrophil degranulation, innate immune system and IFN gamma signaling pathways are upregulated in both tuberculosis and COVID-19, two pulmonary diseases where neutrophils are associated with increased severity. Together, our transcriptomic studies have delineated disease pathways to improve our understanding of the immunopathogenesis of COVID-19 to facilitate the design of new therapeutics for COVID-19.

SARS-CoV-2 infection leads to acute infection with dynamic cellular and inflammatory flux in the lung that varies across nonhuman primate species (preprint)

There are no known cures or vaccines for COVID-19, the defining pandemic of this era. Animal models are essential to fast track new interventions and nonhuman primate (NHP) models of other infectious diseases have proven extremely valuable. Here we compare SARS-CoV-2 infection in three species of experimentally infected NHPs (rhesus macaques, baboons, and marmosets). During the first 3 days, macaques developed clinical signatures of viral infection and systemic inflammation, coupled with early evidence of viral replication and mild-to-moderate interstitial and alveolar pneumonitis, as well as extra-pulmonary pathologies. Cone-beam CT scans showed evidence of moderate pneumonia, which progressed over 3 days. Longitudinal studies showed that while both young and old macaques developed early signs of COVID-19, both groups recovered within a two-week period. Recovery was characterized by low-levels of viral persistence in the lung, suggesting mechanisms by which individuals with compromised immune systems may be susceptible to prolonged and progressive COVID-19. The lung compartment contained a complex early inflammatory milieu with an influx of innate and adaptive immune cells, particularly interstitial macrophages, neutrophils and plasmacytoid dendritic cells, and a prominent Type I-interferon response. While macaques developed moderate disease, baboons exhibited prolonged shedding of virus and extensive pathology following infection; and marmosets demonstrated a milder form of infection. These results showcase in critical detail, the robust early cellular immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection, which are not sterilizing and likely impact development of antibody responses. Thus, various NHP genera recapitulate heterogeneous progression of COVID-19. Rhesus macaques and baboons develop different, quantifiable disease attributes making them immediately available essential models to test new vaccines and therapies.