ABSTRACT
The ability of various policy activities to reduce the reproduction rate of the COVID-19 disease is widely discussed. Using a stringency index that comprises a variety of lockdown levels, such as school and workplace closures, we analyze the effectiveness of government restrictions. At the same time, we investigate the capacity of a range of lockdown measures to lower the reproduction rate by considering vaccination rates and testing strategies. By including all three components in an SIR (Susceptible, Infected, Recovery) model, we show that a general and comprehensive test strategy is instrumental in reducing the spread of COVID-19. The empirical study demonstrates that testing and isolation represent a highly effective and preferable approach towards overcoming the pandemic, in particular until vaccination rates have risen to the point of herd immunity.
ABSTRACT
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we scrutinize what has been established in the literature on whether entrepreneurship can cause and resolve extreme events, the immediate and long-run impacts of extreme events on entrepreneurship, and whether extreme events can positively impact (some) entrepreneurship and innovation. Based on this, we utilize a partial equilibrium model to provide several conjectures on the impact of COVID-19 on entrepreneurship, and to derive policy recommendations for recovery. We illustrate that while entrepreneurship recovery will benefit from measures such as direct subsidies for start-ups, firms' revenue losses, and loan liabilities, it will also benefit from aggregate demand-side support and income redistribution measures, as well as from measures that facilitate the innovation-response to the Keynesian supply-shock caused by the pandemic, such as access to online retail and well-functioning global transportation and logistics.
ABSTRACT
Within the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, personal protective equipment, including face masks, is one important tool to interrupt virus transmission chains within the community. In this context, the quality of different face masks is frequently discussed and should, therefore, be evaluated. In this study, nanofleece textiles with a particle filtering effect and textiles with a self-disinfecting treatment were examined, which may be combined in face masks. Firstly, newly developed nanofleece textiles were tested regarding their filtration efficiency against airborne coronavirus, using feline coronavirus (FCoV) as a surrogate for SARS-CoV-2. The tested nanofleece textiles showed filtration efficiencies of over 95% against FCoV when used as a double layer and were, therefore, almost on par with the FFP-2 mask material, which was used as a reference. Secondly, eight treated, self-disinfecting textiles, which may increase the safety in the handling of potentially contaminated masks, were tested against SARS-CoV-2. Three out of eight treated textiles showed significant activity against SARS-CoV-2 and achieved about three LOG10 (99.9%) of virus titer reduction after twelve hours of incubation. Since all possible transmission paths of SARS-CoV-2, as well as the minimal infection doses, remain unknown, both investigated approaches seem to be useful tools to lower the virus spread within the community.