ABSTRACT
Till December 16t h, 2020, World has witnessed 72, 196, 732 confirmed cases of COVI D-19including 1,630,521 deaths, reported to WHO. This huge toll to human civilization has been created an unprecedented fear among world population complicated with loss of job, economic shutdown as well. Naturally, with the passage of time, people need to move out to earn their daily bread in the face of opening the economy. This increases the risk of acquiring the infection and put an extra load over the hard-pressed health care system. Many frontline workers including healthcare personnel have succumbed in the battle against Covid-19. Before a safe and effective vaccine becomes available to all, an useful chemoprophylaxis along with adequate personal protection may come as a rescue. In this article we are only trying to explore this issue.
ABSTRACT
The economic impacts of COVID-19 lockdowns on poor and vulnerable households living in rural areas of developing countries are not well understood due to a lack of detailed micro-survey data at the household level. Utilizing weekly financial transaction data collected from households residing in a rural region of India, we estimate the impacts of India's COVID-19 lockdown on household income, food security, welfare, and access to local loan markets. A large portion of households living in our study region is reliant on remittances from migrants to sustain their livelihoods. Our analysis reveals that in the month immediately after India's lockdown announcement, weekly household local income fell by INR 1,022 (US$ 13.5), an 88% drop compared to the long-term average with another 63% reduction in remittance. In response to the massive loss in earnings, households substantially reduced meal portions and consumed fewer food items. Impacts were heterogeneous;households in lower income quantiles lost a higher percentage of their income and expenditures, but government food aid slightly mitigated the negative impacts. We also find an increase in the effective interest rate of local borrowing in cash and a higher demand for in-kind loans, which are likely to have an adverse effect on households who rely on such services. The results from this paper have immediate relevance to policymakers considering additional lockdowns as the COVID-19 pandemic resurges around the globe and to governments thinking about responses to future pandemics that may occur. © 2020 Agricultural and Applied Economics Association
ABSTRACT
An echocardiographic investigation is one of the key modalities of diagnosis in cardiology. There has been a rising presence of cardiological comorbidities in patients positive for COVID-19. Hence, it is becoming extremely essential to look into the correct safety precautions, healthcare professionals must take while conducting an echo investigation. The decision matrix formulated for conducting an echocardiographic evaluation is based on presence or absence of cardiological comorbidity vis-à-vis positive, suspected or negative for COVID-19. The safety measures have been constructed keeping in mind the current safety precautions by WHO, CDC and MoHFW, India.