Is the government's direct subsidy to COVID-19 effective?

With the outbreak of COVID-19, governments worldwide have provided direct subsidies to enterprises. This paper aims to identify the motivation behind these subsidies and evaluate their impact. Previous studies have overlooked the discussion of subsidy motivation, and there is still a wide divergence of views among scholars on whether subsidies have a positive effect on firm performance. To test the hypothesis, a fixed effect model is adopted. The study examines 228 Chinese A-share listed companies and confirms that subsidies are primarily attributable to the severity of the pandemic. Moreover, subsidies have a significant positive effect on social performance, particularly for small-scale enterprises. Contrary to the belief that subsidies have a positive effect on firm performance, this study disproves this viewpoint. The research findings provide a theoretical basis for subsidy policy-making during pandemics and outline the boundaries of government intervention in society and the economy.

Effects of Disease-Related Knowledge on Illness Perception and Psychological Status of Patients With COVID-19 in Hunan, China.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the current status of disease-related knowledge and to analyze the relationship among the general condition, illness perception, and psychological status of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 118 patients using convenience sampling. The general questionnaire, disease-related knowledge questionnaire of COVID-19, Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ), and Profile of Mood States (POMS) were used to measure the current status of participants. RESULTS: The overall average score of the disease-related knowledge of patients with COVID-19 was (79.19 ± 14.25), the self-care situation was positively correlated with knowledge of prevention and control (r = 0.265; P = 0.004) and total score of disease-related knowledge (r = 0.206; P = 0.025); the degree of anxiety was negatively correlated with the knowledge of diagnosis and treatment (r = -0.182; P = 0.049). The score of disease-related knowledge was negatively correlated with negative cognition (volatility, consequences, emotional statements) and negative emotions (tension, fatigue, depression) (P < 0.05); positively correlated with positive cognition (disease coherence) and positive emotion (self-esteem) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It was recommended that we should pay more attention to the elderly and low-income groups, and increase the knowledge about diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 and self-care in the future health education for patients.