The role of human emotions in memorable tourism experience and revisit intention

As tourism research focuses on experience, memorable tourism experience (MTE) is gaining importance among academia and destination managers. However, only limited studies have examined the antecedents and consequences of MTE. Therefore, this study will investigate human emotions with their underlying factors in influencing MTE to cater to revisit intention in tourists. For this study, CFA-SEM is applied to a sample of 1120 tourists from central India to access the empirical relationships. The empirically validated model confirmed the significant relationships among human emotions, MTE, and revisit intention. Results suggested that human emotions significantly influence MTE, which is reflected as revisit intention in tourists. Findings also confirmed the moderating role of the perceived risk of COVID-19 further, exploring the health-linked effects on tourism. This study will help the researchers and destination managers make more informed decisions and strategies to make tourism destinations more sustainable by incorporating human emotions as a significant factor in influencing the tourism experience. The findings will also help destination managers in making tourism more risk-averse.

An inexpensive and rapid diagnostic method for detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA by loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP).

SARS-CoV-2 is a public pandemic health concern globally. Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab samples are used for Covid-19 viral detection. Sample collection procedure was tedious and uncomfortable and unsuitable for biochemical and CBC analysis in swab samples. Biochemistry and CBC tests are key determinant in management of Covid-19 patients. We developed a LAMP test to detect viral RNA in blood samples. LAMP is required four specific primers targeting the internal transcribed S-region and loop primers for viral RNA amplification. RNA was extracted from blood samples by TRIzol method. LAMP reaction was performed at 60 °C for 1 hour and amplicons were visualized in HNB dye. No cross-reactivity was seen with HBV, HCV, and HIV infected sample. Out of 40 blood samples, 33 samples were positive for LAMP and Q-PCR analysis, one sample was positive for LAMP and negative for Q-PCR, two samples were negative for LAMP but positive for Q-PCR, and four blood samples were negative for LAMP and Q-PCR. LAMP method has an accuracy of 92.50%, with sensitivity and specificity of 94.28% and 80%, respectively. Thus, LAMP diagnostic test has proved reliable, fast, inexpensive and can be useful for detection where the limited resources available.•LAMP method is a potential tool for detection of SARS-CoV-2.•Blood samples are the key determinant for routine diagnostics as well as molecular diagnostics.•LAMP assay is an appropriate diagnostics method which offers greater simplicity, low cost, sensitivity, and specificity than other methods in molecular diagnostics.

SEI3R2D2V: Pandemic Modeling and Analysis of Its Latent Factors: A Case Study of COVID-19 in India

For densely populated developing countries, such as India, where due to a lack of general and public awareness, limited data collection and compilation facilities, and inherent limitations of the available diagnostic test, accurate modeling of the pandemic is more challenging. Thus, a realistic model for predictions is required in order to formulate more effective strategic policies to control the COVID-19 pandemic using limited available resources. In this article, we propose a time-varying epidemiological model with two classes of compartments, reported and unreported, and consider influential latent factors, for example, undetectable infections, the false-negative rate of testing, testing hesitancy, vaccination efficacy, dual contact dynamics, and the possibility of reinfection in recovered as well as vaccinated individuals. For simulation purposes, we consider the COVID-19 data of India from March 13, 2020, to January 20, 2022. Furthermore, we provide a sensitivity analysis of various latent factors and predictions for the third wave in India. Simulated results suggest that India is able to control COVID-19 for the first time after the second wave, as observed from the trajectory of effective reproduction number. Moreover, for unseen or coming variants of virus for which vaccine efficacy is low, the available vaccine requires a high vaccination rate to control future waves.

Changing Dimensions of Customers Behaviour for A Life Insurance Product Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19 pandemic can be considered as an economic and health crisis of uncertain magnitude and duration. Frequent lockdowns, salary cuts, and losses of jobs and lives have spurred changes in human behaviour. Today customers are experiencing a transformation in their perceptions towards a life insurance product. The common attitude to treat life insurance as an optional investment instrument has been shifted towards a mandatory risk protection instrument. Thus the demand for a life insurance product is increasing by leaps and bounds and undoubtedly competition among insurance providers at the same time. This article seeks to examine the features that should form part of a life insurance product to attract customers in Indiaduring the COVID-19 pandemic. Data for the study were collected for 159 respondents from October 2020 to December 2020 from Delhi and NCR region. The data were analyzed using Principal Component Analysisafter walking through a maze of articles relating to normal times and crisis times. There is testable evidence to show a paradigm shift in the outlook of customers regarding a life insurance product. Thus, the article also paves the path for future research in the direction of customers behaviour for a life insurance product.