ABSTRACT
Proper management of Biomedical Waste (BMW) is an essential component of any sustainable healthcare sector. With the burst of COVID-19 pandemic when every hospital and treatment facility was overburdened patients, efficient handling of the huge amount of generated BMW became a task for the entire world. This review compares the BMW generated before and during the second wave of COVID-19, highlights the challenges in managing the exuberated amount of COVID-19 waste and sites recommendations to promote sustainable design thinking, in order to address this grave concern in the current setting of the Indian system. The study indicated that inappropriate management of waste and the lacunae in the entire chain from segregation to collection until its disposal has posed a serious threat to the wellbeing of healthcare workers, sanitation staff as well as the operators and housekeeping staff at the hospitals, isolation centers and Municipal Corporation. Many states had inadequate number of common BMW treatment facilities (CBMWTFs) leading to inefficient treatment of the excess waste. The behavioural and attitudinal barriers of neglect and ignorance of different stakeholders further aggravated the problem of BMW management to manifolds. To achieve better management we recommend spreading awareness regarding the kind and infectious nature of waste generated by COVID-19 patients and their caregivers, segregation and decontamination of such waste at source and increasing the capacity as well as number of CBMWTFs. Creative ways to recycle the waste must be devised so as to reduce the burden on disposal sites.
ABSTRACT
The paper examines the shift in stock indices’ behavior in BRICS nations, prior to and following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, using daily data of relevant stock indices from April 2019 to March 2021. The study seeks to ascertain the influence of COVID-19 on stock markets of BRICS countries. The descriptive analysis and graphical presentation established that the pandemic period was extremely variable, with high average returns. Furthermore, the findings reveal that, with the exception of China and South Africa, the BRICS nations’ stock indices were not cointegrated prior to the epidemic. Interdependence has increased throughout the epidemic, as three BRICS nation pairings, particularly Brazil and China, China and South Africa, and Russia and South Africa, are all cointegrated. This demonstrates that the COVID-19 problem strengthened the BRICS countries’ cointegration or relatedness. As a result, portfolio diversification opportunities have dwindled. Additionally, given the relatively high average stock indices, investors may generate significant returns by investing in indices rather than individual firms, especially during the pandemic crisis time. © The author(s) 2022. This publication is an open access article.
ABSTRACT
Of many things, Covid-19 has provided a stark proof that uncertainty is real, and it is here to stay. Perhaps nothing is more sensitive to uncertainty than the Financial World. To couple with it, while Artificial Intelligence techniques are used to predict the future state of events, their performance is significantly impacted by disruptions not captured in the past. Unforeseen scenarios such as economy changes, variations in the customer behaviour, pandemics, recessions, and fraudulent transactions often result in unexpected behaviour of financial models, thus associating a level of uncertainty with them. It is thus imperative for the research community to explore, identify, analyze, and address such uncertainties in order to develop robust models applicable in real-world scenarios. To this effect, the International Workshop on Modelling Uncertainty in the Financial World 2021 (MUFin21) aims to bring academics and industry experts together to discuss on this important, timely and yet- unsolved area of modelling uncertainties in the financial world. © 2021 Owner/Author.
ABSTRACT
Background: The education sector is badly shaken in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic as nationwide closures have impacted 89% of the world's student population. Aims and Methodology: This qualitative, exploratory study investigated the impacts of COVID-19 on the prevailing education divide through focus group discussion. Focus group included purposefully selected two teachers (one male & one female), two senior headteachers (one male & one female), two Taluka Education Officers (one male & one female), two Assistant District Education Officers (One male & one female) and two Assistant professors of Education (one male one female). The focus group interviews were conducted from the participants through conference calls. Results: Focus group discussion results showed that there could be variable impacts of COVID-19 across society, parents, input that students could receive from families during this pandemic, assessment, gender, and schools. These variable impacts could result in further widening of the existing education divide in Pakistan. The major reasons, as highlighted by the participants, are the weak education system and the prevalent digital divide in Pakistan due to the use of online learning resources. It is recommended that the authorities should engage economically sound local elders, Non-Government Organizations and volunteer educated persons to meet the technology-based needs.