Analyzing the research trends of COVID-19 using topic modeling approach

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic has impacted 222 countries across the globe, with millions of people losing their lives. The threat from the virus may be assessed from the fact that most countries across the world have been forced to order partial or complete shutdown of their economies for a period of time to contain the spread of the virus. The fallout of this action manifested in loss of livelihood, migration of the labor force and severe impact on mental health due to the long duration of confinement to homes or residences.Design/methodology/approachThe current study identifies the focus areas of the research conducted on the COVID-19 pandemic. s of papers on the subject were collated from the SCOPUS database for the period December 2019 to June 2020. The collected sample data (after preprocessing) was analyzed using Topic Modeling with Latent Dirichlet Allocation.FindingsBased on the research papers published within the mentioned timeframe, the study identifies the 10 most prominent topics that formed the area of interest for the COVID-19 pandemic research.Originality/valueWhile similar studies exist, no other work has used topic modeling to comprehensively analyze the COVID-19 literature by considering diverse fields and domains.

Did COVID-19 affect rural households' subjective well-being? A social survey from rural China.

Improving rural households' subjective well-being is an important element of economic and social revitalization in the post-epidemic period. Based on the survey data obtained from rural households in Hubei Province, the center of the outbreak in China, and its surrounding areas, this paper explores the impact mechanisms of the COVID-19 epidemic on subjective well-being from both economic and sociological perspectives with the help of structural equation modeling. The results show that COVID-19 significantly influenced rural households' subjective well-being in China. Furthermore, COVID-19 indirectly affected their subjective well-being by influencing optimism. The negative impact is moderated by government intervention and income resilience. Therefore, strengthening the emergency management capacity of local governments and encouraging the diversification of rural households' income sources are important strategies to effectively resolve epidemic shocks and improve the level of well-being.

Urban-rural divide and COVID-19: engaging teachers to assess and improve the Philippine basic education-learning continuity plan

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed poverty and exacerbated social inequality. Our role as academics is to illuminate these social issues to help policy makers address them adequately. Hence, we conducted this ethnographic study situated within the discourse urban-rural divide to assess the Philippine Basic Education-Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP), a COVID-19 education response, through the help of three teachers who, like us, the researchers, have been exposed to the rural and urban areas in Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte. In our effort to promote social justice and equity in education, we have privileged the voices of those in the marginalized rural sector. We interviewed the teacher key actors, conducted autoethnography and participant observation, and studied secondary sources available. Data sources were triangulated, and data transcripts were analysed through thematic analysis, drawing on relevant theories and literature. Interrelated social factors instigated by the government's biased past policies are (a) socioeconomic impact of COVID-19, (b) digital divide, (c) school location, and (d) parental education. While the pandemic affected urban and rural residents, the latter felt a severe impact. This study underscores the teacher agency in the BE-LCP policy: Teachers recommended monitoring learning outcomes, attending to low-performing learners, supporting home-based learning, and providing teaching resources. © 2023 National Institute of Education, Singapore.

Pandemic Fatigue in Japan: Factors Affecting the Declining COVID-19 Preventive Measures

Pandemic fatigue has threatened the efforts to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) worldwide;thus, government-mandated preventive measures have declined. The Japanese government has implemented several methods to address COVID-19′s spread, including hand hygiene, mask requirements, and social distancing. This study is the first to examine the socioeconomic factors affecting Japan's decline in COVID-19 prevention measures. It utilized the Preference Parameters Study of the Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research data of the 2021 and 2022 waves. With approximately 1580 observations, we detected a 10%, 4%, and 13% decline in hand hygiene practice, mask-wearing, and social distancing, respectively, between January 2021 and January 2022. Men were more likely to dislike the hand hygiene practice and mask-wearing and were also more reluctant to maintain social distancing. Moreover, financially satisfied individuals were positively associated with a decrease in the hand hygiene practice, while those with greater assets were more likely to dislike maintaining social distancing. People who exercised regularly were less likely to abandon the hand hygiene practices. Our results highlighted the significance of selective prevention programs targeting specific groups to promote compliance and lead to more effective pandemic management and less fatigue or discontentment. © 2023 by the authors.

COVID-19 Lockdown Effects on a Highly Contaminated Coastal Site: The Mar Piccolo Basin of Taranto

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a dramatic socio-economic impact on mankind;however, the COVID-19 lockdown brought a drastic reduction of anthropic impacts on the environment worldwide, including the marine–coastal system. This study is concentrated on the Mar Piccolo basin of Taranto, a complex marine ecosystem model that is important in terms of ecological, social, and economic activities. Although many numerical studies have been conducted to investigate the features of the water fluxes in the Mar Piccolo basin, this is the first study conducted in order to link meteo-oceanographic conditions, water quality, and potential reduction of anthropic inputs. In particular, we used the model results in order to study the response of the Mar Piccolo basin to a drastic reduction in the leakage of heavy metal IPAs from industrial discharges during the two months of the mandated nationwide lockdown. The results show the different behavior of the two sub-basins of Mar Piccolo, showing the different times necessary for a reduction in the concentrations of heavy metals even after a total stop in the leakage of heavy metal IPAs. The results highlight the high sensitivity of the basin to environmental problems and the different times necessary for the renewal of the water in both sub-basins. © 2023 by the authors.

Out-of-pocket expenditure and catastrophic costs due to COVID-19 in Indonesia: A rapid online survey.

Background: The Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created a substantial socioeconomic impact, particularly in developing countries such as Indonesia. Purposes/objectives: This study aimed to describe the COVID-19-related out-of-pocket spending of Indonesian citizens and the proportion of whom experienced catastrophic health spending during the COVID-19 pandemic using the patient's perspective. Methodology: We conducted a rapid cross-sectional online survey across provinces in Indonesia to capture participants' experiences due to COVID-19. Data were collected between September 23rd to October 7th of 2021 including demographics, income, and expenditures. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the respondents' characteristics. Patients's perspective of total cost was estimated from out-of-pocket of COVID-19 direct costs and compared them to total expenditure. If the proportion of COVID-19 total costs exceeded 40% of the total expenditure, the respondents were deemed to have faced catastrophic costs. Results: A total of 1,859 respondents answered the questionnaire. The average monthly income and expenditure of respondents were 800 USD, and 667 USD respectively. The monthly expenditure was categorized into food expenditure (367 USD) and non-food expenditure (320 USD). The average of COVID-19-related monthly expenditure was 226 USD, including diagnostic expenditure (36 USD), preventive expenditure (58 USD), medical expenditure (37 USD for COVID-19 treatment; and 57 USD for post-COVID-19 medical expenses), and non-medical expenditure (30 USD). Analysis showed that 18.6% of all respondents experienced catastrophic costs while 38.6% of the respondents who had COVID-19 treatment experienced catastrophic costs. Conclusion: The high proportion of catastrophic costs among respondents suggests the need for COVID-19 social protection, especially for COVID-19 diagnostic and prevention costs. The survey findings have led the government to increase the benefit coverage other than medical costs at the hospitals.

Association between Loneliness, Well-Being, and Life Satisfaction before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study

Good psychological well-being contributes to a satisfying life, reduces loneliness, and enables a better quality of life. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people worldwide have faced various challenges, which manifest in mental health problems, dissatisfaction with life and increased loneliness. This study aimed to investigate the influence of loneliness on mental well-being and life satisfaction among the adult population during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2021 and January 2022. A total of 664 participants took part in the survey, of whom 484 (73%) were female and 180 (27%) were male. Our results show that loneliness can explain 48% of the total variability in mental well-being and 52% of the variability in life satisfaction. The results show a higher level of loneliness and use of information and communication technology and a lower level of contact with relatives and friends, life satisfaction, and well-being during COVID-19 than they considered before the time of COVID-19. Study findings can help improve loneliness and mental well-being, and, consequently, life satisfaction. © 2023 by the authors.

Underlying Factors That Worsened the Vulnerability of Small-Holder Farmers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from North-Central, Nigeria

This chapter determines the underlying factors that worsened the vulnerability of small-holder farmers during the COVID-19 pandemic in North-Central, Nigeria. Proffering lasting solutions to the problems of low productivity, arising from the vulnerability to cope with shock events, is an important starting point to understanding how, why, and what occurred over the last 2 years. To better understand this, the socioeconomic characteristics of small-holder farmers were identified and interlinked with the factors that impaired their vulnerability during the pandemic. Primary data were collected with the aid of a structured questionnaire in combination with face-to-face interviews. A multi-stage sampling technique was used for data collection and a total of 360 farmers were sampled across three states in North-Central. The analytical techniques employed in the study include descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis. The findings of the research reveal that the majority of the respondents are male, fairly advanced in age, with relatively low levels of formal education. The major factors that significantly worsened the vulnerability of the farmers is educational level, farming experience, access to finance, adoption of improved technologies, and access to extension services. It is recommended that efforts should be made towards encouraging farmers to acquire some level of formal education, while adult education should be encouraged among those that are fairly old. Government should also increase access to finance and credit facilities, i.e., finance that goes directly to the actual small-holder farmer. More access to various improved farming technologies should provide farmers with better crop output and financial turnover. Moreover, increased access to quality extension services should be made available. In brief, the COVID-19 pandemic created financial uncertainties which affected economic growth and investments throughout different sectors of the world economy. It created agricultural setbacks that should not be overlooked but rather documented to mitigate future shocks with preparedness as a new standard. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Anxiety as a mediator in the relationship between the socioeconomic impact of COVID-19 and quality of life: a cross-sectional study in Vietnam.

Previous studies have investigated the effects of the pandemic on quality of life; both economical and psychosocial effects were explored. Some studies also mentioned mediating factors as mechanisms in this relationship; however, the mediating role of anxiety has not been examined. The present study examined the mediating effects of anxiety on the relationship between socioeconomic impact of COVID-19 and quality of life. An online survey of 280 Vietnamese residents was conducted in the context of the pandemic outbreak. Anxiety was found to be a completely mediating variable in the association between the socioeconomic impact of the pandemic and quality of life during the lockdown period. This finding contributes to a better understanding of how the pandemic affects people's quality of life and serves as the foundation for lessening the negative effects of the epidemic on people's lives.

Restocking of small water bodies for a post Covid recovery and growth of fisheries and aquaculture production: Socioeconomic implications

Restocking of fish in Small Water Bodies (SWBs) is one of the technologies that can be used to enhance fish-food production for post Covid recovery and growth in food security, and national development. The current study aimed at assessing the socioeconomic impact and stock performance of restocked Nile tilapia fingerlings in SWBs in 15 counties in the Western and Central regions where the Aquaculture Business Development Programme (ABDP) is implemented. The study employed both primary and secondary data from socioeconomics, environmental characteristics and fisheries and aquaculture aspects. There was no restocked dam with a low (<1.66) socioeconomic impact, indicating the potential for restocking. The majority (n = 27;79%) of the restocked SWBs had a moderate (1.66–2.33) impact, owing to the inherent constraints of adoptability by the local community. Twenty one percent (n = 7;21%) of the SWBs had a high (2.34–3.00) impact and with better environmental conditions. The average condition factor (K) of tilapia in restocked SWBs was 1.24 ± 0.53 SD, suggesting excellent fish growth condition. Notably, restocking the SWBs could benefit riparian fishing communities by improving their livelihoods and providing food and nutritional security. Given the limited exploitation of fish in most SWBs in the developing countries, additional community awareness and capacity building interventions are needed to enhance optimal use of SWBs in post Covid era. © 2022 The Author(s)

The Socio-Economic Impacts of Movement Control Order on Rural Households during Covid-19 Pandemic in Malaysia

From the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 until now, the Malaysian government has implemented various steps in curbing the spread of the virus in order to reduce the infection risk in all regions as well as among rural communities. The implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) by the government;designed to control intra- and inter-state and/or district movements and travels has been accepted and accustomed as the new norm in curbing the transmission of infection. This is especially among the vulnerable community groups i.e., elderly people and people with chronic diseases. Although MCO is crucial to curb the virus, this restriction of movement has also inhibited the activities of many important economic sectors especially on transportation of goods and other services. With a consideration that there is a dearth of studies, specifically about the impact of COVID-19 on the socioeconomic condition of the rural communities in specific context;a comprehensive study has been conducted involving 39 selected rural settlements for the whole Peninsular Malaysia. A total of 504 respondents/head of households had participated in the questionnaire survey. Research findings have shown the majority of respondents experienced socioeconomic impacts from MCO and the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly between 50% to 75% income reductions. This is contributed by two main factors: the MCO which hindered them to go out for work and carry out business activities as well as declining sales of produce or livestock. The research findings also reveal that 15% to 25% of the rural communities experienced food supply disruption. This is categorised as low to moderate level. It is important to note that since majority of the respondents are having low income, they are highly vulnerable to this volatile situation. Outcomes of this research could offer meaningful information regarding the current socioeconomic condition of rural communities in relation to the MCO and prolongation of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the way forward, there should be a more inclusive Build Back Better (BBB) strategies for creating a future more resilient rural community to pandemic.

Design and recruitment of a large-scale cohort study on prevalence, risk factors and impact evaluation of post-COVID-19 condition and its wider long-term social, mental, and physical health impact: The PRIME post-COVID study.

Background: Persistent symptoms, described as long COVID or post-COVID-19 condition, pose a potential public health problem. Here, the design and recruitment of the PRIME post-COVID study is described. PRIME post-COVID is a large-scale population-based observational study that aims to improve understanding of the occurrence, risk factors, social, physical, mental, emotional, and socioeconomic impact of post-COVID-19 condition. Methods: An observational open cohort study was set up, with retrospective and prospective assessments on various health-conditions and health-factors (medical, demographic, social, and behavioral) based on a public health COVID-19 test and by self-report (using online questionnaires in Dutch language). Invited for participation were, as recorded in a public health registry, adults (18 years and older) who were tested for COVID-19 and had a valid Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) positive or negative test result, and email address. In November 2021, 61,655 individuals were invited by email to participate, these included all eligible adults who tested PCR positive between 1 June 2020 and 1 November 2021, and a sample of adults who tested negative (2:1), comparable in distribution of age, sex, municipality of residence and year-quarter of testing. New recruitment periods are planned as well. Participants are followed over time by regular follow-up measurements. Data are analyzed using the appropriate data-analyses methods. Discussion: The PRIME post-COVID study will provide insights into various health-related aspects of post-COVID-19 condition in the context of various stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results will inform practical guidance for society, clinical and public health practice for the prevention and care for long-term impact of COVID-19. Trial registration ClinicalTrialsgov identifier: NCT05128695.

Restocking of small water bodies for a post Covid recovery and growth of fisheries and aquaculture production: socioeconomic implications

Restocking of fish in Small Water Bodies (SWBs) is one of the technologies that can be used to enhance fish-food production for post Covid recovery and growth in food security, and national development. The current study aimed at assessing the socioeconomic impact and stock performance of restocked Nile tilapia fingerlings in SWBs in 15 counties in the Western and Central regions where the Aquaculture Business Development Programme (ABDP) is implemented. The study employed both primary and secondary data from socioeconomics, environmental characteristics and fisheries and aquaculture aspects. There was no restocked dam with a low (< 1.66) socioeconomic impact, indicating the potential for restocking. The majority (n = 27;79%) of the restocked SWBs had a moderate (1.66 – 2.33) impact, owing to the inherent constraints of adoptability by the local community. Twenty one percent (n = 7;21%) of the SWBs had a high (2.34 - 3.00) impact and with better environmental conditions. The average condition factor (K) of tilapia in restocked SWBs was 1.24 ± 0.53 SD, suggesting excellent fish growth condition. Notably, restocking the SWBs could benefit riparian fishing communities by improving their livelihoods and providing food and nutritional security. Given the limited exploitation of fish in most SWBs in the developing countries, additional community awareness and capacity building interventions are needed to enhance optimal use of SWBs in post Covid era.

Socio-economic impact of COVID-19 on rural livelihoods in Mbashe Municipality.

The study sought to examine the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 on the socioeconomic livelihoods of rural communities by focusing on the Good Hope community under Mbashe Municipality. A qualitative research methodology was employed through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. The study sought to examine the impact and survival strategies employed by the Good Hope community with the outbreak of the coronavirus, which has widely affected the world since 2019. The study further aimed to examine the role of the South African government in assisting rural communities since the outbreak of the coronavirus. Contribution: The study's findings highlight the lack of proper intervention strategies employed by the government in assisting rural communities. Communities including Good Hope have been hard hit by the pandemic and continue to suffer under the implemented lockdown regulations imposed by all governments globally.

The Role of the Way of St James in Local Development. A Case Study in Palencia.

The 'French' Way of St James crosses the province of Palencia. In the municipalities along the track the trajectory is a development resource after the 2008 financial crisis and the celebration of the Holy Year in 2010. This paper describes and analyses the socioeconomic impact along the route during the second decade of this century. The study is based on primary and secondary sources, including fieldwork. Basic data are mapped. The wealth generated by the Palencia track because of pilgrim and tourist spending has not been able to revert the ageing and loss of population. Despite the celebration of the 2021/2022 Holy Year the paralysis caused by the covid-19 pandemic has reduced the capacity of the local tourism industry. (English) [ FROM AUTHOR] El Camino de Santiago Francés, a su paso por la provincia de Palencia, constituye un renovado recurso para el desarrollo local de los municipios inmersos en el itinerario tras la crisis financiera del 2008 y la celebración del Año Santo Jacobeo en 2010. A partir de estos antecedentes, el objetivo del artículo pretende analizar y comprobar cómo ha repercutido el Camino en los aspectos socioeconómicos por el territorio que atraviesa en la segunda década del nuevo milenio. La metodología utilizada se ha basado en la obtención de datos de fuentes primarias y secundarias, el trabajo de campo y la representación cartográfica de los indicadores temáticos a lo largo del sendero jacobeo. El Camino, en el tramo palentino, contribuye a la generación de riqueza local por el gasto de los peregrinos y de los turistas pero no de forma suficiente para frenar la pérdida de población y combatir el elevado grado de envejecimiento. De cara al futuro inmediato, tras la parálisis provocada en el Camino por la pandemia de la Covid-19 se abre un periodo de incertidumbre que repercutirá de forma negativa en el tejido de la oferta turística a pesar de la celebración del Año Santo Jacobeo 2021/2022. (Spanish) [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Investigaciones Geograficas is the property of Universidad de Alicante, Instituto Universitario de Geografia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake and Factors Associated With Being Unvaccinated Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Other Sexual Identities (LGBTQ+) New Yorkers.

Routine data on vaccine uptake are not disaggregated by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual identities (LGBTQ+) populations, despite higher risk of infection and severe disease. We found comparable vaccination uptake patterns among 1032 LGBTQ+ New Yorkers and the general population. We identified critical socioeconomic factors that were associated with vaccine hesitancy in this economically vulnerable population.

Analyzing the research trends of COVID-19 using topic modeling approach

Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted 222 countries across the globe, with millions of people losing their lives. The threat from the virus may be assessed from the fact that most countries across the world have been forced to order partial or complete shutdown of their economies for a period of time to contain the spread of the virus. The fallout of this action manifested in loss of livelihood, migration of the labor force and severe impact on mental health due to the long duration of confinement to homes or residences. Design/methodology/approach The current study identifies the focus areas of the research conducted on the COVID-19 pandemic. s of papers on the subject were collated from the SCOPUS database for the period December 2019 to June 2020. The collected sample data (after preprocessing) was analyzed using Topic Modeling with Latent Dirichlet Allocation. Findings Based on the research papers published within the mentioned timeframe, the study identifies the 10 most prominent topics that formed the area of interest for the COVID-19 pandemic research. Originality/value While similar studies exist, no other work has used topic modeling to comprehensively analyze the COVID-19 literature by considering diverse fields and domains.

Airports in Communes before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Airports, linking air transport with other modes of transport, are indicated as one of the elements influencing regional and local development. Their presence strengthens the communication accessibility of a particular place in space attracting investors and dynamizing its development. Recently, the functioning of airports has been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic drastically reducing passenger traffic at airports, which also translated into the situation of related companies and people who live near airports (commune). Assessing the impact of an airport on the socio-economic situation in a commune is difficult because, on the one hand, they create jobs and attract investors and, on the other hand, they generate noise and pollution. In this situation, a preliminary study was carried out in five communes throughout Poland. The aim of the research was to determine how residents and representatives of communes perceive airports located in their communes, in the context of the impact of these airports on the socio-economic situation in communes, also in the situation when the airports face problems resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim was achieved using analysis of strategic documents of communes, analysis of data on the functioning of communes and airports in the period 2016–2021, and a diagnostic survey using interview and survey techniques. The survey research involved 600 respondents from 5 communes located in different regions of Poland and 5 representatives of their authorities. To analyze the collected material and present the results, Statistica v.13.3 and R/RStudio software were used. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Dysautonomia in COVID-19 Patients: A Narrative Review on Clinical Course, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Strategies.

Introduction: On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization sounded the COVID-19 pandemic alarm. While efforts in the first few months focused on reducing the mortality of infected patients, there is increasing data on the effects of long-term infection (Post-COVID-19 condition). Among the different symptoms described after acute infection, those derived from autonomic dysfunction are especially frequent and limiting. Objective: To conduct a narrative review synthesizing current evidence of the signs and symptoms of dysautonomia in patients diagnosed with COVID-19, together with a compilation of available treatment guidelines. Results: Autonomic dysfunction associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection occurs at different temporal stages. Some of the proposed pathophysiological mechanisms include direct tissue damage, immune dysregulation, hormonal disturbances, elevated cytokine levels, and persistent low-grade infection. Acute autonomic dysfunction has a direct impact on the mortality risk, given its repercussions on the respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological systems. Iatrogenic autonomic dysfunction is a side effect caused by the drugs used and/or admission to the intensive care unit. Finally, late dysautonomia occurs in 2.5% of patients with Post-COVID-19 condition. While orthostatic hypotension and neurally-mediated syncope should be considered, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) appears to be the most common autonomic phenotype among these patients. A review of diagnostic and treatment guidelines focused on each type of dysautonomic condition was done. Conclusion: Symptoms deriving from autonomic dysfunction involvement are common in those affected by COVID-19. These symptoms have a great impact on the quality of life both in the short and medium to long term. A better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of Post-COVID manifestations that affect the autonomic nervous system, and targeted therapeutic management could help reduce the sequelae of COVID-19, especially if we act in the earliest phases of the disease.

Resilience and Sustainability of the Water Sector during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented socio-economic changes, ushering in a “new (ab)normal” way of living and human interaction. The water sector was not spared from the effects of the pandemic, a period in which the sector had to adapt rapidly and continue providing innovative water and sanitation solutions. This study unpacks and interrogates approaches, products, and services adopted by the water sector in response to the unprecedented lockdowns, heralding novel terrains, and fundamental paradigm shifts, both at the community and the workplace. The study highlights the wider societal perspective regarding the water and sanitation challenges that grappled society before, during, after, and beyond the pandemic. The premise is to provide plausible transitional pathways towards a new (ab)normal in adopting new models, as evidenced by the dismantling of the normal way of conducting business at the workplace and human interaction in an era inundated with social media, virtual communication, and disruptive technologies, which have transitioned absolutely everything into a virtual way of life. As such, the novel approaches have fast-tracked a transition into the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR), with significant trade-offs to traditional business models and human interactions. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.