A study of morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 in India

The recent Human Coronavirus 2019 (hCoV-19) pandemic has devastated the whole world and impacted all aspects of human life. One of the most comprehensively recorded data for this outbreak is the daily morbidities and mortalities record. The analysis of this dataset would provide insight into the pattern and progression of this disease. The present study focused on the quantitative investigation and descriptive statistical examination of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as part of a series of evaluations for this epidemic in the primarily affected geopolitical regions. The year 2021 is worse than 2020 in terms of the recorded daily newly emerging cases and deaths, and there are no signs that there would be an improvement in 2022, as could be estimated from early warning signs, even if there could be an apparent decline in the outbreak waves. India is one of the major countries that have been adversely affected by this global pandemic. The present study addressed this nation as a detailed record of COVID-19 cases and deaths extracted from a chronologically arranged dataset for the newly emerged cases and deaths on a daily basis. Cumulative counts were calculated and logarithmically transformed. Two significant peaks - embracing multiple waves - were observed with tailing for morbidity and mortality, which were highly correlated. There were no signs of a recession in the outbreak census. However, relative calm periods between waves might be detected. There were rising trends in morbidities and mortalities with a clustering tendency upon examination of the run charts. The Morgan-Mercer-Flodin (MMF) model was found to demonstrate the best-fitting non-linear curve for the transformed cumulative database. Derivatization of the model equation demonstrated a factor that could be used in the assessment of the outbreak effect numerically to show influence on the impacted population.

Balconies during COVID-19 lockdown: exploring the change in patterns of use in Cairo

Purpose: This paper questions the change in patterns of use of the balcony during lockdown. It investigates whether residents, specifically of apartment buildings in Cairo, used their balconies more frequently or for different activities during the lockdown. Design/methodology/approach: The study was conducted through a mixed methods approach. More specifically, a sequential explanatory design was adopted where quantitative data were collected at first followed by qualitative data collection. The study proceeded in two stages. First, an online questionnaire with 160 respondents was conducted to depict the change in the frequency and use patterns of balconies pre/post lockdown in Cairo. The respondents were approached through snowball sampling. Second, in-depth semi-structured interviews with 20 participants, approached through convenience sampling, were done. The interviews aimed to provide interpretation and rationale for the responses, patterns and correlations identified from the questionnaire results. Findings: The findings of this study confirm that there is a change in the pattern of use of balconies in terms of frequency and the types of hosted activities. The analysis revealed three key ideas that characterize those changes: the balcony as a found space, as a loose space and as a space of self-expression at home. It also expands on spatial qualities of balconies that promoted their use. The study emphasizes the significance of such outdoor private spaces in apartment buildings and puts forward balconies as an essential element of future dwellings design for the multiple benefits they behold. Originality/value: The originality of the study stems from tackling such a timely and unprecedented situation, where still few studies investigating the relationship between pandemic and the architecture of homes have been conducted. Furthermore, this study focuses particularly on exploring the use of balconies in Cairo, one of the largest cities in both Africa and the Middle East, during lockdown. Its findings might ultimately help formulate, define and characterize new trends in the architecture of homes that would embrace human needs in times of prosperity and rising tensions alike. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.