scholarly journals The COVID-19 Pandemic Eroded System Support But Not Social Solidarity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Bor ◽  
Frederik Juhl Jørgensen ◽  
Michael Bang Petersen

While the World has been busy mitigating the disastrous health and economic effects of the novel coronavirus, a less direct, but not less concerning peril has largely remained unexplored: the COVID-19 crisis may disrupt some of the most fundamental social and political relationships in democratic societies. We interviewed samples resembling the national population of Denmark, Hungary, Italy and the US three times: in April, June and December of 2020 (14K observations). We employed a broad set of survey questions tapping into perceptions about the two major relationships structuring society: Horizontal relationships between citizens, and vertical relationships between citizens and the state. We benchmarked these data against pre-COVID levels measured in the World Values Survey and the European Values Survey. We present strikingly similar findings across the four diverse countries. We show that support for the political system has markedly decreased already by April and fell further till December. Exploiting the panel setup, we demonstrate that within-respondent increases in indicators of pandemic fatigue (specifically, the perceived subjective burden of the pandemic and feelings of anomie) correspond to decreases in system support and increases in extreme anti-systemic attitudes. Meanwhile, we find much smaller changes in social solidarity and trust compared to pre-pandemic levels, and we find that these attitudes are largely unaffected by pandemic burden. Our results imply that the pandemic is not only a health-crisis, but poses a substantial challenge to the relationship between citizens and the state.

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-160
Author(s):  
Akram Belmehdi ◽  
Saliha Chbicheb

The pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is considered as the biggest global health crisis for the world since the Spanish flu, also known as the 1918 flu pandemic. Driven by the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus infection, the rapid spread of this disease and the related pneumonia COVID-19 are a challenge for healthcare systems in over the world, and it is a constantly evolving situation with new symptoms and prognostic factors. SARS-CoV-2 has lately been detected in infected patient’s oral cavity; the COVID-19 outbreak is an alert that all dental and other health professionals must be vigilant in defending against the infectious disease spread. This review summarizes an update from current medical literature about the relationship between oral cavity and coronavirus disease by presenting some oral aspects which was detected in infected patients such as the oral lesions related to this virus and its therapeutic protocol, taste disorders and also the diagnostic value of saliva for SARS-CoV-2.


European View ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-163
Author(s):  
Nad’a Kovalčíková ◽  
Ariane Tabatabai

As governments and citizens around the world have struggled with the novel coronavirus, the information space has turned into a battleground. Authoritarian countries, including Russia, China and Iran, have spread disinformation on the causes of and responses to the pandemic. The over-abundance of information, also referred to as an ‘infodemic’, including manipulated information, has been both a cause and a result of the exacerbation of the public health crisis. It is further undermining trust in democratic institutions, the independent press, and facts and data, and exacerbating the rising tensions driven by economic, political and societal challenges. This article discusses the challenges democracies have faced and the measures they have adopted to counter information manipulation that impedes public health efforts. It draws seven lessons learned from the information war and offers a set of recommendations on tackling future infodemics related to public health.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (03) ◽  
pp. 366-369
Author(s):  
Rooh Ullah ◽  
Muhammad Suleman Rana ◽  
Mehmood Qadir ◽  
Muhammad Usman ◽  
Niaz Ahmed

Pandemic of novel Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections in China is now become global public health crisis. At present 87.64% of the world is infected by this deadly illness. The risk from this epidemic depends on the nature of the virus, including how well it transmits from person to person, and the complications resulting from this current illness. The novel coronavirus has killed thousands of people in China and other countries as well; its rate of mortality is increasing day by day. There is an urgent need to control the virus by developing vaccine or any other antiviral drugs to save the world from this deadly viral infection.


Author(s):  
Neha Saini ◽  
Prem Pandey ◽  
Mandar Shirolkar ◽  
Atul Kulkarni

Humanity is going through never seen before health crisis due to the outbreak of novel coronavirus or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). There are 24.02 million cases and 0.82 million deaths worldwide as of 26th August 2020 due to deadly infection of COVID-19. The disease has been spreading exponentially (R-naught number: 3) and has challenged even the best healthcare infrastructure in the world. With the progression of the disease, the countries shifted the focus from cure to diagnosis and containment to flatten the curve. The review shows that the disease is spreading exponentially while the resources are still limited. We focus upon the probable vectors of the virus, different diagnostic methods with advantages & limitations, and the way forward. This review article covers the different diagnostic methods with more advantages, limitations, and the future sneak-peek into the forthcoming developments for the diagnostic processes such as RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase chain reaction).


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽  
pp. 94-102
Author(s):  
Prasaath Sastha K R ◽  
Balasubramanian Arul ◽  
Ramalingam Kothai

It all started in December 2019, a seafood market in Wuhan, China, with a series of pneumonia alike cases admitted with severe acute respiratory depression. Since they were unable to detect the precise cause, they named it "Pneumonia of unknown etiology". Later it was identified as SARS COV 2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome – coronavirus 2). At first, the disease spread locally affecting the people of Wuhan, and then started spreading throughout China, creating a worldwide panic. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 in China as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from China and local healthcare units organized an intensive outbreak investigation program. The causative organism of this infection is a new virus that belongs to the “coronavirus (CoV)” family. After which the disease was called nCoV-19 (Novel coronavirus – 19). On February 11, 2020, the WHO Director General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, renamed the disease as "COVID-19," which is the acronym of "coronavirus disease 2019". Viral epidemics like SARS-CoV in 2002, H1N1 influenza in 2009, and the most recent one the MERS-CoV Middle East Respiratory Distress Syndrome Coronavirus (first identified in Saudi Arabia) in 2012 threatened the health of mankind in the past two decades. All of these were successfully prevented by systematically approaching the problem to solve it. Healthcare professionals around the world are well trained to manage any type of health crisis. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared COVID-19 as a "PANDEMIC" pointing to over 118,000 cases and 80,000 dead in 110 countries or more. In a media briefing, the WHO Director General said: "This is not just a public health crisis, it is a crisis that will touch every sector, so every sector and every individual must be involved in the fight."


Coronaviruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 02 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayushi Mahajan ◽  
Lakhvir Kaur ◽  
Gurjeet Singh ◽  
RK Dhawan ◽  
Lovepreet Singh ◽  
...  

: The year 2020 was the most challenging period for all due to the havoc caused by the outbreak of novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Scientists and researchers all around the world have endeavored every possible approach to find solutions in context to therapeutics and vaccines to control the spread of this life-threatening virus. The acceleration instigated by the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 and its mutated strains has leveraged the use of numerous platform technologies for the development of vaccines against this unfathomable disease. Vaccines could play an important role in mitigating the effects of COVID-19 and reducing the ongoing health crisis. Various innovative platforms like proteins, nucleic acids, viruses, and viral vectors have been exploited to fabricate vaccines depicting almost 90% of efficacy like BNT162b2, AZD1222, Ad5-nCoV, etc. Some of these vaccines are multipotent and have shown potent activity against newly emerged malicious strains of SARS-CoV-2 like B.1.351andB.1.1.7. In this review article, we have gathered key findings from various sources of recently popularized vaccine candidates which will provide an overview of potential vaccine candidates against this virus and will help the researchers to investigate possible ways to annihilate this menace and design new moieties.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 814-819
Author(s):  
Mahhin Ahuja ◽  

Coronavirus outbreak, which was first reported in Wuhan, China on December 31, 2019 has been sending ripples across the globe and has amplified to the stature of an international health crisis. With lakhs of deaths and new cases being reported in a span of six months in varied countries, the virus has forced governments and administrations to take precautionary measures such as complete lockdown of the cities, and strict isolation for the reported cases. In this regard, my project seeks to study the devastating effect that this isolating and threatening lockdown has had on the Indian Economy, as well as the role of digital connectivity in supporting the economic base of India during the crisis. For this, I have studied the economic effects of digitalisation on the existing structures of Indian businesses, and have analyzed them in light of various factors that determine growth. The project is not just aimed at conducting a first-hand study of this rare crisis that the world is facing, but is also an innovative attempt to gauge the digital potential of Indian economy and present the data for the industries to revise and review their digital structures.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Parth M. Kapatel ◽  
Nagma ara Malik

The new public health crisis threatening the world with the emergence due to the spreading of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) or it can also say as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus instigated in bats and was transmitted to humans through yet unknown transitional animals in Wuhan, Hubei province, China in December 2019. There have been around 3.04 million reported cases by WHO of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019) and 895 thousand are recovered, 211 thousand reported deaths to date (28/04/2020) from all over the world. The disease is spread by inhalation/breathing or interaction with infected droplets. The quarantine period ranges from 2 to 14 days. The symptoms are typically breathlessness, cough, sore throat, fever, fatigue, malaise, among others. The disease is mild in most people; while in about some (generally the aged and those with comorbidities), it may progress to pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and multi-organ dysfunction. Many people are asymptomatic. Treatment is very essentially supportive; the role of antiviral agents is up till now to be recognized. Prevention requires home quarantine of alleged cases and those with mild illnesses and severe infection control measures at hospitals that contain interaction, touch and droplet precautions.


Author(s):  
Markordor Lyngdoh

The 1918 influenza pandemic was the most severe pandemic in recent history. It was caused by an H1N1 virus with genes of avian origin. On the other hand, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus hailed by the world health organization as a “once in a century health crisis” which has led to devastating impacts to health and livelihood the world over. The prevailing situation is reminiscent of the Spanish flu where definitive cure is unavailable and the public health measures like quarantine, social distancing, hand hygiene and isolation are the only alternatives. Both these diseases are transmitted through respiratory droplets, highly contagious and target the respiratory organs. The parallels between these two events cannot be denied. The Spanish flu thrived at a time when the knowledge and availability of antivirals and vaccine development were inadequate. This article strives to highlight a little more on these two separate pandemics and observe their similarities as well as their differences.


Author(s):  
Quoc-Viet Pham ◽  
Dinh C. Nguyen ◽  
Thien Huynh-The ◽  
Won-Joo Hwang ◽  
Pubudu N. Pathirana

The very first infected novel coronavirus case (COVID-19) was found in Hubei, China in Dec. 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic has spread over 215 countries and areas in the world, and has significantly affected every aspect of our daily lives. At the time of writing this article, the numbers of infected cases and deaths still increase significantly and have no sign of a well-controlled situation, e.g., as of 14 April 2020, a cumulative total of 1,853,265 (118,854) infected (dead) COVID-19 cases were reported in the world. Motivated by recent advances and applications of artificial intelligence (AI) and big data in various areas, this paper aims at emphasizing their importance in responding to the COVID-19 outbreak and preventing the severe effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. We firstly present an overview of AI and big data, then identify their applications in fighting against COVID-19, next highlight challenges and issues associated with state-of-the-art solutions, and finally come up with recommendations for the communications to effectively control the COVID-19 situation. It is expected that this paper provides researchers and communities with new insights into the ways AI and big data improve the COVID-19 situation, and drives further studies in stopping the COVID-19 outbreak.


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