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The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the public health system and socioeconomic sector, one of the worst being the impacts on the informal economy. Despite their past survival, the current pandemic-induced crisis has cast doubt on informal economy resilience. This study aims to capture the informal economy resilience facing the unprecedented economic crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. We reviewed 42 selected peer-reviewed journal articles to synthesise a general concept of informal economy resilience during pandemic-induced crisis. We found that strict lockdown during a pandemic becomes the main driver that exacerbates the vulnerability of informal economy. The impacts are spatiotemporally varied, different within the group, and have multilevel characteristics (from individual to society). This vulnerable condition has triggered the informal economy to conduct several coping mechanisms to face economic disadvantages. Both individual coping mechanisms and government intervention have altered the informal economy's resilience throughout time. The current combination of defense mechanisms results in four possibilities: bounce back better, bounce back, recover but worsen, and collapse. This review offers valuable insights into the appropriate actions that governments should undertake in response to economic downturns resulting from pandemics. It highlights the importance of considering vulnerable groups when formulating policy during a crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak of COVID-19 came with serious socio-economic and national security implications across the globe. While more deaths were recorded in developed countries than in developing countries, socio-economic impacts were, however, more pronounced in developing countries than in developed countries. In this study, we examined the socio-economic and national security implications of COVID-19 in Zimbabwe. The study adopted a mixed-methods design, with 202 participants recruited from Harare Central Business District through quota and purposive sampling techniques. Findings revealed that poverty, hunger and starvation, and rising unemployment were the major socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 in Zimbabwe. In terms of security, domestic violence was considered the most prevalent crime during COVID-19, followed by corruption. The study concludes that restrictive measures during public health emergencies come with a host of negative socio-economic impacts, which require sound mitigatory measures from governments. The study recommends a number of social measures to mitigate this outcome, namely providing social grants to vulnerable citizens, implementing partial rather than total lockdowns, and limiting the powers of law enforcement agents during public health emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The disease COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 is the third highly infectious human Coronavirus epidemic in the 21s⁢t century due to its high transmission rate and quick evolution of its pathogenicity. Genomic studies indicate that it is zoonotic from bats. The COVID-19 has led to significant loss of lives and a tremendous economic decline in the world. Generally, the population at risk of a fatal outcome are the elderly and those who are debilitated or are immune compromised. The fatality rate is high, but now is reduced after the development of preventive vaccine although an effective treatment by drug against the virus is yet to be developed. The treatment is narrowed to the use of several anti-viral drugs, or other re-purposed drugs. Social distancing, therefore, has emerged as a putative method to decrease the rate of infection. In this review, we summarize the aspects of the disease that is so far have come to light and review the impact of the infection on our society, healthcare, economy, education, and environment.

With the emergency situation that arises with COVID-19, the intense containment strategies adopted by many countries had little or no consideration towards socio-economic ramifications or the impact on women, children, socioeconomically underprivileged groups. The existence of many adverse impacts raises questions on the approaches taken and demands proper analysis, scrutiny and review of the policies. Therefore, a framework was developed using the artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to detect, model, and predict the behaviour of the COVID-19 pandemic containment strategies, understanding the socio-economic impact of these strategies on identified diverse vulnerable groups, and the development of AI-based solutions, to predict and manage a future spread of COVID or similar infectious disease outbreaks while mitigating the social and economic toil. Based on generated behaviour and movements, AI tools were developed to conduct contact tracing and socio-economic impact mitigation actions in a more informed, socially conscious and responsible manner in the case of the next wave of COVID-19 infections or a different future infectious disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current health crisis due to the severe acute respiratory syndrome -coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is challenging several of the assumptions of a globalized world. There are severe consequences over food security and sovereignty, especially among the poorest and most vulnerable populations. Particularly, since any infectious disease outbreak is directly correlated to an increase in hunger and malnutrition. This assay is set to analyze the impacts of the sanitary crisis on food security and sovereignty in the international context, and highlight how governments are acting to reduce consequences, through the use of an exploratory and analytical methodology. Although the United States (U.S.) has successfully overcome this health crisis, the food crisis has overtaken, as a result of the growing unemployment. In Latin America, the pandemic is exacerbating food access and economic situation. The sanitary crisis has aggravated food shortages in Africa already going on, especially in rural areas. Asia suffered the most significant impact in food security. The new food security policy in the European Union aims to hold food security. Food insecurity and malnutrition are not just about agriculture production; they are also about food access limitations. In consequence, this health crisis cannot be allowed to become also a food crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last two decades, a large number of non-communicable/chronic disorders reached an epidemic level on a global scale such as diabetes mellitus type 2, cardio-vascular disease, several types of malignancies, neurological and eye pathologies—all exerted system's enormous socio-economic burden to primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare. The paradigm change from reactive to predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (3PM/PPPM) has been declared as an essential transformation of the overall healthcare approach to benefit the patient and society at large. To this end, specific biomarker panels are instrumental for a cost-effective predictive approach of individualized prevention and treatments tailored to the person. The source of biomarkers is crucial for specificity and reliability of diagnostic tests and treatment targets. Furthermore, any diagnostic approach preferentially should be noninvasive to increase availability of the biomaterial, and to decrease risks of potential complications as well as concomitant costs. These requirements are clearly fulfilled by tear fluid, which represents a precious source of biomarker panels. The well-justified principle of a "sick eye in a sick body" makes comprehensive tear fluid biomarker profiling highly relevant not only for diagnostics of eye pathologies but also for prediction, prognosis, and treatment monitoring of systemic diseases. One prominent example is the Sicca syndrome linked to a cascade of severe complications that include dry eye, neurologic, and oncologic diseases. In this review, protein profiles in tear fluid are highlighted and corresponding biomarkers are exemplified for several relevant pathologies, including dry eye disease, diabetic retinopathy, cancers, and neurological disorders. Corresponding analytical approaches such as sample pre-processing, differential proteomics, electrophoretic techniques, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA), microarrays, and mass spectrometry (MS) methodology are detailed. Consequently, we proposed the overall strategies based on the tear fluid biomarkers application for 3P medicine practice. In the context of 3P medicine, tear fluid analytical pathways are considered to predict disease development, to target preventive measures, and to create treatment algorithms tailored to individual patient profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The novel corona virus disease (Covid-19) outbreak has caused great uncertainty in all spheres of human life. The experience has been incredibly humbling given that no country or section of society, regardless of its wealth or status, has been spared. The pandemic is not only a health crisis, but is also having serious damaging effects on societies, economies and vulnerable groups. Timely response is necessary in order to alleviate human suffering and to prevent irreversible destruction of livelihoods. This paper provides preliminary data on the socio-economic impacts of Covid-19 in the coastal city of Mombasa, Kenya, at the time of government-imposed curfews and cessation of movement. We conducted online surveys for two weeks during the restrictions period. The data was collected using online questionnaires directed at the city residents. The data highlights the mobile gender gap resulting from gender inequalities, residents’ reliance on the government for Covid-19 information but lack of trust for government interventions, inadequate provisions of essential services, and the residents’ lack of preparedness to tackle similar challenges in the future.

COVID-19 has profoundly impacted global livelihoods and disrupted the food supply chain, including the aquaculture and fisheries industries. Little is known about the response to COVID-19 and the impact it has on incomes, livelihoods and knowledge and practice in the coastal artisanal fishers communities of Bangladesh. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the socio-demographics of selected coastal fishers, their knowledge about COVID-19 and the preventive practice taken to reduce it. The impact on their fishing habits and income was also examined to determine potential policy areas. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire from 250 respondents from three coastal districts, Cox's Bazar, Patuakhali and Barguna, Bangladesh during April–June 2020. The research shows that the fishers' knowledge about COVID-19 and measures taken to reduce it were significantly higher in Patuakhali and Barguna than in Cox's Bazar. The pandemic caused lower consumer demand, reduced fish prices and created fish transportation issues due to movement restrictions enforced during the lockdown. Irrespective of geographical location, fishing trips were reduced by frequency and duration compared with the pre-COVID-19 period, consequently lowering the income of fishers. Fishers have received little or no support from private, non-governmental or governmental sources. Considering the evidence in this paper of economic hardship, this paper recommends artisanal fishers in Bangladesh should be provided with support to improve their health education, access to professional health facilities and financial services. This will contribute to improved food security and sustainable livelihoods that can better withstand local and/or global crises. • Awareness of COVID-19 is associated with preventive health measures being practiced. • Irrespective of location, fishers experienced reduction in fishing time and income. • Skippers and boat owners faced a higher income reduction (49%) than fishers (26%). • COVID-19 caused less demand for fish, labor shortages and transport issues. • Fishers received limited to no external support during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]