August 28, 2020 (Health Policy and Technology)

COVID-19: the need for an Australian Economic Pandemic Response Plan

Shannen Higginson, Katarina Milovanovic, James Gillespie et al.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hlpt.2020.08.017

This qualitative review of Australian reports, official government publications, and COVID-19 data to discern robust future responses. Epidemiological and economic data were used to provide insight into the impact of the pandemic on Australia's healthcare system and economy. Policies implemented by the Australian government to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 affected the healthcare sector and the economy. Lessons learned concerning optimal economic preparedness are provided to guide the Australian government policymakers in ensuring holistic and robust solutions for future pandemics.

 

 

August 28, 2020 (International Journal of Hospitality Management)

Understanding the impact of COVID-19 intervention policies on the hospitality labor market

Arthur Huang, Christos Makridis, Mark Baker et al.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278431920302127

This study investigates the effects of the pandemic and the resulting US state policies on the hospitality industry. They observed business closure policies are associated with a 20–30% reduction of non-salaried workers in the food/drink and leisure/entertainment sectors;  business reopening policies play a statistically significant role in slowly reviving the labour market. Furthermore, significant differences exist in the impact of policies on the labour market by state and the rise of new COVID-19 cases daily is associated with the continued decline of the labour market.

 

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August 27, 2020 (Health Policy and Technology)

The first months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain

Josefa Henríquez, Eduardo Gonzalo Almorox, Manuel Garcia-Goni et al.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hlpt.2020.08.013

This paper examines the spread of COVID-19 in Spain from February to May 2020, as well as the public policies and technologies used to contain the evolution of the pandemic. In particular, it aims to assess the effectivity of the policies applied within the different communities. They show that a stringent confinement policy enforced through fines is needed to contain the spread. It resulted in a substantial reduction in mobility and economic activity.

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August 27, 2020 (Health Policy and Technology)

COVID-19 pandemic in Finland – Preliminary analysis on health system response and economic consequences

Hanna Tiirinki, Liina-Kaisa Tynkkynen, Markus Sovala et al.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hlpt.2020.08.005

This study aims to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 on health policy, social- and health system, and the economic and financing system in Finland. It provides early outcomes of health policy measures, social- and health system capacity as well as economic challenges in Finland as she has adopted a “hybrid strategy”, referring to a move from extensive restrictive measures to enhanced management of the epidemic. 

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August 27, 2020 (Health Policy and Technology)

COVID-19 pandemic in China: Context, experience and lessons

Weiwei Xu, Jing Wu, Lidan Cao

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hlpt.2020.08.006

China responded to the COVID-19 epidemic in a highly centralized and efficient way. Here, the authors share the Chinese experience, discuss the use of technologies supported policy implementation and policies adapted to stimulate economic recovery.

 

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August 20, 2020 (Economic Analysis and Policy)

Economic, social and political issues raised by the COVID-19 pandemic

Clement A. Tisdell

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eap.2020.08.002

This article summarises the assessment of public policies to control the incidence of COVID-19 by providing a historical and comparative overview of selected pandemics and an original model which is used to prioritize the admission of COVID-19 sufferers to hospital. It also describes a second model to evaluate desired social choices involving the trade-off between the severity of social restrictions and the level of economic activity. They then illustrate the factors that are likely to hinder economic recovery, including moral and ethical issues.

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​August 17, 2020  (Environmental Law Review)

Nourishing and protecting our urban ‘green’ space in a post-pandemic world

Christopher Rodgers

https://doi.org/10.1177/1461452920934667

It is undeniable that much of our ‘green’ space is under threat. ‘Green’ space is an important ecosystem that provides much needed space for open air recreation and exercise in towns and cities. The pandemic and lockdown have shown the importance for communities to have easy access to open space for recreation and exercise. The pandemic has shown that we need to reappraise planning policy for the (re-)designation and protection of new areas of green space in our urban environment; to better protect existing open space; and to seek to rebalance planning policy to ensure that adequate green space is provided for existing and future communities.

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August 15, 2020 (Technological Forecasting and Social Change)

On the efficiency of foreign exchange markets in times of the COVID-19 pandemic

Faheem Aslam, Saqib Aziz, Duc Khuong Nguyen et al.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120261

Aslam et al use multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MF-DFA) to provide a first look at the efficiency of forex markets during the initial period of the pandemic,  They analyse six major currencies during October 1, 2019, to 31 March 31, 2020. The results confirm the presence of multifractality in forex markets, which demonstrates a decline in the efficiency of forex markets and heterogeneous effects on the strength of multifractality of exchange rate returns. Their findings may help policymakers to shape a comprehensive response to improve forex market efficiency.

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August 15, 2020 (Energy Research & Social Science)

Contextualizing the COVID-19 pandemic for a carbon-constrained world: Insights for sustainability transitions, energy justice, and research methodology

Benjamin K. Sovacool, Dylan Furszyfer Del Rio, Steve Griffiths et al.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2020.101701

This Special Section explains the emerging connections between COVID-19 and energy supply and demand, energy governance, future low-carbon transitions, social justice, and even the practice of research methodology. It features articles that ask, and answer: What are the known and anticipated impacts of Covid-19 on energy demand and climate change? How has the disease shaped institutional responses and varying energy policy frameworks, especially in Africa? How will the disease impact ongoing social practices, innovations and sustainability transitions, including not only renewable energy but also mobility? How might the disease, and social responses to it, exacerbate underlying patterns of energy poverty, energy vulnerability, and energy injustice? Lastly, what challenges and insights do the pandemic offer for the practice of research and future research methodology?

 

 

August 7, 2020  (Front. Commun.)

COVID-19 Consumer Health Information Needs Improvement to Be Readable and Actionable by High-Risk Populations

Alison Caballero, Katherine Leath, Jamie Watson

https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2020.00056

The authors collected 28 consumer COVID-19 materials from the internet using popular search engines. They assessed the materials for readability, understandability, and actionability using validated tools. They found that the sample of materials was difficult to read and lacked a number of recommended features that promote a readers' ability to understand and act upon the information. The authors present these findings, their implications for health equity, and their limitations and then suggest ways to improve future health communication about time-sensitive infectious diseases.

 

 

August 5, 2020 (Nature)

Zoonotic host diversity increases in human-dominated ecosystems

Gibb, R., Redding, D.W., Chin, K.Q. et al. 

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2562-8

The authors analyse 6,801 ecological assemblages and 376 host species worldwide, controlling for research effort, and show that land use has global and systematic effects on local zoonotic host communities.

They conclude that their results suggest that global changes in the mode and the intensity of land use are creating expanding hazardous interfaces between people, livestock and wildlife reservoirs of zoonotic disease.

 

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August 4, 2020 (Environmental and Resource Economics)

Effects of Physical Distancing to Control COVID-19 on Public Health, the Economy, and the Environment

Stephen C. Newbold, David Finnoff, Linda Thunström et al.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10640-020-00440-1

Physical distancing is one of the approaches to control pandemic spreads. What is the trade-off between health benefits and economic costs? Newbold et al. develop an epidemiological-economic model to examine the optimal duration and intensity of physical distancing measures. They applied the model to the United States by considering factors such as lives saved, air pollution, economic costs and environmental impact. They conclude with the possibility of durable changes in peoples’ behaviour that could affect local markets, the global economy, and our relationship with nature.

 

 

August 4, 2020 (Environmental and Resource Economics)

Suggestions for a COVID-19 Post-Pandemic Research Agenda in Environmental Economics

Robert J. R. Elliott, Ingmar Schumacher, Cees Withagen

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10640-020-00478-1

The authors discuss how the pandemic may relate to a future research agenda in environmental economics. They describe how the events surrounding the pandemic may inform environmental research related to globalization and cooperation, the green transition, carbon pricing, the role of uncertainty and the timing of government policy interventions.

 

 

August 4, 2020 (Environmental and Resource Economics)

Cross-Country Comparisons of COVID-19: Policy, Politics and the Price of Life

Ben Balmford, James D. Annan, Julia C. Hargreaves et al.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10640-020-00466-5

How can we estimate the ‘price of life’? Balmford et al. address the challenges by comparing differences in reporting and variation in underlying socioeconomic conditions between countries. They show that differences in policy interventions have out-weighed socio-economic variation in explaining the range of death rates observed in the data. Their epidemiological models show that across 8 countries, a week-long delay in imposing lockdown would likely have claimed more than half a million lives. They analyze decisions on the timing of lockdown and deaths to economic data and conclude that the costs that governments were prepared to pay to protect their citizens are reflected in the curtailment of economic activity to save lives. This so-called 'price of life’ estimates varies tremendously between countries, ranging from as low as around $100,000 (e.g. the UK, US and Italy) to over $1million (e.g. Denmark, Germany, New Zealand and Korea).

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August 4, 2020 (JAMA)

The Development of COVID-19 Vaccines: Safeguards Needed

Nicole Lurie, Joshua M. Sharfstein, Jesse L. Goodman et al.

https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.12461

This Viewpoint lists four safeguards policy makers should consider before release of a COVID-19 vaccine, including ensuring effectiveness through clinical trials, providing evidence of safety, requiring informed consent before vaccination, and establishing comprehensive adverse effects monitoring systems.

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August 4, 2020 (Research in Globalization)

Covid-19, China and the future of global development

Seth Schindler, Nicholas Jepson, Wenxing Cui.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resglo.2020.100020

This article examines China’s prospects and strategies in securing its global hegemony in a post-COVID world among developing nations. The authors propose that three factors may impact the future of China’s global standings: a reconciliation of global financial governance and China's development lending; the outcome of the upcoming American presidential election; domestic discontent within China over the Belt and Road Initiative.

 

 

August 2, 2020 (Journal of Air Transport Management)

Ultra-Long-Haul: An emerging business model accelerated by COVID-19

Linus Benjamin Bauer, Daniel Bloch, Rico Merket et al.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969699720304853

The COVID-19 outbreak has sent shockwaves throughout the aviation industry, sending many airlines into administration or partial government ownership. This paper argues that the novel phenomenon of Ultra Long Haul (ULH) operations already maintain a competitive advantage that outperforms other business models. Their modelling and scenario analysis results suggest that point-to-point ULH services, with access to a strong domestic feeder system, will require minimal adjustments and will produce positive outcomes.

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Aug 1 2020  (Applied Energy)

Security of supply, strategic storage and Covid19: Which lessons learnt for renewable and recycled carbon fuels, and their future role in decarbonizing transport?

David Chiaramonti and Kyriakos Maniatis

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306261920307285

Here the authors argue that the European Union should allocate adequate resources in the post-COVID-19 recovery plans to allow a transition to renewable energy sources and particularly to bio-based economy and stainable transport fuels.

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Aug 1 2020  (Science of The Total Environment)

COVID-19: Disease, management, treatment, and social impact

Imran Ali, Omar M.L.Alharbi

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969720323780

This short article sets out to describe the SARS-CoV-2, disease, prevention and management, treatment and social impact on society. The authors optimistically suggest that their article may be useful to create awareness among the public, to prevent, manage and treat COVID-19.

They admit there is no precise treatment for coronavirus but prevention, management and supporting healthcare may provide relief in the outbreak of COVID-19. However, some approaches have been or may be used to control the disease. These approaches may be categorized in Allopathic, Unani and Homeopathic treatments. But before all this treatment, plenty of testing facilities should be available to the health care sectors.

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Aug 2020  (Journal of Business Research)

The impact of Covid-19 pandemic on corporate social responsibility and marketing philosophy

Hongwei He, Lloyd Harris

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296320303295

This reflective articles allows the authors to offer some initial thoughts on how the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic influences Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), consumer ethics, and marketing philosophy. They believe the pandemic offers great opportunities for firms to actively engage in various CSR initiatives during the crisis, and potentially catalyse a new era of CSR development. For consumers, they argue the ethical dimension of consumer decisions has become salient during the pandemic and is likely to shift consumers towards more responsible and “prosocial” consumption. They also conclude that such changes seem likely to be mirrored by firms and organizations.

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