Category: Coronavirus

Nowadays, we are facing a bad situation because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many reports stated that covid-19 does not have effects during the summer season but it is totally faded out.and it is also makes suffered lots of people by this disease. As a result, winter is also nearing along with the Covid-19 pandemic. Doctors called this a twindemic. However, it is spoiling our life completely, and we could not know what to control and stop spreading this virus. So, many of us have confusion about what does both illnesses do at the same time. Also, ordinary people died alone in the coronavirus. The health care and WHO are struggling with a lot of effort against spreading. of the coronavirus. Now, it is time for us to face challenges as flu and covid-19 are meeting each other during the winter season. Of course, two pandemics are soon meeting each other. But, we could not know what will happen hereafter. So we must take off our self from the flu and the coronavirus.

What are the similar symptoms of both flu and coronavirus?

• Both the viruses will attack the lungs, causing pneumonia, fluids in the lungs, or respiratory failure.
• If the person meets both the flu and the coronavirus, it will weaken the body. So, your immunity level goes down and makes you vulnerable to getting a second infection.
• Both the flu and Covid-19 can cause fever, cough, and shortness of breath, fatigue, and sore throat.
• Quicker and all the more generally accessible testing is expected to recognize COVID-19 and flu, which have comparative manifestations, at any rate from the start, yet require various medicines.
• Some may have lesser effects depends on the body condition. In any event, two things are clear:
• There must be prevention before this situation happen. Two viruses definitely could be more dangerous to the lungs and cause respiratory failure
• The symptoms are pretty similar, and you must know about the severe cases.

If there is any possible way to diagnose the conditions or not yet?

Perhaps, coughing, sniffles, and hoarseness in fall may trigger the immune system, and we should be strong enough to develop our immune system. This is what it is making difficult to prepare adequate measurement by the government and WHO. The coronavirus and flu lower the immune system, and people face a big issue in this twindemic. Coronavirus and flu are also a regular feature of these seasons. So, we will be careful and do the precaution in this winter season. But, we can vaccinate against the flu virus. Coronavirus is also spreading faster and destroys many people’s life. Of course, vaccination is available for the flu, but we should be in advance to do prevention. So, the condition may worsen.

If the flu and the coronavirus to make the winter season as double pandemic situation?

A few clues have originated from starter research directed in China, where flu was still broadly flowing. Moreover, it has a blend of both combined with a COVID-19 pandemic that gives no indications of subsiding. Hence, they are not in high risky conditions that affect by the flu. So, they need not vaccinate for the winter season. They could overpower as of now burdened crisis offices and serious consideration units. On the head of that, an extreme flu season, the aftereffect of more harmful strains, low immunization rates. When the primary novel Covid diseases arise, in the southern half of the influenza season, this is mostly because individuals who regularly don’t get influenza immunization.

Which part of the body will affect more due to the flu and coronavirus?

The respiratory system is more affected by these viruses. An ongoing fundamental report found that dexamethasone brought about a lower 28-day death rate among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 who were accepting respiratory help. So, we should be safe and get protection against both viruses. Two meta-examinations of observational investigations proposed that corticosteroid treatment of patients hospitalized with flu was related to expanded mortality. They could be used to treat occasional flu except if clinically showed for different reasons, for example, asthma. Information from randomized controlled preliminaries of corticosteroid treatment of flu isn’t accessible. Nonetheless, in 2019 clinical practice rules, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) is explicitly prompted to utilize corticosteroids.

What is the disaster risk of the both viruses in the environment?

• The overall debilitating of the insusceptible framework during flu contamination could expand a patient’s defenselessness to influenza and Coronavirus disease.
• At that point, it at any rate with some inconvenience, regularly pneumonia, and also trouble well-being administrations.
• It may wind up seriously sick, all things considered, because they got Covid-19 simultaneously.

Let us hope that both the flu and coronavirus will end as soon.

This dangerous virus has sharply and unexpectedly burst into world soccerl, as it has all our lives. Initially, it was planned to hold matches without spectators in the stands, but then it became clear that this plan is not suitable. All championships (except for immortal Belarus and a few other small countries) – and European Cups have been paused indefinitely, and all over the world are struggling with this terrible problem

Even one of the most famous soccer temples. The legendary Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, like several other stadiums in Brazil, has been transformed into a field hospital to counter the acute shortage of hospital beds. Brazil is also experiencing the deadly Covid-19. In the South American country, there are now more than 2,000 infected, 46 already dead. Botafogo, Corinthians, Santos and Sao Paulo have already donated their stadiums for mobile hospitals. Now, Flamengo followed suit. The training complex next to the hospital in the Gavi area and the famous Maracana will be converted into field hospitals.

Who can suffer the most from a possible decision to cancel the season?

• Liverpool is now very close (2 wins) to the first ever 30-time England title. To steal the cheampionship would be a real crime against the fans of the ‘Merseyside’ and in general all adequate supporters of football.
• “Lazio – Simone Inzaghi’s team has a real chance of picking Skudetto from Juventus, as they only score 1 point in the standings. The cancellation of the championship can hit the Eagles’ psychology a lot.
• Leicester / Sheffield United – These clubs are having an extremely successful season, jumping over their heads. His cancellation will result in the loss of their possible Champions League and Europa League seats next season.
• Borussia D (D) / RB Leipzig / Borussia D (M) / Bayer – teams are fighting for Bavaria for the title, and one of them could well bring down the Munich people they are so used to .
• Real Sociedad / Getafe / Marseille / Rennes – here could be covered with a copper pelvis of potential places in the Champions League, where these clubs have not played for a long time.

Who is in favor of canceling the season?

Lyon, Monaco, West Ham, Sampdoria, Genoa, Brescia – from the camps of all these clubs (whether from top management or from coaching staffs), offers or even calls for full cancellation of the current season. As if he was not there at all. I wonder what brings these teams together? It is not necessary to think for a long time: they all this season completely fail. Lyon and Monaco are in the middle of the French Ligue 1 table, while the fantastic four – West Ham, Sampdoria, Genoa, Brescia – are struggling to survive in their respective championships. If these clubs were in the Champions League area, what would their leaders sing at that time? Most likely, the lyrics of their songs would be dramatically different. Of course, many people are really out of football now. Ultras Atalanta have already declared that the season is over for them, because the situation in Bergamo is extremely sad. However, some people seem to have decided to use this virus for themselves. For example, when the season is canceled, the Champions League places will be awarded to the winners of the last championship. And where did Lyon finish then? Is it on another? This is a wonderful coincidence.

So what actually do with this season?

In France came up with a great option: finish the season in the fall, and a new start in February. This idea, in particular, was suggested by the President of Nice, Jean-Pierre River: “Of course, we all want to finish the season as soon as possible, but what if we can’t do it? Let’s look at three future seasons after the current one. In 2022, the Qatar World Cup will be held from November 21 to December 18. My idea is to adapt to this tournament, which was originally uniquely planned, and to adapt to the events we face today. We can finish this season in October or November and start next in February. Then we could integrate Euro-2021 in June next year, and then we will finish next season at the end of October. In the year 2022 we have a short break in August, and then we will repeat this formula again to calmly approach the World Cup.

The idea, of course, is that at first without a hundred grams you will not understand. However, it is really interesting and has the right to exist. Really, why is everyone so rushing to finish this season and so worried about next season? This coronavirus has already messed up everything you can, so it’s a great opportunity to experiment. Restore all championships in May. Does not work? Then in June. Not again? In July. Too early? In August, September, October – as soon as the situation resolves. You cannot start a new season without finishing the previous season. Play the old one first, and the next one you can rebuild as you like – play in one circle or cancel national cups. Do we just have the World Cup in privileged Qatar to reshape the entire football calendar? Yes, the variants are possible not with full completion of all tours, but from different play-offs for the title, places in the European Cups and keeping the registration in the elite. And, after all, all these issues should be addressed on the football field, not in the classrooms. Otherwise, this game does not make sense.

The Coronavirus pandemic has brought with it a new reality marked by great loss and grief. With social events such as weddings, meetings, family gatherings, and travelling cancelled or reduced to the minimum in the wake of the virus many people are feeling all alone. This is because individuals are no longer able to meet and socialize for fear of contracting the deadly virus and this is having a toll on them. Being confined at one place can be traumatizing as human beings are social creatures in nature. In the wake of the pandemic, jobs have been lost with businesses being closed down leading to financial losses and this is not helping the already stressed population as people are anxious about how they are going to survive through the pandemic without any sort of income. Worrying about the health of loved ones is another grief, and since a lot of people no longer meet physically people are worried how they are and if they are doing enough to protect them from the virus. On the same note, many people are dealing with the loss of loved ones due to the coronavirus and the worst thing is that they are not even able to attend the burials due to the movement restrictions put in place. Mourning alone is difficult and can even lead to mental breakdown and this is what many people who have lost relatives and close friends are going through.

Effect of covid-19 on health

Disruption of our normal routines in every day’s life brings about the uneasiness and sadness that almost everybody is experiencing at the moment. The same way people grief about divorces or loss of jobs, they are experiencing the same in the covid-19 era. The mental health of both the affected and those not affected by the virus is most compromised during this pandemic period. There are a number of factors contributing to this mental instability such as job losses, loss of loved ones, changes in every day’s routines, and fear of the future. All these have led to heightened stress and anxiety to individuals who think it’s too much for them to cope. To adjust to the new “normal” is overwhelming to many to a point that they are at a point of mental breakdown. Many are unable to cope with the drastic changes and some are contemplating on committing suicide to end all the suffering.

How to deal with Grief

Since it seems the virus will be with us for some time, people need to learn on how to deal with the grief they are experiencing. It doesn’t matter the kind of loss you are experiencing, just know that your feelings are valid and that you are not alone in all this. Not sure on how to manage your grief during this pandemic period? There are actually a number of things that may help you a lot.

Reach out to friends and family

Guidelines from World Health Organization (WHO) discourages large crowds gatherings and unnecessary travelling, you might be tempted to avoid all your relatives and friends in the midst of your grief. Note that it is important to reach out even though not physically, you can do this through phone calls as well as through social internet networks such as Facebook, twitter, and Whatsapp where you can easily share your fears and worries. Getting in touch with loved ones also helps know how they are doing and thus you don’t constantly worry about them.

Find Support

In case you are struggling immense grief feelings like loss of a job, or death of a loved one, a mental health professional help may come in handy. Due to physical distancing recommended to fight the virus, many therapists are offering help through online platforms. Where you are having difficulties coping with the grief, you are advised to seek professional help before it drives you to depression or worse, to suicidal thoughts.

Explore coping techniques

Where you are not able to seek profession help, there are other ways that can help you cope with your loss at this duration by practicing coping strategies on your own. Some of the strategies include exercising, meditating, and, reading which can be detrimental in helping you to manage the anger, anxiety and stress you could be experiencing. These activities are helpful in the sense that they help you concentrate on other things rather than just sitting idle and wallowing in your grief.

Emergence of Covid-19

Epidemiology

Coronaviruses first broke out on 12th December 2019 in China, more accurately in Wuhan. At that time, COVID-19 was considered as epidemic with mysterious acute infection of the respiratory track of human beings. Studies have revealed that the possible emergence of the epidemic disease was from a sea food market located in Wuhan. Following 12th December 2019, the epidemic disease was classified as a novel coronavirus (nCoV/COVID-19). We did experience SARS-COV infection in Guangdong, China, back in 2002 and globally from the start of the year 2003. 2012 was the beginning of MERS-COV outbreak. Human coronavirus infections have again got the global attention following December 2019. It is to be noted that all of those three viruses mentioned earlier (COVID-19, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV) are from the same family of viruses which is known as betacoronoviruses.

Back in 27th December 2019, three people were admitted to Wuhan hospital. They included a woman aged 49 years old, an old man aged 61 years and a man aged 32 years old. Those three patients were diagnosed with severe infection of their lungs by viruses. They had their alveoli filled with viruses and experience severe breathing difficulties. Authorities carried out investigations and revealed that the woman aged 49 years old was a well-known retailer in the sea food market of Wuhan and many clients and visitors got into close contact with the lady at the market including the old man who was a regular visitor and client at the woman’s stall. After tests were carried out at the hospital on those 3 people mentioned earlier, it was revealed that nCoV was the most likely etiologic agent for all of them.

Reservoir of viruses

There are more than one studies which reported that bats are the natural reservoirs for the SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV viruses (CoVs). Through the technique of sequencing complete set of genes/genetic material, COVID-19 was analysed throughout the genes to Bat CoV – RATG13. The result from the analysis revealed 96.2% overall genome sequencing identity. This means that human COVID-19 (also known as SARS-CoV-2) and bat CoV are identical. Based on the result above, bats have been suspected as natural host of SARS-CoV-2 viruses’ origin or that the viruses are transmitted via bats to an unknown intermediate host.

Intermediate hosts may have got into contact with humans leading to infection in human beings.

Intermediate hosts

However, bats are not available as food on sale in the sea food and wet animal market of Wuhan. Studies further reported through phylogenetic analysis that there are many species processing similar residues of receptors or that they have been infected by SARS-CoV-2 through contact with bats making them intermediate hosts. Species include turtles, pangolin and other fried snacks animal being sold at the market of Wuhan.

COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) in China

From 12th December to 27th December 2019, there is a lapse time of approximately 2 weeks. Studies reported that symptoms of COVID-19 viruses start to appear from the 14th day of infection, that is, nearly after 2 weeks in human beings. Human to human transmission of COVID-19 occurs when incubation carriers get into close contact with family members, friends and relatives. It is very likely that the woman retailer of Wuhan market and the 61- year-old man being incubation carriers of COVID-19 have been in close contact with people across different regions. Hence, infecting people from same and other regions as well.

Studies further revealed that there were many people who travelled to Wuhan and 31.3% of this population were found to be infected with nCoV upon testing. Furthermore, 72.3% of the population who are not residents of Wuhan and yet were infected with the virus are those who were in contact with people living in Wuhan.

As per the National health Commission of China released on 14th February 2020, 3.8% of Covid-19 patients are healthcare workers who got transmitted with the Covid-19 virus. They were victims of human to human transmission between themselves (healthcare workers). The emergence of COVID-19 is therefore suspected to come from the seafood and wet animal market of Wuhan-China. Direct contact with infected bats and intermediate carrier hosts, such as pangolin, through consumption is suspected to be the first main path of COVID-19 virus transmission. However, the sources and routes of transmission still remain partly elusive till to date.

Spread of the covid-19 outside Wuhan

Person-to-person spread was subsequently reported outside Hubei and in countries outside China, including in the United States. Some international destinations now have ongoing community spread with the virus that causes COVID-19, as do some parts of the United States. Community spread means some people have been infected and it is not known how or where they became exposed.

Worsening of Coronavirus situation and pandemic result

Air Travel and Globalisation

The current potential for global dissemination of COVID-19 was first through the occurrence of the Chinese New Year 2021 celebrations. A growing number of people from Wuhan and China travelled to different countries around the world. Unknowingly, they were already infected with COVID-19 viruses. They transmitted the virus to inhabitants of different countries though close and direct contact made. COVID-19 viruses have the ability to mutate at a rapid rate. This high rate of mutation makes the virus to easily adapt to varied hosts. This is why after the spillover event of the Lunar New Year celebrations; we have witnessed rapid human-to-human spread of COVID-19 viruses. We have also recorded confirmed cases in 29 countries approximately as at date making COVID-19 to rapidly evolve into a global pandemic. COVID-19 has produced large scale public health responses around the world. As at date, 06 April 2020, 1,291,313 cases of COVID-19 have been recorded officially. Furthermore, 70,659 people have died globally due to COVID-19. Underneath is a graphical representation from 22nd January up to date (after 27th March 2020) showing the total number of COVID-19 cases and total deaths around the world.

We can conclude that three parameters have been used to assess the magnitude of COVID-19 for being characterized as globally pandemic. Those parameters are:

1. Transmission rate, that is, the number of people already infected and those newly infected
2. Case fatality Rate, that is, the percentage/number of cases that ended with deaths
3. Possibility for asymptomatic transmission

Canada as example

There are many Government who did not implement airport lockdown at an early stage of COVID-19 outbreak. As a result, they could not contain the spreading and impact of COVID- 19 into their country. For instance, Canada did not stop flights from landing into its airport at the early stage of the outbreak. As reported by “THE GUARDIAN” on 18th March 2020, Air Canada did not even informed customers and their staffs enough about exposure to passengers who were already infected with the disease. Infected passengers have infected flight attendants who were tested positive for coronavirus. Air Canada unknowingly carried infected passengers at least on one occasion.

Flight attendants lacked adequate protective gloves, respiratory masks, face shields and disinfectant materials while carrying their jobs. They came into close contact with many passengers. Employee of Air Canada who became first confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Canada. The employee was initially infected in Germany. Later, 3 more employees in Calgary were tested positive.

After reported cases, the Canadian Government has laid off flights landing regarding non- citizens and stopped travelers from boarding inbound flights. Only some days after 18th March 2020 that the Government has called that anyone landing by flights in Canada have to self-isolate for days. Hence, infected passengers go landed before the date the self-isolation was implemented got into close contact with friends, relatives and other people transmitting the COVID-19 viruses (SARS-CoV-2).

Mauritius as example

Mauritius is features among the approximately 29 countries infected by COVID-19. The airline travel is the origin for the virus transmission in Mauritius leading to the emergence of COVID-19 in Mauritius. On 18th March 2020, the SSR International Airport of Mauritius was locked down completely such that no airplanes could land on our island. As from 23rd March 2020, no airplane could leave Mauritius to travel abroad. Before 18th March 2020, airlines landed at the airport. There were infected passengers who started to develop symptoms of COVID- 19 after landing in Mauritius. A passenger coming from Belgium landed in Mauritius on 27th February 2020 and died on 17th March 2020. It was not known by authorities nor his family members that he died due to COVID-19 infection. Medical tests carried out from 17th March to 21st March 2020 then revealed that COVID-19 viruses were the cause of the disease. This person travelled to different areas meeting friends and relatives. The viruses were transmitted to all those people through human-to-human close interaction.

On 13th March 2020, a Mauritian returning from U.K landed in Mauritius. He was aware of being incubation carrier of COVID-19; but consumed paracetamol on the flight so that he is not tested positive with COVID-19 upon landing at the SSR Airport. He was not quarantined. He travelled to different regions of the island and even went to a funeral. Human-to-human interaction was repeated again leading to transmission of COVID-19 viruses. The latter did not even wear any respiratory mask nor protective gloves while moving around the around and meeting people as testified by his close relatives who have been quarantined. He was tested positive on 18th March 2020 and die some days later. All the people who had close contact with him were tested positive of COVID-19.

Officially as at date for Mauritius, a total of 68 people coming from abroad including 67 Mauritians and 1 French were already infected with COVID-19 when they landed in Mauritius.

Airline travel fly more people more quickly between more places than ever before. This is why, there is great danger of COVID-19 spread by air passengers incubating the disease. On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of COVID-19 as a “public health emergency of international concern” (PHEIC) and was classified on 11th march 2020 as Pandemic.

Cruise ships outbreak revelation as a global context

Studies reported that many passengers were infected with COVID-19 without actually being aware. They went on a cruise ships for vacation. It all started on the cruise ship “Diamond Princess” where 700 passengers got infected with COVID-19 (nCov) which shows how fast the virus spread. On 1st February 2020, Diamond Princess left Hong Kong-China for Japan. A passenger was tested positive when the ship reached Japan on 3rd February 2020. The ship was immediately quarantined. After one month, out of 3,711 passengers and crew members, 700 people were infected following the 1st infected passenger. After this case, 25 other cruise ships confirmed that they have cases of COVID-19 as well. Grand Princess cruise ship have passengers who did not show any symptoms immediately after reaching the quay in California-America. 78 passengers from the cruise ship got into direct contact with people in California spreading the disease. It was after some days that they were tested positive and quarantined. Hence, they contributed to the outbreaks of COVID-19 in America.

Train travelling

So far, a total of 12 people who have travelled by train in India have been tested positive. The reason was due to one infected person who merged among other passengers on the train leading to close human-to-human contact. 8 passengers travelling on “AP Sampark Kranti Express” from New Delhi were tested positive on 13th March 2020. Furthermore, 4 passengers travelling by train “Godan Express” from Mumbai to Jabalpur were tested positive of COVID-19 on 16th March 2020. Hence, Railways company in India has appealed the population to avoid using trains to travel and to postpone all their journeys for their own safety.

Ways of COVID-19 transmission

Analysis of transmission

Respiratory infections can be transmitted through the different sizes of droplets. Droplets can be classified in different sizes, namely:

• 5-10μm
• < 5μm

Current studies have revealed that Covid-19 is transmitted through droplets of size 5-10μm and routes of contact. Through a deep analysis it was explained that in China where approximately 75,465 COVID-19 cases were recorded (as at date on which the analysis was conducted), airborne transmission was not the cause of the virus infection transmission.

Droplets transmission

COVID-19 is transmitted to a person through droplets transmissions when the latter is positioned physically less than 1 metre from the infected person and is in close contact with the latter. The distance being less than 1 metre, any respiratory symptoms such as coughing and sneezing will release infective droplets that will easily get into contact with mouse, nose, eyes and body parts of the healthy person. He is at risk of potential infective respiratory droplets coming from the infected person.

Transmission upon contact with surfaces

Furthermore, COVID-19 viruses can stay active up to 72 hours on hard or shiny surfaces, for example doors, handles. They can stay up to 24 hours on porous surfaces. Therefore, touching those surfaces without wearing protective gloves can easily allows transmission of COVID-19 viruses to parts of the body (hands). There are cases where people got infected while doing shopping as they came into contact with infected surfaces or by handling cash payments before Government called for a complete lockdown.

Airborne transmission

In the COVID-19 context, there are unique circumstances through which airborne transmission has a possibility of transmitting COVID-19 viruses. There is still not enough evidence as at date to prove it; except in handful media contexts when one person is involved support treatments generating aerosols.

References

1. Mizumoto, K., Kagaya, K., Zarebski, A. & Chowell, G. Euro Surveill. 25, 2000180 2020).
2. Russell, T. W. et al. Preprint at medRxiv available at https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.03.05.20031773 (2020)
3. News on www.nature.com
4. Modes of transmission of virus causing COVID-19: implications for IPC precaution recommendations available at www.who.int
5. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.who.int/ith/diseases/sars/en/&ved=2ahUKEwjCm7eSvc_oAhVMQBoKHZK7Ac8QFjAAegQIARAB&usg=AOvVaw0bFoEUPELafXU98baC4o2k&cshid=1586027710108
6. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.who.int/csr/don/24-february-2020-mers-saudi-arabia/en/&ved=2ahUKEwjH-MPkvc_oAhUmyYUKHT8zA0oQFjAAegQIBBAB&usg=AOvVaw2F7Wd29imzm12U5jgJUE24&cshid=1586027861150
7. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://theconversation.com/amp/air-travel-restrictions-wont-protect-us-from-the-coronavirus-131237&ved=2ahUKEwiUgvzW79DoAhUIyIUKHRRKAbIQFjAOegQIBxAB&usg=AOvVaw3oSBt8cYq0Fl6QI4vVAo45&cf=1
8. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/18/air-canada-coronavirus-staff-risks
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13. https://mmrjournal.biomedcentral.com/

We know how the COVID-19 pandemic began: Bats near Wuhan, China, hold a mix of coronavirus strains, and sometime last fall one of the strains, opportunistic enough to cross species lines, left its host or hosts and ended up in a person. Then it was on the loose.

What no one knows yet is how the pandemic will end. This coronavirus is unprecedented in the combination of its easy transmissibility, a range of symptoms going from none at all to deadly, and the extent that it has disrupted the world. A highly susceptible population led to near exponential growth in cases. “This is a distinct and very new situation,” says epidemiologist and evolutionary biologist Sarah Cobey of the University of Chicago.

But past pandemics do offer hints of the future. While there is no one historical example to follow, humanity has gone through several large epidemics in the past 100 or so years that eventually stopped ravaging society. The ways they came to a halt offer guidance to a world looking for ways to restore health and some sense of normalcy. Three of those experiences, Cobey and other experts say, suggest that what happens next depends on both the evolution of the pathogen and of the human response to it, both biological and social.

A spreading Problem

Viruses are constantly mutating. Those that trigger pandemics have enough novelty that the human immune system does not quickly recognize them as dangerous invaders. They force the body to create a brand-new defense, involving new antibodies and other immune system components that can react to and attack the foe. Large numbers of people get sick in the short term, and social factors such as crowding and the unavailability of medicine can drive those numbers even higher. Ultimately, in most cases, antibodies developed by the immune system to fight off the invader linger in enough of the affected population to confer longer-term immunity and limit person-to-person viral transmission. But that can take several years, and before it happens, havoc reigns.

Learning to live with a disease. The most famous example of this dynamic in modern history was the H1N1 influenza outbreak of 1918–1919. Doctors and public health officials had far fewer weapons than they do today, and the effectiveness of control measures such as school closures depended on how early and decisively they were implemented. Over two years and three waves, the pandemic infected 500 million and killed between 50 million and 100 million. It ended only as natural infections conferred immunity on those who recovered.

The H1N1 strain became endemic, an infectious disease that was constantly with us at less severe levels, circulating for another 40 years as a seasonal virus. It took another pandemic—H2N2 in 1957—to extinguish most of the 1918 strain. One flu virus kicked out another one, essentially, and scientists don’t really know how. Human efforts to do the same have failed. “Nature can do it, we cannot,” says virologist Florian Krammer of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.

Containment. The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic of 2003 was caused not by an influenza virus but by a coronavirus, SARS-CoV, that is closely related to the cause of the current affliction, SARS-CoV-2. Of the seven known human coronaviruses, four circulate widely, causing up to a third of common colds. The one that caused the SARS outbreak was far more virulent. Thanks to aggressive epidemiological tactics such as isolating the sick, quarantining their contacts and implementing social controls, bad outbreaks were limited to a few locations such as Hong Kong and Toronto. This containment was possible because sickness followed infection very quickly and obviously: almost all people with the virus had serious symptoms such as fever and trouble breathing. And they transmitted the virus after getting quite sick, not before. “Most patients with SARS were not that contagious until maybe a week after symptoms appeared,” says epidemiologist Benjamin Cowling of the University of Hong Kong. “If they could be identified within that week and put into isolation with good infection control, there wouldn’t be onward spread.” Containment worked so well there were only 8,098 SARS cases globally and 774 deaths. The world has not seen a case since 2004.

Vaccine power. When a new H1N1 influenza virus, known as swine flu, caused a pandemic in 2009, “there was an alarm bell because this was a brand-new H1N1,” Cowling says, and it was very similar to the 1918 killer. Swine flu proved less severe than feared. In part, Krammer says, “we were lucky because the pathogenicity of the virus wasn’t very high.” But another important reason was that six months after the virus appeared, scientists developed a vaccine for it.

Unlike measles or smallpox vaccines, which can confer long-term immunity, flu vaccines offer only a few years of protection. Influenza viruses are slippery, mutating rapidly to escape immunity. As a result, the vaccines must be updated every year and given regularly. But during a pandemic, even a short-term vaccine is a boon. The 2009 vaccine helped to temper a second wave of cases in the winter. As a result, the virus much more rapidly went the way of the 1918 virus, becoming a widely circulating seasonal flu, from which many people are now protected either by flu shots or by antibodies from a previous infection.

The Current End Game

Projections about how COVID-19 will play out are speculative, but the end game will most likely involve a mix of everything that checked past pandemics: Continued social-control measures to buy time, new antiviral medications to ease symptoms, and a vaccine. The exact formula—how long control measures such as social distancing must stay in place, for instance—depends in large part on how strictly people obey restrictions and how effectively governments respond. For example, containment measures that worked for COVID-19 in places such as Hong Kong and South Korea came far too late in Europe and the U.S. “The question of how the pandemic plays out is at least 50 percent social and political,” Cobey says.

The other 50 percent will probably come from science. Researchers have banded together like never before and are working on multiple fronts to develop remedies. If any of the several antiviral medications currently in development prove effective, they will improve treatment options and lower the numbers who get seriously ill or die. A technique to screen for SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies, an indicator of immunity in recovered patients, could also prove very useful. Krammer and his colleagues have developed one such test, and there are others. Previously used only in local epidemics, these new serological assays won’t end the pandemic, but they could make it possible to spot and use antibody-rich blood as a treatment for critically ill patients; more certainly, the tests will also get people back to work faster if those who fought off the virus and are immune can be identified.

It will take a vaccine to stop transmission. That will take time—probably a year from now. Still, there is reason to think a vaccine could work effectively. Compared with flu viruses, coronaviruses don’t have as many ways to interact with host cells. “If that interaction goes away, [the virus] can’t replicate anymore,” Krammer says. “That’s the advantage we have here.” It is not clear whether a vaccine will confer long-term immunity as with measles or short-term immunity as with flu shots. But “any vaccine at all would be helpful at this point,” says epidemiologist Aubree Gordon of the University of Michigan.

Unless a vaccine is administered to all of the world’s eight billion inhabitants who are not currently sick or recovered, COVID-19 is likely to become endemic. It will circulate and make people sick seasonally—sometimes very sick. But if the virus stays in the human population long enough, it will start to infect children when they are young. Those cases are typically, though not always, quite mild, and so far the children appear less likely to develop severe disease if they get reinfected as adults. The combination of vaccination and natural immunity will protect many of us. The coronavirus, like most viruses, will live on—but not as a planetary plague.

Temporary & Contract Labor segment is severely impacted, as the major companies and factories across Europe and APAC have temporarily shut down their operations. Contract manufacturers are majorly dependent on temporary labor and contract workers to produce mass exhaustible commodities like phones, automobiles, textiles, etc. Key industries affected include General Office & Clerical Duties, FMCG, Food processing, Healthcare, Medical, Manufacturing, and Agriculture.

Migrant Workers are highly affected due to lockdowns in metro cities. However, the impact of the outlook is expected to be short-termed. Numerous out-of-town workers and laborers mainly across APAC, Europe and America are unable to travel back to economic hotspots due to varying degrees of lockdown.

Freelancers are least impacted among the others in the category, as they are free to work from home and do not have dependency or restrictions from employers regarding work. The impact of the outlook on this category is expected to be short-lived.

Fulltime staff has experienced a moderate impact. The majority of the MNC, software, technology, design and development firms across Europe, MENA and APAC have suggested their permanent staff work from home for a longer period to avoid the spread of infection.

Global impacts of Temporary Labor shortage due to COVID-19

Globally leading metro cities and industrial hubs are facing a shortage of temporary labor, due to lockdowns and panic among the masses, also added up by huge migration of temporary workers to their hometown. In the regional temporary labor market of North America which values ~$160B is, severely impacted due to the spread of the virus, followed by Europe with a total temp labor market worth~$150B and APAC ~$130B. The effects have been notable in LATAM with ~$11B market share and MEA worth ~$10B market due to the decreasing availability of temporary labor. Key industries facing labor shortage globally due to lack of temp labor include General Office & Clerical Duties, Professional-Managerial, Light Industries, IT Staffing, Office and Industrial Support, to list a few.

Key Risk Factors affecting the global labor market

The supply-demand gap of labors has grown. Job vacancies are available, but the labor supply has reduced, leading to high inflation and unemployment rate. Huge disruptions are being observed in labor sourcing and the trend is expected to pertain in the coming quarters. There is an increase in labor cost, due to labor shortages across industries. Companies are focusing on strategic hiring plans and budget forecasts. Labor-intensive industries, such as IT, FMCG, hospitals, hotels & restaurants, manufacturing, are severely affected by the outbreak. This is leading to a labor shortage; however, the effect is expected to stay in further months. Due to the labor shortage, there are higher tendencies of misclassification of workers (temp & full-time), as the existing contract staffs are asked to do overtime and neglect employment contracts, especially for temporary workers. Employers are entering into temporary labor crunch and thus depending on alternate work arrangements to fulfill the tasks tentatively.

Market highlights and Strategies

Currently, the labor market is facing shortages thus making it difficult to source temporary labor. The trend is expected to pertain in the coming quarters as there has been a lot of migration of temporary workers to their home countries/regions due to panic. Labor intensive companies are facing a severe shortage in temp labor availability and hence have come up with an immediate alternative mass hiring process of temp labor. Amazon is hiring 100,000 temporary workers to cope with coronavirus related E-commerce surge. Due to the shortage, there have been cost escalations for the temporary staff. Companies are forced to pay a bump of ~$2 to $5 per hour extra in-order to engage with temp labor in the pandemic period. The trend is expected to continue the coming quarters, and severe impacts are expected on labor- dependent industries. The supply-demand gap in the temporary labor market is expected to widen more in the coming months until the end of the pandemic period, with inflated labor rates in all the major cities across the globe.

Conclusion

Major impacts are observed in the temporary labor and contract staff segment of the global labor market after the outbreak of the COVID-19. The labor market of America and APAC are severely affected by the COVID-19, as it has further widened the demand-supply gap of labor across industries, especially labor-intensive ones. This, in turn, is leading to a noteworthy increase in labor costs and disrupting the global supply chain. Temporary labor, as well as the contract and migrant workers, are the most impacted workforce to be affected by the COVID-19 over the last quarter. Most of these laborers’ and worker’s earnings are based on hourly or daily wages. There has been a severe loss of employment opportunities in metro cities across the globe due to varying lockdown measures which is leading to a temporary increase in the unemployment rate.

Innate immune defenses are triggered in response to virus infection. While failure to induce innate immunity is likely to result in increased infection. Here are the principles of Biology which can give us knowledge on how to fight over Corona Virus Disease of 2019.

First is the Gene therapy which involves altering the genes inside your body’s cells in an effort to treat or stop disease. Next is the Knowledge of evolution which can empower public health policy experts to respond effectively to virus outbreaks. We’re probably familiar with the iconic image of the Double-stranded DNA, ‘ladder’. One side of that DNA ladder codes for genes. The other side provides a template that permits correction of errors in genes that occur during gene duplication and reproduction.

Residing at the margins of life, coronaviruses contain genes coded as single-stranded RNA molecules that resemble DNA functionally. Those RNA-based gene mutates ten thousand times faster than DNA-based genes. That mutation rate permits RNA viruses ‘jump’ from one host to another in this case, humans. Coronaviruses occur only in birds and mammals, including us. Live animal markets such as the ones in China the suspected birthplace of the Wuhan virus increase the opportunities for viruses, some recently mutated, to jump to human hosts. A basic understanding of evolution should have motivated officials to ban the selling of live animals after the eerily similar 2002-2003 outbreak of the SARS virus was traced to a live animal market. Another principle is the Homeostasis. When the human body is maintained in a steady state, the condition is called Homeostasis. The body consists of trillions of cells that perform many different functions, but all of them require a similar internal environment with important variables kept within narrow ranges. Sometimes homeostats fail to perform properly, which can cause homeostatic imbalance. This imbalance is the condition in which variables in the internal environment are no longer maintained within normal ranges. As a result, cells may not get everything they need, or toxic wastes may accumulate in cells. Eventually, homeostatic imbalance may lead to disease. The term disease can be broadly defined as a condition that is associated with impairment of normal body functioning. Therefore having the steady state in human body which is being call as homeostasis could help to prevent the virus which causes a disease. Last principle is the Thermodynamics. Based on rumors, thermal energy which gives heat can kill corona virus because it can’t resist on it. Besides of having this information which could also help us, don’t forget to follow different safety precautionary measures in order to prevent the spread of COVID 19.

Additional principles are the following. ‘Every living thing is made up of cell’. Viral infections spread based on the ability of viruses to overcome multiple barriers and move from cell to cell, tissue to tissue, and person to person and even across species. While there are fundamental differences between these types of transmissions, it has emerged that the ability of viruses to utilize and manipulate cell-cell contact contributes to the success of viral infections. Central to the excitement in the field of virus cell-to-cell transmission is the idea that cell-to-cell spread is more than the sum of the processes of virus release and entry. This implies that virus release and entry are efficiently coordinated to sites of cell-cell contact, resulting in a process that is distinct from its individual components.

However, A special cell of the immune system called a T cell circulates looking for infections. One type of T cell is called a cytotoxic T cell because it kills cells that are infected with viruses with toxic mediators. Cytotoxic T cells have specialised proteins on their surface that help them to recognise virally-infected cells. These proteins are called T cell receptors (TCRs). Each cytotoxic T cell has a TCR that can specifically recognise a particular antigenic peptide bound to an MHC molecule. If the T cell receptor detects a peptide from a virus, it warns its T cell of an infection. Second is, ‘ living organisms uses energy’ Many viruses, such as the ones examined in this paper, are essentially spherical shells called capsids containing genetic material. When a virus infects a host cell, it uses the cell’s machinery to make copies of its own genetic material in a process called replication. During the stage known as translation, this genetic material is used to produce the proteins that will form the capsid. Finally, during the process of self-assembly, that protein shell and the copies of the virus’s genetic material are assembled into new viruses. At some point, after many such viruses have been synthesized within the host, the host cell reaches its burst size—the size at which newly created viruses burst out of the cell and go on to infect new hosts. In principle, infection spreads faster as the burst size becomes larger. On the other hand, Until a vaccine is available, our immune systems will need to adapt unaided to COVID-19. The immune system is the body’s multi-level defense network against potentially harmful bacteria, viruses and other organisms. A healthy lifestyle helps one’s immune system to be in the best shape possible to tackle pathogens, but it’s better to stop them entering the body in the first place. ‘ living organisms interact with their environment’. The virus that causes COVID-19 is mainly transmitted through droplets generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks. These droplets are too heavy to hang in the air. They quickly fall on floors or surfaces. You can be infected by breathing in the virus if you are within 1 metre of a person who has COVID-19, or by touching a contaminated surface and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth before washing your hands.

This Principles states the big importance of Biology in preventing The COVID-19. As human beings, we are the rational. We have the responsibility in disinfecting the world. Besides of following safety measures, we can give our help in spreading love, peace and unity. We, together as one can survive.

Corona virus history

The family of corona virus contains RNA strand that is single stranded and are enveloped. This nucleic acid composition was previously known to be of the viruses that cause upper and lower respiratory diseases and cold to people with weak immunity and old people. The occurrence of SARS epidemic caused by SARS Cov corona agent in 2003 urged scientist to search about the Coronaviridae family. Middle East respiratory syndrome – MERS appeared after nine years of the previous corona virus occurrence in Saudi Arabia and affected 2492 people and caused 858 deaths. However the present pandemic is caused by a novel coronavirus SARS-Cov2 that has caused millions of deaths worldwide and affected billions of people. This process of corona deaths and illness is statistically increasing day by day and therefore researchers and scientists are working desperately to find a cure out.

Possible treatments to COVID 19

Inhibition or deactivation of RNA virus propagation to diffuse in tissues and cells can be done using various methods like RNA transcription inhibition, inhibition of RNA modification, the capsid, and the enzymes used for virus packaging and surface proteins. Drug administration such as that of chloroquine, remdesivir, favipiravir, arbidol and interferon therapy are recently used for the treatment of COVID 19.compounds and biochemical materials that can be used for the inhibition of virus propagation rate in cells or the main protein enzymes of virus are currently under studies these days. SARS Cov 2 and SARS Cov treatment can be found in plants as inhibitors of enzymes and virus propagation are naturally present in some medicinal plants.

The SARS Cov and SARS Cov 2 virus are considerably relatable both with respect to their genome and identity the studies and researches done on SARS Cov can be implicated on SARS Cov 2 which is the new corona virus of 2019 and this study is very helpful while looking for a treatment of covid 19.

Plant secondary metabolites as an effective treatment for COVID 19 infection

SARS treatment can be provided by plants as they are source of inhibitors of viral proteins. Certain plant metabolite expression provide inhibitory effect to viral proteins, enzymes and its propagation. Plant secondary metabolites are the non-essential part of plant living cells but they are very useful for medicinal purposes. Abiotic and biotic stresses cause these metabolites to express themselves. And their appearance is increased whenever a stress condition occurs .Carotenoids, Flavonoids, Tarshinones and Diaryheptanoids are some examples of active plant metabolites.

Certain plant secondary metabolites having the inhibitory effect for COVID 19 infection and that are antiviral are described below

Glycyrrhizin

The root of Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) contains Glycyrrhizin in major amounts. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties and traditionally this has been used for the treatment of bronchitis, gastritis and jaundice. The process of interferon formation in the body gets stimulated by its use.

During the early phases when the cycle of viral infection starts, the attachment of the SARS Cov agents to the cells of the body is decreased by glycyrrhizin. It contains hydroxyl coumarins, β-sitosterol, Glycyrrhetinic acid and flavonoid and gas been observed to have observable anti-SARS-Cov effect.

Glycyrrhizin and Licorice plant are considered effective enough to make a commercial drug against SARS Cov using it as there are no chances of any other commercial drug availability against it for a long time.

All the studies of Glycyrrhizin effectiveness were against SARS Cov and since now there has not been any studies for the calculation of its effects against COVID 19 but considering the similarities between the genome of two, it would likely be effective against COVID 19 infection.

Baicalin

The plants of scutelleria genus contains baicalin as one of its major components. And the pharmaceutical properties of Scutellaria baicalensis is due to the presence of this compound. It has been used previously used for the treatment of hypertension of pulmonary atrial due to its antioxidant and anti-apoptotic properties. It has less toxicity for in-vitro cell line and a better inhibitory effect as compared to Glycyrrhizin, Interferon-beta, Interferon-alpha, and can be used as anti SARS Cov compound. An allowance for the patency of the production of anti-SARS dug formation by this compound with its biochemical activity was approved because of its strong anti-viral effect.

The flavonoids extracted from Scutellaria baicalensis were seen to have a strong anti-viral effect on the activated cells of lipopolysaccharide when assessed in-vitro. It was also seen that when administered orally in mice infected with influenza A virus, it increases their rate of survival.

In case of COVID 19, it was demonstrated that Baicalin have a favorable potential to inhibit the conversion of ACE2 (Angiotensin converting enzyme 2). The inhibition of 3CL activity of the SARS Cov 2 using the Scutellaria baicalensis extract, was also demonstrated in-vitro.

Quercetin

The plants of Allium genus like onions, leek and garlic are an abundant source of organosulfur compounds. These are organic macromolecules and in their structure sulfur is present.

Organosulfur compounds present in Allium porrum have potential to inhibit the SARS Cov connection to cells because of their tendency to inhibit the conversion of ACE2 enzymes of humans.

Garlic and onion species contains a flavonoid in abundant amounts called Quercetin and exists as sulfonic substituetes.in vitro studies confirmed that both Quercetin-3-β-galactoside and Quercetin have the inhibitory effect against the 3CL of SARS Cov.it is one of the major component regarded in the treatment of COVID 19 as its toxicity in the cells is very low.

Scutellarein

Another natural flavone Scutellarein present in the plants of Scutellaria genus has anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral effects. Its strong inhibitory effect was found on the helicase activity of nsP13 corona virus.

It showed its strong inhibitory activity for the replication of new COVID 19 infection.

Conclusion

Plant secondary metabolites can serve and are serving as a source of many medicinal compounds. Various plant secondary metabolites having the anti-viral properties as discussed above can serve as important compounds for treating the infection of COVID 19. The mechanism of herbal medicines in comparison with the chemical drugs is less understood. Now that everything is coming back to the preference of naturals, more research needs to be done on these secondary metabolites as they can provide some very best treatments to most infections.

2018 marked the 100-year anniversary of the influenza pandemic. This global illness infected one-third of the world’s population with the death rate numbering at least 50 million. Unfortunately, at that time science had not yet discovered vaccinations to help prevent viruses and the spread of the same. But what about today? This informative paper will discuss, in particular, the flu vaccine and the impact it can have on the older adult population.

History of the Flu

At the time of the pandemic in 1918 there was no vaccine to limit its spread, nor did any antiviral medication exist to limit its effect or duration. Controlling the spread of this particular flu virus was done through much the same means we are using right now with COVID-19. Social distancing, limiting large gatherings and discouraging crowds. Even courts conducted proceedings outside and healthcare workers were required to wear masks when caring for infected patients. Does this scenario sounds eerily familiar?

The Older Adult Population

Notwithstanding major advancements in the area of medicine, the flu still poses a major threat for the older adult population. Based upon statistics obtained from the World Health Organization, “most influenza-associated deaths in developed countries occur among elderly persons 65 [years] of age or older” (Smetana, Chlibek, Shaw, Splino, & Prymula, 2018). Why is that the case? Because as a person ages their immune system becomes weaker. Additionally, due to the fact that the elderly often tend to suffer from one or more chronic diseases or conditions, their risk upon contracting the influenza virus is substantially increased. That being so, an important question to answer is, what measures can be taken to protect the older adult population?

Taking Measures

One of the most important measures that can be taken is to educate your patients in preventative behavior. Such behaviors including covering your cough with the inside of your elbow (and not your hands) and washing your hands thoroughly and often can go a long way to aiding in the prevention of contraction of the influenza virus. The Center for Disease Control’s website lists a variety of steps or habits that can assist in the prevention of or prevention of the spread of the flu virus. In addition to the steps noted above, they advise distancing yourself from the sick or from others if you yourself are sick, avoiding touching your face (eyes, nose or mouth), and practicing other good hygiene habits such as cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, getting sufficient rest, maintaining a moderate level of physical activity, and drinking plenty of liquids among other things.

Another important measure, arguably the most important, is to vaccinate. “The primary goal of vaccination is the prevention of serious infections, complications, hospitalizations, and deaths; this is especially important among high risk groups such as the elderly” (Smetana et al., 2018). “One study found almost 25 percent fewer cases of proven influenza in adults age 65 and older” (Steckelberg, 2017) who took a high-dose vaccine as compared to those that took a standard-dose vaccine. Such statistics are enough to cause one to seriously consider the flu vaccine as a preventative measure for the elderly population. Vaccinations also can help prevent ever rising healthcare costs. How so? Think about how easy giving a vaccination is. It literally takes five minutes to give an injection. Now think about how timely, costly, and complicated it is to care for a person who is ill with pneumonia as a result of contracting the flu. Sometimes, however, people just get sick. What then would the next step be?

Most likely an antiviral treatment would be prescribed after one has contracted the flu. Usually when treatment is started within two days of becoming sick with flu symptoms, antiviral drugs can lessen fever and flu symptoms and shorten the time you are sick. They may also reduce the risk of hospitalizations in the older adult. This would be especially beneficial for those over the age of sixty-five as well as those living in nursing homes and long-term care facilities as being at an already “high risk” level.

Conclusion

Though over 100 years have passed since the influenza virus entered the world scene, and despite incredible advances in the field of medicine in the last century, the flu still constitutes a serious issue among the older adult population. As nurses we need to educate the older population on the importance of vaccinations. We need to take practical measures to protect the older adult population. This in turn will help the older adult population to live longer and healthier lives.

he Coronavirus pandemic has changed the way we shop, work and communicate with the world more than any other disruption, including the technological aspects in the recent times. As more people start to work from home, they are sticking to basics, they step outside only to buy essential commodities and are constantly worried about the risk of being infected in crowded places like supermarkets and malls.

How the Covid-19 pandemic changed the consumer behaviour

Cheaper 4G networks and increasing wealth in the hands of consumers, the Indian e-commerce market was expected to grow to $200 billion by the year 2026. This projection was based on market and customer research in a pre-Covid 19 world. But in the previous two months, both the consumer behaviour, as well as the market landscape were altered beyond recognition and there is a clear indication that the e-commerce industry will hit the $200 billion mark sooner.

Some of the consumer behaviour changes, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation

1. 9 out of 10 consumers have changed their traditional habits of shopping.
2. More than 50% of the consumers have ordered their products online that they would normally purchase from a store or shop.
3. Nearly 6 out of 10 consumers say that they are worried while entering a store due to fear of catching the novel Coronavirus.

While some of these changes are, no doubt, temporary, whereas the others will be permanent. As the community moves beyond the survival mode, the adoption of digital shopping is more likely to carry forward and become a permanent way of living. This point of inflection would be primarily shaped by two major shifts in customer behaviour – the reluctance to be in crowded public places or walking in groups and higher propensity for the adoption of digital buying.

A recent study in China suggests, consumers are more likely to choose the option of online shopping even after this pandemic outbreak ends, especially for products related to personal care and groceries. This trend is most likely to continue long, even after the lockdown is called off as people would still fear to visit crowded areas like supermarkets or malls.

According to a survey by eMarketer revealed that nearly 60%-85% of the internet users across South East Asia and China have avoided crowded public places to avoid the risk of being infected by the virus. While this would certainly come down to in favour of offline, it is expected that things would not go back to being normal in terms of purchasing goods and services from retail outlets.

In short, the Coronavirus outbreak and 2020 will mark a tipping point for the adoption of mobile commerce and e-commerce platforms.

The emergence of a new world order in the retail business

We believe that the retail business is at a point of inflexion – and this is the start of a ‘A New World Order’ in terms of how the consumers shop and the way the retail industry works. Retailers would need to be agile in adapting to this situation.

Under the New World Order of the retail business, retailers across diverse categories cannot rely fully on their offline presence even after the lockdown is called off. They will have to inevitably adjust to the new rules of online buying. This would become even more relevant for commodities related to personal care and groceries where the propensity to buy online was low, previously.

Who would be the leaders, survivors and the laggards in this new world order?

This ‘New World Order’ as we call it, could force each and every retailer to converge the operations and workings of their online and offline stores. Not doing so, would mean suffering huge loss in the near future. So, who would be the leaders, survivors and laggards in this new world order?

The leaders would be the agile retailers, who upgraded their business to a multi-channel business model and the ones constantly develop innovative shopping experiences by analysing the new buying behaviour of the consumers. The leaders would be followed by the survivors with digital platforms, who have their own online store and are selling their products on major online marketing platforms such as Amazon and Flipkart.

The laggards in this race would be offline retailers who would still wait with the hope that the older buying habits of the consumers and the demand would be restored after the lockdown is called off.

What the Retailers would need to rethink in the new scenario

Prior to the outbreak of the infection, traditional enterprise retailers were focused on acquiring market share and driving growth with the help of their physical stores as their epicentre. Increasing the traffic towards their online store was not their major focus. Hence, in the new world order, the retailers have to rethink the way they do business. Their main focus has to turn towards driving traffic to their website in order to maximize their sales.

Online-Offline split in buying trends during the lockdown

As the behaviour of the consumer changes, retailers will witness an increase in dependency on online orders. The retailers would have two options, either they continue with their offline retail business and sit with the hope that the old buying habits would be restored soon or set up their own business website and start taking the orders of their customers online.

Would this new world order result in the end of offline retail business?

It is believed that the New World Order would be ruled by online sellers and online buying patterns, we also realize being innovative with different store formats can set your business a class apart from your competitors who are selling the similar products and services.

For example, a multi-channel retailer can differentiate itself from the online aggregators by transforming few of the stores into experience zones that offer an exceptional buying experience. We will see more of such strategies which would be deployed by businesses in the line of multi-channel furniture retailers such as Pepperfry and Urban Ladder.

In these times of crisis, retailers are increasingly using their physical stores as fulfilment centres to turn over their inventory quickly and cut down losses. The omnichannel retailers, who would innovatively utilize their physical store space would inevitably be the ultimate winners of the new world order.

How the retailers can adapt quickly:

With continued uncertainty, that businesses that are currently agile and the most receptive in adopting these new conditions of customer behaviour would prevail over the ones who sit and hope that the shopping habits would go back to being normal. The retailers have to cope with these constantly changing buying patterns of the customers and quickly cope with the new world order.

The Covid-19 crisis has favoured multi-channel retailers when it comes to minimising the negative impacts. Therefore, offline retailers must see the lockdown period as an opportunity to establish, develop and improve their online presence if they wish to survive this new world order. Retailers with their online presence must capitalize on the recovery trends by introducing new and innovative ideas of fulfilling the orders of their customers be it establishing an Online-to-Offline platform, or developing sophisticated digital logistics and payment reconciliation capabilities to be in the lead in this race for recovery.

The only way the retailers can tackle the increasing order volumes and diminishing margins from the online aggregator counterparts would be to focus on improving the visibility of their website.