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AbstractIn the COVID-19 pandemic, children were considered to play a major role in SARS-CoV-2 transmission similar to influenza. Thus, mitigation measures have been focused on children, impacting their everyday life severely. Despite this, infectivity in this age group regarding SARS-CoV-2 is not yet clarified. We performed a serology study in households with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection to evaluate virus transmission with focus on children and adolescents. Between January and July 2021, 341 minors and 650 adults from 300 households with a confirmed index case participated in the FamilyCoviDD19-study including serological assessment for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and a questionnaire on demographics, recent and ongoing symptoms, hygiene measures and comorbidities. 45 (16.3%) of all index cases were < 18 years old. Thereof, 55.6% reported COVID-19 associated symptoms, while nearly all adult index cases were symptomatic (94.8%). There was significantly less virus transmission by children and adolescents compared to adult index cases with a secondary attack rate of 0.29 vs. 0.54. With the caveat that the results do not necessarily apply to the Delta and Omicron variants, we conclude that children and adolescents are less susceptible for SARS-CoV-2 infection, more frequently show an asymptomatic course of disease and are less infective than adults.

Abstract In this paper, we test the role of news in the predictability of return volatility of digital currency market during the COVID-19 pandemic. We use hourly data for cryptocurrencies and daily data for the news indicator, thus, the GARCH MIDAS framework which allows for mixed data frequencies is adopted. We validate the presupposition that fear-induced news triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic increases the return volatilities of the cryptocurrencies compared with the period before the pandemic. We also establish that the predictive model that incorporates the news effects forecasts the return volatility better than the benchmark (historical average)model.

Following the highly contagious nature of the coronavirus disease and the increase in confirmed cases, the Nigerian government, imposed lockdowns, quarantines, and various social distancing measures to curb the rate of infection. Schools were closed, and examinations were postponed indefinitely. Students of private schools were able to resume academic activities online. However, most public schools could not do so, due to lack of infrastructure. This study aimed to qualitatively investigate the impacts of the novel coronavirus on final-year students of social work, at the University of Nigeria. Data was collected from 20 undergraduates using in-depth interviews. Findings showed that the pandemic had negative effects on different aspects of the students’ lives. It was also revealed that some of the students were resilient and were able to use various coping strategies to avoid being overwhelmed by the situation. A policy implication of this study is the need for revitalization of Nigerian public universities, as the continued lockdown of schools shows how public universities are poorly managed in the country. This poor management of public schools has made it impossible for a switch to virtual learning.

We examine how social contacts and feelings of solidarity shape experiences of loneliness during the COVID-19 lockdown in early 2020. From the PsyCorona database, we obtained longitudinal data from 23 countries, collected between March and May 2020. The results demonstrated that although online contacts help to reduce feelings of loneliness, people who feel more lonely are less likely to use that strategy. Solidarity played only a small role in shaping feelings of loneliness during lockdown. Thus, it seems we must look beyond the current focus on online contact and solidarity to help people address feelings of loneliness during lockdown. Finally, online contacts did not function as a substitute for face-to-face contacts outside the home—in fact, more frequent online contact in earlier weeks predicted more frequent face-to-face contacts in later weeks. As such, this work provides relevant insights into how individuals manage the impact of restrictions on their social lives.

Abstract This work examines the impact of multiple vaccination strategies on the dynamics of COVID-19 in a population using the Atangana-Baleanu derivative. The existence and uniqueness of solution of the model is proven using Banach’s fixed point theorem. Local and global asymptotic stability of the equilibria of the model is also proven (under some conditions). Conditions for the existence of a unique or multiple equilibria are also derived and the model is shown to undergo backward bifurcation under certain scenarios. Using available data for the Pfizer, Moderna and Janssen vaccination programme for the city of Texas, United States of America from March 13, 2021 to June 29, 2021, the model is fitted using the three data sets. The three vaccination rates ν 1 , ν 2 and ν 3 corresponding to each vaccine as well as the effective contact rate for COVID-19 transmission, β , are estimated. Simulations of the model under different vaccination strategies are carried out. The results show that the three vaccination strategies not only cause significant reduction in the new asymptomatic and vaccinated symptomatic cases but also cause great decrease in the total number of vaccinated symptomatic individuals with severe COVID-19 illness.

Abstract This research attempted to investigate the effects of double dose vaccination in a non-linear mathematical model of Covid-19 infections with special compartments class termed first and second dose vaccination. The basic reproduction number was obtained, the stability of the model was analyzed, and the sensitivity analysis was also carried out. Of interest is the numerical simulation of the model where the impacts of contact rate, first and second dose vaccination were studied. The obtained results recommended how to control the corona virus keeping in mind the contact rate and vaccination. Keywords: Covid-19, Double dose Vaccination, Basic Reproduction Number, Global Stability

In this study, we offer a global perspective on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on financial markets using a multi-country Threshold-Augmented Global Vector Autoregressive Model of Chudik et al. (2020). We document a negative impact of the pandemic on real equity prices across countries (except the United States) and country groupings with the highest negative impact recorded in 2020Q2. The biggest losers are the emerging economies while the biggest gainers are the United States whose real stock prices remain positive and the Euro Area that achieved real exchange rate appreciation when the financial markets were mostly vulnerable. Our results support the effectiveness of the quantitative easing policy regime in the Euro Area during the COVID-19 pandemic and also suggest hedging role for the US stocks among other suggested safe assets.

A significant knowledge gap currently exists in the literature on the emerging interventions and bioactivity of aqueous extracts of mushrooms. Different solvents and techniques used in the extraction of mushroom metabolites have been discussed. Here, data obtained were analyzed using Microsoft Excel and presented in charts. The results showed that methanol was the most commonly reported extraction solvent (29.70%), followed by water (26.73%). Extracted metabolites of mushrooms were mostly reported for their antioxidant activity (33%). Investigations on the use of mushroom metabolites to treat tropical diseases, their application in novel coronavirus disease-COVID 19 management, and other beneficial effects (antiplasmodial, antimalarial, antityrosinase, analgesic, anticoagulation, and antiasthmatic) on health are emerging and reported rarely to date. It is a notable conclusion that water extracts from mushrooms are effective in the treatment of diverse health conditions, however, further studies are necessary. Modern water extraction techniques are essential for better yield and process optimization but are currently less applied and less frequently reported.

As the COVID-19 pandemic poses serious threats to global public health, Nigeria faces a potential public health crisis owing to COVID-19 and other infectious diseases, such as Lassa fever (LF) and malaria. In this study, we discuss the possible determinants behind the decreased number of LF cases in Nigeria, which was likely due to the synergistic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the epidemic curve of LF seems to have deviated from the general seasonal scale seen in past years, which could be due to underreporting of cases. In addition, partial compliance with nonpharmaceutical interventions, limited resources, or human behavior could be contributing factors. Thus, we suggest that better differentiation in terms of human and resource allocation between COVID-19 and LF could help curtail the transmission effectively.