EFFECTS OF CORONA VIRUS

JEMUAL LORDSON D
jemuallordsond@gmail.com
 EFFECTS OF CORONA VIRUS ON THE INDIAN ECONOMY AND
THE PEOPLE
On 31 December 2019, WHO was informed of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause
in Wuhan City, China. A novel coronavirus was identified as the cause by Chinese
authorities on 7 January 2020 and was temporarily named “2019-nCoV”

Coronaviruses is part of a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the
common cold to more severe diseases. A novel coronavirus is a new strain that has not
been previously identified in humans. The new virus was subsequently named the
“COVID-19 virus”.

Corona virus not only affected the lives of million’s of people but also the economy. In
a period of just a few months, Covid-19 has infected over a million people worldwide
and continues to envelop the globe today.
On 11 March 2020, the rapid increase in the number of cases outside China led the
World Health Organization (WHO) to announce that the outbreak could be
characterized as a pandemic. By then more than 118000 cases had been reported in 114
countries, and 4291 deaths had been recorded. Covid -19 is attacking societies at their
core.

So now that you have seen the effects of corona virus on human, let’s see the effects
of it on Indian economy and people.

• Frontline workers may experience considerable psychologic distress as a result of the

COVID-19 pandemic due to providing direct patient care, vicarious trauma, quarantine or
self isolation. These may lead to anxiety, depression and stress.
• Covid patient may suffer from psychosis and Neurocognitive, dementia, stress, and afraid
of leaving their loved ones behind.
• Common people may get affected by the loss of loved ones, helplessness and excessive
worries.
• Children may get addicted to virtual games and social media, and may end up separating
themselves from society. And not getting enough sleep and study.

FRONTLINE WORKERS :
As the world is battling the COVID-19 pandemic frontline health care workers
(HCWs) are among the most vulnerable and the most vital groups at risk of mental
health problems. Psychological implication’s to HCWs are variable with several
studies demonstrating an increased risk of acquiring trauma or stress related disorder,
depression and anxiety. Study also point’s out that the healthcare people worried more
than the non-healthcare workers regarding contracting the COVID-19 infection. They
reported greater levels of anxiety and depression among healthcare related
professionals. In this study, there was a gender predilection toward female subjects
mostly because of convenient sampling. The most common reason for development of
anxiety-related state was related to subjective worries on stressors regarding getting
their family members infected from them.

Fear of the unknown or becoming infected were at the forefront of the mental
challenges faced. Being a nurse and being female appeared to confer greater risk. The
perceived stigma from family members and society heightened negative implications;
predominantly stress and isolation. Coping strategies varied amongst the contrasting
sociocultural settings and appeared to differ amongst doctors, nurses and other HCWs.
Implemented changes, and suggestions for prevention in the future consistently
highlighted the need for greater psychosocial support and clearer dissemination of
disease-related information. In terms of mental health impact of epidemics, HCWs
represent a particularly vulnerable group due to the high risk of infection, increased
work stress and fear of spreading to their families.

During the recent Ebola outbreak, an unprecedented number of HCWs were infected
and survivors of infectious diseases have higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD) .The world has faced several such bio-disasters including Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in China, parts of Asia and Canada in 2003, Ebola in
West Africa in 2014 and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2016. The
most recent epidemic of COVID-19 led to an alarmingly high global death toll, with
thousands of HCWs becoming infected . The fast changing response to this novel virus
was likely to have had a profound effect on the wellbeing of hospital employees
working on the front-line. Furthermore, the rapid transmission rate of COVID-19 led to
unparalleled tasks that HCWs may not have been adequately equipped to deal with,
from both a professional and psychological viewpoint. Most importantly the Front line
workers (FLWs) should self isolate themselves, they are also made to and pushed to
their limits by the society.

COVID PATIENTS:

The modern world in which all individuals are able to rapidly travel and communicate
has been rarely forced to the current social isolation and restrictions which are linked to
feelings of frustration and uncertainly. Social distancing and important lockdown
restrictions have been carried out first in China and later in most European countries
where Italy and Spain experienced a tragic growth of the number of positive cases.
Although government regulations are necessary to maintain social balance and
guarantee the safety of all individuals, a direct strategy aimed to manage the
psychosocial issues related to COVID-19 crisis and its consequences in the community
is currently lacking. Other studies reported a higher prevalence of subjects with
psychological symptoms, emotional disturbance, depression, stress, mood alterations
and irritability, insomnia, post-traumatic stress symptoms, anger and emotional
exhaustion among those who have been quarantined. Notably, fear, anger, anxiety and
insomnia, confusion, grief and numbness have been identified as additional
psychological responses to quarantine. Long-term behavioral changes like vigilant
handwashing and avoidance of crowds as well as a delayed return to normality even
after many months after the quarantine were also reported. Thus, the quarantine period
seems to have important and dysfunctional psychological consequences on the
individual’s mental health not only in the short-term but even in the long-term period.

COMMON PEOPLE:

Common people also suffer from covid-19, loneliness and most importantly,
grief ,feelings of frustration and uncertainly tend to occur even in relation with
inadequate basic supplies (e.g. food, water, clothes etc.) during the quarantine period
which is a major source of worries, and anxiety/anger even after 4–6 months from
quarantine. For instance, thermometers or masks may be received too late while water
and food were only inconsistently distributed. The economic and social disruption
caused by the pandemic is devastating: tens of millions of people are at risk of falling
into extreme poverty, while the number of undernourished people, currently estimated
at nearly 690 million, could increase by up to 132 million by the end of the year. As
the coronavirus pandemic rapidly sweeps across the world, it is inducing a
considerable degree of fear, worry and concern in the population at large and among
certain groups in particular, such as older adults, care providers and people with
underlying health conditions. Most people who develop Covid-19 recover within 2-6
weeks but some develop long lasting symptoms. Older persons are particularly
susceptible to the risk of infection from Covid-19, especially those with chronic health
conditions such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Youth are also in
a position to help those who are most vulnerable.

It is well known that pandemics pose a threat to mental health .Correspondingly, 2

recent reviews found a consistently negative impact of COVID-19 on mental health,
with 16–18% of participants showing symptoms of anxiety and depression . The first
evidence indicates that women , younger people, and those with a poor sleep quality
are at an increased risk for mental health problems. However, so far, no study has
assessed whether mental health in the general population has genuinely changed from
pre- to post-outbreak. We had conducted a panel study in Germany shortly before the
outbreak that investigated associations between mental health and health-promoting
factors. We were able to contact respondents again in mid-March after the outbreak to
gather data reflective of the pandemic’s impact on mental health. Furthermore, we
assessed the resistance factor of sense of coherence , which constitutes an important
step towards developing interventions aimed at buffering the effects of global stressors

CHILDREN AND YOUTH:

More than one billion youth are now no longer physically in school after the closure of
schools. In terms of employment, youth are disproportionately unemployed, and those
who are employed often work in the informal economy or gig economy, on precarious
contracts or in the service sectors of the economy, that are likely to be severely
affected by Covid-19. The government introduced the scheme Atmanirbhar Bharat
Rozgar Yojana- On 12 November 2020,to incentivise the creation of new employment
opportunities amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Kids must reduce their playtime with
mobile, television, computer , etc to reduce their stress on their eye and to keep them
safe from the internet. Indigenous peoples are particularly vulnerable at this time due
to significantly higher rates of communicable and non-communicable diseases. There
are more than 2.2 billion children in the world who constitute approximately 28% of
the world's population. Those aged between 10 to 19 years make up 16 % of the
world's population . Covid-19 has impacted the lives of people around the world
including children and adolescents in an unprecedented manner. Throughout the world,
an essential modus of prevention from Covid-19 infection has been isolation and social
distancing strategies to protect from the risk of infection. On these grounds, since
January, 2020, various countries started implementing regional and national
containment measures or lockdowns. In this backdrop one of the principal measures
taken during lockdown has been closure of schools, educational institutes and activity
areas. These inexorable circumstances which are beyond normal experience, lead to
stress, anxiety and a feeling of helplessness in all. Globally, the pre-lockdown learning
of children and adolescents predominantly involved one-to-one interaction with their
mentors and peer groups. Unfortunately, the nationwide closures of schools and
colleges have negatively impacted over 91% of the world's student population. The
home confinement of children and adolescents is associated with uncertainty and
anxiety which is attributable to disruption in their education, physical activities and
opportunities for socialization . Absence of structured setting of the school for a long
duration result in disruption in routine, boredom and lack of innovative ideas for
engaging in various academic and extracurricular activities. Some children have
expressed lower levels of affect for not being able to play outdoors, not meeting
friends and not engaging in the in-person school activities.

IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE INDIAN ECONOMY:

Ever since the break out of COVID-19 virus pandemic, analysts and experts
worldwide are in a race to project bigger and bigger economic troubles for the
global economy. With each day passing, the new forecasts are showing a gloomier
picture than the previous one. A decline of the global economy by 1% as compared
to the previous projection of a 2.5% growth has been forecasted by the UN on 2
April 20. The net impact that is projected is around 3.5%. The size of the world
economy in 2017 was $80 trillion.
World GDP, 2017

A 3.5% hit to the $80 trillion world economy means $2.8 trillion which was the exact
size of the entire Indian economy in 2018–2019, the world’s fifth largest . The vicious
circle leading to economic depression has set on a roll. Lower consumption, reduced
demand, falling prices, supply cut, job cuts, lower spending, lower consumption—all
the blocks look like a perfect fit. Recent predictions about the gloomy prospects for the
world economy from some of the big names. Ever since the first outbreak of corona
virus (covid19) in Wuhan, China, the world has changed in more ways than one. Apart
from the devastating effects of the pandemic, the death toll and struggling healthcare
systems, the virus has left the economies world-wide staggering and even drowning in
many parts of the world.

While some of the effects of Covid-19 on the economy are short term, many can have
lasting impacts. The lockdowns have hugely impacted the supply-chain management
and sent the GDP and import-export cycle plummeting. There are three major areas of
impact for Indian businesses which are linkages, supply chain and macroeconomic
factors. This is indeed the worst recession since the Great Depression in the 1930s.
Although the majorly affected sectors include travel and tourism, logistics, auto,
metals, drugs and pharmaceuticals and retail, among others, education as we know it,
has completely changed and is impacted too.

Here’s a brief look at how some major industries have been affected due to the pandemic:

Education and E-learning–While the world that we live in has been evolving with time
and technology, a few things have always been primarily ‘old school’, pun intended.
Education and the way it’s imparted has always relied mostly on the traditional
methods of classroom learning and teaching albeit with a comfortable integration of
technology where and when required.
An integral approach was the most preferred, but the devastating effects of the
pandemic has left educational institutions and educators with an immediate need to
step up and change the way education is delivered to the students. The imperative
nature of quality of education is something no one can compromise on and educational
institutions in our country have seamlessly transitioned into e-learning and online
teaching with the unanimous goal of students’ progress and uninterrupted learning.

It would not be an exaggeration if one were to say that we embarked on e-learning

within a very short time. The efforts of the educators who adapted to technology, video
lessons and live classes online cannot be understated. With limited resources but
enough passion, educators across the world have been striving hard and will continue
to do to deliver quality lessons and education.

Aviation and Tourism – One of the biggest hit industries, this sector has a high
probability of suffering most from the recession without the direct intervention from
the government. Since people are unlikely to travel for leisure for months to come, it
will impact the inflow of tourists in all the countries drastically reducing the money
flow in this sector.

Restaurant services – The National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) which

represent the majority of Indian restaurants had advised its members to shut down their
dine-in services when the lockdown began which majorly impacted the dine-ins, pubs,
cafes and also food delivery platforms such as Swiggy and Zomato which faced drop
of 60% in revenue.

Raw materials and Electronic parts – Nearly 55% of electronics imported by

India originate from China. These imports have dropped to 40% due to the pandemic
and hence Indian government came up with the promotion of Atmanirbhar or
indigenous production in a bid to reduce dependency. The lockdown has also resulted
in reduced exports of raw materials like organic chemicals, cotton, mineral fuels
resulting in substantial trade deficit for India.

Pharmaceutical Industry – With a major percentage of Active Pharmaceutical

Ingredients (API) having to be imported from China, the economic toll on this industry
is of major concern. With Covid spreading rapidly, the demand for medication has
become primary and a major reduction in import of APIs adversely affects the
manufacturing of drugs which will inevitably lead to a surge in drug prices.

Auto Sector – Due to falling demands, income levels and global recession, the
manufacturing the auto parts and automobiles have taken a major hit. With continuing
lockdown, a downward slide of this sector is expected.

Textiles Industry – Due to the halting of operation of textile factories in China, the
export of raw materials such as cotton, other fabric, yarn from India has been majorly
affected. The raw material unavailability, depletion in work force and working capital
constraints has resulted in reduced demands and purchasing capacities.

IT industry – The dependence of the IT sector on many of the above-mentioned

sectors such as manufacturing, retail, hospitality, communication etc. has resulted in
major impacts on purchasing ability and investing patterns on IT services. This has
impacted the requirement of additional work-force and inflow of revenue in this sector.
Silver Lining –

As we tread through this difficult period, each industry is striving to sustain and
deliver. At REVA University, our goal has always been quality of education and the
progress of our students. In a situation where classroom learning is rendered
impossible, our faculty has been working tirelessly in bringing quality education to
students by integrating the state-of-the-art technology in the learning and teaching
process. We have also been focusing on the Virtual counselling sessions for parents
and students and addressing their concerns.

Time again for us to rethink and revisit our education system as we face the
unprecedented disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. As I keep saying our
youth have been the most affected and higher education has been impacted in so many
ways. The government has no doubt aligned to online teaching and support and
ensured learning was engaging; however, the greater challenge is yet to come. As the
lockdown gets lifted in a phased manner, the onus of running education institutions and
ensuring safety and security of students will reach an unprecedented high. This
transition time will need all our synergies towards revisiting our value proposition and
ensuring that we have the right strategies to deliver what we mean.

We hope as the economic activity resumes, the situation will get better gradually. It
may take some time to normalise, as consumer behaviour, shopping and spending
pattern will change when the social world get a relaxation under the vigilance &
supervision of the administration.

In the World Economic Outlook report for 2020, the IMF mentions that firms may start
hiring more people and expanding their payroll only slowly, as they may not be clear
about the demand for their output.
Therefore, along with clear and effective communication, broad monetary and fiscal
stimuli will be required to be coordinated on an international scale for maximum
impact, and, “would be most effective to boost spending in the recovery phase.”

While the nation is fighting hard against Covid-19 and the health risks, the economic
packages and the measures in pipeline to revive the economy and the most affected
sectors are the hopes that we thrive on to crawl out of this major crisis that we are all
in.

An unprecedented rise in Covid-19 cases is likely to slow down India's economic

recovery, but the overall impact will be milder in comparison to last year's devastation.
Experts say that extent of economic loss during the second wave will primarily depend
on how fast the chain of infections can be broken.

While Covid-19 containment rules are less stringent compared to last year’s nationwide
lockdown, economic activity is gradually declining as more states opt for stricter
norms to contain rapidly rising daily cases. Ratings agency CRISIL recently said in a
note that the impact on industrial activity during the second wave is smaller in
comparison to the devastation witnessed in 2020. Japanese brokerage firm Nomura has
also suggested that business activity has fallen, but it will have a limited impact on the
economy.

“There are reasons to expect a muted economic impact. The experience from other
countries suggests a lower correlation between falling mobility and growth. Parts of the
economy like manufacturing, agriculture, or work-from-home and online-based
services should be resilient,” Nomura said in a note.

It added that the ongoing second wave will only result in a "short-term negative economic
shock", adding that the medium-term growth outlook remains stable.

Another positive indicator for the economy is that the second wave of Covid-19 could
peak in the next 20 days. The prediction has been made by economists India’s largest
public lender, the State Bank of India.

“Based on other countries experience we believe India might reach its second peak when
the recovery rate will be at 77.8%,” the SBI report said.

The SBI report indicates that India could reach its peak by mid-May, following which
active cases could start dropping if all precautions are followed strictly. The
vaccination drive for adults that starts from May 1 is also going to help prevent more
infections.
In such a situation, India’s economic recovery is likely to slow down in the near term.
However, it also means that companies will not face multiple quarters of business
disruption.

Although most economists indicate that the impact of the second wave on the economy
will not be as harsh as last year, there are several risks that can derail the economy.
Some of them are rising income inequality, unemployment, sectoral impact, consumer
confidence and inflation.

This has led to a downward revision of India's GDP by multiple brokerages and ratings
agencies.

While the second wave has not impacted the livelihood of salaried employees to a great
extent, it has again affected poorer households. Thousands of migrant labourers and
daily wage labourers returned home when some states announced lockdowns in
prominent cities.

This has directly impacted the labour participation rate and unemployment numbers.
While LPR is likely to decrease further, the unemployment rate has already gone up in
April.

Unemployment witnessed a rise in April as many businesses that were operating on

full-scale were hit by sudden lockdowns and restrictions. The hospitality, tourism and
entertainment sectors have been hit hard during the second wave. Pressure is mounting
on other sectors like consumer durables, aviation and real estate as well.

Most of these sectors have seen a reduction in business activity as consumer

confidence has taken a knock due to the second wave. People are worried about their
savings, jobs and health as the second wave rages on. Which is harsh than the first
wave.

Rising inflation is another factor that could upset economic growth and the Reserve
Bank of India (RBI) is likely to take note of it in the next policy review meeting in
June. The fact that there has been a rise in core inflation, which excludes food and
energy costs, is worrying.

Economists are worried that the cost due to the ongoing public health crisis is one of
the reasons behind the sharp rise in inflation. Meanwhile, a sharp rise in wholesale
inflation was recorded in March and economists believe that wholesale inflation could
lead to higher retail prices, which will ultimately impact household savings amid the
Covid-19 crisis.

VACCINATION

NEXT THE WORLD:-

I WOULD SAY WE ARE DOING PRETTY GOOD

General individual self-care and other preventive measures against the Covid-19.

• Aarogya Setu: The Government of India took the initiative to fight the Coronavirus
pandemic. It launched a mobile application to spread the awareness of COVID-19
among the citizens of India.
• Maintain at least a 1-metre distance between yourself and others to reduce your risk
of infection when they cough, sneeze or speak. Maintain an even greater distance
between yourself and others when indoors. The further away, the better.
• Make wearing a mask a normal part of being around other people. The appropriate
use, storage and cleaning or disposal are essential to make masks as effective as
possible.
• Avoid the 3Cs: spaces that are closed, crowded or involve close contact.
• Regularly and thoroughly clean your hand with an alcohol-based sanitiser.
• Cover your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or
sneeze.
• Stay home and self-isolate even if you have minor symptoms such as cough,
headache, mild fever.
• Keep up to date on the latest information from trusted sources, such as WHO or
your local and national health authorities.
• Make sure you are physically active, have a healthy diet, and mental health.
• Stay aware of the latest Covid-19 information by regularly checking updates from
WHO and your national and local public health authorities.
 POSITIVE SIDE OF THE CORONAVIRUS:

Even though it seems nigh impossible it has did some good thing for some of
us-

Corona has kept a lot of humans at home this year, which helped wildlife
reclaim some of its habitat. There are stories of the elephant that roamed the
empty streets of a deserted Indian city during lockdown.

We get to spend more time with people who made us who we are, family, friend,
pets.

Our response to future pandemics should improve. The COVID-19 pandemic

has exposed shortcomings in healthcare systems throughout the world that
provide an opportunity to improve them.

Work + the comfort of home = employee happiness.

CONCLUSION:-

So, Congrats you reached the end!!!!! I hope you read the whole thing and took this
article seriously cause Covid is not a joke it should be taken seriously. So you better
follow the instruction given by the Government and WHO.

“MAKE IT TODAY MAKE IT FOR INDIA”

BY: D.JEMUEL LORDSON

CLASS: IX-B
SCHOOL: KSHATRIYA VIDHYA SALA ENGLISH MEDIUM SCHOOL.
FROM: VIRUDHUNAGAR, TAMILNADU - 626003