The unprecedented growth of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) as a severe acute respiratory syndrome escalated to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. It has created an unanticipated global public health crisis that is spreading rapidly in India as well, posing a serious threat to 1350 million persons. Among the factors, population density is foremost in posing a challenge in controlling the COVID-19 contagion. In such extraordinary times, evidence-based knowledge is the prime requisite for pacifying the effect. In this piece, we have studied the district wise transmissions of the novel coronavirus in five south Indian states until 20th July 2020 and its relationship with their respective population density. The five states are purposefully selected for their records in better healthcare infrastructure vis-à-vis other states in India. The study uses Pearson’s correlation coefficient to account for the direct impact of population density on COVID-19 transmission rate. Response surface methodology approach is used to validate the correlation between density and transmission rate and spatiotemporal dynamics is highlighted using Thiessen polygon method. The analysis has found that COVID-19 transmission in four states (Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Telangana) strongly hinges upon the spatial distribution of population density. In addition, the results indicate that the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 crisis are likely to differ with demographic density. In conclusion, those at the helm of affairs must take cognizance of the vulnerability clusters together across districts.

The undergraduate and postgraduate studies of colleges and universities in India have been affected badly amidst the lockdowns for COVID-19 pandemic. The Government has insisted to start the academic activity through online platforms. The biggest concern for the academic institutions now is to select an appropriate e-learning platform. This paper compares different features and facilities available in some widely used online platforms and analyze their suitability from the perspective of socio-economic constraints of students in India. A generic framework for conducting online classes is described that meets the special requirements of the unprivileged students. Some strategic plans to overcome the challenges are identified and suggested. A technical solution for implementation of time-bound assessment module is also proposed.

This study exclusively focuses on spatial and temporal change of temperature and precipitation before and after COVID-19 lockdown and also examines the extent of their variation and the spatial relationship between them. Our main objective is to analyze the spatiotemporal changes of two climatic variables in Indian subcontinent for the period of 2015-2020. Monthly precipitation and temperature data are collected from NOAA and NASA for January to May month across the four zones (northeast, northwest, central, and peninsular zone) of India. To conduct a zone-wise statistical analysis, we have adopted statistical process control (SPC) methods like exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) control charts, individual charts (I-Chart) to detect the shift in temperature and precipitation over the study period and Pearson correlation coefficient applied to measure the spatial association between the two variables. The findings revealed that temperature parameter has experienced a lot of positive and negative trends in the span of 6 years and detected a weak to moderate negative correlation in many parts of the country in April 2020 after 2016. This study also identified a weak negative correlation mainly in NE zone in 2020 after 2017. This research provides vital scientific contribution to the effects of monthly temperature and precipitation before and after COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

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The unprecedented growth of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) as a severe acute respiratory syndrome escalated to the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. It has created an unanticipated global public health crisis. The virus is spreading rapidly in India which poses serious threat to 135 crore population. Population density poses some unforeseen challenges to control the COVID-19 contagion. In times of crisis, data is crucial to understand the spatial relationship between density and the infection. The article study the district wise transmissions of the novel coronavirus in five south Indian states until 6th June 2020 and its relationship with the respective population density. The five states are purposefully selected for better healthcare infrastructure vis-à-vis other states in India. We observed that corona virus spread depends on the spatial distribution of population density in three states especially in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Telangana. The results indicate that the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 crisis are likely to differ with demographic density. Policy initiatives aimed at reducing the health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic should understand how vulnerabilities cluster together across districts.

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The unprecedented episode of the Covid-19 pandemic has been a massive shock to individuals all across the globe. Overwhelmed healthcare conditions, stringent lockdowns and plummeting economies have been a huge blow, especially for low- and middle-income countries. In the first phase of the pandemic, India had performed relatively better than most of the other nations in its income strata. However, the second wave of the disease had severe impacts on healthcare as well as the economy. In this light, individuals residing within the country were faced with an uphill task of evading the virus and keeping their mental health intact. This paper takes a dig into the mental health of Indian residents during the second wave of the pandemic (May 2021) through an analysis of a collected sample. The sample consisted of 400 participants (59% males, 40.25% females; mean age=26 years). The DASS-21 index was used to assess the mental state of citizens amidst an ongoing nationwide lockdown. A significant association was obtained between Covid-19, depression and overall DASS index. Thus, the importance of addressing mental health issues during a prevailing pandemic has been identified, and subsequent policy recommendations have been prescribed.

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