Project report on

Impact of COVID-19 in all the aspects of the world

Prepared by:

Pravesh Chouhan

Lecturer: Sandesh Karmarchya

April 21, 2020

Ace Institute of Management

Baneshwor, Kathmandu
Summary

This report discusses the impact of coronavirus on human life as well as on world’s whole

environment that the virus spread from china since the end of 2019. A review of some of the

available article and literature provides insights into the impact and changing environment due to

Covid-19, and influence individual and Government to stop the virus from spread individual to mass.

The information presented in this report has been gathered from secondary sources, and from World

health organization. The report has been prepared for submission as final project of the Emerging

concept in management at Ace institute of management.

Introduction

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus.

Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness

and recover without requiring special treatment. Older people, and those with underlying medical

problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more

likely to develop serious illness.

The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when

an infected person coughs or sneezes, so it’s important that you also practice respiratory etiquette

(for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow).

At this time, there are no specific vaccines or treatments for COVID-19. However, there are many

ongoing clinical trials evaluating potential treatments.

COVID-19 is in decline in China. There are now more new cases every day in USA and Europe than

there were in China at the pandemic’s peak and USA and Italy has surpassed it as the country with

the most deaths from the virus. It took 67 days to reach the first 100,000 confirmed cases worldwide,
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11 days for this to increase to 200,000 and April 21 2020 it reach to 2 314621 confirmed cases with

157847 death (WHO).

Impact of coronavirus and ways to cope with pandemic

Social Life

Figure 1

People stand on markings to buy vegetables to main distance amid concerns on the spread of

coronavirus on the fourth day of government imposed lockdown outside a vegetable shop in

Kathmandu, Nepal on Friday, March 27,2020.

The coronavirus has changed how we work, play and learn: Schools are closing, sports leagues have

been canceled, and many people have been asked to work from home. Put simply, the idea is to

maintain a distance between you and other people — in this case, at least six feet.

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That also means minimizing contact with people. Avoid public transportation whenever possible,

limit nonessential travel, work from home and skip social gatherings — and definitely do not go to

crowded bars and sporting arenas.

“Every single reduction in the number of contacts you have per day with relatives, with friends, co-

workers, in school will have a significant impact on the ability of the virus to spread in the

population,” said Dr. Gerardo Chowell, chair of population health crowded bars and sporting arenas.

This strategy saved thousands of lives both during the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 and, more

recently, in Mexico City during the 2009 flu pandemic.

The coronavirus pandemic has shone a light on some of the gaps in the social safety net,

exacerbating key social determinants of health that make it hard for people to be healthy.

As public health leaders look for ways to put a cap on virus spread – primarily through social

distancing practices and in some cases shelter in place protocol – the nation is seeing just how deep

health disparities run. There are clear delineations between different social groups and how they are

faring in the new normal that coronavirus has dawned.

The issue of social distancing, coupled with questions about access to care and other health

resources, have specifically highlighted disparities for individuals who are homeless or housing

insecure, who have limited food security, and who live in rural regions

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 Figure 2

Nepal’s slum population is

escalating with each day and

along with it the problem of

unemployment; overcrowding

and increasing natural disasters

are also impacting the deprived

and the poorest of all.

The challenge for individuals who are homeless is clear: it is hard to social distance when a patient

has nowhere to go.

The last time a global survey was attempted – by the united Nations in 2005- an estimated 100

million people were homeless worldwide. As many as 1.6 billion people lacked adequate housing

(Habitat, 2015)

In all of those cases, it’s hard to social distance, a tactic public health officials are currently hailing as

the gold standard in quelling the spread of COVID-19. When social distancing, individuals are

limiting gatherings in large numbers, avoiding public spaces that are not essential, and keeping a safe

six-foot distance from other individuals.

Because it’s hard for individuals experiencing homelessness to adhere to those guidelines, many fear

this population could be especially vulnerable to coronavirus spread.

“Homelessness services systems should be working closely with their city and county governments

and public health systems to prepare for COVID-19 disease outbreaks among people experiencing

homelessness,” says a resource from the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness.

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With the push for social distancing comes questions about food security and the ability for

vulnerable or high-risk individuals to obtain access to food.

Figure 3

Rice and Vegetables (Ration)

handouts to village people of

rupandehi.

Figure 4:

March 18: Food handouts

Residents of New Rochelle, New York, receive bags of free food at a community center. US

National Guard troops have been assisting local staff in distributing food in the city, which has been

a hotspot for the coronavirus pandemic.

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Seniors, for example, may be apprehensive to go to the grocery store amid the panic of COVID-19

spread, or else get to the grocery store and find bare shelves. Others cannot afford to “stockpile” on

nonperishable groceries.

Low-income individuals or individuals who are homeless may experience similar situations.

“Although social distancing is necessary to help limit the spread of the virus, anything that deters

people from accessing group meals at senior centers or food banks puts low-income seniors in

danger of malnutrition and hunger,” Annelies Groger, a David M. Rubenstein Fellow at the

Brookings Institute, wrote in a recent post. “Millions of them also typically cannot afford to stock up

on food or supplies, and if they can, many need transportation assistances to and from grocery

stores.”

Just over 8 percent of households with an elderly individual living in it are food insecure, totaling to

2.9 million households without adequate access to food. At the same time, 7.2 million adults live at

100 percent of the federal poverty level and 21.4 million live at 200 percent of the federal poverty

level, Groger wrote, citing statistics from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Kaiser

Family Foundation, respectively.

There are also long-term efforts to address this issue and potentially prevent it in the future, Groger

said. Those include creating permanent food delivery programs, increasing minimum SNAP

requirements, expanding access to telehealth and virtual care, creating frozen meal options,

streamlining enrollment for benefits, and expanding the use of consumer-facing apps for meal

delivery.

ACCESS TO CARE IN RURAL AREAS

Although individuals living in rural regions may not be struggling quite as much with social

distancing protocol – many already live miles away from urban epicenters and even their neighbors –

they still face several other sets of challenges due to that very distance.

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Rural healthcare has long been challenging. Patients live insurmountable distances from the nearest

provider, making geography a major barrier to care. This issue is being exacerbated during the

coronavirus outbreak, when individuals need access to providers to assess health status or access to a

test.

Telehealth has emerged as an essential tool combatting the coronavirus outbreak regardless of

rurality. But new guidance that expands interstate licensure and reimbursement makes it even easier

for individuals to access telehealth, even in rural areas.

But individuals living in rural areas face another set of problems: limited access to efficient

broadband connection. While telehealth can help connect them to a qualified provider, broadband

and internet are necessary to connect to telehealth.

Rural health also faces threats due to fewer healthcare resources and a high population of older adults

with multiple chronic conditions who may be at higher risk for coronavirus.

The question of the social determinants of health amid the coronavirus outbreak are expected to

continue. As the economy takes a hit after businesses deemed non-essential must shutter their doors,

job security becomes precarious. And with that, incomes plummet and the social safety-net could

falter.

Economic

• As business close to help prevent transmission of COVID-19, financial concerns and job

losses are one of the first human impacts of the virus;

• Not knowing how this pandemic will play out also affects our economic, physical and mental

well-being;

• Despite this fear, businesses and communities in many regions have shown a more altruistic

response in the face of crisis – actions which could help countries preparing for COVID-19.

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The human consequences

In recent weeks, we have seen the significant economic impact of the coronavirus on financial

markets and vulnerable industries such as manufacturing, tourism, hospitality and travel. Travel and

tourism account for 10% of the global GDP and 50 million jobs are at risk worldwide. Global

tourism, travel and hospitality companies closing down affects SMEs globally. This, in turn, affects

many people, typically the least well-paid and those self-employed or working in informal

environments in the gig economy or in part-time work with zero-hours contracts. Some governments

have announced economic measures to safeguard jobs, guarantee wages and support the self-

employed, but there is a lack of clarity in many countries about how these measures will be

implemented and how people will manage a loss of income in the short-term.

Figure 5

Image: Zurich Insurance Group

Behind these statistics lie the human costs of the pandemic, from the deaths of friends and family to

the physical effects of infection and the mental trauma and fear faced by almost everyone. Not

knowing how this pandemic will play out affects our economic, physical and mental well-being

against a backdrop of a world that, for many, is increasingly anxious, unhappy and lonely.

Fear of the unknown can often lead to feelings of panic, for example when people feel they are being

denied life-saving protection or treatment or that they may run out of necessities, which can lead to
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panic buying. Psychological stress is often related to a sense of a lack of control in the face of

uncertainty.

In all cases, lack of information or the wrong information, either provided inadvertently or

maliciously, can amplify the effects. There is a huge amount of misleading information circulating

online about COVID-19, from fake medical information to speculation about government responses.

People are susceptible to social media posts from an apparently trustworthy source, often referred to

as an “Uncle with a Masters”-post, possibly amplified and spread by “copypasta” posts, which share

information by copying and pasting and make each new post look like an original source, as opposed

to posts that are “liked” or “shared” or “retweeted”. The blend of half-truths and nonsense in these

posts makes it hard for social media firms to filter them out.

Figure 6: Confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide

Image: World Health Organization (WHO)

Sadly, criminals and hackers are also exploiting this situation and there has been a significant rise in

Coronavirus-themed malicious websites, with more than 16,000 new coronavirus-related domains

registered since January 2020. Hackers are selling malware and hacking tools through COVID-19

discount codes on the dark net, many of which are aimed at accessing corporate data from home-

workers’ laptops, which may not be as secure as outside an office environment.

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Figure 7: Zurich Insurance Group

Here are six charts that show the impact the outbreak has had on the global economy and markets so

far.

Downgrades in economic forecasts

The outbreak has led major institutions and banks to cut their forecasts for the global economy. One

of the latest to do so is the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

In a March report, the OECD said it downgraded its 2020 growth forecasts for almost all economies.

Figure 8

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China’s gross domestic product growth saw the largest downgrade in terms of magnitude, according

to the report. The Asian economic giant is expected to grow by 4.9% this year, slower than the

earlier forecast of 5.7%, said OECD.

Meanwhile, the global economy is expected to grow by 2.4% in 2020 — down from the 2.9%

projected earlier, said the report.

Slowdown in manufacturing activity

The manufacturing sector in China has been hit hard by the virus outbreak. The Caixin / Markit

Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index — a survey of private companies — showed

that China’s factory activity contracted in February, coming in at a record-low reading of 40.3. A

reading below 50 indicates contraction.

Figure 9

Such a slowdown in Chinese manufacturing has hurt countries with close economic links to China,

many of which are Asia Pacific economies such as Vietnam, Singapore and South Korea.

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Factories in China are taking longer than expected to resume operations, several analysts said. That,

along with a rapid spread of COVID-19 outside China, means that global manufacturing activity

could remain subdued for longer, economists said.

Services contraction

The virus outbreak in China has also hit the country’s services industry as reduced consumer

spending hurt retail stores, restaurants and aviation among others.

The Caixin/Markit Services PMI for China came in at just 26.5 in February, the first drop below the

50-point level since the survey began almost 15 years ago.

Figure 10

China is not the only country where the services sector has weakened. The services sector in the

U.S., the world’s largest consumer market, also contracted in February, according to IHS Markit,

which compiles the monthly PMI data.

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One reason behind the U.S. services contraction was a reduction in “new business from abroad as

customers held back from placing orders amid global economic uncertainty and the coronavirus

outbreak,” said IHS Markit.

Declining oil prices

A reduction in global economic activity has lowered the demand for oil, taking oil prices to multi-

year lows. That happened even before a disagreement on production cuts between OPEC and its

allies caused the latest plunge in oil prices.

Analysts from Singaporean bank DBS said reduced oil demand from the virus outbreak and an

expected increase in supply are a “double whammy” for oil markets.

Figure 11

China, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, is the world’s largest crude oil importer.

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“The spread of the virus in Italy and other parts of Europe is particularly worrying and will likely

dampen demand in OECD countries as well,” the DBS analysts wrote in a report.

Stock market rout

Fear surrounding the impact of COVID-19 on the global economy has hurt investor sentiment and

brought down stock prices in major markets.

Figure 12

Cedric Chehab, head of country risk and global strategy at Fitch Solutions, said there are three ways

the coronavirus outbreak could work its way through sentiment in markets.

“We have identified three channels through which the COVID-19 outbreak was going to weigh on

markets so that’s the slowdown in China, the slowdown from domestic outbreaks … and the third

channel was financial markets stress,” he told CNBC’s “Street Signs Asia” this week.

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Figure 13

Jan. 27: Market fears

Traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange as the week kicked off Jan. 27. US stocks fell

sharply in morning trading as fears over the spreading coronavirus continue to unsettle global

markets. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell over 400 points after the opening bell. Markets

recovered, but...

A month later, on Feb. 24, the Dow fell more than 1,000 points, for its biggest daily decline since

2018.

“We believe that the Fed is cognizant that it has limited policy space for conventional cuts today

versus past recessions, and will look to move more aggressively and ahead of market expectations to

extract the maximum efficacy from its rate cuts,” strategists at Bank of Singapore wrote in a note.

Impact on Nepalese Economy:

Tourism and Remittance are and going to be the two-most affected areas as a result of this

Pandemic. While our National Competitiveness lies in the overall hospitality sectors such as Hotels,

Airlines, Restaurants, Trekking and other Adventure sports/activities, Remittance, which takes a

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brunt of covering almost 30% of our GDP, in an otherwise heavily-lopsided trade-deficit situation

(with Import/Export Ratio of more than 13 Times), has been our life saver for several years.

There will be substantial bloodshed from the above two sectors, which will be very challenging to

overcome. Job losses, mass reverse-migration will directly impact living standard, nutrition, health

care, among other important variables.

Government’s Approach – Highly Dismal.

There has been nothing so far. Nepal Government’s attitude towards Entrepreneurs or Business

Persons has been very disappointing and negative. While the entire world has announced relief

packages for affected sectors, there is nothing so far from the Nepal Government, which is very

unfortunate. Sometimes fail to understand, our Finance Minister, considered as such an educated

person, having served institutions like IMF, Central Bank and Planning Commission in the highest

capacities, has such a poor decision-making and resolve as far as stimulating the economy is

considered. Having a dedicated Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) Cell in National Planning

Commission is not enough when Government’s attitude towards Private Sector is so negative. Our

sincere request to the Government is to please listen and feel the role of Private Sector and do

something concrete immediately. There is no point waiting. There is nothing to wait for. We are

always there to collaborate and add value. Among others, some of the immediate measures

Government can take are as follows:

1. Reduction of Interest Rates (at least 50%) for borrowed funds. NRB can subsidize this.

2. Defer VAT and TDS Payments for at least upto Ashad 2077.

3. Interest-Free Loans/Grants to targeted Sectors such as Hotels, Restaurants, Travel Agencies,

Airlines, Transport, Entertainment Businesses.

4. Provide Grants to support up to 80% of Salary Expenses for at least 3 months

5. Reduce/Waive Corporate Tax Rates for FY 76/77

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6. Reduce/Waive Personal Income Tax for remaining months for FY 76/77.

Essential actions from the business community

Health measures must be the first priority for governments, business and society. It is important for

businesses to show solidarity and work together to protect staff, local communities and customers, as

well as keeping supply chains, manufacturing and logistics working. According to research, “my

employer” is more trusted than the government or media. Daily updates on a company website with

input from scientists and experts are recommended to counter politicized messages in the media and

from governments. This is particularly true for large companies that have the capacity to do this.

Messages about what businesses are doing for their employees and in their communities is also

important. Some companies are helping schoolchildren from vulnerable families who can no longer

get a school meal; others are providing public health messages about effective handwashing. Even

CEOs can show they are working from home and self-isolating, while still being effective in their

leadership.

Figure14

Image: Zurich Insurance Group

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Figure 15

March 11: Another sporting event canceled

This is a view of the empty stands at the Are ski resort in northern Sweden. Like many cultural and

sporting events around the world, the Alpine Skiing World Cup finals this weekend have been

canceled due to coronavirus concerns. On March 11, Sweden's Public Health Agency asked the

government to temporarily ban events with more than 500 people.

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Politics

Figure 16

The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic affected the political systems of multiple countries causing

suspensions of legislative activities, isolation or deaths of multiple politicians, and rescheduling of

elections due to fears of spreading the virus .

There is a plaque in the English seaside town of Weymouth which records, matter-of-factly: “The

Black Death entered England in 1348 through this port. It killed 30-50 per cent of the country’s total

population”.

International epidemics are a centuries-old phenomenon that have often changed the course of

history. The Black Death, which some believe originated in China and others trace to the Crimea,

caused devastation across Europe — bringing social, economic and political turmoil in its wake.

Centuries later, it was European explorers who carried new diseases across the Atlantic — creating

epidemics that decimated indigenous populations in the Americas.

Since the coronavirus appears to have a mortality rate of around 2 per cent it will not have the

impact of history’s worst pandemics. But, for a modern society, the worst-case scenarios are still
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shocking. This week a leaked British government estimate outlined an extreme case in which 80 per

cent of the UK public is infected, leading to 500,000 deaths. Professor Marc Lipsitch of the Harvard

TH Chan School of Public Health has predicted that between 40 and 70 per cent of people

worldwide are likely to be infected in the coming year — although many will have only mild

symptoms or none at all.

A public health emergency, combined with a global recession, has the potential to change politics

around the world. At this stage, the most obvious risks concern China, the US presidential election, a

rise in international tensions, and the threat to the world’s poorest countries and to refugees.

Figure 17

US election: Trump vulnerability

President Donald Trump seems anxious that a potential pandemic could upend the US election in

November.

Donald Trump, US president, said this week that “coronavirus is very much under control in the

USA” and suggested that now might be a good time to buy stocks. Mr. Trump has always believed a

soaring stock market would be a huge asset in his bid for re-election in November. Now he seems

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anxious that a potential pandemic could upend the election. But if the president’s predictions that the

epidemic will be contained prove over-optimistic, he may have increased his own political

vulnerability.

The Trump administration’s record on preparing for epidemics is also vulnerable to attack. After the

Ebola virus outbreak of 2014, the Obama administration hosted an international summit to set up

global arrangements to deal with future epidemics — and it created a unit in the National Security

Council to focus on the issue. But that unit was disbanded by the Trump administration in 2018 and

America’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also suffered drastic cuts to its epidemic

prevention activities.

A pandemic — if one is eventually declared — could increase calls for more government direction

of the US health system, which might bolster the arguments made for nationalized healthcare by

Senator Bernie Sanders, the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination.

Given the strong libertarian tradition on the American far-right — and the popularity of conspiracy

theories about the federal government’s plan to remove the liberties of ordinary Americans — the

US government would struggle to quarantine towns in the manner seen in China and on a smaller

scale, in Italy.

Any effort to do so could potentially spark violence between the federal authorities and gun-toting

militias.

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 Figure 18

China: A threat to legitimacy

Chinese President Xi Jinping receives a temperature check as he visits neighborhoods in Beijing

Unlike Mr Trump, Xi Jinping, his Chinese counterpart, does not have to worry about re-election. Yet,

the coronavirus still poses a threat to his popularity and legitimacy — and even, conceivably, to his

leadership.

With travel outside the country sharply curtailed and major Chinese cities effectively shut down, it is

clear that Xi’s China is simultaneously facing a health emergency, an economic crisis and

international embarrassment.

The government in Beijing has sought to portray the virus as a natural disaster — with no fault

attached to Mr Xi or his administration. The official line stresses Beijing’s ability to take rapid and

effective action, and the social solidarity displayed by ordinary Chinese people as they battle to

contain the epidemic. With more than half the country of 1.4bn facing some restrictions on their

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freedom of movement and 150m facing controls on leaving their homes, China has arguably initiated

the largest cordon sanitaire in history.

Nonetheless, the official story is clearly open to challenge — as was demonstrated by the outcry

sparked by the death of Li Wenliang, a young doctor working in Wuhan, the epicenter of the

epidemic. In the early days of the crisis, Li had raised the alarm in an online chat group. This earned

him a visit from the police, who forced him to promise to stop spreading rumors and to sign a

confession. On his deathbed, Li made a statement that later went viral — “I think a healthy society

should not only have one kind of voice”. Without mentioning China’s president, Li’s dying testament

was an elegant and poignant condemnation of the style of strongman politics that Mr Xi has pursued.

Figure 19

International tensions: Virus feeds enmity

Students at Sydney university protesting against the government decision to deny entry to people

travelling from China

In internet chat rooms in China, speculation that the virus was manufactured in America to damage

China is common. Officials in Beijing have not voiced conspiracy theories of this sort, but some of

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their counterparts in the US have not been so restrained. Senator Tom Cotton, a hawkish Republican

with presidential ambitions, has suggested that the coronavirus was spawned by a bio-weapons

program in a government laboratory in Wuhan. In Iran, where senior members of the government

have become infected with the virus, President Hassan Rouhani has called the fears spread by

coronavirus “a conspiracy by the enemies of Iran”.

Directly blaming other countries for the manufacture or spread of the virus remains comparatively

rare. But the adoption of quarantines and travel bans across the world is causing friction between

nations.

Chinese officials have criticized the Trump administration’s decision to deny entry to foreign

nationals who had been in China in the previous 14 days — as well as a travel advisory warning

Americans not to visit the country — saying the measures had “triggered unnecessary panic”.

Meanwhile, Mike Pompeo, US secretary of state, has criticized China and Iran for withholding

information. Yet Beijing wants praise from the international community for its efforts to contain the

virus. Wang Yi, Chinese foreign minister, insisted: “China is not only protecting its own people but

also the rest of the world.”

But as situation rapidly deteriorated in South Korea there was a proliferation of anti-Chinese

sentiment, in part directed at Beijing but also at President Moon Jae-in for his government’s

reluctance to ban Chinese visitors. Despite their difficult relationship, Japan has studiously avoided

any criticism of Beijing over the outbreak. But Japan’s public reaction has been more hostile, with

some restaurants putting up signs refusing Chinese customers.

With a major outbreak of the virus confirmed in Italy, EU is now concerned about a threat to the

Schengen border-free travel zone, which covers 26 European countries. Continent’s refugee crisis has

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already put Schengen under strain with countries such as France and Austria re-establishing border

checks. Under EU law, countries are allowed to close their frontiers in the case of a public health

emergency. But such actions are meant to follow clear guidelines issued by Brussels. The danger is

that, as the political pressure mounts, EU countries may take haphazard and uncoordinated actions.

International trade could suffer as much as international travel. Globalization has not been a

fashionable cause for some years — as protectionists blame trade for job losses, and Green politicians

highlight the environmental costs. The epidemic gives the anti-globalizers another argument,

allowing them to highlight the dangers of relying on supply chains vulnerable to the

kinds of disruption caused by the virus.

Figure 20

Refugees and poor countries: Can health systems cope?

Overcrowded refugee camps such as the one in Moria, Greece, are vulnerable to the spread of

contagion

Up to now, the biggest confirmed outbreaks of the virus have mostly taken place in rich or middle-

income countries with strong central governments — such as China, Japan, Italy and South Korea.

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But the virus will be much harder to contain, if and when it spreads to poorer nations, with less-

developed health systems. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has reported its first case. And

there are fears that there may already be significant numbers of cases in nations such as Indonesia and

India — which have not yet been reported. Indonesia, with a population of 270m and close economic

and transport ties to China, is a particular concern.

In Europe and the Middle East, refugees are often living in crowded camps in unhealthy conditions,

with 12m scattered across Iraq, Lebanon, Turkey and Syria — and a further 1m (mainly Afghans) in

Iran. The situation of the Syrians fleeing the current military assault on Idlib — many of whom are

living in tents along the Turkish border — is already desperate, and looks vulnerable to the spread of

contagion. In that context, the Turkish government’s announcement this week that it will no longer

restrict the flow of refugees to Europe will alarm the EU.

The past week has seen the coronavirus mutate into a truly global crisis. The worst-case health

scenarios will probably be avoided. But the political effects of the outbreak are only just beginning.

Legal

Companies globally are being impacted by the coronavirus outbreak, through both the labor market

and their supply chain. Travel restrictions on Chinese workers are preventing the normal resumption

of work after Chinese New Year and affecting the operation of manufacturing plants within China as

well as the Chinese labor market outside China.

The shutdown of Chinese manufacturing is likely to have an impact on the global supply chain along

with a consequential impact on construction projects and other downstream industries. Disruption

may spread indirectly to other markets, including key commodity markets (copper, iron ore, zinc,

nickel, lithium, oil and LNG). In particular, many mines in emerging markets rely upon the free

movement of people, in and out of country, who rotate their work shifts on a periodic basis. With a

significant proportion of mines having Chinese personnel, this creates a high risk of spread. We are

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already seeing restrictions on travel affect construction and operation activities on mine sites in Africa

for example.

The shipping industry is likely to be impacted in a number of ways: not only through disruption to

voyages to and from China, but also from delays in other countries as a result of quarantine and port

checks due to cases, or suspected cases, of the coronavirus amongst crew and passengers on board

vessels. Delivery of cargo may be delayed, or cargo may need to be discharged at alternative or

interim ports, with expensive consequences and significant logistical and insurance implications. The

construction of newbuilding vessels and scheduled ship repairs and upgrades are being delayed as a

result of the impact of outbreak on the Chinese workforce which could adversely affect operating

schedules. There have already been press reports that Chinese energy companies may be considering

rejecting scheduled LNG cargoes claiming force majeure as national demand weakens.

As well as investigating the contractual implications, effective work health and safety systems and

strategies for workers, sites and the wider community should be put in place to preserve business

interests and to ensure the safety of workers while plans for business continuity should also be

implemented to allow for the recovery of operations if required. These plans will need to be

developed globally, particularly in the maritime industry, where strategies around the safety of crew

and passengers aboard vessels and the potential impact on any destination ports of outbreaks of the

virus during voyages will need to be addressed.

The rights of employees and users of services must not be overlooked. Although the outbreak of the

coronavirus has been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization, response

must be reasonable and proportionate so as not to affect human rights enshrined in the Universal

Declaration of Human Rights. The right to health provides for the right to access healthcare, the right

to access information, the prohibition of discrimination in the provision of medical services, and the

freedom from non-consensual medical treatment. Arbitrary detention or discrimination will give rise

to potential claims. Quarantines or restrictions on the right to freedom of movement imposed (as
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opposed to voluntarily entered into) must be proportionate, safe and respectful. They must be

imposed in a non-discriminatory way for legitimate aims and not targeted at people of select race or

origin.

Environmental

The coronavirus is upending everything from aviation to the economy — and it's also having a big

impact on the environment.

Some of those are positive — a big (albeit likely temporary) drop in CO2 emissions as factories

shutter and the economy sputters — while others are negative — growing piles of possibly infected

waste like tissues and old face masks.

Figure 21

Satellite Images Reveal a Dramatic Drop in Pollution During the Coronavirus Quarantine

The graphs show a gradual decrease in NO2 pollution starting from the 14th of February With less

NO2 traces on the 8th of March.

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Here are six ways coronavirus is already having an effect.

1. Improvements in air quality

A drop in air pollution was first observed by NASA in China’s Hubei province, where the

coronavirus outbreak began in December. The Chinese government on January 23 put Wuhan and

other cities on lockdown to contain the virus, leading to a standstill for normal life.

“This is the first time I have seen such a dramatic drop-off over such a wide area for a specific

event,” Fei Liu, an air quality researcher at NASA’s Goddard space flight centre, told the Guardian.

In Madrid this week, Spain’s Directorate General for Traffic registered a 14 percent drop in rush-

hour traffic, El País reported. The European Commission last year referred the Spanish capital to

court for failing to meet EU limits on air pollution designed to protect people’s health.

Marshall Burke, a researcher at Stanford University, calculated the improvements in air quality

recorded in China may have saved the lives of 4,000 children under 5 years old and 73,000 adults

over 70. Even more conservative estimates would put the number of lives saved at roughly 20 times

the number of deaths from the virus directly.

“It seems clearly incorrect and foolhardy to conclude that pandemics are good for health ... But the

calculation is perhaps a useful reminder of the often-hidden health consequences of the status quo,”

Burke wrote in a blog post.

2. Greenhouse gas emissions

Slowing economic activity also drives down emissions — if only temporarily. As countries order the

closedown of schools, shops and factories, emissions are expected to fall.

The last time carbon emissions fell was during the economic crisis in 2008-2009. But as the

economy picked up, so did demand for coal and other fossil fuels — especially in China, the world’s

largest emitter.
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A study by specialist outlet Carbon Brief found that in China, carbon dioxide emissions have fallen

by around 25 percent.

Another factor that could dampen emissions growth is lower oil demand.

The International Energy Agency said Monday that global oil demand is expected to decline this

year “as the impact of the new coronavirus spreads around the world, constricting travel and broader

economic activity.”

The pandemic affects energy markets more broadly, but oil markets are most severely hit by “dealing

a heavy blow to demand for transport fuels,” especially in China, the world’s largest energy

consumer, said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. “While the repercussions of the virus are

spreading to other parts of the world, what happens in China will have major implications for global

energy and oil markets.”

Europe — where industrial emissions have largely stagnated but transport emissions have gone up in

recent years — might also experience a dip in emissions as more governments order lockdowns.

“Obviously there are almost certainly going to be further impacts on emissions,” said Simon Evans

of Carbon Brief. However, he said an assessment for Europe would come at a later date since “the

situation is fast moving and even in Italy the restrictions have only started very recently.”

But as more people choose to stay at home, demand for home entertainment could soar, driving up

energy use.

Germany’s Deutsche Commercial Internet Exchange interconnection platform, or De-Cix, reported a

record throughput of data: More than 9.1 terabits of data per second were transmitted Tuesday

evening, according to De-Cix.

“Never before has so much data been exchanged at peak times at an Internet Exchange,” the

Frankfurt-based company said in a press release. De-Cix added that the rise in internet traffic can be
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explained by both more people streaming videos as well as by an increase in searches for new

information about the coronavirus.

3. Mountains of waste

Coffee chain Starbucks decided to stop accepting reusable cups from its customers — only serving

drinks in disposable single-use cups that are not yet recyclable in a bid to prevent the spread of the

virus.

There have also been warnings to err toward eating pre-packaged foods, for example at work

functions — despite an effort by the European Food Safety Authority to reassure people that, so far,

there is “no evidence that food is a likely source or route of transmission of the virus.”

Meanwhile, China is drowning under medical waste produced by hospitals including face masks and

single-use tissues. In the city of Wuhan, the volume of medical waste is reported to

have quadrupled to more than 200 tons a day. Single-use medical items that have been in contact

with infected patients must be burned to prevent further contamination that could occur during

recycling.

4. More room on the metro

Madrid’s metro operator said ridership fell 35.8 percent on Wednesday compared to the week before.

The Belgian government also advised people to avoid peak-hour travel, although Brussels’ STIB said

it doesn’t yet have data available on any drop in riders.

A surge in working from home may lead to changes in people’s long-term habits or a loss of services

in some (relatively) cleaner forms of transport.

At least those who do take public transport should find it cleaner. Berlin’s BVG won’t allow riders to

buy tickets on-board its buses in a bid to reduce spread of germs; STIB promised cleaners will give

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special attention to handles and buttons, and Transport for London announced plans to roll out extra-

strong anti-viral cleaning liquids.

5. Stalled airline emissions

Air traffic has taken a nosedive since the virus spread to Europe. Despite previous projections of

growth, 67 million fewer passengers flew in the first three months of 2020 compared to the year

before.

Policymakers and industry are still trying to figure out how much worse it will get, but airlines are

canceling an increasing number of flights as the virus continues to spread and countries introduce

travel restrictions.

Airline lobby IATA predicts the global industry could lose up to $113 billion this year. This

inevitably means a dip in carbon emissions, but that will only last as long as the virus does.

6. Climate is no longer the crisis

With the virus consuming everybody’s attention, the climate issue has been crowded off the agenda.

On Monday, the European Parliament opted to forgo a debate on the EU’s new Climate Law after the

plenary session was shortened to minimize people’s exposure. Parliament President David Sassoli

then quarantined himself for two weeks.

“Meetings are being canceled but important decisions should not be delayed,” said Anton Lazarus of

the European Environmental Bureau. “The corona crisis cannot be allowed to slow down action to

tackle climate and ecological crises.”

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg on Wednesday urged her followers via Instagram to shift

the ongoing Fridays for Future protests into cyberspace.

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Figure 22

Air pollution improves dramatically in the Kathmandu Valley and other major cities across the

nation.

When it comes to coronavirus, “We can’t solve a crisis without treating it as a crisis and we must

unite behind experts and science,” she wrote. “This of course goes for all crises.”

Technology

The telecommunications and consumer technology industries continue to feel the impact of the

coronavirus.

Mobile World Congress, a seminal conference in the telecommunications industry, was among the

first in a string of industry conferences and keynotes to be canceled as part of containment efforts.

And as more employees are being asked to work remotely, the industry faces the prospect of delayed

initiatives and missed partnership opportunities.

But the telecommunications and technology industries have also found opportunities to help with

what matters most keeping people safe and healthy by aiding companies that are scrambling to make

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videoconferencing technology more broadly available, assisting governments disseminate accurate

information to citizens about the virus, and finding uses for smart city technologies to combat the

pandemic.

Here are five ways we expect the coronavirus to affect the industry over the coming year:

1) The clearest and most immediate business impact of the coronavirus pandemic was a major

disruption to supply chains.

Having originated in China, the region was hit hard as a large number of citizens contracted the

disease and many were forced into quarantine. This led to partial and full shutdowns of plants and

factories, some of which were being used by prominent technology companies to manufacture their

goods and products. For example, Apple experienced shortages on its iPhone supply as a result of the

company's primary manufacturer, Foxconn, shutting down much of its production in China.

Ultimately for Apple, this will lead to a significantly reduced forecast in iPhone shipments through

Q1 — by as much as 10%, according to estimates by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo cited by

MacRumors. And while companies often have contingency plans, which revolve around ramping up

production in a region that isn't impacted, the rapid spread of the coronavirus across the globe makes

it very difficult to pinpoint which regions would be least affected. Even then, the momentum and

resources of the Chinese economy will not be easily replicated — "Made in China" initiatives

have seen the government invest billions in advanced manufacturing sectors including

telecommunications equipment and semiconductors.

2) The spread of the coronavirus caused several of the most important tech conferences to be

canceled, likely resulting in numerous missed partnership opportunities.

Most notably, Mobile World Congress (MWC), which was set to take place February 24-27 in

Barcelona, was canceled due to concerns over the virus. MWC is a cornerstone event in the

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connectivity industry as it brings together the most important companies in the space to network,

share innovations, and forge new business partnerships. Several companies rescheduled the events

they had planned for MWC, but the continued presence of the coronavirus led others to cancel them

entirely.

Beyond MWC, Facebook canceled its F8 Developer Conference and Global Marketing Summit,

Google shifted its Google Cloud Next event to online only, and IBM likewise had to livestream its

developer's conference, which last year hosted over 30,000 attendees. Altogether, the cancellation of

major tech events has incurred over $1 billion in direct economic losses, according to estimates from

Predict HQ cited by Recode.

Online alternatives helped limit the fallout from canceled conferences, but tech industries will

likely still suffer a period of stifled innovation due to forgone in-person business

opportunities. Conference attendees do not have the same opportunities to network via

livestreaming as they do attending in-person events. It would be harder for marketers to casually

share best practices over the livestreamed Facebook Global Marketing Summit, for instance, than it

would be if the event actually took place. Though it is difficult to quantify the value of these chance

encounters or informal network sessions, the effects will undoubtedly be felt throughout the

impacted industries.

3) The growing need for remote interactions amid the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted a

need for 5G technology, potentially accelerating adoption in the long term.

5G's lightning-fast speeds, near-instantaneous communications, and increased connection density

makes it primed for remote interactions, which has become top of mind for many organizations and

enterprises as caution mounts over the spread of the virus. Two key areas — telehealth and

teleconferencing — are becoming critical for enterprise operations amid the pandemic, and we think

that increased dependence on these areas will help strengthen the appeal of 5G:

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• Telehealth: The technical superiority of the new standard empowers physicians to diagnose, treat,

and operate on patients without the need to be physically near them. We've already seen such use

cases for 5G to combat coronavirus in China: In January, telecoms ZTE and China

Telecom designed a 5G-powered system that enables remote consultations and diagnoses of the virus

by connecting physicians at West China Hospital to 27 hospitals treating infected patients. Given the

ability of 5G to expand the reach of expertise and services offered by hospitals in this time of

increased need, we expect more hospitals will look to tap into 5G to take advantage of the benefits

offered by the new standard.

• Teleconferencing: Many employers have increased their reliance on enterprise teleconferencing

tools — such as Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts, and Zoom — as their employees switch to

remote work due to public health concerns. We expect that employers' dependence on such tools

during the coronavirus pandemic will strengthen the case for 5G connectivity in the home — and in

the office as enterprises recognize the value that teleconferencing tools offer. That's because a 5G

connection will be able to provide real-time and uninterrupted communication that's not possible

with most wired connections today.

4) The coronavirus could highlight possible use cases for virtual reality (VR) in enterprises,

boosting the technology's uptake.

The outbreaks of coronavirus have caused big tech companies like Apple, Google, and Microsoft to

recommend or mandate that employees work from home. Additionally, companies like Amazon

have limited nonessential employee travel to affected areas like China, Italy, and even within the US.

While this is the safest course of action during the pandemic, it does inhibit collaborative efforts and

opportunities for hands-on training. As these drawbacks become clearer enterprises will look for

ways to smooth disruptions for employees, and one way will likely be VR.

Companies already have been identified VR as a tool to improve employee training, but the

coronavirus could prove to be the impetus for some workplaces to implement the technology.
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Almost half (49%) of business respondents are looking to use VR and other extended reality tools to

mirror real-world training conditions, according to a Perkins Coie survey. If kept at home, employees

can keep their skills sharp with hands-on tutorials which previously may have only been available in

a workplace setting. For instance, a technician can practice repairing industrial equipment without

leaving their home. Additionally, a wider range of meetings can be held remotely through VR, as

workers can better view and share complex ideas like prototype designs — 20% of employees

identify communication and collaboration as their biggest struggle with working remotely.

5) Investment in smart city solutions will continue to grow as the tech has proven to be a

valuable tool in crisis management.

Cities around the world have utilized smart city technology in attempts to mitigate the impact of

coronavirus. Police in China are using drones with thermal sensors to identify people in public

running a fever. The South Korean government developed a smartphone app that puts self-

quarantined individuals in touch with caseworkers, allowing them to report their progress and ask

any questions that arise. The Australian government launched a chat bot to address citizen questions

and quell the spread of disinformation.

While these solutions are far-reaching, they all fall within the domain of smart cities, proving

the space to be a worthwhile investment in a time of crisis. Most smart city solutions are intended

to support the day-to-day operations of a city. But that underlying infrastructure — whether it be

city-wide connectivity, surveillance systems, or citizen communication platforms — can be adapted

to meet the needs of a government in a time of crisis, as the coronavirus has demonstrated. Business

Insider Intelligence estimates that smart city investment will reach $295 billion by 2025, up from

$131 billion in 2020. Should smart city solutions prove to be an effective tool at mitigating the

pandemic, governments may feel even greater certainty in making further investment, which could

accelerate the rate at which they deploy solutions.

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India’s giant IT services companies will see a significant slowdown in growth during this financial

year as they grapple with the upheaval wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic, according to analysts.

Top software exporters-Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys growth decrease by 2.25 % and HCL

Technologies decrease by 2.00 % will be impacted by the reduced technology spending by clients in

the US and Europe following lockdowns across the globe.

Education

The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic has affected educational systems worldwide, leading to the

widespread closures of schools and universities.

As of 8 April 2020, approximately 1.716 billion learners have been affected due to school closures in

response to COVID-19. According to UNESCO monitoring, 188 countries have implemented

nationwide closures and 5 have implemented local closures, impacting about 99.4% of the world's

student population. On 23 March 2020, Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) released a

statement announcing the cancellation of Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge O Level, Cambridge

International AS & A Level, Cambridge AICE Diploma, and Cambridge Pre-U examinations for the

May/June 2020 series across all countries. International Baccalaureate exams have also been

cancelled.

School closures impact not only students, teachers, and families, but have far-reaching economic and

societal consequences. School closures in response to COVID-19 have shed light on various social

and economic issues, including student debt, digital learning, food insecurity, and homelessness, as

well as access to childcare, health care, housing, internet, and disability services. The impact was

more severe for disadvantaged children and their families, causing interrupted learning,

compromised nutrition, childcare problems, and consequent economic cost to families who could not

work.

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In response to school closures, UNESCO recommended the use of distance learning programs

and open educational applications and platforms that schools and teachers can use to reach learners

remotely and limit the disruption of education.

Figure 22

March 16: Starting school at home

Kids in Portland, Maine, settle in for a day of home schooling. A growing list of states across the US,

including Ohio, Maryland, Michigan and Virginia, have closed schools in an attempt to contain the

coronavirus. Major cities including New York City and Los Angeles have done the same.

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Figure 23

5 April 2020: Preparation for presentation through Zoom app.

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Conclusion

The outbreak of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has created a global health crisis that has

had a deep impact on the way we perceive our world and our everyday lives. Not only the rate of

contagion and patterns of transmission threatens our sense of agency, but the safety measures put in

place to contain the spread of the virus also require social distancing by refraining from doing what

is inherently human, which is to find solace in the company of others. Within this context of physical

threat, social and physical distancing, as well as public alarm is most important instrument to be safe.

Besides crisis COVID-19 will sweep away many of the artificial barriers to moving more of our lives

online. Not everything can become virtual, of course. But in many areas of our lives, uptake on

genuinely useful online tools has been slowed by powerful legacy players, often working in

collaboration with overcautious bureaucrats. Medicare allowing billing for telemedicine was a long-

overdue change, for instance, as was revisiting HIPAA to permit more medical providers to use the

same tools the rest of us use every day to communicate, such as Skype, and email. The regulatory

bureaucracy might well have dragged its feet on this for many more years if not for this crisis. The

resistance—led by teachers’ unions and the politicians beholden to them—to allowing partial

homeschooling or online learning for K-12 kids has been swept away by necessity. It will be near-

impossible to put that genie back in the bottle in the fall, with many families finding that they prefer

full or partial homeschooling or online homework. For many college students, returning to an

expensive dorm room on a depopulated campus will not be appealing, forcing massive changes in a

sector that has been ripe for innovation for a long time. And while not every job can be done

remotely, many people are learning that the difference between having to put on a tie and commute

for an hour or working efficiently at home was always just the ability to download one or two apps

plus permission from their boss. Once companies sort out their remote work dance steps, it will be

harder—and more expensive—to deny employees those options. In other words, it turns out, an

awful lot of meetings (and doctors’ appointments and classes) really could have been an email.

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Perhaps we can use our time with our devices to rethink the kinds of community we can create

through them. Entrepreneurs offer time to listen to pitches. Master yoga instructors teach free

classes. This is a different life on the screen from disappearing into a video game or polishing one’s

avatar. This is breaking open a medium with human generosity and empathy. This is looking within

and asking: “What can I authentically offer? I have a life, a history. What do people need?” If,

moving forward, we apply our most human instincts to our devices, that will have been a powerful

COVID-19 legacy. Not only alone together, but together alone.

The most affected section of the Nepalese economy from this Pandemic is and will be our large labor

force, which get paid on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. They are already eating less, they are

under-nourished and are absolutely fearful about their and families, more particularly children and

elderly people’s, future.

These labor force, which comprise about significant 35% of our population, must be protected. The

first and foremost priority of ours must be to retain their jobs and also provide employment to our

Nepalese laborers, who have already returned and will be returning forcefully from India, Middle

East, Malaysia and other countries. Because of slowdown in all economies around the Globe, our

people working outside will be laid off and will be forced to come back to Nepal.

We, the entrepreneurs, must create avenues, start businesses, be most enterprising to create jobs for

these people and ensure basic minimum cash flow for them to join their hands and mouth. Failing to

do this might result in disastrous outcomes, including the worst possible consequence, to the extent

of ‘starvation’. Hence, as far as possible, let’s not shut our doors for the working class, even if we

are not able to create additional jobs, which is anyway going to be highly challenging, let’s not lay

off people for the jobs for the maximum possible period of time. Let’s remember, if we can keep

them in payroll for 4 months, their family will be fed for 4 months, after which we can hope for the

situation to start getting normalized. This is the time we must think from humanitarian point of view.

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Our Balance Sheets, Cash Flows, Profits are all secondary compared to fighting ‘hunger’ of our

people.

Sectors to focus by Entrepreneurs

Agriculture, agriculture and agriculture. During these times, we must focus on producing basic food

materials to keep our population fed. Also basic food processing plants, across all agricultural

products, must be on a priority list.

Other sectors like health, education, services, tourism, energy can continue to be our priority. Other

ancillary sectors like communication, IT and HR must play their efficient roles to support above-

mentioned core sectors. We must build our competitiveness in our core-strength areas. Going

forward, our Financial system must be innovative enough to cater right financial products for our

country, absolutely innovative practices in Micro and Municipal Financing must be accelerated and

role of private sector must be enhanced. Venture capitalist and Private Equity Funds must be flexible

in financing the start-ups and depart from their stringent rules of financing businesses. Central Bank

(Nepal Rastra Bank), Securities Exchange Board, Insurance Board, along with their regulatory roles,

must play the role of facilitating Banks, Capital and Insurance Companies.

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Reference

https://www.who.org

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/20/learning/how-is-the-coronavirus-outbreak-

affecting-your-life.html

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/this-is-the-human-impact-of-covid-19-and-

how-business-can-help/

https://www.ft.com/content/fd8bfd8a-5a25-11ea-abe5-8e03987b7b20

https://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/en-

no/knowledge/publications/29747bbb/coronavirus-outbreak-the-legal-implications

https://www.politico.eu/article/6-ways-coronavirus-is-changing-the-environment/

https://www.businessinsider.com/five-ways-coronavirus-will-affect-the-connectivity-

tech-industry-2020

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Appendix

Figure Number Concept of figure

1 Social distancing
2 Homeless people in Nepal
3 Food handout
4 Food handout
5 Domino effect
6 Confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide till 22 March
7 Hacker and coronavirus
8 Global economic growth slowdown
9 Slowdown in manufacturing
10 Slowdown in service
11 Slowdown in oil price
12 Slowdown in stock markets
13 Market fear on stock markets
14 Effects of coronavirus
15 Sport event cancelled
16 Politics
17 US election: Trump vulnerability

18 China: A threat to legitimacy

19 international tensions: Virus feeds enmity

20 Refugee and poor countries

21 Reduce of NO2
22 Starting school at home
23 Online classes

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