- Prelims: Current events of national importance, Government policies, Covid-19, pandemic treaty).
- Mains GS Paper II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementations etc
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
- Study by CMIE-CPHS (Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy which conducts Consumer Pyramids Household Surveys) before and during the pandemic (16th wave for the period January-April 2019 to the 23rd wave for the period May 2021-August 2021).
- It simultaneously determines the incidence of COVID-19 and shares of food expenditure and socializing.
- Arthur Schopenhauer(German philosopher): Life swings like a pendulum backward and forward between pain and boredom.”
INSIGHTS ON THE ISSUE
Context
Pandemic:
- According to the WHO, a pandemic is declared when a new disease for which people do not have immunity spreads around the world beyond expectations.
Epidemic:
- An epidemic is a large outbreak, one that spreads among a population or region.
- It is less severe than pandemic due to a limited area of spread.
Covid-19
- The novel coronavirus outbreak in 2019-2020 with the nickname COVID-19 is a new strain of viruses which can cause fever, cough, breathing difficulties, pneumonia and even death in humans.
- WHO: It declared COVID-19 infections as a public health emergency of international concern and later called it a pandemic.
- RNA virus: Coronavirus consists of an RNA genome and is one of the largest in the RNA family.
- Single stranded: Coronaviruses are enveloped and contain single-stranded positive-sense RNA.
Negative impact of Covid-19:
- Lay-offs of the employed
- Deaths on a massive scale
- Mobility restrictions
- Closure of cinema halls, restaurants
- Restrictions on the scale of wedding ceremonies
- Other forms of socializing
Study based on eight waves of by CMIE-CPHS (Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy which conducts Consumer Pyramids Household Surveys):
- Incidence and socializing: It simultaneously determines the incidence of COVID-19 and shares of food expenditure and socializing.
- The incidence of COVID-19: It is driven largely by the source of transmission and the length/speed of transmission.
- The COVID-19 incidence determines the share of food expenditure
- Two together: They determine the share of socializing expenditure of a household.
Impact of lay-offs and interrupted food supply chains:
- Income and food price spike: It caused substantial income losses and food price spikes,
- Low-income households: They barely maintained their subsistence household expenditure.
- Engel’s law: Share of food expenditure rises as income falls.
- Further aggravated by food price spikes.
Impact on socialization:
- Due to budget constraint: A higher share of food expenditure is expected to lower that of socializing expenditure.
How will socializing expenditure rise?
- If the wealthy absorb these shocks and still have a large share of discretionary funds.
- Their socializing expenditure may rise to break out of a monotonous and boring lifestyle.
- Income, food prices and preferences for socializing: simultaneously determine the share of socializing expenditure.
Urban-rural contrast:
- Rural:
- Trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic was greater,
- Employment and income losses
- Food price spikes were more pervasive
- Preferences and opportunities for socializing were far more wide-ranging
- The share of food expenditure fell but at a diminishing rate
- Rural areas witnessed an expansion of outdoor facilities for eating and celebration of weddings etc
- Growing preference for socializing.
- Urban:
- The incidence of COVID-19 rose with per capita expenditure but at a diminishing rate in urban India.
- The share of food expenditure rose but at a diminishing rate.
- The share of socializing expenditure exhibited the same pattern as the share of food expenditure
- Households spend more on food
- A higher amount is spent on socializing.
- Despite higher food expenditure they managed more socializing.
Impact on wealthy:
- More likely to fall prey to COVID-19 infections
- Allocation of food: Their allocation of food expenditure rose
- The more affluent traveled more: they were also more susceptible to the COVID-19 virus
- Their share of food expenditure rose because their income losses weakened the cushion against food price spikes
- Essential food: They could afford their essential food intake
- Negative effect of rising per capita expenditure on socializing: It was more than offset at higher per capita expenditure, because of their stronger preference for socializing.
Impact on mental health due to COVID-19:(by The Lancet Psychiatry, November, 2022):
- Psychological stress
- Depression
- Loss of life satisfaction
- The loss of family members due to COVID-19 infections is often shattering and even results in suicidal tendencies.
Way Forward.
- Disruptions in energy and fertilizer supply due to the COVID-19 and Ukraine war and the continuing surge in food prices have entrenched inflationary expectations that call for decisive policy intervention.
- An overhaul of the Public Distribution System and, specifically, more stringent regulation of diversion of food supply by PDS shops to the market are imperative.
- The access to qualified psychologists, psychiatrists, appropriate medicines and social networks is a need.
- As these privileges are not readily accessible in India’s rural villages.
QUESTION FOR PRACTICE
Q. Critically examine the role of WHO in providing global health security during the COVID-19 Pandemic.(UPSC 2020) (200 WORDS, 10 MARKS)
