Impact of Covid-19: Part 2

Covid-19: Impact on Migrants

• Desire to return to their homeland:
  • During the COVID-19 lockdown, migrant workers were anxious to return home and many were stranded without access to food or shelter.
  • The Indian Railways’ sudden suspension of passenger trains caused a mass exodus of migrant workers, some of whom were forced to walk long distances with heavy baggage and wailing children.
  • The government attempted to help with relief packages, but many suffered hunger, police brutality, and tragic deaths in route to their homelands during the pandemic.
• Fear of losing job:
  • Migrant workers across various sectors faced worries about losing their jobs and were stuck at their migrant locations during the lockdown.
  • Even those employed in essential services suffered from wage cuts, leading to concerns about meeting their basic expenses.
• Shortages in the allotted rations:
  • The distribution of rations was based on having a ration card, which many migrants did not have.
  • The Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979, which was enacted to facilitate the lives and work of migrant laborers, has remained ineffective due to poor implementation.
  • Despite some efforts by state governments, millions of migrants remain excluded from government schemes and have not received any help.
• Psychological issues:
  • The poor living conditions of migrants during the pandemic have caused severe mental stress leading to substance abuse, alcoholism, domestic violence, and psychiatric illnesses.
  • Suicidal tendencies were provoked due to financial worries, loneliness, anxiety, fear, and feelings of hopelessness.
  • Migrants were stranded in unhygienic conditions, adding to their distress. Discrimination and social exclusion have also led to increased rates of psychotic experiences.
• Issue of Reverse Migration:
  • Reverse migration caused a shortage of workers in urban areas and compelled available workers to work longer hours, leading to stress, burnout, and mental health issues.
  • It also adversely affected indigenous communities and urban economies. Migrants faced problems even after reaching their homelands, mainly related to staying in quarantine.

Covid-19: Impact on Children

• Learning crisis:
  • According to UNESCO data, over 286 million children up to grade 6 were absent from school in India between 2020 and 2021.
  • According to UNICEF’s rapid assessment in 2021, only 60% of children have access to digital classrooms deepening digital divide. Many would be unable to further their education.
  • According to the World Bank research “Beaten or Broken: Informality and Covid,” school closures will have a long-term impact on the productivity of this generation of students.
• Mental health:
  • UNICEF examined the mental health of children, adolescents, and carers in the twenty-first century in its report, “The State of the World’s Children 2021”.
  • The COVID-19 pandemic, according to the report, has had a significant impact on children’s mental health.
  • The National Commission for Women received a large number of complaints alleging domestic abuse, indicating that children in such households face significant trauma that affects their mental health.
• Increase in child exploitation:
  • COVID-19 has resulted in an increase in the number of children being abused and exploited both inside and outside of their homes.
  • In the first 11 days of the nationwide lockdown, the government-run helpline CHILDLINE India received 92,000 distress calls about child abuse and violence.
  • According to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), there has been a 17% rise in the number of child abuse cases reported during the lockdown.
  • The pandemic has also caused a rise in child labour, as many families face financial difficulties.
  • According to a report by Save the Children, the number of child laborers in India has increased by 8.9 million since the pandemic began.
• Lack of access to food and other essential amenities:
  • The Indian lockdown halted many essential childcare services, depriving children of basic rights such as nutrition and immunisation and putting them at risk of contracting COVID-19.
  • The restricted access to daily midday meals exposed during the lockdown, combined with rising hunger and poverty, will further erode children’s access to nutrition and harm their growth.
• Risk to girl child:
  • Along with deprivation of education, girlchild may faces threat of trafficking and child marriage.
  • Due to poor financial situation, parents may force girlchild to get married and thus led to spike in cases of child marriage.
  • Apart from this girl child are more likely to be burdened with household responsibilities, according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Covid-19: Impact on Women

• Unemployment:
  • Wage disparities and the burden of unpaid care have pushed more women out of the labour force and into poverty.
  • Even before the pandemic, women in India earned only one-fifth of what men did. During COVID-19, more women lost their jobs globally and in India.
  • According to a recent report by the Centre for Sustainable Employment at Azim Premji University in India, only 7% of men lost their jobs during the first lockdown in 2020, compared to 47% of women who lost their jobs and did not return to work by the end of the year.
  • Women fared even worse in the informal sector. In 2021, rural Indian women in informal jobs will account for 80% of job losses. During the pandemic, their proportion of unpaid care work increased by nearly 30%.
• Increase in violence against women:
  • Domestic violence rates increased globally as a result of the COVID-19 lockdowns, which kept women at home with their abusers.
  • Domestic violence, child marriage, cyber violence, and trafficking of women and girls increased in India during the first few months of the pandemic.
  • Domestic violence in India increased 2.5 times between February and May 2020, according to data from the National Commission for Women.
• Lack of healthcare facilities:
  • Women’s access to healthcare and reproductive services has been hampered as a result of resources being diverted to the COVID-19 response, as well as restrictions on movement and healthcare services.
  • This has disproportionately impacted rural women and people from marginalised communities, who already face barriers to healthcare.

Covid-19: Impact on Youth

• Loss of learning opportunities and a widening of the education gap:
  • This global pandemic threatens to exacerbate an already-existing learning crisis, with millions of young people failing to develop the skills needed to get a good job, start a business, and participate in their community.
  • Quality and access to education and skill-development opportunities, particularly for the most marginalised, are severely limited and inadequate for young people who demand – and deserve – access to learning.
  • With the abrupt closure of schools affecting over one billion students worldwide, governments have taken steps to ensure learning continuity by rapidly transforming education delivery with digital and non-digital solutions.
  • However, the availability of high-quality learning and teaching materials, teacher training, and gaps in digital connectivity continue to be significant challenges.
  • According to the ITU, only half of the global population is currently connected to the internet, with only 15% in low-income countries.
• Loss of Job and income:
  • Due to global recession, the devastating impact of COVID-19 on businesses and employment has disproportionately impacted young people working in the services and sales sectors, as well as the informal economy.
  • According to new data released by the ILO and its Global Survey on Youth and COVID-19, 17% of respondents who were employed prior to the outbreak stopped working entirely, and 42% reported a decrease in income.
• Psychological impact:
  • COVID-19 has also had a significant psychosocial impact on young people.
  • Disruptions in education and economic opportunities, family stress, social isolation, the risk of domestic abuse, and uncertainty about the future have all contributed to young people’s overall well-being.
  • Psychosocial support and counselling for young people have become increasingly important in ensuring that they can harness their talents and achieve their goals in the post-COVID world.

Covid-19: Impact on the Elderly

• More vulnerability to disease than others:
  • Because of age-related health conditions, weakened immune systems, and underlying health issues, the elderly population is more vulnerable to COVID-19.
  • Many elderly people in India have also been exposed to poverty and inadequate healthcare, making them more vulnerable to the virus. T
  • heir health outcomes have also been impacted by the closure of healthcare facilities and limited access to medical care.
• Increased isolation and mental distress:
  • Many elderly people have been isolated and cut off from their families and support networks, which has resulted in increased loneliness and mental health problems.
  • Elderly population often have lower levels of skilled, competent use of technology in their daily lives and this furthered deepened the grey digital divide and thus increased the mental stress among older population.
• Economic hardship for old people:
  • The economic impact of the pandemic has been particularly harsh on the elderly population, particularly those who are poor or have lost their sources of income.
  • Many elderly people rely on their children or relatives for financial support; however, due to the pandemic-related economic slowdown, their support systems have been compromised, leaving them vulnerable and without adequate assistance.

Covid-19: Impact on the salaried and self-employed

• Transition to self employment: It is worth noting that the unexpected loss of work during the epidemic led a portion of salaried workers to resort to self-employment as well as casual wage jobs, or to leave the workforce entirely, boosting the size of the informal sector.
• According to CMIE-CPHS data, the proportion of self-employed and casual wage workers in the entire workforce went from 78% in the years preceding the pandemic to 80% in 2020-21.
• Data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey support the idea that self-employment is on the rise. Only 38% of permanent salaried workers and 28% of temporary salaried workers were able to keep their jobs in April 2020, when the country was in one of the most stringent lockdowns.
• The salaried or formal workforce in India is heterogeneous, one with highly secure and regular jobs with social security benefits, and the other with the most basic of salaried arrangements, with far more tenuous employment security, almost akin to informal employment.
• This is evident when comparing the effects of the lockdown and mobility restrictions. Unlike the poorer salaried workers, the higher-earning salaried workers, known as the “upper tier,” were able to keep their jobs.

Covid-19: Impact on Person with Disability (PwD)

It is important to recognize and address the unique challenges faced by people with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes ensuring that healthcare services and support systems are accessible and that vaccination programs are designed to be equitable and inclusive.

• Increased risk of infection: Due to underlying health issues, people with disabilities may be at a higher risk of developing COVID-19. People with disabilities may also experience difficulties receiving healthcare services due to the demand on the healthcare system, as well as transportation or communication issues.
• Social isolation: Many persons with disabilities rely on social contacts to maintain their mental and emotional well-being, yet social distancing techniques may have hindered their ability to participate in these relationships.
• Service disruptions: People with disabilities may rely on support services such as personal care, treatment, or education, which may have been affected as a result of the epidemic.
• Employment difficulties: Due to the economic effects of the pandemic, people with disabilities may have more difficulty finding or sustaining employment.
• Vaccine distribution inequities: People with disabilities may experience additional challenges to obtaining COVID-19 vaccines due to difficulties such as transportation or trouble navigating online appointment systems.

Covid-19: Impact on Frontline workers

• One of the most serious consequences of COVID-19 for frontline workers has been an increased risk of infection.
• Because of their close proximity to infected patients and the need to deal with the public on a regular basis, healthcare personnel and vital employees are at a higher risk of getting the virus.
• This has resulted in heightened mental stress and anxiety among frontline employees, who are concerned about their own and their families’ health.
• Frontline workers have also experienced considerable difficulties as a result of a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), including as masks, gloves, and gowns.
• This has increased their vulnerability to infection and led to some workers refusing to work without sufficient protection.
• In addition to these difficulties, frontline employees have had to deal with the economic consequences of the pandemic.
• Due to reduced hours or job loss, many vital workers, such as grocery store personnel and public transportation workers, have encountered job uncertainty and financial stress.

Covid-19: India’s response

The public health response to such outbreaks is divided into three stages: containment, delay, and mitigation:

• The containment phase aims to stop the outbreak, reduce the possibility of transmission from infected to non-infected people. This may include actions to detect cases early on and trace an infected person’s contacts, as well as the confinement of affected individuals.
• The delay phase: Delay is usually achieved through social distancing methods and personal safeguards. When no vaccine is available, these are the primary tools for preventing accelerated transmission. This includes closing schools, encouraging more homework, and avoiding physical contact such as handshakes.
• The mitigation phase will focus on providing optimal care for persons who require hospitalisation as well as giving assistance for those who become infected but do not require hospitalisation. It also includes initiatives to reduce the disease’s impact on society, public services, and the economy.