Tag Archives: lockdown

Gaming

Gaming And Exercise Reduced Pandemic Stress In These Countries

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  • Nearly six out of 10 adults have suffered mental health problems during the pandemic
  • Stress and anxiety are the biggest concerns, international research shows

Taking more exercise and online gaming are the two main ways people globally are tackling mental health issues driven by the pandemic, new international research* from the leading digital board game publisher Marmalade Game Studio shows.

Its study across the US, France, Germany, Hong Kong, and Singapore found nearly two out of five people (38%) have turned to exercise to address mental health concerns while 30% are using online gaming to relieve stress and anxiety.

Marmalade Game Studio’s research found mental health issues have soared across all countries during the pandemic with nearly six out of 10 (57%) saying they have developed mental health concerns during the pandemic and the same number say they are currently suffering from a range of issues. People in Singapore (65%) and Hong Kong (64%) are the worst affected followed by France (57%), Germany (56%) and the US (52%).

The biggest issues internationally are stress and anxiety with 38% saying they are currently affected by stress while 30% say they are suffering from anxiety.

However more than one in five (22%) say they are depressed and 4% say they have suicidal thoughts.

Marmalade Game Studio has recently introduced a new feature on its games in response to demand from customers for more ways to stay connected with family and friends – its Bubble in-game video chat allows gamers to add friends and family to group chats, start games from these, and video chat whilst playing.

Cristina Mereuta, co-CEO at Marmalade Game Studio, said: “The pandemic has had a huge effect on mental health globally and millions have at points suffered from a range of conditions caused by worries about their own and others physical health as well as financial worries.

“Many people are clearly taking action with increased exercise and online gaming appearing to be the most popular ways of relieving stress and anxiety.

“It is important however that people seek professional help where appropriate and it’s worrying to see that some people are doing nothing.”

The mental health impact has not all been negative – around 7% of French people say their mental health has improved during the pandemic followed by 6% of Americans, 5% of people in Hong Kong, 4% of Germans and 2% of people in Singapore.

The table below shows the ways people across all countries are addressing mental health issues.

ACTION TAKEN?PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES WHO HAVE TAKEN THESE STEPS
Doing more exercise38%
Playing online games30%
Trying to see friends and family more29%
Getting help from my doctor27%
 Talking to loved ones26%
Getting help from mental health professionals25%
 Talking to close friends19%
 Doing nothing14%

Digital gaming has proved to be important for mental health – 16%** of European Union gamers say being able to play games online and connect with others particularly families helped during lockdowns and 42% say playing multiplayer games during lockdown made them happier.

* Marmalade Game Studio commissioned independent research company PureProfile to interview 1,000 adults aged 18-plus across the US, France, Germany, Singapore, and Hong Kong in November 2021 using an online methodology. 

**  https://www.statista.com/topics/8016/covid-19-impact-on-the-gaming-industry-worldwide/#dossierKeyfigures

Finance

Influence of COVID-19 on luxury refurbished market

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The luxury market was one of the most adversely affected industries during the pandemic.

Between 2020 and 2021, people were stuck in lockdown to help prevent the spread, and as a result did not have a reason to go out purchasing luxury products.

Tax Implications if you are an NRI stuck in India due to COVID Lockdown - Tax and accounting services for domestic and overseas Indians | GKMTax.in

This naturally affected the sales of the luxury market, as jobs were being lost and the priority shifting from spending money to saving money. Luxury products are still desired, however getting access to brand new products was not manageable for the vast majority. This is where the business model, coined by Simon Kronenfeld came into play, which helped more individuals get access to luxury products.   

If you’re wondering who Simion Kronenfeld is, he is a business expert known for his revolutionary approach of re-selling refurbished products.

His business model had a strong impact towards the luxury market. Prior to 2001, consumers were only able to gain access to new luxury products and if the products had any damages they would be returned to the company. This created a problem as the company could no longer sell these unpackaged products. Nevertheless, Simon Kronenfeld found a solution. (Kronenfeld is a man with humble beginnings, who came from Israel to Canada and started off as a dishwasher.) In 2001, Kronenfeld founded Electronic Liquidators, which not only revolutionized the electronics market, but the entire resale market, which had a tremendous impact on the luxury market. 

Kronenfeld.

Simon Kronenfeld discovered that up until 2001, nobody was working on repackaging the products that were returned to a company.

Recognizing this gap in the market, Kronenfeld started his very own business focusing on this sector specifically. Simon Kronenfeld started repackaging the products that were returned to a company labeling them as refurbished products. These refurbished products were then sold at the second-tier shops, transforming these financially burdened products into a multi million dollar business in just the span of two years. This same business model was replicated by many other companies following the positive impact this model brought both on a financial level and on an environmental level. In this day and age, sustainability is everything, so this concept has become a multi million-dollar formula for businesses. In fact, most companies are now earning billions of dollars annually by repackaging the return products and selling these refurbished products. 

This had a massive positive effect on the luxury market, as the luxury market was losing millions of dollars every year because of returned products.

Now, however, revenue could be generated from refurbished products, and turn a profit.  There are a lot of platforms online that promote luxury resale at much more affordable costs, benefiting all parties involved, especially now during the pandemic where people are not actively buying new luxury products, opting for refurbished products seems to be the best solution since they come at more affordable prices yet still offer the practicality.  

While a number of industries were negatively impacted, the refurbished market mitigated the losses in the luxury market while also offering sustainability. The refurbished market focuses on a big portion of the population in virtually any country, as in reality a tiny percentage of the population is able to indulge in these luxuries. This model gives more people access to a higher lifestyle for less, while still expanding the business market and creating more jobs as a result of this niche. These refurbished products are much more appreciated in common households and provide a good source of revenue to the sellers capitalizing on this market and offering a win-win situation.  For the Silo, Michael Adams.

Culture

WFH Is Hard But Working Den Aims To Change That

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Launching at a time when the world is going remote, Working Den aims to serve the growing community of remote workers and businesses globally by offering a holistic solution to help members create a healthier, motivating and sustainable work environment.

With more and more businesses turning to remote working options, it is the best time to look at ways to ensure the wellbeing of virtual workers, as it is directly linked to their productivity and overall health. Working Den is affordable and easy to use software, offering a tailored and science-based service based on your profile, provided by a team of top professionals including psychologists, human resource and workplace leaders. 

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The platform is founded by Upwork’s top freelance talent Daniel Hall who has vast experience in remote working and has invested time in building the ideal virtual work environment. Led by the physical and mental problems he experienced in his 8 years working from home, Daniel hired a team of health and scientific experts to come up with solutions for Working Den. Together the features have created a go-to platform for wellbeing and mental health issues linked to remote working. 

Working Den aims to improve physical and mental health via expert guidance, tests and ongoing support. Once the user signs up, he or she then takes a DSE assessment (Display Screen Assessment) which is a legal requirement in the UK, in order to establish what issues there are with the home working setup. It then provides solutions to the problems users have to ensure that they know how to have the ‘perfect’ home set up. This goes far beyond just a suitable chair and desk. Working Den service includes the Pomodoro timer built for productivity, a gratitude diary to help with depression, a depression assessment and an eye strain push notifications every 20 minutes to stop eye strain.

The solution that Working Den provides, apart from being affordable thanks to its SaaS nature, is a unique and competitive tool for individuals, virtual companies and companies who work with remote workers and virtual members. 

The project serves as a successful case study for the UK Government’s Business Bounce Back loans scheme. Daniel’s advertising business was adversely affected during lockdown due to companies pausing their advertising internationally. To “bounce back” Daniel saw a gap in the market to help the masses of people who were working remotely for the first time with not much consideration given to their health. And the Bounce Back loan that Daniel borrowed is what has funded the business. 
In Daniel’s words: “Working from home has nearly been the death of me. The loneliness of hardly ever seeing anyone, the constant long hours because you are always by a computer and the burn out that followed.

Lots of people who have started working from home since Covid will have experienced this and lots more will experience it as time goes on. I want to teach people there is a healthier way of doing things. What we have launched is only the start, we already have more features in development and I’ll do everything I can to improve the lives of people who are working from home.”  For the Silo, Christina Ioannou.

Featured image- dmarcian.com

Culture

UK PM Johnson: You May Need Vaccination Proof To Enter Pubs

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51%

Only days after it was announced that 51% of British adults have received at least one doses of their COVID vaccine, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that people may need to present a vaccination certificate in order to go to the pub. One month ago, Johnson had said that this would not be the case.

One Year Later

When the UK first entered lockdown one year ago, Johnson recognized he was “taking away the ancient, inalienable right of free-born people of the United Kingdom to go to the pub” but now he is suggesting limits on how many of them will be given back that right.

British political analyst and commentator Jonathan Sacerdoti says the UK’s vaccination program has been impressive, beating the rest of Europe by far. “This has been for three main reasons,” he explains. “Firstly, the UK implemented skillful procurement of vaccines, which enabled the country to ensure a plentiful if varying supply level of the newly developed vaccines. Having finally broken free of the European Union after years of Brexit back-and-forth, the UK was able to make its own decisions just in time, and signed early and favorable contracts with vaccine manufacturers.”

AstraZeneca

“Secondly, the UK also invested in developing its own vaccine, the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine. This has offered a far cheaper alternative to the Pfizer BioNtech vaccine which the UK is also using, and is far easier to transport. It does not require the deep refrigeration that some other vaccines do, and it can therefore also be administered in pharmacists and smaller medical practices, or even in old age homes, rather than only in mass vaccination centers. Despite some concerns over possible blood clots as a side effect, the vaccine is widely accepted to be safe and effective. It has enabled the UK to make progress with vaccinating its population quickly, and promises to help vaccinate poorer countries around the world.”

Extended Dosage Gap

“Thirdly, the UK made the controversial decision to extend the gap between the two vaccine doses each person needs, from 21 days to 12 weeks. This was not backed up but he vaccine makers’ research, but was based on wider knowledge of immunology and how other vaccines have been developed. At the time it was seen as highly controversial and even risky. But ongoing testing for antibodies has shown a continued, strong immune response even with the prolonged gap. This single decision has enabled the country to effectively provide a high level of protection to double the number of people in the same time. As long as vaccine supply and availability continue uninterrupted, the second doses will be given within 12 weeks and the population will continue to benefit both individually and as a whole.”

EU Lags

Meanwhile, the European Union is lagging far behind in its rate of vaccination, causing a rift between the bloc and its recent ex-member state the UK. Threats of banning or controlling exports of vaccines manufactured in the EU to countries which are far ahead in their programs has caused a diplomatic war of words. The UK determined to have its commercial contracts fulfilled regardless of the EU’s weak performance in acquiring and administering vaccines. The EU is desperate to claw back more vaccines for use in its own countries, despite slow progress in administering them.

Jonathan Sacerdoti is a British broadcaster and social commentator, widely featured on British and international television and media. He provides commentary for a wide range of TV stations including regular appearances on the BBC (including on their international show Dateline London) and the UK’s Sky News. He also appears on Channel 4 News, Al Jazeera English, NDTV in India, France 24, i24News Cheddar News and others. He has been published by the Daily Telegraph, The Spectator, the New Statesman and Jewish Chronicle. He is also a well-known campaigner on racism issues. 

Travel

Record-Breaking Global Mobility Grounded By COVID-19 Pandemic

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With global travel almost at a standstill, the latest results of the Henley Passport Index offer disturbing insight into the indiscriminate havoc caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since its inception in 2006, the index has provided the authoritative annual ranking of global passport strength. Travel freedom has increased dramatically over the period in 2006, a citizen could travel to 58 destinations on average without a visa from the host nation; 14 years later, this number has almost doubled to 107. 

The first ranking of the new decade published in January this year conclusively confirmed that overall, people were the most globally mobile than we had ever been in the history of humankind, with the top-ranking passport (Japan) offering its holders access to a record-breaking 191 destinations without requiring a visa in advance. Just three months later, the picture looks very different indeed.

Australia's Coronavirus Travel Bans Feed Old Fears
The result of the latest travel ban in Australia. Image: jacobinmag.com

Japan’s passport continues to hold the top spot on the Henley Passport Index as we enter the second quarter of 2020, but the reality is that current stringent travel restrictions mean that most non-essential travel for Japanese nationals is heavily curtailed.

This is true for almost every country of course, as more travel bans are implemented daily, and ever-more stringent coronavirus lockdown regulations are imposed by governments worldwide. With 3.5 billion people, nearly half the global population, presently living in voluntary or mandatory confinement, the latest results from the index — which is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) — raise challenging questions about what travel freedom and global mobility really mean, both currently and in a deeply uncertain post-pandemic future.

Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners and the inventor of the passport index concept, points out that in an unprecedented global health emergency such as this, relative passport strength becomes temporarily meaningless. “A Swiss citizen can, in theory, travel to 185 destinations around the world without needing a visa in advance, but the last few weeks have made it apparent that travel freedom is contingent on factors that occasionally can be utterly beyond our control. This is, of course, something that citizens of countries with weak passports in the lower ranks of the index are all too familiar with. As public health concerns and security rightfully take precedence over all else now, even within the otherwise borderless EU, this is an opportunity to reflect on what freedom of movement and citizenship essentially mean for those of us who have perhaps taken them for granted in the past.”

Q&A: New travel ban shakes up airlines, passengers - NEWS 1130
Image: citynews1130.com

The future of international mobility after COVID-19

Commenting on the latest Henley Passport Index, bestselling author and the Founder and Managing Partner of FutureMap, Dr. Parag Khanna, says the combined effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on public health, the global economy, and social behavior could lead to much deeper shifts in our human geography and future distribution around the world. “This may seem ironic given today’s widespread border closures and standstill in global transportation, but as the curtain lifts, people will seek to move from poorly governed and ill-prepared ‘red zones’ to ‘green zones’ or places with better medical care. Alternatively, people may relocate to places where involuntary quarantine, whenever it strikes next, is less torturous.

In the US, both domestic and international migration were surging before the pandemic, with Gen-Xers and millennials shifting to cheaper, second-tier cities in the Sun Belt or abroad to Latin America and Asia in search of an affordable life.

Once quarantines lift and airline prices stand at rock bottom, expect more people across the globe to gather their belongings and buy one-way tickets to countries affordable enough to start fresh.”

This is supported by emerging research and analysis commissioned by Henley & Partners, which suggests that despite freedom of movement currently being restricted as a temporary measure, there is a risk that this will negatively affect international mobility in the long run. Political science researchers Uğur Altundal and Ömer Zarpli of Syracuse University and the University of Pittsburgh, respectively, note that public health concerns have historically been used to justify restricting mobility, but governments usually adopt travel restrictions temporarily, in response to short-term health needs. Until now, health security has not been a significant determinant or requirement when negotiating visa waivers, but Altundal and Zarpli warn that “increasing public health concerns due to the outbreak of COVID-19 may change thisthe quality and level of health security of a country could be a significant consideration for visa waivers in future”. The unprecedented and overwhelming focus on health security and pandemic preparedness we now see may change the face of global mobility forever.

On the other hand, Prof. Simone Bertoli, Professor of Economics at CERDI, Université Clermont Auvergne in France, says that the necessity of international collaboration in fighting the pandemic could ultimately reduce current barriers to international mobility. “Humanity is confronted with a truly global challenge against which no country ­— irrespective of its level of income — can fully protect itself. This pandemic could therefore trigger renewed and more intense international cooperation, something that has (so far) not happened with the other main global challenge that the world is currently facing, namely climate change.”

No Official Travel Ban In The U.S., But Isn't It Time To Self-Ban?

Brexit, travel bans, and changing timelines

The chaos caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has cast further doubt on the timeline for the implementation of the UK’s post-Brexit immigration system, according to Madeleine Sumption, Director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford. The UK, currently in 7th place on the Henley Passport Index, with citizens theoretically able to access 185 destinations without acquiring a visa in advance, was set to end free movement with the EU in January 2021. However, as Sumption says, “The UK can only implement its new immigration system when the post-Brexit ‘transition period’ is over, and if this is extended to give negotiators more time to discuss trade and other issues, we may not be seeing the end of free movement with the EU quite yet.”

In the US, also in 7th place on the Henley Passport Index, the impact of travel bans implemented at the beginning of the year appear to have been compounded by the pandemic, according to Greg Lindsay, Director of Applied Research at NewCities. “For the children of a rising global middle class with more and more options, this pandemic may prove to be the tipping point in terms of choosing educational destinations. When the world gradually recovers with China, South Korea, and Singapore already succeeding in slowing the outbreak through effective quarantines don’t be surprised if the best and brightest take coronavirus responses into consideration when deciding on their future options.”

A unique hedge against volatility in an uncertain future

Commenting on the ever-expanding growth and popularity of the investment migration industry, Dr. Juerg Steffen, CEO of Henley & Partners, says: “We believe that in the post COVID-19 environment, investment migration will take on a dramatically enhanced importance for both individual investors and sovereign states. Acquiring alternative residence or citizenship will act as a hedge against the significant macro-economic volatility that is predicted, creating even more sovereign and societal value across the world.” For the Silo, by Sarah Nicklin.

Supplemental

Global Headlines for Q2 2020: growth in travel freedom over past decade

  • Japan retains its top spot on the Henley Passport Index, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 191. Over the past decade its travel freedom score has increased by 31 points: in 2010, the country was ranked 6th worldwide, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 160.
  • Singapore continues to hold onto 2nd place, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 190. Over the past decade Singapore’s travel freedom score has increased by 35 points: in 2010, the country was ranked 11th worldwide, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 155.
  • Germany remains in 3rd place, with access to 189 destinations compared to the 161 destinations its passport holders were able to access a decade ago. It shares 3rd position with South Korea, which has increased its travel freedom score by 38 points: in 2010, South Korea was ranked 13th worldwide, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 151.
  • The UK is currently ranked 7th on the index, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 185. Over the past decade the UK’s travel freedom score has increased by 19 points: in 2010, the country was ranked 1st worldwide, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 166.
  • The US is also currently ranked 7th on the index, with a score of 185. Over the past decade, the US’s travel freedom score has increased by 26 points: in 2010, the country was ranked 7th worldwide, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 159.
  • The UAE has seen the biggest increase in travel freedom over the past 10 years. In 2010, the country was ranked 65th worldwide, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 64. It is now ranked 18th, with a score of 171  which means the country has added a remarkable 107 visa-free travel destinations over that period. 
Culture

How to Navigate Planning Funeral Services In Time Of Fear & Social Distancing

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I’ve lost count of the social distancing lockdown days and I hope you are hanging in there. The lockdown has impacted businesses in ways never experienced before. Many are struggling to remain open. Restaurants for example, are no longer able to host and seat customers inside and have had to modify their operation by becoming take out only.

But what about other types of business? What about Funeral Services?

A new website created by former healthcare CEO Ed Michael Reggie has collected prices, locations and contacts for every funeral home in the United States, and is now sharing its institutional knowledge and perspective about this topic and the effects of the coronavirus.

The site, www.funeralocity.com, is a free resource for any consumer looking to bury a loved one. You simply type in a city or zipcode and see every home in that area, their costs and other pertinent information. There are plans in the works to expand this site for Canadians.

In this new climate we find ourselves in, there are pressing questions.

When someone dies during the Corona Crisis what are your first steps?
Funeral directors are often the only ones licensed to handle the logistics of transportation, burial or cremations, etc.

How to have a service when you can’t gather?

As the death toll spikes around the globe from the COVID-19, much of the world’s focus has been on fighting the epidemic, saving lives and keeping people healthy and safe.

Funeralocity

What isn’t being talked about is what happens after someone dies, and how grieving families can say goodbye to their loved ones at a time of social distancing, fear and panic. Funeralocity.com, North America’s only up-to-date price comparison website of funeral providers, is sharing helpful advice and insights into planning a service during such an uncertain time. Its database of 19,000 funeral homes across the US is the largest database in the world, and the site is using that institutional knowledge and expertise to guide families faced with the sudden need to bury or cremate someone who has died from the virus.

“Losing a loved one is the worst possible outcome, but it’s become a sad reality during this unprecedented time”, said Ed Michael Reggie, founder and CEO of Funeralocity.com.

The deaths that have already occurred, and the models that are preparing us for more, have put a great demand for funeral services. However, there are so many circumstances unique to this time and virus and people need to know how to navigate the process. Funeralocity prides itself in providing users the most reliable, trusted information when planning services, and we are sharing what we know with families so they can make better informed decisions.

American Funeral Director: A Conversation with Ed Michael Reggie

The important first step, says Reggie, is finding the right funeral home or cremation provider. Then the planning of a service can take place. Funeral directors are licensed by states to deal with issues related to handling the bodies after death, and whether it’s being stored, embalmed, cremated or prepared for burial.

“Unfortunately, there is greater demand for this now, which is making the process more complicated,” Reggie said. “Some funeral homes and morgues are at capacity, which has put major stress on the business.” Reggie suggests people research funeral homes and cremation providers in their areas and discuss their needs and circumstances. He created Funeralocity for this exact purpose: the site not only includes prices and locations for US funeral homes, but it can connect users to their them.

“Families at a time of loss are deep in shock and grief and having then to find a funeral home can be very stressful,” Reggie said. “We launched our site to make that process easier.”

Another important decision has already been made, sadly: States across the country are restricting public gatherings to less than 10 people, which makes having a traditional ceremony near impossible. This has made virtual funerals more prevalent, and also persuaded people to postpone services until entire families can mourn together safely.

“We need to balance our need to grieve with public safety in mind,” Reggie said. “There have already been reports of people spreading the coronavirus at funeral services. We need to be responsible, and fortunately there are options. Streaming a service is a practical and safe way to say goodbye to a loved one with your whole family participating.” Many funeral homes are offering this option, but the quality will vary and will depend on which platform/ service the funeral home is using.

Using social media is also an option that families should consider. Postings on Facebook, Instagram and other platforms allow people to express condolences without gathering in person. Mourners can post photos, videos and memories, creating more intimate remembrances that people can see from their homes.

Virtual Reality Funerals- “Real Healing”
photos: dailyundertaker.com

There are also numerous platforms that can create memorial websites, virtual photos albums and memory books that memorialize those who have passed digitally, allowing families to share.

Finally, Reggie suggests people consider donating to causes related to the COVID-19 instead of sending flowers, wreaths or food to grieving families. For the Silo, by Morgan Matthews.