CoronaCrime #64

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a terrible toll on lives, illness, and economic devastation and it is having diverse effects on violence and crime. Daily Prevention News publishes weekly a Corona Crime Issue dedicated to collect related news and information.

1. The Intergenerational Mortality Tradeoff of COVID-19 Lockdown Policies
   In lower-income countries, the economic contractions that accompany lockdowns to contain the spread of COVID-19 can increase child mortality, counteracting the mortality reductions achieved by the lockdown. To formalize and quantify this effect, we build a macro-susceptible-infected-recovered model that features heterogeneous agents and a country-group-specific relationship between economic downturns and child mortality, and calibrate it to data for 85 countries across all income levels. We find that in low-income countries, a lockdown can potentially lead to 1.76 children’s lives lost due to the economic contraction per COVID-19 fatality averted. The ratio stands at 0.59 and 0.06 in lower-middle and upper-middle income countries, respectively. As a result, in some countries lockdowns actually can produce net increases in mortality. The optimal lockdowns are shorter and milder in poorer countries than in rich ones, and never produce a net mortality increase. Source: National Bureau of Economic Research
2. Hidden Pandemic: 1.5M children have lost a caregiver due to COVID-19
   At least 1.5 million children have been orphaned by COVID-19 worldwide as of April 2021, and the number may now be more than 2 million, a new study by CDC and a group of international researchers estimates. We know that the death of a parent or caregiver increases the likelihood of orphaned children experiencing violence, abuse, and neglect. This loss of caregivers during a pandemic shows the urgent need for ensuring equitable global access to vaccines, along with evidence-based programs and services to strengthen the capacity of families to care for children, prevent child separation, avoid the institutionalization of children, and provide psychosocial supports. Source: The Lancet and CDC
3. Post-COVID Urban Women’s Mobility: Experts Weigh In On Patterns & Impacts
   Even the women who have not lost their jobs, lost their pay during the pandemic – an estimated 7.4 crore women in the informal economy globally saw a 60% loss in their income within the first month of the pandemic. A UN Women report estimated that 4.7 crore women and girls have been pushed into extreme poverty. In a country like India, the impact has been worse on marginalised communities. For instance, domestic workers, most of whom are migrant women belonging to Dalit, Bahujan and Adivasi communities faced severe impact: job losses, lack of pay and an inability to return to work after the restrictions were lifted because of the lack of access to safe (private) transportation. Source: Feminism in India
4. The COVID vaccine market is worth at least $150 billion. Can we stop it being flooded with fakes?
   In the past, forgers have targeted currency, artworks, even wine. Now, COVID-19 vaccines are in their sights. In July, CNN reported thousands of people had fallen prey to a scam selling fake coronavirus vaccines in India, with doctors and medical workers among those arrested for their involvement. At least 12 fake vaccination drives were held in or near the financial hub of Mumbai. Around 2,500 people who thought they were being administered a legitimate AstraZeneca dose were in effect receiving saline – and paid for the privilege. Another fake vaccination camp had been exposed a few days earlier in June by the Times of India, this time involving the Russian Gamaleya vaccine. Source: WEF

Please find more information and news about the interlinkages between the Coronavirus, Crime and Violence in German published every Tuesday on our German News Service Tägliche Präventions News.