Impact of coronavirus pandemic compared to MERS, Ebola, and SARS

Impact of coronavirus pandemic compared to MERS, Ebola, and SARS
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 Introduction
The Coronavirus outbreak remains one of the significant viral outbreaks across the globe that has recorded unprecedented data in the loss of lives, socioeconomic impact on families, and psychological impact resulting from the lockdown. The virus has no vaccine nor cure, and it remains highly infectious, attacking the respiratory system of human beings and can be significantly fatal, especially among vulnerable populations (Sohrabi et al.). The pandemic has significantly affected the social life among people across the globe, and most importantly, rendering numerous businesses on the verge of collapsing due to declined economic activities. Governments worldwide have introduced and made significant interventions in response to the coronavirus, through restriction of human traffic, and embracing social distancing (Sohrabi et al.). In comparison, COVID-19 records a substantial effect on all aspects of life across the globe compared to other outbreaks such as SARS, MERS, and Ebola. According to the World Health Organization, the new coronavirus has rapidly spread across the globe, affecting more than 183 nations and territories. Most importantly, it infects more than a million and kills over 500,000 people worldwide (Sohrabi et al.). The coronavirus pandemic has emerged from China’s Hubei region towards the end of 2019, disseminating worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO), on 11th March, affirmed the outburst of the COVID-19 epidemic. The coronavirus pandemic remains one of the significant global viral outbreaks with enormous impact on all aspects of life, such as the loss of lives, socioeconomic impact on families, and psychological impact resulting from the lockdown as compared to other epidemics like MERS, SARS, and Ebola. Referring to the World Health Organization, after its first report in China, COVID-19 has spread globally, recording more than 10 million infections and over 520,000 deaths (Sohrabi et al.). Comparing these data, MERS first reported in Saudi Arabia had only 2,521 infections and 866 deaths. SARS, which was first reported in China, had 8,098 infections and 774 deaths. Moreover, the World Health Organization (2019) records that Ebola, which is prevalent in West African regions, is an ongoing virus recording about 11,300 deaths and 28,000 infected individuals. The immense magnitude of coronavirus impact across the globe qualifies it to a universal menace compared to MERS, SARS, and Ebola (Sohrabi et al.). Referring to the World Bank report, coronavirus, a global pandemic, has seen the gross domestic product shrinking by 2 percent below the global benchmark. The coronavirus pandemic has had a significant impact on developing countries’ gross domestic product, shrinking the GDP by 2.5% and by 1.8% among developed countries (Fernandes). The coronavirus has considerably resulted in the loss of jobs, increased poverty levels, school closure, increased stress due to social distancing restrictions, and increased domestic violence cases. Comparing the impact of these viruses among the United States and Nigeria, coronavirus records a significant socioeconomic impact on both nations at varying levels compared to Ebola, SARS, and MERS.
1.2 Research questions
• What is the economic impact of coronavirus pandemic compared to MERS, Ebola, and SARS among Nigeria and the USA?
• What is the impact of coronavirus pandemic on education compared to MERS, Ebola, and SARS among Nigeria and the USA?
• What is the psychological impact of coronavirus pandemic compared to MERS, Ebola, and SARS among Nigeria and the USA?
• What is the impact of coronavirus pandemic on unemployment and poverty among USA and Nigeria compared to SARS, MERS, and Ebola?
1.3 Historical Context of the Viruses
Conferring to the World Health Organization report, Covid-19 is an infectious illness instigated by a newly exposed SARS-CoV-2 virus. Coronaviruses comprise a family of viruses that target and infect the respiratory system of mammals. Towards the end of 2019, reports developed that a peculiar coronavirus that had never been seen before among humans had begun its spread within Wuhan populace of Hubei province. COVID-19 has spread globally, recording more than 10 million infections and over 520,000 deaths (Perlman, p. 760-762). The coronavirus is transmitted mainly through saliva drops or nose expulsion if an infected person coughs or sneezes. There are no particular treatments or vaccines for the disease, but there are numerous clinical trials of the vaccine going on at the moment.
On the other hand, Ebola was announced by Guinea’s local health authorities for the first time in 2014. Ebola viral disease is a fatal ailment with random occurrences that primarily occur within the African continent. The viral disease affects both primates like chimpanzees and human beings (Aruna et al., p.1162). The viral disease has been identified for the first time in 1976 and has been in existence for over 10,000 years. The virus has numerous species, with Zaire species being the most disastrous of all, causing a significant number of outbreaks prevalent in Western Africa. Once humans contract the Ebola virus from consuming the infected bush meat or coming into contact with the bat droppings, direct contact is spread by humans. Even though the Ebola virus remains highly lethal, it cannot survive for over 30 seconds freestanding without biological fluid with lower contagion rates than coronavirus. Within over a dozen outbursts that have occurred to seven African nations from 1976, the Ebola virus has reflected mortality rates fluctuating to 88% from 22% within the occurrence (Aruna et al., p.1162).
MERS, which refers to the Middle East respiratory syndrome, remains an active viral respiratory ailment first reported in 2012 within Saudi Arabia. A considerable number of reported human cases occurred within the Kingdom, which recorded 80% of the total viral outbreak. Later, the virus was reported to have spread to 27 more nations worldwide (Vekemans et al., p.7394-7395). Referring to the World Health Organization Health report, the virus had been linked to 866 demises globally due to respiratory complications associated with the virus and 2,521 infections among the 27 countries. The WHO reports that dromedary camels are the main reservoir host for the MERS virus and the primary animal source of infection among human beings. The viral infection might show no symptoms, mild respiratory symptoms, or sometimes causing severe acute respiratory ailment requiring mechanical ventilation (Vekemans et al., p.7394-7395). The virus is categorized among mildly contagious illnesses, unlike highly infectious coronavirus.
SARS, which refers to a severe acute respiratory syndrome, is caused by a coronavirus reported for the first time in 2002 November from southern China in Guangdong province. The virus spread across numerous continents, causing respiratory illness among 29 nations before its containment in July 2003 However, the period between its emergence and 2014, the virus had recorded 774 deaths out of 8,098 infections (Vekemans et al., p. 7394-7395). World Health Organization suggests that the coronavirus that caused SARS originated from bats and spread to human beings via civet cats and intermediate animals (Vekemans et al., p.7394-7395). The symptoms of SARS infection varies from mild to acute and can be fatal. The World Health Organization ranks the virus as highly contagious. Thus, the Covid-19 epidemic records significant socioeconomic impact levels among the US and Nigeria, as discussed in subsequent chapters.
CHAPTER TWO
2.0 Economic Impact of Covid-19
The Covid-19 pandemic started as a healthiness catastrophe has developed into an economic and fiscal disaster with significant risks of negative social consequences within days. The pandemic has had a significant economic impact in both the US and Nigeria. Macroeconomic strategies and policies strive towards attaining the optimum and sustainable growth of any country. Thus, economic advancement remains perceived as an essential tool in reducing unemployment rates, poverty, and improving living standards (Ahn & Hamilton, p. 1-26). Macroeconomics of a particular nation comprises economic activities that generate employment opportunities and revenue in a given nation and is best measured through the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The GDP comprises of an entire marketplace worth of complete final services and goods manufactured within a state’s border throughout a particular year. The process of good and service production within a particular nation is generated by both the immigrants and the citizens of that particular nation through employment and businesses (Ahn & Hamilton, p. 1-26). Thus, any particular country’s economic status depends on the production process of goods and services. Since the Covid-19 pandemic’s outburst, there has been a significant economic slowdown in Nigeria and the United States.
2.1 Economic Impact of Covid-19 in Nigeria
Nigeria’s economy relies primarily on oil. Since the Covid-19 pandemic’s outburst, oil prices significantly dropped by approximately 60%, compelling the government to announce 9.1 billion USD as a corona relief fund (Ozili). Between December 2019 and March 2020, the Nigerian economy experienced a significant decline of about 55% in oil prices, recording an enormous historical economic shock on the Nigerian economy. The oil industry in Nigeria contributes 65% and 90% to the government and entire export revenues, respectively (Ozili). According to the Central Bank of Nigeria, if the pandemic persists with its associated lockdown, expected revenue will further drop by more than 48% of monthly oil sales. The impact would see Nigeria’s fiscal revenue declining by close to 10 billion USD (Ozili). The combined economic effect of the Covid-19 pandemic is estimated to have approximately 0.55% points decline in the Gross Domestic Product (Ozili). Moreover, the countrywide lockdown has significantly reduced domestic oil demand, which led to a decline in oil production and supply in short and medium periods (Ozili). The shift in demand and supply of oil in and out of Nigeria due to the pandemic has significantly narrowed the fiscal space, further constricting the government’s aptitude to cope with crisis response. Incorporating the impact of Covid-19 among other sectors such as Agriculture further constricts the level of GDP (Ozili). With nationwide lockdown and restriction on movement in Nigeria, the supply chain distribution, services, and value addition have been significantly reduced. The implicated supply chain sector has further seen the Nigerian economy falling back into recession, recording a negative growth rate of approximately 1.58% for 2020 (Ozili).

Figure 1.1 Gross Domestic Product of Nigeria before and during the Covid-19 Pandemic

https://dailybrief.oxan.com/Analysis/GI253519
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria’s economic growth will record a negative annual change of approximately -8% due to the Covid-19 pandemic by 2020 (Ozili). However, the National Bureau of Statistics claims that Nigeria’s economic growth will record a negative annual change of approximately -3% if the government pumps in a stimulus amount of about 2.3 trillion Nigerian Naira (Ozili). Moreover, the pandemic has led to significant suffering and disruption of Nigeria’s financial services and trade industries. Collectively, the three industries contribute about 30% of Nigeria’s gross domestic product (Ozili). The shrinkage of these industries due to the Covid-19 epidemic has resulted in a considerable loss of employment opportunities in formal and informal sectors. The economic shrinkage has compelled many youths into economic instability and financial crisis as youth unemployment is already hitting 55% (Ozili). The Nigerian government is injecting considerate amounts of stimulus towards salvaging the economy of Nigeria.
Nonetheless, Nigeria’s debt profile since the outbreak of Covid-19 has been a source of concern among development practitioners and policymakers as the economic slowdown has compelled dues service-to-revenue proportion at approximately 60%, with a probability of worsening with the precipitous deterioration in revenue linked with the subsiding oil prices (Ozili). With the efforts towards bolstering aggregate demand via increasing government expenditure and reduction of taxes for businesses. The government expenditure in Nigeria has significantly increased in the public budget from $24.53 billion in 2019 to $29.42 billion in 2020, representing 11% of the countrywide gross domestic product. Small ventures in Nigeria have been relieved from remitting their corporate income tax and tax rate among medium-sized ventures to 20% from 30% (Ozili). Firm investments have been significantly obstructed due to the rising fears coming along with the epidemic as there is inadequate information on the period of pandemic and existing policies’ efficiency. In Nigeria, investors’ negative sentiments concerning the economic impact of the pandemic have caused instability within capital markets. The economic instability has led to a significant decline in stock values, seeing the Nigerian Stock Exchange recording the poorest performance beginning the last major financial predicament that occurred in 2008, which battered investors’ fortune (Ozili). Firms in Nigeria have significantly held off long-term investment resolves due to the increasing uncertainty and negative profit outlook associated with the pandemic outbreak. Moreover, in response to the economic slowdown resulting from the pandemic, Central Bank of Nigeria organized for fiscal incentive bundle of about $138.89 million credit capacity to family units, small and medium business ventures impacted by the Covid-19 epidemic. The health sector has been allocated with a loan amount of about $277.78 million, with the manufacturing industry receiving about $2.78 billion (Ozili). The interest rates across all Central Bank of Nigeria have also been revised to 5% from 9%. An introduction of a one-year moratorium on Central Bank of Nigeria intercession facilities was initiated. Additionally, the Nigerian government announced import duty relinquishments among pharmaceutical firms and elevated determination to warrant forex (Ozili).
2.2 Economic Effect of Covid-19 in the US
Nonetheless, the United States has also been significantly hit by the Covid-19 epidemic. The pandemic led to the adoption of movement restriction and nationwide lockdown as a tool of fighting against the pandemic. The move has significantly impacted the American economy, shrinking the gross domestic product due to business closure, loss of jobs, and reduced supply chain activities (Atkeson). Congressional Budget Office record that Covid-19 records a considerable impact on the unemployment rate, which has increased to a growing 14.7% from 3.5% in February. The increasing number in unemployment cases reflects a decline of over 25 million employed individuals and other 8 million individuals who left the labor force (Atkeson). Actual inflation in the United States adjusted, seeing consumer spending declining by about 17% in April when social distancing was best. The same month, clothing, transportation services, food services, light truck, and car sales declined by about 49% compared to December 2019 (Atkeson). Real gross domestic product is reported to reducing at an annual rate of approximately 38% within the second quarter (Atkeson). The gross domestic product measures services and goods produced in the US. Within the first quarter of 2020, actual GDP declined at an annualized rate of 4.8% compared to a 2.1% growing degree within the fourth quarter of 2019 (Atkeson). The shrink in GDP remains significantly concentrated on individual consumption of services, long-lasting goods, business investments, and exports. The exports are led by a decline in services like traveling due to adopted lockdown and social distancing requirements (Atkeson).

Figure 1.2 Percentage Alteration in Actual GDP of the US

Bureau of Economic Analysis
According to the International Monetary Fund, the severe economic shrinkage projected universally has significantly suppressed US export products’ demand. The bureau of economic analysis terms the Covid-19 pandemic as the worst economic crisis than the recession of 2008-09 (Fernandes). The US government injects stimulus packages into the economy to cushion the financial crisis caused by the Covid-19 epidemic.
Nonetheless, the US’s financial markets have been significantly hit by the pandemic as it is in Nigeria. Throughout February and March of 2020, the US’s financial markets experienced a significant impact seeing the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping 1,191 points (Zhang). The decline of 1,191 points in the US’s financial markets due to the pandemic marks the most significant drop in a single day in the history of financial markets in the US. During Presidential address concerning the coronavirus pandemic on 11th March, stock index futures declined sharply with Dow recording a 10% decline in the following day (Zhang). This decline in the US financial markets’ performance in a single day due to the coronavirus pandemic remains the largest decline since 1987 during black Monday. The Federal Reserve declared a $1.5 trillion stimulus package into the money market, but its effect has been insignificant. By 18th March, investors across the US had already started shunning the assets perceived as safe havens throughout economic crises like gold and government bonds. This resulted in the coronavirus pandemic, shifting them to cash positions (Zhang). According to the Commerce Department, US exports have declined by more than 20.5%, recording the largest decline since the onset of record-keeping in 1992. The trade deficit expanded by 16.7% to a seasonally adjusted figure of $49.41 billion. As compared to February, when exports were at $207.7billion, the country had declined its export to as low as 187.7 billion in March (Zhang). The US’s major export products being parts of an aircraft, cars, and petroleum barrels significantly reduced since the announcement of the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak. Since the pandemic outburst, export services such as tourism and banking sank close to $11 billion to $59.6 billion. As a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, the US imports declined to $232.2 billion in March compared to where it was before at 247.6billion, seeing a decline in the amounts of autos, consumer electronics and cellphones (Zhang). The general decline in import and export volumes in the US has significantly slowed economic growth and progression. Exports fuel US economic growth through earning revenue, supporting employment opportunities, and generating income at a national and household level (Zhang). For instance, in 2018, the export of services and goods contributed to approximately 12.22% of its entire gross domestic product. The US export and import services and products significantly contribute to its economy’s superiority in the world recording worth of about 19.07 trillion USD as of 2019 (Zhang). However, due to the Covid-19 epidemic outburst, The National Bureau of Economic Research declared that the US economy is formally experiencing recession (Zhang). Since then, the US government has formulated economic stimulus plans to inject money into the economy and improve the flow of cash within the economy.
Nonetheless, the economic impact of Covid-19 among the US and Nigeria has transitioned into increasing rates of unemployment and poverty for the last seven months.
CHAPTER THREE
3.0 Impact of Coronavirus on Unemployment and Poverty
The coronavirus, SARS, MERS, and Ebola pandemics have had a socioeconomic impact on unemployment and poverty to various people in their different nations. However, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has had the largest share in raising the poverty and unemployment rates globally. The World Bank approximated that the “coronavirus pandemic could lead to between 40 and 60 million people suffering from extreme poverty” (United Nations Development Programme). This fact is due to the lockdown policies set by different countries as a measure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The systems have forced people into unemployment, therefore, leading them into poverty. With the government directives of warning people from public gatherings, many companies and industries were shut down. The people working in such affected industries were automatically rendered jobless. They could no longer go to work; thus, they had to stay at home with no income source.
MERS virus, on the other hand, compared to coronavirus, has had a lower impact on unemployment and poverty in the United States. MERS was documented to be found in only two people who later recovered (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). The two people who were healthcare providers were, therefore, not primarily affected by the virus. In contrast, MERS did not affect Nigeria’s employment sector and therefore had no significant impact. SARS virus was believed to be highly infectious and had a higher mortality rate than the MERS virus. Therefore, people feared the SARS disease and employed behavioral changes similar to those with COVID-19 that had a socioeconomic impact. The eight people affected were treated in the USA and recovered (Centers for Disease Control and Disease Prevention). They also did not lose their jobs, thus confirming that the disease had little impact on unemployment in the country. Similarly, in Nigeria, the SARS disease did not significantly affect unemployment as very few people contracted it. Ebola disease was likewise highly infectious, and even though it was identified in a few people, measures to curb its spread were put in place. Actions such as quarantines led to some temporary unemployment for the people affected by it in the USA.
3.1 Impact of coronavirus on unemployment and poverty in the USA
Just like other countries, the USA was also heavily impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Unemployment and poverty registered a surge within a brief period. Thirty-eight million people were reported to have already filed unemployment claims within nine weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic (ABC News).
Figure 1.3 Showing Unemployment rate in the US

The figure above indicates the number of people who have registered for unemployment benefits because of the coronavirus pandemic. The figure depicts the already high unemployment rates in the United States.
Unemployment causes financial hardships and poverty to the affected individuals. The loss of jobs has forced many people into poverty. In the United States, it was estimated that tens of millions of people could drown into poverty if the government did not put in specific measures to prevent the pandemic from hitting the country (United Nations). Likewise, in Nigeria, an estimate has been made of at least 5 million people who could be pushed into poverty because of coronavirus (Mahler et al.). The poverty rates because of coronavirus disease have increased. Many individuals have been laid off at their workplaces as the industries had to be shut down to prevent the virus’s spread. The laid-off workers are now suffering from poverty as they have no pay because most employers cannot afford to pay their workers on leave.
Poor people are socially affected in various ways, such as living a low-quality life. The individuals are unable to afford even the most necessities, such as food and proper nutrition. As a result of this problem, individuals might face more disease threats that will affect their health. The lack of food security due to poverty may also cause increased risks of protests and unrest. The affected individuals may protest as they are unable to afford such essential commodities. Protests bring many consequences to it, such as damage to property and even loss of lives. With the lack of the affected people’s ability to even access healthcare, they will continue to suffer more and even die. Poor people also face a higher risk of contracting the disease and spreading it further due to the inability to acquire protective resources to protect them against the virus. Workers with lower education levels in America have been cited to find it challenging working from home (US Bureau of Labor Statistics). Therefore, this suggests that it will be difficult for them to practice social distancing. This risk will then pose a challenge in the fight against the virus since many people will continue acquiring it. Poverty has also been linked to lifelong outcomes. The children from disadvantaged families are likely to end up as school drop-outs and, therefore, lack education. Children from disadvantaged families are also highly expected to be needy adults in the future. A study confirms this possibility by indicating that although only 1% of people who were never poor as children end up being poor, a higher 32% rate of children born in poverty will end up as poor grown-ups (Ratcliffe & McKernan 21). Poverty has also been associated with impairment of children’s cognitive abilities and, thus, their behavior. An observational study on the effects of poverty on children’s brains confirms that children’s brains in families experiencing poverty were harmed and left vulnerable (Duncan & Magnuson, 57-70). The reason for this impact is the stress experienced because of poverty.
Poverty has been the reason for the increased homelessness recently. Many people have been unable to raise rent money due to the loss of income because of unemployment. A study reported that 31% of Americans could pay rent partially, and others were utterly unable during May compared to 25% in April (Popov et al.). Similarly, in Nigeria, it is expected that 60% of tenants will be unable to pay their rent due to COVID-19 (Uroko). Some of the affected people have been left to sleep outside and endure the cold environment every day. This harsh environment has further exposed them to diseases such as pneumonia, which can easily result in death. The affected people are also risking exposure to insecurity as they have no place to shelter. The homelessness rates have led to increased street families, a social challenge to a country and society. Poverty due to long term unemployment will also lead to a rise in aged debt. The aged will suffer from poverty in the future because of the current situation. The old in the future will have no accumulation of wealth to enjoy during their retirement period. Furthermore, they will have to be dependent on other family members or the government. Therefore, money that could be used on other better projects will now be channeled to help the aged survive better.
Unemployment due to the harsh COVID-19 measures has caused an increase in crime rates. People are engaging in fraudulent activities to get money to sustain themselves. In the United States, for example, some people impersonated doctors while demanding payment for their services. In Nigeria, likewise, a spike in the crime rate has been recorded. About 200 suspects were caught on charges of raping young girls and robbing others. Other individuals have also resulted in the manufacture of fake sanitizers and masks to feed these resources’ growing demand. Others have also found a way of conning unsuspecting people in various ways, such as selling counterfeit drugs. These people have been able to convince others that those drugs can prevent coronavirus disease. Cybercrime has also increased massively as more people are now at home unemployed, thus spending most of their time online. People have resulted in scamming others in various ways, such as selling counterfeit products. In America, fraudulent activities have been noted when an individual was redirecting money meant to pay the unemployed people into his accounts (Baker). Such action will always negatively impact the affected individuals as they will lack the funds to sustain themselves.
Unemployment and poverty hurt families. Family tensions and breakdowns have been documented as a result of these consequences. No one wants to live in a place where they suffer from poverty and can’t afford even the most necessities. Therefore, couples in America and Nigeria have filed for divorces or separated as they cannot sustain the poor lifestyle. Children from separated families also tend to be less open to the society around them as they feel not wanted. The children might even think they are the cause of the separation, which is not the case. Such thoughts and stress might interfere with the children’s hormones balance, leading to or even worsening their health. An increased risk of illnesses such as autoimmune diseases might affect these children later in life. The separation also causes some amount of trauma to the children. Many of these children can also develop post-traumatic or depression disorders (Jiao et al. 264). Children who also feel neglected by their parents who cannot acquire what they need opt to run away from home to search for a better lifestyle. These children might then end up in crime-related activities to cater to their needs. They might also end up in orphanages as they lack places to stay. These family tensions also create stress within the family. For example, the breadwinner who is now unable to provide for their family can contemplate suicide because of the guilt of not managing their responsibilities. The family breakdowns further increase poverty as the partner left with children might have no employment or pay to sustain them. Family separation also harms the children in terms of obtaining consent in hospitals. It is known that before a minor is treated, a doctor must obtain permission from the parent or guardian. Therefore, when the child lacks their parents, this system of obtaining consent becomes flawed and might hurt the child.
Long term unemployment affects the work skills of an individual. The individual faces a risk of his/her skills atrophying because they are not put into use. The individual also becomes less employable in the future job market and may lack a job even after the pandemic (Nichols et al.). Potential employers usually don’t favor long unemployed people. Even if these people get employed, there are higher chances that they will be underpaid as their skills are considered obsolete. Therefore, there is a higher risk for these people to continue to languish in poverty.
Unemployed workers in America and Nigeria also pose a threat to public health in spreading the virus. Some of these workers have resulted in searching for other jobs, which includes a lot of traveling. If any of them is infected, they can easily pass the virus to an uninfected individual. The unemployed workers have also opted to do jobs listed as essential jobs such as food delivery jobs. The vital tasks force them to be at higher health risk as they are at the frontline to provide services to various people who might have the disease. Therefore, the essential workers also put their families at risk of contracting the virus and spreading it. The cases will then continue rising despite the strict measures being put into place to end the pandemic.
On a positive impact, unemployment has caused the strengthening of family bonds in both the USA and Nigeria. Those parents who were always working and had no or little time for their families are now at home. Parents and children have been reunited, which creates better unity. Extended family relationships have also been strengthened during this period. Grandparents feel higher well-being when they are close to their grandchildren. They can exercise their grandparents’ role, and this creates joy within them. This quality time together has a positive impact on the children as they develop better emotional well-being. The children now have the experience of their parents’ love, which assists them to grow better. The parents can also now identify their children’s needs and support them where possible. Parents spending quality time with their children have helped them impact suitable life lessons and prevent them from acquiring bad behaviors. The families now together may also regulate each other’s practices and encourage each other to be better. The togetherness has also been useful in employing healthy behaviors such as preparing healthy diets. During this unemployment period, many families have been noticed to engage in physical exercises together. This behavior was rare during the working days, where no one cared for such activities as everyone was busy.
Unemployment has led to a lot of significant losses to various companies in both the USA and Nigeria. Many companies’ goods, for example, end up broken down during this period due to the little concern given to the equipment as the industries are shut down, and there are no workers present. Therefore, the equipment and other materials may begin to rust and crumble as they are in no use. As a result, unemployment will persist since these factories will again take longer to replace these materials and equipment. The factories will undergo losses for buying new equipment that would otherwise not have been done if things were normal. Stocks of products in some companies like the food sector have suffered many damages to food spoiling in their stores. Since there are fewer employees who are handling the products, most of the products have become wastes.
Job losses have been linked with ill health to the affected individual. First of all, the individual can give up and stay at home doing nothing, which will increase their chances of becoming obese. Obesity is a risk factor for many other diseases, such as heart failure. People suffering from obesity and its related complications are listed as those with a higher risk of succumbing to COVID-19 (Kassir). Unemployed individuals might also lack money to continue buying drugs if they were already on medications due to certain conditions. This will, therefore, deteriorate their health further, and they may succumb to their situations.
Unemployed people are also likely to indulge in drugs to pass the extra time they have (Macdonald & Pudney, p1089-1115). They can also indulge in the same drugs because of the stress that comes with being jobless. Therefore, it is likely that drug abuse will increase during this period of coronavirus and become a challenge as more people will be addicted to drugs and have substance use disorders. Drug-related activities risk them to certain cardiovascular diseases, too, and other illnesses. Engaging in drugs also put these people into certain criminal activities such as rape. Unemployment has also posed domestic violence threats that result in physical or emotional harm to the family members. This challenge is being experienced in all countries, including the United States and Nigeria. Domestic violence can happen when someone is drunk because of the stress, and he/she results in harming their family members (Campbell). Mental health problems have been on the rise because of unemployment since the coronavirus pandemic hit the world. The COVID-19 has also further affected those who were already suffering from mental health conditions. Many unemployed people have been worrying day and night on how they will survive this economic turmoil with no income source. The unemployed are also likely to suffer from depression and anxiety disorders. These disorders may arise due to having a lot of stress and uncertainty about one’s future. The pressure can also occur due to one feeling ashamed as being labeled jobless by society. The individual might feel stigmatized by others who might be still having a source of income. Such feelings result in depression states. Depression may then lead to an increase in suicides, which negatively impacts society as many are left bereaved.
Figure 1.4 Showing unemployment impact among Americans

The figure above indicates the rising numbers of people in America who have confirmed that coronavirus has negatively affected their mental health.

3.2 Impact of coronavirus on unemployment and poverty in Nigeria
Nigeria has also been profoundly affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Many of its people have been left unemployed and in poverty state. In Nigeria, the vice president estimated that about 39.4 million people would lose their jobs by December due to the coronavirus pandemic (Olaniyi et al.). Like the coronavirus, the Ebola virus also played a considerable role in increasing unemployment and poverty. Countries that registered Ebola cases such as Nigeria were also stigmatized as everyone feared to contract the virus while traveling to the country. The stigmatization reduced international trade and other foreign activities towards the country. Such measures rendered many jobless as they lost their livelihoods, which depended on these activities. Ebola, therefore, increased poverty rates in the affected countries. However, the coronavirus effects of unemployment and poverty to the society cannot be outdone by these other disease outbreaks.
Figure 1.5 Showing impact of Covid-19 on Poverty

Source: United Nations Development Group (UNDG) – Western and Central Africa
The figure above indicates the estimated rise in poverty rates because of the Ebola virus disease in Nigeria, showing how heavily the condition impacted poverty.
The costs of unemployment due to the coronavirus has been enormous to the affected individuals in Nigeria. One of the consequences of unemployment is the high debts experienced by the individual and society in contrast to the developed countries such as the USA. Many businesses were closed since numerous deaths were documented as a result of the novel coronavirus. The workers who now lost their jobs had no other income sources and were forced to borrow loans to survive the harsh economic conditions. These debts can negatively affect the credit score of an individual. A low credit score will impact the affected person’s ability to get a low-interest rate on loans. Therefore, this effect will force the person to pay high interests using money that he otherwise would put in into other essential activities. Thus, the debts will slow down the person’s growth economically in the future after the coronavirus disease ends. Nations, as a whole, have also experienced debt effects. Developing countries, especially Nigeria, have borrowed huge loans compared to their developed counterparts, such as the USA, to protect their economy from the ongoing pandemic. For instance, Nigeria requested a US$ 3.4 billion from the International Monetary Fund to support the severe economic effect of the COVID-19 (International Monetary Fund). The citizens would then experience these loans’ effects in situations like high taxes as the government tries to repay the debts. The high fees will undoubtedly have a downside effect on the society where it will be inclined to face low pay hardships. However, the debt crisis has also some positive impact on society. For example, Nigeria has borrowed money that will be used in the boosting of the health sector. The health sector has received money to add more health facilities that will still be there even after the passing of the coronavirus pandemic. Therefore, this will have a good impact on society due to increased health facilities, resulting in better healthcare.
Moreover, due to the social distancing restrictions, social gatherings like schools remain shut, disrupting academic calendars and exposing students to social menace in both the US and Nigeria.
CHAPTER FOUR
4.0 Impact of Coronavirus on Education
Disease outbreaks have been a common challenge that affects the education sector. The crowded environment is found in many learning centers, making it easy for a disease to spread. Learning centers are usually forced to shut down to prevent students and staff from contracting a particular disease. Therefore, the education sector is one of the areas that are typically hardest hit during any infectious disease outbreak. The SARS, MERS, Ebola, and coronavirus disease outbreaks are significant diseases that have managed to destabilize the education sector. The Ebola virus disease, for instance, resulted in the closure of schools and the loss of teachers and students. Though Nigeria was not an epicenter of the disease, many people still feared attending schools as they thought they could contract the disease. The government of Nigeria later ordered all schools’ shutting to prevent the disease from spreading (BBC). The United States also introduced measures that would assist schools in detecting and preventing the Ebola virus spread. It only affected very few people (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). The deadly risk of the disease caused fear among people in learning centers, thus putting them into anxiety. Students, as well as other staff members, could not concentrate well on their work. The SARS virus also caused tension and fear among students and staff. For example, a particular school in Connecticut ordered some of their students and staff from a China trip to stay at home to prevent the virus’s spread if they had contracted it there (Bowman). Another pupil in Florida was also sent home after being suspected of having the SARS. Such cases proved to create, and anxiety and some affected people felt stigmatized too. On the other hand, SARS was rare in Nigeria, proving to be of little significance. MERS in the USA presented a low-risk concern to the public as very few people were infected. In Nigeria, MERS also did not appear to be common. Thus, MERS had little effect on the education sector in the two countries.
4.1 Impact of coronavirus on education in the USA
Coronavirus disease has had the most substantial impact on education, for now, the longest time compared to the other disease outbreaks. The disease caused school closures in nations such as Nigeria and America. The coronavirus pandemic in America affected over 60 million students due to school closures (Martin & Furiv). The closure of schools was a measure taken to prevent the spread of the disease in schools. The impact of coronavirus on education has brought with it a lot of consequences. The school closures are likely to lead to loss of academic interest and performance by students. The learning disruption was sudden to the students as it met them unprepared. As the time for reopening of schools is still uncertain, many students are already losing academic interest. Most of the learners are now viewing education as not very important. The students also lack the motivation to do their studies at home, leading to further academic interest loss. Students’ performances in schools might also be affected in the post-pandemic period. Many students are now at home, idle, and not studying. These students will likely forget most of what they had learned before, and when they return to school, they will begin learning from scratch. Many students are also likely to negatively impact their education in the long term following the cancellation of assessments. The teachers and children’s families will lack tools to measure the student’s progress, which may be harmful to the student in the long term. Other students might be involved in online learning, but they might lack the needed seriousness in education. The closure of schools is also likely to bring underdevelopment of the children’s skills.
Going to school increases a child’s ability to do many things, such as increasing their social skills and awareness. Therefore, any short time missed being in school will affect the child’s skills development. The effect on schooling on the development of skills can be depicted by referring to a study on the impact of having different numbers of days to prepare for an important test by students (Carlsson et al. 533-547). The authors found that even as low as just ten days of extra schooling brought a significant rise in the test scores. Therefore, the schools’ closure will likely lead to students’ loss of skills like problem-solving skills. This setback will affect their performance as they will lag from other students.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also brought inequality in education among various students of different socioeconomic classes. Many governments directed the schools to offer online learning services to their students because of the widespread school closure. This idea seemed superb until some disadvantaged students were unable to afford the services. In many cases, the challenges met by the students were poor network connectivity, lack of technological devices, and unreliable power. In America, 12 million students were estimated to lack a broadband connection, facilitating their online learning (Fishbane and Tomer). These students will possibly be affected in their studies as they will be behind their colleagues who are still studying with the ongoing situation. Research that studied the effect of learning differences brought by the different instructional times also confirms this possibility (Lavy). A distinction was found in the performance of students based on their teaching times. For example, scores were 55% higher in students from Denmark who had more instructional hours in mathematics and science than Austria (Lavy). Therefore in the case of the students who are disadvantaged and miss out on the ongoing online classes, it is evident that most of their scores will be lower compared to their colleagues who can access the courses comfortably.

Figure 1.6 showing the levels of poverty

The figure above indicates the levels of poverty in the accessibility of broadband connections. Students in low-income families will have problems attending online classes because of a lack of internet connection.
Graduates during this COVID-19 pandemic have also been affected. The graduates from both America and Nigeria have experienced a lot of interruptions that include teaching and assessments. Most of the graduates were almost finishing school, but the disease has halted learning, which will postpone their graduation. The graduates will also experience loss of time in their lives that would have been used to do other things such as finding or creating their jobs. The loss of time will slow down many people’s plans that they had to achieve some things. The interruption in regular graduations has also caused severe damages to some career employments. For example, the health sector has been affected as there are few health workers employed. With the ongoing pandemic, more health workers were required as the ones who are there are already overwhelmed by the growing COVID-19 cases. More graduates would have been employed if they had already completed their studies and passed all the assessments required. However, this is not the case, as the graduates are stuck at different levels with their education compromised. The education interruption is likely to affect the graduates’ careers severely. After the pandemic period, that nation will likely be in a recession that will affect employment. Jobs will be low paying as the pandemic will have hit many companies, affecting even the salaries. Due to poverty risks, graduates will accept those poor job conditions that might permanently damage their careers. Other graduates have been lucky to do their school examinations online. However, this move is new for teachers and students and is likely to have consequences such as a less perceived educational achievement as it is not yet well defined. Employers use educational credentials to rank who might be the best employees for their organizations (Breen et al.). With the errors associated with these exams, employers are likely to hesitate to employ such individuals who did their assessments online. If hired, these graduates will likely earn lesser than their counterparts or get lower jobs. This consequence is, therefore, undoubtedly costly to the person and the whole society.
The schools’ closure directives have also increased unemployment rates in both Nigeria and the USA. Many people who depended on the education sector for jobs lost their jobs either temporarily or permanently. Teachers, for example, lost their jobs immediately. The schools were closed, and some went home without payment. The lack of payment caused the affected teachers to suffer as they had no money to sustain themselves during this challenging period. People who also supplied schools with various amenities such as stationery and food supplies also lost their jobs and other non-teaching staff. Some parents were also forced to stop their careers to remaining home, taking care of their children. Therefore, the impact of education disruption will further increase poverty rates and put the economy at risk.
Schools’ closure due to the coronavirus disease has exposed students to various vices in the USA, similar to Nigeria. Many parents, at times, are not aware of their children’s whereabouts. There have been increased substance abuse rates and other harmful behaviors, such as theft due to peer influence. Others have also been engaged in premarital sex, even ending up in unwanted pregnancies. These behaviors risk these individuals from contracting other diseases such as HIV/AIDS other than the coronavirus disease. Therefore such students might be unable to continue with school when they resume as some will be nursing their children and others in rehabilitation centers. Some children have also been arrested for being caught in theft cases. Also, some students have been accidentally killed or injured during the ongoing protests. Other students have also been exposed to domestic and sexual violence in various ways. There have been rising cases of child abuse during this pandemic period by family members and other people. In America, hospitals are having increased instances of child abuse injuries (Boserup et al.). Also, there has been a decline in the cases being reported to childcare help centers, and experts believe it is because of the schools’ closure. Schools make up a large percentage of those who report child abuse, and therefore they have declined as students are not attending school anymore.
The closing of schools has also brought a challenge in food security to many students. Many students rely on free or cheap food offered in schools. The meals to them are usually nutritious than what they can get at home. Therefore, schools’ closure has been a problem for them as they can no longer get the food. This problem has caused many students to stay hungry, which in turn has affected their health severely. In the US, approximately 30 million children depend on the free food offered in schools (Hess). Because of the directive to close schools, many students might be affected and experience food insecurity. The same also goes for students in Nigeria who get most of their meals in schools. These students will lack food and be forced to stay hungry.
The COVID-19 pandemic impact on education has affected the mental health of many students and other concerned individuals. Many students in the USA, similarly to Nigeria, are at home, having anxiety, and other depressive disorders (Liu et al.). Since the students watch the news every day of what is happening, they understand the consequences of contracting the disease. Therefore, the students get fear, and this affects their development. Some students have also watched some of their family members suffering from the disease, which has disturbed them. The virus could lead to an increase in student debts to older students. The loss of social networks in schools and the disruption of students’ routines have increased stress and anxiety for various students. Such consequences have caused a lot of tension to the affected students harming their mental health. With the uncertainty of when schools will reopen, students have further gone into depression and anxiety. Many international students were also met with shock when their education was disrupted. Many of these students were left stranded as they have no families in the country they are studying. Such students ultimately suffered from anxiety as they were confused about what to do with international flights’ suspension, meaning they could not travel back home. Parents have also not been left out on mental health issues. Some parents who depended on schools to take care of their children with special needs bear the challenges themselves. These parents lack the needed capabilities to care for these special children, which disturbs them so much. Students who have also joined bad companies and engaging in harmful behaviors have caused stress to their parents as they lack ways to handle such situations. Parents who have been unable to provide for their children in ways like delivering an online learning environment have experienced pressure, which has affected their mental health. They feel guilty that they are unable to provide what their children need.
Education will still be affected even in the post-pandemic era. Since there will be doubts about the eradication of the virus, most students will always be afraid of one another, therefore, maintaining social distance. Many schools will find challenges with their infrastructure, as they will not be enough for every student. For example, school buses will carry fewer students during the first times; therefore, other students will lack the service and miss school. Social halls will also allow fewer students, creating problems for others who also need to use the amenities. Incoming first-year students might even miss the famous campus orientation, which may cause them to struggle to adapt to the new environment. Schools will be strained in specific ways, such as they will have to refund some money that was expected not to have been used due to the abrupt disruption. This will create a challenge to the schools, and therefore when they reopen, they will run on a low budget that will not be able to cater to a lot of things.
Despite the challenges, the coronavirus pandemic has created a new phase for the online learning system. Online learning programs have been executed in many schools, and a high number of them have been successful. The pandemic has confirmed that online learning is a possible tool of education if taken seriously. Because of the disease, many people have found employment in creating online platforms for schools. Internet providers have also enjoyed good profits while providing more internet services due to students’ and schools’ increased demand. More so, the use of technology has increased the students’ and teachers’ interest and employability in online learning, which will prepare them better for the future. Therefore, many students might find out that online learning best caters to their needs, and they may opt to take their studies online in the future.
4.2 Impact of coronavirus on education in Nigeria
The coronavirus pandemic also put a significant blow on the education sector in Nigeria as never before. Forty-six million students were affected, and their education disrupted (World Literacy Foundation). The COVID-19 hit the education sector of developing countries such as Nigeria the worst as they lack the appropriate technology to conduct online classes compared to the developed nations like the USA. In addition to the lack of necessary technology to do the online courses, students in the rural areas of Nigeria are forced to help with chores; therefore, missing on the online classes. Poor schools have also suffered as they lack ICT infrastructure to support online courses compared to the nation’s wealthy schools. Such challenges have negatively impacted the disadvantaged students, where they might perform lower as they cannot keep up with their classes.
Other children, mostly in developing countries like Nigeria, have also been forced into early marriages, negatively impacting their education and future. Children from low-income families might even be forced to work for wealthy families, which increases the risk of physical or sexual exploitation for financial or food support (Reliefweb). Such disadvantaged children have also been reported to enter prostitution to raise money to help cater to their families. It is therefore very likely that such children will drop out of school when schools resume. Such experiences have traumatized the affected people together with their friends and families.

Figure 1.7 Showing sexual and domestic violence cases

The figure above indicates the rising sexual and domestic violence cases including those of child abuse in Lagos in Nigeria due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The spread of Covid-19 epidemic as discussed earlier records a significant impact on the economy, education, unemployment rate and uprising poverty levels in both the US and Nigeria. The socioeconomic impact of Covid-19 epidemic has subsequently led to mental toll among the Americans and Nigerians.

CHAPTER FIVE
5.1 Psychological Impact of Coronavirus Pandemic
Unlike SARS, MERS, and Ebola, Covid-19 records a considerable psychological effect on individuals worldwide. The relationship between mind, body, physical environment, and the effect of one upon the other forms of health psychology. Health psychology engages behavioral and psychological processes in health, illness as well as healthcare. Factors like social relationships and well-being among individuals significantly contribute to the entire discipline of health psychology (American Psychological Association, 2017). The pandemic has significantly affected social life among people across the globe. Most importantly, it renders a significant number of individuals experiencing psychological toll due to social distancing, anxiety, and economic constraints. Governments worldwide have introduced and made significant interventions in response to curbing covid-19, through restriction of human traffic, and embracing social distancing. The devastation resulting from Covid-19 may be comparable to the one caused by the SARS epidemic in 2003. Moderate to severe post-traumatic stress symptoms were recorded amongst the severely affected populace by the SARS epidemic. Similarly, individuals and nations affected by MERS and Ebola were linked to be at high risk of developing post-traumatic stress, among other mental health concerns like depression (Jernigan). The affected populace may have encountered unknown stress risk factors for anxiety and depression-like high mortality rate, resource and food insecurity, discrimination, and encounter with sick people, leading to more adverse mental issues during the viral epidemics. In contrast, the Covid-19 pandemic records a significant spread globally, recording more than 10 million infections and over 520,000 deaths since its outbreak in December 2019 (Sohrabi et al.). Consequently, Covid-19 records a significant toll on the mental health among the infected individuals and the globe in general, affecting the quality of life. According to the American Psychological Association, the coronavirus pandemic has been labeled as an epidemiological and psychological crisis worldwide. The pandemic has been labeled as a psychological crisis due to enormous job loss, financial hardship, grief over the loss of a loved one to the pandemic and the enormity of living in isolation (Perlman, p. 760-762). The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in physical distancing, which is critical in seeking social support, but most importantly, in connecting with others. A study piloted in China indicated that 53.8% of the respondents recorded the mental toll of the Covid-19 as severe or moderate, and 28% recorded modest to severe symptoms of stress and anxiety levels (Perlman, p. 760-762). Infected individuals or Covid-19 suspects may encounter dread of the repercussions of being infected with the novel coronavirus. According to the National Institute of Health, the quarantine individuals could experience loneliness, anger, and boredom. Moreover, the infection symptoms like hypoxia, fever, cough, and the adverse impacts of treatment like insomnia triggered by corticosteroids have an aptitude for causing anxiety that worsens mental distress (de Medeiros et al.). During the outbreak of SARS, individuals among infected nations experienced various psychiatric illnesses such as anxiety, insistent depression, excitement, panic spasms, delirium, suicidality, and psychotic signs. However, the mental impact experienced during Ebola and SARS outbreak does not match the psychological magnitude of Covid-19. The current Covid-19 epidemic has had an enormous mental toll on patients, healthcare professions, families, and society (de Medeiros et al.). The pandemic’s psychological impact is mainly attributed to anxiety, grief, and loneliness among individuals worldwide.
5.2 Psychosocial Burden of Lockdown, Isolation, and Quarantine
The countrywide lockdown and forced quarantine as a critical measure towards combating Covid-19 have produced anxiety, acute panic, obsessive behaviors, paranoia, hoarding, depression, and resulting in the long run post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Social media platforms have instigated the mental toll through infodemic (Dubey et al.). In the US, the psychological toll of the Covid-19 pandemic has been recorded at significant levels due to other social unrest like the outburst of racial discrimination, xenophobic attitude against specific communities, and stigmatization of particular ethnic minorities. Moreover, the Covid-19 pandemic subject healthcare professions to a higher risk of contracting the viral ailment and encounter adverse mental toll in the form of anxiety, burnout, fear of contracting and spreading the infection, depression, and PTSD (Lima et al.). Other than the physical suffering imposed by the quarantine and the restriction on movement, the repercussions of Covid-19 quarantine as a control tool have had a significant mental toll at a personal and population-level among both developed and developing nations (Dubey et al.). The enforced mass quarantine and countrywide lockdown exercised across the United States, and Nigeria in Africa has had enormous distress, anxiety as well as hysteria as a result of factors such as a sense of losing control and getting cornered. The Covid-19 pandemic has worsened the situation in the instances that families require separation because of the pandemic, financial losses, loss of jobs, uncertainty of the viral progression, and the growing perception of risk that is intensified by vague information on social media platforms (Lima et al.). According to the National Institute of Health, individuals in both developed and developing nations have recorded a considerable psychological impact of quarantine due to the Covid-19 epidemic ranging from instant effects such as fear of contracting the disease, irritability, loneliness, frustrations, insomnia, depression, confusion, despair, denial, anxiety, and to extreme instances of feeling suicidal (Dubey et al.). Isolated individuals, together with their immediate families recorded to be suffering from anxiety that is caused by the uncertain health condition of their loved ones and eventually developing obsessive-compulsive symptoms like recurrent temperature checkups and disinfection. Effects like PTSD have been recorded worldwide in developing African nations like Guinea and the United States (Lima et al.). Socioeconomic stress due to financial loss has been positively linked to distress and psychological symptoms. Moreover, communal dismissal and stigmatization within society and discrimination among members of the community remain linked to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Figure 1.8 Relation between Covid-19 and its Psychological toll on global population

In 2003 during the SARS outbreak in nations like Canada and Taiwan, the psychosocial reaction among healthcare professions, patients, and family caregivers was significant. Through the pandemic, affected individuals and nations suffered psychological morbidity that led to more depressive symptoms and insomnia than Ebola and MERS’ outbursts. The Covid-19 pandemic has had a more complicated and complex psychological impact among developing and developed countries (Lima et al.).
The mass fear of Covid-19 among the general population among developed nations like the US and developing countries like Nigeria remains significantly high and generally termed as the unpredictable course of the virus likely attributes “coronaphobia.” Seeming risk of contracting the infection and the intolerance of improbability generate emotional distress and negative mental toll (Dubey et al.). The first report of the case and the following reported the death to the acceleration of positive cases across the globe, and excessive media attention has considerably heightened anxiety, fear, frustrations, and helplessness among social members over the pandemic. The overly-concerned society worries about government restriction and lockdown due to the scarcity of essential and emergency services during the Covid-19 pandemic that creates impractical anxiety leading to feelings of fallaciousness. Concerning stockpiling recurrent resources like medications, protective masks, and hand sanitizers (Lima et al.). For instance, in the US, the Covid-19 epidemic has led to infection-related “Xenophobia,” where Chinese individuals in the US have reported to encounter physical and verbal attacks denying them access to fundamental human rights (Dubey et al.). The psychological distress has been experienced across the globe with studies in China involving approximately 53,000 respondents recorded that 1/3 of the total subjects that took part in the research encountered mental suffering oscillating from slight to modest and severe. The study involved the Covid-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI) score that incorporated various data on depression, the occurrence of anxiety, particular frights, avoidance, cognitive alteration as well as the compulsive behavioral pattern indicated a significant psychological impact of Covid-19 among members of the society (Dubey et al.). A similar survey founded on the approach of Online Ecological Recognition (OER) synthesized Weibo posts online sourcing from approximately 1900 active Weibo consumers concluded that adverse sensations like anxiety, depression, and indignation have significantly increased since 20th January. 2020 during the declaration of Covid-19 (Dubey et al.). Moreover, positive emotions such as life satisfaction and happiness have been reported to reduce from the Covid-19 pandemic declaration significantly. Female gender, individuals with higher educational levels, young age, and students displaying physical symptoms such as coryza, myalgia, and dizziness were considerably linked to the negative mental impact of Covid-19 (Lima et al.).
Nonetheless, a study conducted among the developing world, particularly from Eastern India and Africa, recorded that many research respondents felt anxious about financial restraint since lockdown implementation. With approximately 1/4 of respondents reporting to experience depressing symptoms with 1/3 of the respondents reporting to finding it difficult to adjust into “new normal.” Moreover, 25.6% of respondents recorded to be feeling threatened by the pandemic and ½ of respondents recording to be worried and preoccupied with the idea that they might contract the virus anytime (Dubey et al.). The anxiety levels in countries like China among college students when the outbreak was officially announced were positively linked to the distraction of daily life routines and interruptions in academic activities due to lockdown. The extended and long term lockdown as a way towards curbing the spread of Covid-19 led the closure of numerous businesses and industries across the world negatively impacting the global community. Industrial and business closure has had a significant impact on national and local economic stability. Hence, an enormous number of individuals have experienced financial losses, loss of jobs, or on the verge of losing their sources of income, further escalating the adverse emotions encountered by people through the Covid-19 pandemic (Lima et al.). The increasing pressure and frustrations among individuals from the pandemic have harmed individual relationships, family bonding, emotional needs, and intimacy relationships. Individuals grieving from losing a loved one to Covid-19 and the helplessness to gaining closure and incinerate their loved ones can lead to resentment, anger, long term psychiatric effect, and psychological trauma. Moreover, reports of rising cases of women abuse and domestic violence have significantly increased across the globe during the Covid-19 pandemic due to the increasing pressure taking mental toll among numerous families and society at large (Lima et al.).
5.3 Psychological Impact of Covid-19 in the US
The covid-19 outbreak in the US has had a significant psychological impact on the American population. The pandemic has had a considerable effect on individuals’ stress levels due to the rising social and economic pressure (Goldman). According to a research study conducted using google trends data in the US, seasonality related to stress searches like depression and anxiety within 1st September 2019 and 29th February 2020 increased significantly during the week’s working days but reduced towards the weekend. Data analysis was comprehended using Python module version 0.11.1 and stats-model for the critical terms like depression, anxiety, and therapy within the seven days of the week. The data analysis results indicate that stress levels significantly increased among individuals during working days and reduced towards the weekend as Americans engage in stress-reducing endeavors (Goldman). The sudden shift in the way of life due to lockdowns through the United States led to the closure of bars and restaurants, seeing many individuals losing their jobs. The loss of jobs, country lockdown, and reduced human movement reflect a decline in a seven-day cycle around mid-March 2020. The prolonged lockdown in the US creates breakpoints on 13th January, 13th March, 18th March, and 23rd March, which acts as the partial test for the cause of data seasonality. The research findings concluded that the shifting trend in data was visible through binary segmentation analysis because there was no stress from work. However, many Americans experienced boredom and upspring distress as stress-reducing activities remained unavailable due to lockdowns and increasing economic constraints (Goldman). Referring to the US survey, boredom searches increased over time but retained some of its trend within a particular frequency. The boredom searches significantly increased around 14th March, with the searches increasing at a linear projection between 14th March. and 20th March. The boredom searches results coincide with searches conducted on anxiety (Goldman). The increasing boredom and anxiety searches among the Americans was remains linked to the prolonged lockdown as a measure towards curbing Covid-19.
Figure 1.9 Share of Anxiety and distress among unemployed Americans since the pandemic

(Kaiser Family Foundation)

Figure 2.0 Share of anxiety and distress among employed Americans since the pandemic

(Kaiser Family Foundation)
Nonetheless, there has been significant evidence linking socioeconomic features (gender, ethnicity, education, wealth status, educational status, and standard of living among others) and the rate at which mental health services are demanded across the United States. Individuals without permanent residence in western countries and the United States, in particular, have been reported to face a significant amount of challenges when attempting to access healthcare services. Since the outburst of Covid-19 in the US, developing statistics suggest that black Americans experience a disproportionate impact of the coronavirus pandemic (Clark et al.). The developing data reflects US’s socioeconomic disparity due to the Covid-19 epidemic by the significantly high mortality rate of black Americans across New Orleans, Louisiana, and Chicago Detroit. Other states like Milwaukee and Illinois with a lower population of black Americans representing only 26 percent and 14.6% of the total population have recorded a significant number of Covid-19 associated deaths recording approximately 50% of total fatalities the respective nations (Clark et al.).
Moreover, socioeconomic disparity in the US, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, has compelled black Americans to experience dreadful psychological distress levels compared to other ethnic-racial clusters within American societies. Overwhelming data reflect the relationship between significant mental toll among the black Americans during the Covid-19 pandemic to socioeconomic disparity and healthcare accessibility (Clark et al.). The inequality in the United States begins from income disparities, differences in social class, different educational status, and neighborhood deficiency, which has significantly contributed to the mental toll of Covid-19 among black Americans. Despite the existence of mental and behavioral health measures proposed by the World Health Organization focusing on psychological and mental concern through the Covid-19 pandemic, the United States populace is still experiencing a significant level of psychological distress as a result of the lockdown associated with the outbreak of Covid-19 (Clark et al.).
5.4 Psychological Impact of Covid-19 in Nigeria
Nigeria has experienced fatal disease outbreaks before, such as malaria, Ebola virus, HIV/AIDS, avian influenza, and tuberculosis, but none has had the complex psychological impact as Covid-19. Like in the US and other developed nations, Nigeria’s significant households did not fail to report on the psychological impact of Covid-19 among households (Stanley et al.). Referring to a study conducted in Nigeria between 20th March. and 12th April12th April 2020, a significant number of correspondents reported having experienced significant levels of emotional anguish during the Covid-19 epidemic (Stanley et al.). A significant population in Nigeria similar to the United States reported experiencing psychological disorders like major depression, anxiety, insomnia, drug use, and suicidal ideation since the pandemic outbreak. The psychological disorders both in the US and Nigeria remain attributed by quarantine, self-isolation, treatment, social distancing, and the associated loneliness (Olaseni et al.). Similarly, the implication of confinement and quarantine to control the pandemic in both Nigeria and the US remains directly linked to psychological disorders among individuals. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has recorded a substantial socioeconomic impact in the US along ethnic lines with the black Americans suffering the most compared to Nigeria, where the pandemic has had an equal impact among members of the society.
Figure 2.1 Anxiety and distress levels among Nigerians since the Pandemic outbreak

(Olaseni et al.).
Moreover, domestic violence has significantly increased in both the US and Nigeria since the outbreak of Covid-19. According to gender-based researchers, domestic violence increases whenever families spend time together (Chandan et al.). The gender-based vehemence, child mishandling, and negligence have been uprising during the Covid-19 pandemic in Nigeria and the US due to the mental toll of the epidemic, which imposed movement restriction, isolation, loss of jobs, business losses that have significantly raised anxiety and stress levels. Like the outburst of Ebola in Western Africa, previous pandemics had similar impacts where domestic violence cases significantly increased within the region (Chandan et al.). According to the United Nations, domestic violence remains enshrined in control and power. Looming loss of jobs, the inability to providing for the family, and economic improbabilities. An unintentional result is the loss of control, frustration, and anger that, in most cases, end up meted out in the form of domestic and gender-based violence among children and women within the household (Chandan et al.). The lockdown, social distancing that the pandemic has introduced adds a significant layer of complexity among victims as reporting the abusers during the lockdown remains difficult. The victims find it difficult to report the abusers during lockdown because they are one step from abusers.
Moreover, psychological harm and the emotional toll among kids witnessing the abuse have been widely reported during the Covid-19 pandemic across the globe (Chandan et al.). Research findings and data analysis sourced from major cities in the US indicate that even though a significant number of crimes have reduced in recent weeks since the outbreak of Covid-19, reports of domestic violence have increased significantly. The US major states and cities since the announcement of country lockdown started recording 100-120 more domestic violence cases than usual (Campbell). According to the National Statistics on domestic violence, American households have experienced a significant rise in gender-based violence since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic because of the rising psychological distress (Campbell). Similarly, United Women Trust Fund reports a significant surge in gender-based violence in Nigeria since adopting movement restriction and lockdown across the nation. In most African nations like Nigeria, gender-based violence has significantly increased by approximately 60% on average due to uprising psychological distress and frustrations since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic (Campbell). Both Nigeria and the United States have provided toll-free helpline where victims are expected to report their cases. Moreover, there has been a significant rise in sexual violence and physical child abuse cases in Nigeria since the outbreak compared to the US.
Figure 2.2 Sexual and domestic violence cases in Nigeria since the pandemic outbreak

Nigeria domestic and gender violence response team
According to the European Institute for Gender Equality, even though both males and females experience gender-based violence globally, household violence cases have significantly increased over the past four months since the outburst of the Covid-19 epidemic. Due to the introduction of countrywide lockdown and social distancing requirements, which has led to increased psychological distress (Campbell). Compared to the United States, Nigeria has little to no response towards gender-based violence that is seeing an increasing rate since the pandemic outbreak. Conclusively, both Nigeria and the US have recorded a significant rise in psychological disorders since the Covid-19 epidemic outburst. However, the Covid-19 epidemic and its associated psychological toll on individuals have significantly disintegrated American society due to the lockdown’s rising tension compared to Nigeria.
Conclusion
Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant socioeconomic impact both in Nigeria and the United States, which has cultivated a considerable social unrest and disgruntlement level. The pandemic has initiated a slow in economic growth that has recorded a negative trend due to the closure of businesses and the loss of jobs, which has raised the poverty levels. Pandemics bear a significant bearing on society’s fabric, which has initiated stress and distress among social members, leading to the rise of socially unacceptable norms. The pandemic’s increasing distress and psychological impact have had a negative impact in both the US and Nigeria that has seen a significant rise in domestic violence as frustrations from economic losses surges. The adoption of social distancing has seen schools closed and, thus, disrupting the academic calendars and exposing school going kids to socially unacceptable norms. The United States has adopted more significant monetary and fiscal policies towards stimulating the economy than Nigeria. The Federal government is injecting a significant amount of money and improving money circulation in the economy. To mitigate and save the contemporary society from a further predicament, federal governments in the US and Nigeria must adopt more fiscal and monetary policies to revive the economy and create more job opportunities to reduce the uprising socioeconomic pressure.

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