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Mario Coccia, Research Director at National Research Council of Italy. The goal of my scientific research is to make statistical analyses, models, carry out experiments, and conduct observational studies that illuminate the evolutionary properties of technology in society, processes of coevolution between technologies, and the measurement of technological advances over time and space. I have been a research fellow at the Max Planck Institute of Economics and visiting professor at the Polytechnics of Torino and University of Piemonte Orientale (Italy). I have conducted research work at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Yale University, United Nations University-Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT), RAND Corporation (Washington D.C.), University of Maryland (College Park), Bureau d’Économie Théorique et Appliquée (Strasbourg), Munk School of Global Affairs (University of Toronto), and Institute for Science and Technology Studies (University of Bielefeld). I lead the CocciaLAB at the CNR to investigate, with interdisciplinary scientific researches, the determinants of socioeconomic phenomena. I have published many papers on economics of science and innovation, political economy of science and technology, environmental and sustainability sciences.
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to generate a constant pandemic threat with new mutations of the viral agent that create socioeconomic issues. One of the fundamental problems is the evaluation of the preparedness of countries to cope with COVID-19 pandemic crisis to detect factors associated with the reduction of infectious disease and rollout of vaccinations in society. The study here confronts this problem by developing two basic indexes, which measure the performance to face pandemic threats by countries. In particular, the Index r (as resilience) detects which countries have had the best performance to reduce the negative impact of mortality related to COVID-19 pandemic and the Index p (as preparedness and prevention) assesses best-performer countries to support COVID-19 vaccinations to constrain future pandemic threats and support the recovery of socioeconomic systems. Index of resilience is a composite measure based on three indicators, given by average mortality, hospital occupancy and Intensive Care Units occupancy per 100 000 people, producing an overall score; Index of prevention is also a composite measure of two indicators related COVID-19 vaccinations (doses of vaccines administrated and total vaccinates per 100 000 people), producing an overall score. The application of these indexes on a case study of European countries, having a homogenous socioeconomic area, shows strategic positioning of countries to cope with a major pandemic threat. Findings reveal that all countries have some weaknesses and no country has a high preparedness to cope with a major epidemic or pandemic. Moreover, results suggest that best-performer countries to cope with COVID-19 pandemic crisis have a smaller size of population and better public governance, associated with high expenditures in health system. These indexes can help policymakers for designing strategies to improve preparedness to face future pandemic threats.
Mario Coccia. Preparedness of countries to face covid-19 pandemic crisis: Strategic positioning and underlying structural factors to support strategies of prevention of pandemic threats. Environmental Research 2021, 111678 .
AMA StyleMario Coccia. Preparedness of countries to face covid-19 pandemic crisis: Strategic positioning and underlying structural factors to support strategies of prevention of pandemic threats. Environmental Research. 2021; ():111678.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMario Coccia. 2021. "Preparedness of countries to face covid-19 pandemic crisis: Strategic positioning and underlying structural factors to support strategies of prevention of pandemic threats." Environmental Research , no. : 111678.
One of the problems hardly clarified in COVID-19 pandemic crisis is the effective of the pandemic preparedness of countries to cope with COVID-19 and reduce negative effects in society. The study here confronts this problem by proponing the Index of resilience that detects which countries have had the best performance to reduce the negative impact of mortality related to COVID-19 pandemic and the Index of preparedness that assesses performance of countries to support COVID-19 vaccinations and prevent future waves of COVID-19. The application of these indexes on selected European countries suggests that, in average, best-performer countries to cope with COVID-19 pandemic crisis have a smaller size of population and high level of health expenditures. However, lessons learned from this study are that manifold countries have several biological security weaknesses and low pandemic preparedness. The policy implications are that governments should revise and reinforce, planning, institutions and overall organization devoted to face pandemic threats.
Mario Coccia. Pandemic Preparedness of Countries to Cope With COVID-19. 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleMario Coccia. Pandemic Preparedness of Countries to Cope With COVID-19. . 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMario Coccia. 2021. "Pandemic Preparedness of Countries to Cope With COVID-19." , no. : 1.
The goal of the study here is to model and analyze the relation between research funding and citation-based performance in science to predict the diffusion of new scientific results in society. In fact, an important problem in the field of scientometrics is to explain factors determining the growth of citations in documents that can increase the diffusion of scientific results and the impact of science on society. The study here confronts this problem by developing a scientometric analysis to clarify, whenever possible, the relation between research funding and citations of articles in critical disciplines. Data of 2015 retrieved from the Web of Science database relating to the three critical disciplines given by computer science, medicine and economics are analyzed. Results suggest that computer science journals published more funded than unfunded papers. Medicine journals published equally funded and unfunded documents, and finally economics journals published more unfunded than funded papers. In addition, funded documents received more citations than unfunded papers in all three disciplines under study. The study also finds that citations in funded, unfunded and total (funded + unfunded) papers follow a power-law distribution in different disciplines. Another novel finding is that for all disciplines under study, the Matthew effect is greater for funded articles compared to unfunded documents. The results here can support best practices of research policy directed to fund vital scientific research for increasing the diffusion of science and scientific findings in society.
Saeed Roshani; Mohammad-Reza Bagherylooieh; Melika Mosleh; Mario Coccia. What is the relationship between research funding and citation-based performance? A comparative analysis between critical disciplines. Scientometrics 2021, 126, 7859 -7874.
AMA StyleSaeed Roshani, Mohammad-Reza Bagherylooieh, Melika Mosleh, Mario Coccia. What is the relationship between research funding and citation-based performance? A comparative analysis between critical disciplines. Scientometrics. 2021; 126 (9):7859-7874.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSaeed Roshani; Mohammad-Reza Bagherylooieh; Melika Mosleh; Mario Coccia. 2021. "What is the relationship between research funding and citation-based performance? A comparative analysis between critical disciplines." Scientometrics 126, no. 9: 7859-7874.
The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that caused the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), generating high numbers of COVID-19 related infected individuals and deaths, is still circulating in 2021 with new variants of the coronavirus, such that the state of emergency remains in manifold countries. Currently, there is still a lack of a full understanding of the factors determining the COVID-19 diffusion that clarify the causes of the variability of infections across different provinces and regions within countries. The main goal of this study is to explain new and main determinants underlying the diffusion of COVID-19 in society. This study focuses on international trade because this factor, in a globalized world, can synthetize different drivers of virus spread, such as mobility patterns, economic potentialities, and social interactions of an investigated areas. A case study research is performed on 107 provinces of Italy, one of the first countries to experience a rapid increase in confirmed cases and deaths. Statistical analyses from March 2020 to February 2021 suggest that total import and export of provinces has a high association with confirmed cases over time (average r > 0.78, p-value <.001). Overall, then, this study suggests total import and export as complex indicator of COVID-19 transmission dynamics that outclasses other common parameters used to justify the COVID-19 spread, given by economic, demographic, environmental, and climate factors. In addition, this study proposes, for the first time, a time-dependent correlation analysis between trade data and COVID-19 infection cases to explain the relation between confirmed cases and social interactions that are a main source of the diffusion of SARS-CoV-2 and subsequent negative impact in society. These novel findings have main theoretical and practical implications directed to include a new parameter in modelling of the diffusion of COVID-19 pandemic to support effective policy responses of crisis management directed to constrain the impact of COVID-19 pandemic and similar infectious diseases in society.
E. Bontempi; M. Coccia. International trade as critical parameter of COVID-19 spread that outclasses demographic, economic, environmental, and pollution factors. Environmental Research 2021, 201, 111514 -111514.
AMA StyleE. Bontempi, M. Coccia. International trade as critical parameter of COVID-19 spread that outclasses demographic, economic, environmental, and pollution factors. Environmental Research. 2021; 201 ():111514-111514.
Chicago/Turabian StyleE. Bontempi; M. Coccia. 2021. "International trade as critical parameter of COVID-19 spread that outclasses demographic, economic, environmental, and pollution factors." Environmental Research 201, no. : 111514-111514.
No studies to date allow us to explain the dynamics of science and research behavior in the presence of crisis to support research policy for allocating resources with effectiveness and planning scientific research to provide solutions directed to positive societal impact. The main goal of this study is to explain the research behavior and dynamics of science during a global crisis, focusing on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) that has generated a pandemic crisis worldwide. Results suggest critical characteristics of the research behavior and dynamics of science in global crisis, namely: evolution of research field is driven by new and consequential environmental threats in human society to be solved in a short run; evolution of crisis-driven research fields field is pulled by few (parent) disciplines (3–5) that generate more than 80% of documents; the most active institutions in crisis-driven studies are mainly academic institutions localized in advanced countries; main funding institutions in scientific production of crisis-driven research fields are public organizations of rich nations and global charitable foundations; the most productive countries of crisis-driven research fields are nations direct to support their global leadership; moreover, research behavior of crisis-driven research fields is mainly based on scientific publications having open access for a widespread diffusion of results for a higher social impact; finally, scientific production of crisis-driven research field has a higher density of short communications with letters and notes to systematize quickly findings, publish and spread them. Overall, then, this study provides critical characteristics of research behavior and dynamics of science in global crises that could be of benefit to policymakers to design science policies and plan research programmes to generate fruitful science advances and technological breakthroughs directed to reduce negative effects of crisis on socioeconomic systems and improve wellbeing of people.
Mario Coccia. The Research Behaviour and Dynamics of Science in Periods of Crisis: Case Study of COVID-19 Leading to Discovery of mRNA Vaccines. 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleMario Coccia. The Research Behaviour and Dynamics of Science in Periods of Crisis: Case Study of COVID-19 Leading to Discovery of mRNA Vaccines. . 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMario Coccia. 2021. "The Research Behaviour and Dynamics of Science in Periods of Crisis: Case Study of COVID-19 Leading to Discovery of mRNA Vaccines." , no. : 1.
Mario Coccia. Effects of Human Progress Driven by Technological Change on Physical and Mental Health. 2021, 113 -132.
AMA StyleMario Coccia. Effects of Human Progress Driven by Technological Change on Physical and Mental Health. . 2021; (2):113-132.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMario Coccia. 2021. "Effects of Human Progress Driven by Technological Change on Physical and Mental Health." , no. 2: 113-132.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which appeared in late 2019, generating a pandemic crisis with high numbers of COVID-19-related infected individuals and deaths in manifold countries worldwide. Lessons learned from COVID-19 can be used to prevent pandemic threats by designing strategies to support different policy responses, not limited to the health system, directed to reduce the risks of the emergence of novel viral agents, the diffusion of infectious diseases and negative impact in society.
Mario Coccia. Pandemic Prevention: Lessons from COVID-19. Encyclopedia 2021, 1, 433 -444.
AMA StyleMario Coccia. Pandemic Prevention: Lessons from COVID-19. Encyclopedia. 2021; 1 (2):433-444.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMario Coccia. 2021. "Pandemic Prevention: Lessons from COVID-19." Encyclopedia 1, no. 2: 433-444.
One of the problems hardly clarified in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic crisis is to identify factors associated with a lower mortality of COVID-19 between countries to design strategies to cope with future pandemics in society. The study here confronts this problem by developing a global analysis based on more than 160 countries. This paper proposes that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, healthcare spending and air pollution of nations are critical factors associated with fatality rate of COVID-19. The statistical evidence seems in general to support that countries with a low average COVID-19 fatality rate have high expenditures in health sector >7.5% of GDP, high health expenditures per capita >$2,300 and a lower exposure of population to days exceeding safe levels of particulate matter (PM2.5). Another relevant finding here is that these countries have lower case fatality rates (CFRs) of COVID-19, regardless a higher percentage of population aged more than 65 years. Overall, then, this study finds that an effective and proactive strategy to reduce the negative impact of future pandemics, driven by novel viral agents, has to be based on a planning of enhancement of healthcare sector and of environmental sustainability that can reduce fatality rate of infectious diseases in society.
Mario Coccia. High health expenditures and low exposure of population to air pollution as critical factors that can reduce fatality rate in COVID-19 pandemic crisis: a global analysis. Environmental Research 2021, 199, 111339 -111339.
AMA StyleMario Coccia. High health expenditures and low exposure of population to air pollution as critical factors that can reduce fatality rate in COVID-19 pandemic crisis: a global analysis. Environmental Research. 2021; 199 ():111339-111339.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMario Coccia. 2021. "High health expenditures and low exposure of population to air pollution as critical factors that can reduce fatality rate in COVID-19 pandemic crisis: a global analysis." Environmental Research 199, no. : 111339-111339.
The goal of this study is to analyze the evolution of technology in artificial heart valves for solving the problem of aortic stenosis (a narrowing of the aortic valve opening) that is one of the most common valvular heart diseases in society. In particular, this study explains the evolution of new technology of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) compared to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). Data of Scopus (2020) based scientific products and patents that have in title, abstract or keywords the following terms: “transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI)” or “surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR)”. The evolution of technology is analyzed with a model, which shows how TAVI technique is substituting established technique of SAVR in cardiology. The relationships are investigated with loglinear models using ordinary least squares method for estimating the unknown parameters. Statistical analyses are performed with the Statistics Software SPSS® 26. Statistical analyses reveal that TAVI, with its growing scientific and technological production, is expected to be a dominant technology in future for the treatment of aortic stenosis in society. In fact, the scientific production of TAVI has a coefficient of growth in function of time equal to 0.39(P<.001) compared to a coefficient for SAVR that is 0.10(P<.001). Statistical analyses with patent production confirm these results. Findings hint at general properties of the evolutionary behavior of this medical technology: 1) TAVI has a disproportionate growth in scientific products and patents compared to SAVR; 2) TAVI has a growing scientific and technological production driven by major and minor technological advances to solve consequential problems to treat valvular heart diseases; 3) learning via diffusion and diffusion by learning are driving forces underlying the development and adoption of TAVI in cardiology. TAVI, introduced in 2002, is growing in terms of scientific production and innovative activity to revolutionize the management of aortic stenosis in cardiology with important implications of health management based on improved cost-effectiveness of this new technology and better efficiency in healthcare of people.
Mario Coccia. Evolution of technology in replacement of heart valves: Transcatheter aortic valves, a revolution for management of valvular heart diseases. Health Policy and Technology 2021, 10, 100512 .
AMA StyleMario Coccia. Evolution of technology in replacement of heart valves: Transcatheter aortic valves, a revolution for management of valvular heart diseases. Health Policy and Technology. 2021; 10 (2):100512.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMario Coccia. 2021. "Evolution of technology in replacement of heart valves: Transcatheter aortic valves, a revolution for management of valvular heart diseases." Health Policy and Technology 10, no. 2: 100512.
The main aim of this chapter is to explain how institutional change, measured with a set of governance indicators, can support the reduction of poverty and inequality in society that is an essential prerequisite for supporting economic growth of nations. This chapter shows a study that investigates 191 countries to clarify the relationships between institutional variables and socioeconomic factors of nations with different levels of development. Central findings suggest that a good governance of institutions supports a reduction of poverty and income inequality in society. In particular, results of this study show that the critical role of good governance for reducing inequality and poverty has a effect in countries with stable economies higher than emerging and fragile economies. Overall, then, the study described in this chapter reveals that countries should focus on institutional change directed to improve governance effectiveness and rule of law that can reduce poverty and inequality, and as a consequence support the long-run (sustainable) socioeconomic development of nations.
Mario Coccia. How a Good Governance of Institutions Can Reduce Poverty and Inequality in Society? Development and Implementation of Health Technology Assessment 2021, 65 -94.
AMA StyleMario Coccia. How a Good Governance of Institutions Can Reduce Poverty and Inequality in Society? Development and Implementation of Health Technology Assessment. 2021; ():65-94.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMario Coccia. 2021. "How a Good Governance of Institutions Can Reduce Poverty and Inequality in Society?" Development and Implementation of Health Technology Assessment , no. : 65-94.
The goal of this study is a comparative analysis of the first and second wave of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) to assess the impact on health of people for designing effective policy responses to constrain negative effects of future pandemic waves of COVID-19 and similar infectious diseases in society. The research here focuses on a case study of Italy, one of the first countries to experience a rapid increase in numbers of COVID-19 related infected individuals and deaths. Statistical analyses, based on daily data from February 2020 to February 2021, suggest that the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Italy had a high negative impact on health of people over February–May 2020 period; after that, negative effects declined from June 2020 onwards. Second wave of COVID-19 pandemic from August 2020 to February 2021 had a growing incidence of confirmed cases also associated with variants of coronavirus, whereas admissions to Intensive Care Units and total deaths had lower levels compared to first wave of COVID-19. Lessons learned of this comparative analysis between first and second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy can be generalized in similar geo-economic areas to support effective policy responses of crisis management to constrain the negative impact on health of people of recurring waves of COVID-19 pandemic and similar infectious diseases in future.
Mario Coccia. The impact of first and second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in society: comparative analysis to support control measures to cope with negative effects of future infectious diseases. Environmental Research 2021, 197, 111099 -111099.
AMA StyleMario Coccia. The impact of first and second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in society: comparative analysis to support control measures to cope with negative effects of future infectious diseases. Environmental Research. 2021; 197 ():111099-111099.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMario Coccia. 2021. "The impact of first and second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in society: comparative analysis to support control measures to cope with negative effects of future infectious diseases." Environmental Research 197, no. : 111099-111099.
How is the relation between duration of lockdown and numbers of infected people and deaths of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and growth level of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in countries? Results here suggest that, during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic, countries with a shorter period of lockdown (about 15 days: Austria, Portugal and Sweden) have average confirmed cases divided by population higher than countries with a longer period of lockdown (about 60 days, i.e., 2 months: France, Italy and Spain); moreover, countries with a shorter period of lockdown have average fatality rate (5.45%) lower than countries with a longer length of lockdown (12.70%), whereas average variation of fatality rate from March to August 2020 (first pandemic wave of COVID-19) suggests a higher reduction in countries with a longer period of lockdown than countries with a shorter duration (−1.9% vs. −0.72%). Independent Samples Test reveals that average fatality rate of countries with a shorter period of lockdown was significantly lower than countries with a longer period of lockdown (5.4% vs. 12.7%, p-value<.05). The Mann-Whitney Test confirms that average fatality rate of countries with a shorter period of lockdown is significantly lower than countries having a longer period of lockdown (U = 0, p-value = .005). In addition, results show that lockdowns of longer duration have generated negative effects on GDP growth: average contraction of GDP (index 2010 = 100) from second quarter 2019 to second quarter of 2020 in countries applying a longer period of lockdown (i.e., about two months) is about −21%, whereas it is −13% in countries applying a shorter period of lockdown of about 15 days (significant difference with Independent Samples Test: t4 = −2.274, p-value < .085). This finding shows a systematic deterioration of economic system because of containment policies based on a longer duration of lockdown in society. Another novel finding here reveals that countries with higher investments in healthcare (as percentage of GDP) have alleviated fatality rate of COVID-19 and simultaneously have applied a shorter period of lockdown, reducing negative effects on economic system in terms of contraction of economic growth. Overall, then, using lessons learned of the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic crisis, this study must conclude that a strategy to reduce the negative impact of future epidemics similar to COVID-19 has to be based on a reinforcement of healthcare sector to have efficient health organizations to cope with pandemics of new viral agents by minimizing fatality rates; finally, high investments in health sector create the social conditions to apply lockdowns of short run with lower negative effects on socioeconomic systems.
Mario Coccia. The relation between length of lockdown, numbers of infected people and deaths of Covid-19, and economic growth of countries: Lessons learned to cope with future pandemics similar to Covid-19 and to constrain the deterioration of economic system. Science of The Total Environment 2021, 775, 145801 -145801.
AMA StyleMario Coccia. The relation between length of lockdown, numbers of infected people and deaths of Covid-19, and economic growth of countries: Lessons learned to cope with future pandemics similar to Covid-19 and to constrain the deterioration of economic system. Science of The Total Environment. 2021; 775 ():145801-145801.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMario Coccia. 2021. "The relation between length of lockdown, numbers of infected people and deaths of Covid-19, and economic growth of countries: Lessons learned to cope with future pandemics similar to Covid-19 and to constrain the deterioration of economic system." Science of The Total Environment 775, no. : 145801-145801.
One of the key issues in the field of technology analysis and innovation management is how new technologies origin and evolve in the presence of environmental threats. We confront this problem focusing on emerging innovative solutions to cope with unexpected and harmful problems posed by crises and needing a rapid, effective response. We specifically analyze the patterns of critical innovations to cope with new coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) that is generating public health and economic issues worldwide. Accordingly, in the context of the theory of technological exaptation, we adopted a narrative approach examining vital innovations that ended up treating COVID‐19 even though they were originated to treat other diseases (more or less distant from the COVID‐19 domain), as the antiviral drug Remdesivir and the antirheumatoid arthritis drug Tocilizumab. Results reveal that technological exaptation, especially if characterized by a longer exaptive distance, is a potential driving force of innovation to cope with COVID‐19 in the short‐term and other similar issues. On this basis, we provide propositions for a more general crisis model of innovation. This study adds a new perspective that may be helpful to explain the evolution of innovation in the presence of crises, considering technological exaptation in a context of environmental threats.
Lorenzo Ardito; Mario Coccia; Antonio Messeni Petruzzelli. Technological exaptation and crisis management: Evidence from COVID‐19 outbreaks. R&D Management 2021, 51, 381 -392.
AMA StyleLorenzo Ardito, Mario Coccia, Antonio Messeni Petruzzelli. Technological exaptation and crisis management: Evidence from COVID‐19 outbreaks. R&D Management. 2021; 51 (4):381-392.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLorenzo Ardito; Mario Coccia; Antonio Messeni Petruzzelli. 2021. "Technological exaptation and crisis management: Evidence from COVID‐19 outbreaks." R&D Management 51, no. 4: 381-392.
Scholars argue that the ‘‘science of science’’ studies have to investigate the critical role of exogenous events in the emergence of new research fields. The goal of this study is to analyze and explain the birth and growth of new research fields driven by exogenous event to science, such as COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) global pandemic crisis. This study here analyzes how the novel research field of COVID-19 emerges, in a comparative analysis with other scientific fields concerning respiratory illnesses (e.g., Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, COPD and Lung Cancer), to explain factors determining the unique dynamics of science that is generating scientific breakthroughs in a short period of time. The origin and evolution of the research field of COVID-19 reveal that has an acceleration of scientific production equal to a growth of 1.71% daily in 2020, laying the foundations for science advances and a likely paradigm shift in the treatment of infectious diseases with novel mRNA vaccines. Main results are generalized in properties that clarify the dynamics of science and explain the characteristics that generate the origin and evolution of new research fields driven by unforeseen crises with critical implications for technological and social change directed scientific progress of human societies.
Mario Coccia. Scientometric analysis of COVID-19 studies: how the velocity of science leads to discoveries and new technology. 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleMario Coccia. Scientometric analysis of COVID-19 studies: how the velocity of science leads to discoveries and new technology. . 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMario Coccia. 2021. "Scientometric analysis of COVID-19 studies: how the velocity of science leads to discoveries and new technology." , no. : 1.
The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, is generating a high number of deaths worldwide. One of the current questions in the field of environmental science is to explain how air pollution can affect the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on public health. The research here focuses on a case study of Italy. Results suggest that the diffusion of COVID-19 in cities with high levels of air pollution is generating higher numbers of COVID-19 related infected individuals and deaths. In particular, results reveal that the number of infected people was higher in cities with more than 100 days per year exceeding limits set for PM10 or ozone, cities located in hinterland zones (i.e. away from the coast), cities having a low average speed of wind and cities with a lower average temperature. In hinterland cities having a high level of air pollution, coupled with low wind speed, the average number of infected people in April 2020—during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic—is more than tripled compared to cities with low levels of air pollution. In addition, results show that more than 75% of infected individuals and about 81% of deaths of the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Italy are in industrialized regions with high levels of air pollution. Although these vital results of the first wave of the COVID-19 from February to August 2020, policymakers have had a low organizational capacity to plan effective policy responses for crisis management to cope with COVID-19 pandemic that is generating recurring waves with again negative effects, déjà vu, on public health and of course economic systems.
Mario Coccia. Effects of the spread of COVID-19 on public health of polluted cities: results of the first wave for explaining the dejà vu in the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic and epidemics of future vital agents. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 2021, 28, 19147 -19154.
AMA StyleMario Coccia. Effects of the spread of COVID-19 on public health of polluted cities: results of the first wave for explaining the dejà vu in the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic and epidemics of future vital agents. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2021; 28 (15):19147-19154.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMario Coccia. 2021. "Effects of the spread of COVID-19 on public health of polluted cities: results of the first wave for explaining the dejà vu in the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic and epidemics of future vital agents." Environmental Science and Pollution Research 28, no. 15: 19147-19154.
One of the problems hardly clarified in the scientific field of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is inter-related factors associated with a lower mortality of COVID-19 to design effective strategies to cope with unforeseen pandemic crises. The main goal of this study is to explain these factors determining a lower fatality rate of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in society with a global analysis based on more than 160 countries worldwide. This study reveals a novel finding: countries with a low average COVID-19 mortality have high investments in health sectors as % of GDP (>7.5%), high health expenditures per capita (>$2,300) associated with a lower exposure of population to days exceeding safe levels of particulate matter (PM2.5), reinforcing these factors with a policy response of lockdown. In addition, these countries have lower fatality rates of COVID-19, regardless a higher percentage of population aged more than 65 years in these countries. Overall, then, this study must conclude that an effective strategy to reduce the negative impact of future epidemics similar to COVID-19 has to be based on a reinforcement of healthcare sector to have an efficient organization prearranged to cope with pandemics of new viral agents and to be able to minimize fatality rates in a context of sustainable environment having low air pollution.
Coccia Mario. Which are factors determining a low COVID-19 mortality in society? High health expenditure and lower exposure of population to air pollution as critical factors for an effective strategy to cope with future pandemics similar to COVID-19. 2020, 1 .
AMA StyleCoccia Mario. Which are factors determining a low COVID-19 mortality in society? High health expenditure and lower exposure of population to air pollution as critical factors for an effective strategy to cope with future pandemics similar to COVID-19. . 2020; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCoccia Mario. 2020. "Which are factors determining a low COVID-19 mortality in society? High health expenditure and lower exposure of population to air pollution as critical factors for an effective strategy to cope with future pandemics similar to COVID-19." , no. : 1.
One of the policy responses to cope with effects of COVID-19 pandemic in society is the national lockdown applied by many countries worldwide. Literature lacks of studies that show whether the effects of this public policy on public health, environment and socioeconomic systems have been effective or not during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Empirical analysis of this study focuses on some European countries that have applied different containment measures based on national lockdown with longer period (more than a month) and a shorter period (of max 15 days). The evidence shows that longer period of national lockdown by governments seem to generate contradictory effects on public health, whereas on economic growth induces a negative impact given by high contraction of real GDP growth %. This result here can be helpful to policymakers for new policy choices directed to design appropriate measures of containment based on a shorter temporal duration and applied on selected areas and places at risk, rather than general and uniform interventions of lockdown and reduction of mobility. This new perspective of public policy to cope with pandemic crisis of the COVID-19 and future epidemics of similar viral agents can balance the likely positive effects on public health without to deteriorate the structural indicators of economic system.
Mario Coccia. National Lockdown to Cope with COVID-19 Pandemic: Effects (Contradictory) on Public Health and (Negative) on Economic System. 2020, 1 .
AMA StyleMario Coccia. National Lockdown to Cope with COVID-19 Pandemic: Effects (Contradictory) on Public Health and (Negative) on Economic System. . 2020; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMario Coccia. 2020. "National Lockdown to Cope with COVID-19 Pandemic: Effects (Contradictory) on Public Health and (Negative) on Economic System." , no. : 1.
The goal of this study is to perform a comparative analysis of agroecological and conventional small coffee farms. We investigated 15 coffee farms in the East region of Minas Gerais, a Brazilian rural region, based on coffee production using a multicriteria analysis with economic, social and environmental factors. The results suggest that agroecological farms perform better than conventional farms in terms of sustainability, reduce labor intensity and improve income stability and the environmental impact, such as agro-biodiversity and forest cover. In particular, the results reveal that agroecological farms, though they have lower levels of coffee productivity than conventional farms, perform better in terms of income stabilization. This result depends on product diversification (such as agri-food products, vegetables or fruits) for local markets, which reduces farmer risks associated with coffee price volatility, improving both the local economy and local food security. Moreover, agroecological farms rely more on labor than capital. Overall, the results of this study reveal that agroecological systems support the socio-economic sustainability of the rural areas under study and suggest the potential of agroecology to boost sustainable development in the East Region of Minas Gerais. In short, the spread of agroecological systems could improve local employment conditions, reducing migration toward large cities and shanty towns in other parts of Brazil. Hence, agroecology systems can represent the main alternative to conventional production systems to improve the well-being and wealth of rural populations in developing countries. The analysis presented in this study is based on a specific case study, but the rural area under study has many similarities with other areas in Latin America regarding all aspects of economic, social and environmental sustainability. Finally, some agricultural policy implications are discussed.
Andrea Pronti; Mario Coccia. Multicriteria analysis of the sustainability performance between agroecological and conventional coffee farms in the East Region of Minas Gerais (Brazil). Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 2020, 36, 299 -306.
AMA StyleAndrea Pronti, Mario Coccia. Multicriteria analysis of the sustainability performance between agroecological and conventional coffee farms in the East Region of Minas Gerais (Brazil). Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems. 2020; 36 (3):299-306.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAndrea Pronti; Mario Coccia. 2020. "Multicriteria analysis of the sustainability performance between agroecological and conventional coffee farms in the East Region of Minas Gerais (Brazil)." Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 36, no. 3: 299-306.
The pandemic caused by novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is generating a high number of cases and deaths, with negative effects on public health and economic systems. One of the current questions in the contemporary environmental and sustainability debate is how high air pollution and reduced use of renewable energy can affect the diffusion of COVID-19. This study endeavors to explain the relation between days of air pollution, wind resources and energy, and the diffusion of COVID-19 to provide insights into sustainable policy to prevent future epidemics. The statistical analysis here focuses on a case study of Italy, one of the first countries to experience a rapid increase in confirmed cases and deaths. The results reveal two main findings: (1) cities with high wind speed and high wind energy production have a lower number of cases of COVID-19 in the context of a more sustainable environment; (2) cities located in hinterland zones with high air pollution, low wind speed and less wind energy production have a greater number of cases and total deaths. The results presented here suggest that the pandemic caused by novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and future epidemics similar to COVID-19 cannot be solved only with research in medicine but the solution also needs advanced capabilities and technologies for supporting sustainable development based on the reduction of air pollution and increase of production in renewable energy to improve air quality and as a consequence public health.
Mario Coccia. How (Un)sustainable Environments are Related to the Diffusion of COVID-19: The Relation between Coronavirus Disease 2019, Air Pollution, Wind Resource and Energy. Sustainability 2020, 12, 9709 .
AMA StyleMario Coccia. How (Un)sustainable Environments are Related to the Diffusion of COVID-19: The Relation between Coronavirus Disease 2019, Air Pollution, Wind Resource and Energy. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (22):9709.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMario Coccia. 2020. "How (Un)sustainable Environments are Related to the Diffusion of COVID-19: The Relation between Coronavirus Disease 2019, Air Pollution, Wind Resource and Energy." Sustainability 12, no. 22: 9709.
The main goal of this study is to compare the effects on public health of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to first wave in society. The paper here focuses on a case study of Italy, one of the first European countries to experience a rapid increase in confirmed cases and deaths. Methodology considers daily data from February to November 2020 of the ratio of confirmed cases/total swabs, fatality rate (deaths / confirmed cases) and ratio of individuals in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) / Confirmed cases. Results reveal that the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Italy had a strong but declining impact on public health with the approaching of summer season and with the effects of containment measures, whereas second wave of the COVID-19 has a growing trend of confirmed cases with admission to ICUs and total deaths having a, to date, lower impact on public health compared to first wave. Although effects of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic on public health, policymakers have had an unrealistic optimist behavior that a new wave of COVID-19 could not hit their countries and, especially, a low organizational capacity to plan effective policy responses to cope with recurring COVID-19 pandemic crisis. This study can support vital information to design effective policy responses of crisis management to constrain current and future waves of the COVID-19 pandemic and similar epidemics in society.
Mario Coccia. HOW IS THE IMPACT ON PUBLIC HEALTH OF SECOND WAVE OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC COMPARED TO THE FIRST WAVE? CASE STUDY OF ITALY. 2020, 1 .
AMA StyleMario Coccia. HOW IS THE IMPACT ON PUBLIC HEALTH OF SECOND WAVE OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC COMPARED TO THE FIRST WAVE? CASE STUDY OF ITALY. . 2020; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMario Coccia. 2020. "HOW IS THE IMPACT ON PUBLIC HEALTH OF SECOND WAVE OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC COMPARED TO THE FIRST WAVE? CASE STUDY OF ITALY." , no. : 1.