Socio-Economic Impacts and Challenges of the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19): An Updated Review

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has shaken up the socio-economic order on a global scale with interventions designed to curb the spread of the disease bearing multiple and reinforcing impacts on several aspects of economic and social lives. The effects of COVID-19 were diverse and often spilled over different or interdependent industries. Economies were hit top-down and bottom-up while businesses and individuals alike endured significant changes that altered national and international supply and demand trends for products and services. The primary and secondary sectors were especially influenced by supply shortages while services and education were largely demand-driven. Monetary policies were specifically targeted to ease these disruptions while protective measures for employees in many cases constrained business competitiveness. The present study provided a cross-sectoral (primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary sectors) outline of the implications and challenges since the start of the crisis, centralising important information and offering a view of the current socio-economic situation.