1
|
Naifar N, Altamimi S, Alshahrani F, Alhashim M. How media coverage news and global uncertainties drive forecast of cryptocurrencies returns? Heliyon 2023; 9:e16502. [PMID: 37292312 PMCID: PMC10245170 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper aims to investigate the impact of global financial, economic, and gold price uncertainty indices (VIX, EPU, and GVZ) and investor sentiment based on media coverage news on the returns of Bitcoin and Ethereum during the COVID-19 pandemic. We adopt an asymmetric framework based on the Quantile-on-Quantile approach, which examines the quantiles of the cryptocurrency returns, investor sentiment, and the various uncertainties indicators. The empirical findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted cryptocurrency returns. Specifically, (i) the results demonstrate the predictive power of Economic Policy Uncertainty (EPU) during this period, as evidenced by a strong negative association between EPU and cryptocurrency returns across all quantiles; (ii) the correlation between cryptocurrency returns and the VIX index was negative but weak, across various quantile combinations of Ethereum and Bitcoin returns; (iii) an increase in COVID-19 news negatively affected Bitcoin returns across all quantiles; (iv) Bitcoin and Ethereum cannot be relied upon as effective hedging tools against global financial and economic uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic. Studying the behavior of cryptocurrency during uncertainty like pandemics is extremely important because it provides investors with insights on diversifying their portfolios and hedging their risks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nader Naifar
- Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sohale Altamimi
- Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fatimah Alshahrani
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
| | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Obeid D, Al-Qahtani A, Almaghrabi R, Alghamdi S, Alsanea M, Alahideb B, Almutairi S, Alsuwairi F, Al-Abdulkareem M, Asiri M, Alshukairi A, Alkahtany J, Altamimi S, Mutabagani M, Althawadi S, Alanzi F, Alhamlan F. Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance data during the Delta and Omicron waves at a Saudi tertiary referral hospital. J Infect Public Health 2023; 16:171-181. [PMID: 36543031 PMCID: PMC9747229 DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2022.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studying the genomic evolution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may help determine outbreak clusters and virus transmission advantages to aid public health efforts during the pandemic. Thus, we tracked the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 by variant epidemiology, breakthrough infection, and patient characteristics as the virus spread during the Delta and Omicron waves. We also conducted phylogenetic analyses to assess modes of transmission. METHODS Nasopharyngeal samples were collected from a cohort of 900 patients with positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results confirming COVID-19 disease. Samples underwent real-time PCR detection using TaqPath assays. Sequencing was performed with Ion GeneStudio using the Ion AmpliSeq™ SARS-CoV-2 panel. Variant calling was performed with Torrent Suite™ on the Torrent Server. For phylogenetic analyses, the MAFFT tool was used for alignment and the maximum likelihood method with the IQ-TREE tool to build the phylogenetic tree. Data were analyzed using SAS statistical software. Analysis of variance or t tests were used to assess continuous variables, and χ2 tests were used to assess categorical variables. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were preformed to estimate odds ratios (ORs). RESULTS The predominant variants in our cohort of 900 patients were non-variants of concern (11.1 %), followed by Alpha (4.1 %), Beta (5.6 %), Delta (21.2 %), and Omicron (58 %). The Delta wave had more male than female cases (112 vs. 78), whereas the Omicron wave had more female than male cases (311 vs. 208). The oldest patients (mean age, 43.4 years) were infected with non-variants of concern; the youngest (mean age, 33.7 years), with Omicron. Younger patients were mostly unvaccinated, whereas elderly patients were mostly vaccinated, a statistically significant difference. The highest risk for breakthrough infection by age was for patients aged 30-39 years (OR = 12.4, CI 95 %: 6.6-23.2), followed by patients aged 40-49 years (OR = 11.2, CI 95 %: 6.1-23.1) and then 20-29 years (OR = 8.2, CI 95 %: 4.4-15.4). Phylogenetic analyses suggested the interaction of multiple cases related to outbreaks for breakthrough infections, healthcare workers, and intensive care unit admission. CONCLUSION The findings of this study highlighted several major public health ramifications, including the distribution of variants over a wide range of demographic and clinical variables and by vaccination status.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D Obeid
- Department of Infection and Immunity, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Public Health Laboratories, Public Health Authority, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - A Al-Qahtani
- Department of Infection and Immunity, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - R Almaghrabi
- Organ Transplant Center of Excellence, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - S Alghamdi
- Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology Department, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - M Alsanea
- Department of Infection and Immunity, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - B Alahideb
- Department of Infection and Immunity, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - S Almutairi
- Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology Department, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - F Alsuwairi
- Department of Infection and Immunity, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - M Al-Abdulkareem
- Department of Infection and Immunity, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - M Asiri
- Department of Infection and Immunity, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - A Alshukairi
- College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Department of Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - J Alkahtany
- Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology Department, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - S Altamimi
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - M Mutabagani
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - S Althawadi
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - F Alanzi
- College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Paediatric Critical Care, Paediatric Department, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - F Alhamlan
- Department of Infection and Immunity, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
| |
Collapse
|