Understanding the Firm-Level Price-Setting Behaviour: The Developed Countries Experiences and Instructions for Serbia

It is important for central banks to understand how firms set prices. The pricesetting behaviour plays a key role in the monetary policy transmission mechanism. To be able to understand and predict how monetary policy impacts on macro variables such as output, employment and inflation, it is useful to have information on what lies behind the choices made by each individual economic subject. Which factors determine firms’ price-setting is a particularly important question. This paper outlines the major themes and results on price-setting behaviour that have emerged from international research on the basis of surveys conducted by central banks of many developed countries

Clinical characteristics and managing type 2 diabetes during the COVID-19

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most common comorbidities in people with COVID-19 infection. Inadequate glycemic control is related to high inflammation, hypercoagulability, and mortality in COVID-19 patients. Patients admitted to hospital for COVID-19 might need modifications to their diabetes therapy. The study was aimed at evaluating the association of clinical presentation and glycemic management in patients with type 2 diabetes and COVID-19. Methods: This retrospective study included 60 patients with type 2 DM and COVID-19, distributed into three groups: group 1 oral agents — 32 patients, group 2 oral agents and basal insulin — 15 patients, group 3 intensive insulin treatment — 13 patients. We measured laboratory parameters, evaluated clinical presentation, and followed glycemic treatment during hospitalization. Results: Patients on oral antidiabetic drugs had better glycemic control before hospitalization, shorter duration of DM, and normal weight according to BMI compared with the other two groups. The most common symptoms of COVID -19 were: fever, cough, and fatigue. For better glycemic control we added basal insulin in 15 patients in group 1 (50%) and 9 patients need intensive insulin treatment in group 2 (60%). We discounted metformin in two patients in group 1 and three patients in group 2. A total of 7 patients died (11.6 %) during hospitalization, including 3 deaths in group 2 (5%), and 4 deaths in group 3 (6.6%). Conclusions: Poorer glycemic control before COVID -19 is associated with higher inflammation parameters, worse outcomes, and required modification of their treatment during hospitalization