Guangyu Lu1, Oliver Razum2, Albrecht Jahn3, Yuying Zhang1, Brett Sutton4, Devi Sridhar5, Koya Ariyoshi6, Lorenz von Seidlein7, Olaf Müller3. 1. Department of Public Health, Medical College, Yangzhou University , Yangzhou, China. 2. Department of Epidemiology & International Public Health, School of Public Health, Bielefeld University , Bielefeld, Germany. 3. Institute of Global Health, Medical School, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg , Heidelberg, Germany. 4. Ministry of Health , Melbourne, Australia. 5. Global Health Governance Programme, Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh, UK. 6. School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University , Nagasaki, Japan. 7. Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University , Bangkok, Thailand.
Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic shows variable dynamics in WHO Regions, with lowest disease burden in the Western-Pacific Region. While China has been able to rapidly eliminate transmission of SARS-CoV-2, Germany - as well as most of Europe and the Americas - is struggling with high numbers of cases and deaths. Objective: We analyse COVID-19 epidemiology and control strategies in China and in Germany, two countries which have chosen profoundly different approaches to deal with the epidemic. Methods: In this narrative review, we searched the literature from 1 December 2019, to 4 December 2020. Results: China and several neighbours (e.g. Australia, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Thailand) have achieved COVID-19 elimination or sustained low case numbers. This can be attributed to: (1) experience with previous coronavirus outbreaks; (2) classification of SARS-CoV-2 in the highest risk category and consequent early employment of aggressive control measures; (3) mandatory isolation of cases and contacts in institutions; (4) broad employment of modern contact tracking technology; (5) travel restrictions to prevent SARS-CoV-2 re-importation; (6) cohesive communities with varying levels of social control. Conclusions: Early implementation of intense and sustained control measures is key to achieving a near normal social and economic life.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic shows variable dynamics in WHO Regions, with lowest disease burden in the Western-Pacific Region. While China has been able to rapidly eliminate transmission of SARS-CoV-2, Germany - as well as most of Europe and the Americas - is struggling with high numbers of cases and deaths. Objective: We analyse COVID-19 epidemiology and control strategies in China and in Germany, two countries which have chosen profoundly different approaches to deal with the epidemic. Methods: In this narrative review, we searched the literature from 1 December 2019, to 4 December 2020. Results: China and several neighbours (e.g. Australia, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Thailand) have achieved COVID-19 elimination or sustained low case numbers. This can be attributed to: (1) experience with previous coronavirus outbreaks; (2) classification of SARS-CoV-2 in the highest risk category and consequent early employment of aggressive control measures; (3) mandatory isolation of cases and contacts in institutions; (4) broad employment of modern contact tracking technology; (5) travel restrictions to prevent SARS-CoV-2 re-importation; (6) cohesive communities with varying levels of social control. Conclusions: Early implementation of intense and sustained control measures is key to achieving a near normal social and economic life.
Entities:
Keywords:
COVID-19; China; Germany; health policy; pandemic
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