scholarly journals Effective COVID-19 Control: A Comparative Analysis of the Stringency and Timeliness of Government Responses in Asia

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (16) ◽  
pp. 8686
Author(s):  
Shu Chen ◽  
Lei Guo ◽  
Taghred Alghaith ◽  
Di Dong ◽  
Mohammed Alluhidan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Health System ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Initial Response ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
System Control ◽  
East And Southeast Asia ◽  
Study Sites

Aim: Many governments in East and Southeast Asia responded promptly and effectively at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Synthesizing and analyzing these responses is vital for disease control evidence-based policymaking. Methods: An extensive review of COVID-19 control measures was conducted in selected Asian countries and subregions, including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Japan, and Vietnam from 1 January to 30 May 2020. Control measures were categorized into administrative, public health, and health system measures. To evaluate the stringency and timeliness of responses, we developed two indices: the Initial Response Index (IRI) and the Modified Stringency Index (MSI), which builds on the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker (OxCGRT). Results: Comprehensive administrative, public health, and health system control measures were implemented at the onset of the outbreak. Despite variations in package components, the stringency of control measures across the study sites increased with the acceleration of the outbreak, with public health control measures implemented the most stringently. Variations in daily average MSI scores are observed, with Mainland China scoring the highest (74.2), followed by Singapore (67.4), Vietnam (66.8), Hong Kong (66.2), South Korea (62.3), Taiwan (52.1), and Japan (50.3). Variations in IRI scores depicting timeliness were higher: Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Singapore acted faster (IRI > 50.0), while Japan (42.4) and Mainland China (4.2) followed. Conclusions: Timely setting of stringency of the control measures, especially public health measures, at dynamically high levels is key to optimally controlling outbreaks.

scholarly journals Epidemiological characteristics of the first 100 cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China, a city with a stringent containment policy

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 1096-1105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher K C Lai ◽  
Rita W Y Ng ◽  
Martin C S Wong ◽  
Ka Chun Chong ◽  
Yun Kit Yeoh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Incubation Period ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Border Control ◽  
Government Information ◽  
Epidemic Curve ◽  
Containment Policy ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics

Abstract Background Hong Kong (HK) is a densely populated city near the epicentre of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. Stringent border control together with aggressive case finding, contact tracing, social distancing and quarantine measures were implemented to halt the importation and spread of the virus. Methods We performed an epidemiological study using government information covering the first 100 confirmed cases to examine the epidemic curve, incidence, clusters, reproduction number (Rt), incubation period and time to containment. Results A total of 93 of the 100 cases were HK residents (6 infected in Mainland China, 10 on the Diamond Princess Cruise). Seven were visitors infected in Mainland China before entering HK. The majority (76%) were aged ≥45 years, and the incidence increased with age (P < 0.001). Escalation of border control measures correlated with a decrease in the proportion (62.5% to 0%) of cases imported from Mainland China, and a reduction in Rt (1.07 to 0.75). The median incubation period was 4.2 days [95% confidence interval (CI), 4.0–4.5; 5th and 95th percentiles: 1.3 and 14.0). Most clusters with identifiable epidemiological links were households involving 2–4 people. Three medium-spreading events were identified: two from New Year gatherings (6–11 people), and another from environmental contamination of a worship hall (12 people). Despite intensified contact tracing, containment was delayed in 78.9% of cases (mean = 5.96 days, range = 0–24 days). An unusual transmission in a multi-storey building via faulty toilet plumbing was suspected with >100 residents evacuated overnight. Our analysis indicated that faulty plumbing was unlikely to be the source of this transmission. Conclusion Timely stringent containment policies minimized the importation and transmission of COVID-19 in HK.

scholarly journals Publications in ISI-indexed public health journals from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan during 1999–2008

2011 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. SR21-SR27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mei-Ling Zheng ◽  
Li-Li Yang ◽  
Qiang Shu ◽  
Yi Shen
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Mainland China

Hong Kong-Mainland Innovations in Environmental Protection since 1980

Asian Survey ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 610-632 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Loh
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Quality Management ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Air Quality Management ◽  
Governmental Organization

Cross-boundary collaboration in environmental protection between Hong Kong and mainland China from the mid-1980s to the transfer of sovereignty in 1997, and during the post-reunification years, is examined. Emphasis is put on the respective roles of governments, the private sector, and non-governmental organization initiatives focused on air quality management, a key to public health.

scholarly journals Strengthening health system building blocks: configuring post-COVID-19 scenario in Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Babar Tasneem Shaikh
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Health System ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Research Capacity ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
World Health ◽  
The Government

Abstract Aim: To gauge the level of preparedness of health system of Pakistan in the wake of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The global COVID-19 outbreak and its subsequent repercussions and implications, after being declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), exposed all the inherent, lingering, and acute shortcomings of the health systems in many developing countries and Pakistan was no exception. Methods: A detailed literature review was done which included peer-reviewed articles on COVID-19 and health system, published in local and international journals, WHO and World Bank’s publications, and the documents and official reports of the government. Focus was to glean and cite strategies adopted by the developing countries in response to COVID-19 and to see the applicability of those which are feasible for Pakistan. Findings: Level of preparedness was minimal and the response to manage the outbreak was weak. Based on toll of the cases and number of deaths, this public health threat turned out to be a catastrophe beyond the controlling authority and capacity of the health system, and hence other sectors and agencies had to be engaged for devising a concerted and integrated response to deal with the emergency. Governance was disorderly, financing was inadequate, human resources were not trained, supplies and logistic were not stocked, information system was patchy, and research capacity was limited, and most of all the service delivery was in a biggest chaos of times. COVID-19 demanded to re-configure the health system of Pakistan. Conclusion: Improving the emergency preparedness of the hospitals is the foremost and an urgent need. A strong national public health system in Pakistan is needed to rapidly investigate and analyze the reports, assess the magnitude of the public health risk, share real-time information, and implement public health control measures in a concerted and systematic demeanor.

Shaping and Reshaping Care and Migration in East and Southeast Asia

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 1117-1132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ito Peng
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Economic Factors ◽  
Policy Feedback ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
East And Southeast Asia ◽  
And Migration ◽  
Socio Economic Factors

This article examines how culture, institution, and social policies interact to shape national approaches to care and the use of migrant care workers. I compare Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore to show variations in approaches to care and migration despite their cultural similarities. Through a conceptual framework that intersects culture, institution and policy I identify a spectrum of approaches that are evident across East Asia, ranging from highly regulated institutional to very liberal market oriented. The analysis shows that cultural, institutional and socio-economic factors are continuously interacting with each other to shape national understandings of care and the use of foreign care workers, and that different policies interact with each other referentially as they develop and affect social and cultural norms through policy feedback.

scholarly journals Causes and countermeasures for repeated outbreaks of hepatitis A among adults in Korea

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
pp. e2019038 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moran Ki ◽  
Hyunjin Son ◽  
Bo Youl Choi
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health System ◽  
Hepatitis A ◽  
Public Health System ◽  
Infectious Agent ◽  
Cohort Effect ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Food Culture ◽  
Current Outbreak ◽  
Korean Food

The 2019 hepatitis A outbreak has become increasingly prevalent among adults in Korea and is the largest outbreak since that in 2009-2010. The incidence in the current outbreak is highest among adults aged 35-44 years, corresponding to the peak incidence among those aged 25-34 years 10 years ago. This may indicate a cohort effect in the corresponding age group. Causes of these repeated outbreaks of hepatitis A in Korea are low level of immunity among adults, Korean food culture that consumes raw seafood such as salted clam and inadequate public health system. Among countermeasures, along with general infectious disease control measures including control of the infectious agent, infection spread, and host, urgent actions are needed to review the vaccination policy and establish an adequate public health system.

scholarly journals SARS-CoV-2 under an elimination strategy in Hong Kong

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haogao Gu ◽  
Ruopeng Xie ◽  
Dillon C. Adam ◽  
Joseph L.-H. Tsui ◽  
Daniel K. Chu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Genetic Background ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Genome Sequences ◽  
Host Diversity ◽  
Similar Genetic Background ◽  
Transmission Bottleneck

Hong Kong utilized an elimination strategy with intermittent use of public health and social measures and increasingly stringent travel regulations to control SARS-CoV-2 transmission. By analyzing >1700 genome sequences representing 17% of confirmed cases from 23-January-2020 to 26-January-2021, we reveal the effects of fluctuating control measures on the evolution and epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 lineages in Hong Kong. Despite numerous importations, only three introductions were responsible for 90% of locally-acquired cases, two of which circulated cryptically for weeks while less stringent measures were in place. We found that SARS-CoV-2 within-host diversity was most similar among transmission pairs and epidemiological clusters due to a strong transmission bottleneck through which similar genetic background generates similar within-host diversity.

Transmission Dynamics of COVID-19 in Mainland China: Impact of Public Health Control Measures

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Zhao ◽  
Yun-Xia Liu ◽  
Jia-Te Wei ◽  
Yu-Chen Zhu ◽  
Jie Qian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Transmission Dynamics ◽  
Health Control

COVID-19 situation in Honduras: lessons learned

2020 ◽  
Vol 128 (S2) ◽  
pp. S242-S250
Author(s):  
Itzel Fuentes ◽  
Karla Henriquez ◽  
Fausto Muñoz ◽  
Elsa Palou ◽  
Tito Alvarado ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health System ◽  
Surveillance System ◽  
Public Health System ◽  
Emerging Diseases ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Epidemiological Surveillance ◽  
The Public

Introduction: Several emerging and re-emerging diseases in the last decade have shown the global weakness to detect and act in a timely manner in situations that threaten the health of the planet. Latin America has been vulnerable to outbreaks as a result of increased poverty, social inequity and the poor response capacity of the public health system. Objective: Describe the situation of COVID-19 in Honduras and the challenges it presents. Methodology: Analysis of the epidemiology and control strategies applied in the country to contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2, in the context of the social and economic reality until September 18, 2020. Results: Honduras ranks fifth in Central America in the number of tests performed; the cumulative incidence rate of cases is 7 105 per million inhabitants. The country has an accelerated growth in the percentage of positivity with intense community transmission. Some 63.4 % of cases are concentrated in the group 20-49 years old (43 624 cases); 15.2 % in adults 60+ (10 440 cases) and 7.5 % in children under 20 (5 133 cases). With a disjointed health system and a chronic and recurrent shortage of physical and human resources, the National Risk Management System (SINAGER), which includes the Ministry of Health (SESAL), implemented various strategies to reduce the spread of the virus. Some control measures were border closures, physical distancing and the use of masks were made mandatory by legislative decree. The serious impact on the weak national economy forced an intelligent opening coinciding with the rise of cases. Conclusions: Current data show that the age group most affected is adults between 20 and 49 years old. The country’s socioeconomic situation has been aggravated by the pandemic; the continuous rise in the number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths has collapsed the public health system leaving the majority of Hondurans in continuous vulnerability. Primary care clinics and mobile medical brigades have been implemented as a new way to contain the spread and impact of transmission. Several European countries and cities in the Americas have had to reverse the process of economic reopening when faced with successive waves of outbreaks. Honduras has demonstrated limited capacity to deal with catastrophic situations. The national epidemiological surveillance system and access to timely and quality diagnostic tests remain weak and fragmented. There is an urgent need to improve the health and surveillance system to guide strategic evidence-based decision making and to prevent future pandemics.

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