Blog Post #5

Almost all of the countries in the world have been afflicted by the latest Coronavirus outbreak. There are many reasons why some countries might have been worse hit than others. Differences in government have certainly played a role. However, the magnitude of these effects has varied a great deal between countries. Some have been extremely successful in preventing the spread of the disease (1).

Researchers studying Hong Kong’s approach have already found that swift surveillance, quarantine, and social-distancing measures have proven effective at curbing COVID-19 in its population of 7.5 million. Currently, researchers are working on models that use data from individual countries to analyze the impact of control measures (2).

The movement of citizens is becoming increasingly restricted around the world. Confusing rules are emerging as a result. The epidemic in Italy triggered a major lockdown on 12 March. The lockdown has been extended beyond the original expiration date of 25 March and is being tensed gradually. After the cases of the virus continued to rise in France and Spain, the restrictions have been tightened.

As a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, countries have attempted to limit mass gatherings (3).

1. https://ourworldindata.org/policy-responses-covid
2. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01248-1
3. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51737226