COVID-19 public health and social measures: a comprehensive picture of six Asian countries

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic will not be the last of its kind. As the world charts a way towards an equitable and resilient recovery, Public Health and Social Measures (PHSMs) that were implemented since the beginning of the pandemic need to be made a permanent feature of health systems that can be activated and readily deployed to tackle sudden surges in infections going forward. Although PHSMs aim to blunt the spread of the virus, and in turn protect lives and preserve health system capacity, there are also unintended consequences attributed to them. Importantly, the interactions between PHSMs and their accompanying key indicators that influence the strength and duration of PHSMs are elements that require in-depth exploration. This research employs case studies from six Asian countries, namely Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam, to paint a comprehensive picture of PHSMs that protect the lives and livelihoods of populations. Nine typologies of PHSMs that emerged are as follows: (1) physical distancing, (2) border controls, (3) personal protective equipment requirements, (4) transmission monitoring, (5) surge health infrastructure capacity, (6) surge medical supplies, (7) surge human resources, (8) vaccine availability and roll-out and (9) social and economic support measures. The key indicators that influence the strength and duration of PHSMs are as follows: (1) size of community transmission, (2) number of severe cases and mortality, (3) health system capacity, (4) vaccine coverage, (5) fiscal space and (6) technology. Interactions between PHSMs can be synergistic or inhibiting, depending on various contextual factors. Fundamentally, PHSMs do not operate in silos, and a suite of PHSMs that are complementary is required to ensure that lives and livelihoods are safeguarded with an equity lens. For that to be achieved, strong governance structures and community engagement are also required at all levels of the health system.

Differences in Trends in Admissions and Outcomes among Patients from a Secondary Hospital in Madrid during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Hospital-Based Epidemiological Analysis (2020–2022)

“…Other countries, such as Denmark and Norway, pursued a suppression strategy [ 65 ]. Outside Europe and North America, public health strategies in six Asian countries were also analyzed [ 66 ]. It is the responsibility of national experts to assess the different approaches and dominant ideas on public health measures regarding the pandemic.…”

Prescribing Antibiotics in Public Primary Care Clinics in Singapore: A Retrospective Cohort Study

“…While previous local studies have suggested possible knowledge gaps among patients and physicians in terms of the variability of prescriptions for respiratory infections [ 18 ], the sustained reduction was largely due to increased public awareness and hygiene protocols during the pandemic [ 19 ], reduced visits due to altered patient health-seeking behavior, and increased referrals to hospitals for severe disease, which was not presented in primary care [ 20 , 21 ]. In 2020 and 2021, the increased accessibility of testing to the public and usage in primary care clinics for the diagnosis of COVID-19 [ 22 , 23 ], nationwide vaccination drives, and the implementation of vaccine-differentiated safe management measures may have amplified this phenomenon [ 24 ]. Future studies should be performed to assess the improvement in knowledge, attitudes, and practices of patients toward antibiotic use pertaining to respiratory infections to compared with the pre-COVID-19 pandemic studies [ 25 ].…”

Unraveling socioeconomic determinants of health-related behavior, reception of information, and perceptions on disease disclosure at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic: did health insurance curb the disparities in the Philippines?

“…In the case of treatment-seeking behavior, the availability of insurance packages for COVID-19 may encourage individuals to seek care [66,67,71]. However, since most facilities are inundated by the volume of patients, accessibility to a facility able to accommodate the individual may require greater financial costs in terms of transportation costs or even time costs [81]. Furthermore, access to quality and safe healthcare services such as telemedicine or the ones provided in high-level healthcare facilities, comes with significant costs as well.…”