自从COVID-19在武汉爆发以来,中国,世界各国被迫采取前所未有的措施来打击它。虽然一些国家仍在努力应对COVID-19大流行,其他人的表现更好,并迅速恢复了相对正常状态。病毒的快速传播率表明,更需要有效和技术上的现代遏制措施。在对抗COVID-19大流行表现良好的国家,使用数字工具促进严格的遏制措施,引发了人们的兴趣和争议。
在这项研究中,我们比较了防止COVID-19在美国传播的预防措施,西班牙,意大利,台湾,韩国,新加坡,特别是与使用数字工具进行接触追踪有关,并提出可在美国用于未来COVID-19浪潮或大流行的政策。
COVID-19死亡率数据来自欧洲疾病预防和控制中心(ECDC),通过我们的世界数据数据库访问,并根据2019年12月31日至2020年9月6日每10万人的人口规模进行评估。颁布的所有政策和措施均从各自的政府网站获得。
我们发现,较低的人均死亡率与实施早期使用口罩和严格的边境控制措施(包括使用数字工具进行强制隔离)的国家之间存在很强的联系。比较台湾每十万人的死亡人数有显著差异,韩国,新加坡和美国,西班牙,和意大利。
根据我们的研究,很明显,使用数字工具进行早期干预与成功遏制COVID-19有很强的相关性。意大利的感染率和随后的死亡,西班牙,美国早期使用口罩可能要低得多,更重要的是,使用现代数字工具及时采取边境管制措施。因此,我们建议,如果宣布公共卫生紧急状态,美国应执行以下国家政策:(1)立即建立国家司令部,负责制定由联邦和州政府执行的严格强制性准则,包括国家口罩的使用;(2)在接触者追踪和隔离命令中要求与卫生官员进行民事合作;(3)要求入境美国的旅行者和被隔离者下载接触者追踪应用程序。我们承认我们研究的国家文化不同,政治制度,和COVID-19死亡的报告标准。可能需要进行进一步的研究来解决这些限制;然而,我们认为拟议的政策可以保护美国公众。
Since the COVID-19 outbreak began in Wuhan, China, countries worldwide have been forced to take unprecedented measures to combat it. While some countries are still grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, others have fared better and have re-established relative normalcy quickly. The rapid transmission rate of the virus has shown a greater need for efficient and technologically modern containment measures. The use of digital tools to facilitate strict containment measures in countries that have fared well against the COVID-19 pandemic has sparked both interest and controversy.
In this
study, we compare the precautions taken against the spread of COVID-19 in the United States, Spain, and Italy, with Taiwan, South Korea, and Singapore, particularly related to the use of digital tools for contact tracing, and propose policies that could be used in the United States for future COVID-19 waves or pandemics.
COVID-19 death rate data were obtained from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), accessed through the Our World in Data database, and were evaluated based on population size per 100,000 people from December 31, 2019, to September 6, 2020. All policies and measures enacted were obtained from their respective governmental websites.
We found a strong association between lower death rates per capita and countries that implemented early mask use and strict border control measures that included mandatory quarantine using digital tools. There is a significant difference in the number of deaths per 100,000 when comparing Taiwan, South Korea, and Singapore with the United States, Spain, and Italy.
Based on our research, it is evident that early intervention with the use of digital tools had a strong correlation with the successful containment of COVID-19. Infection rates and subsequent deaths in Italy, Spain, and the United States could have been much lower with early mask use and, more importantly, timely border control measures using modern digital tools. Thus, we propose that the United States execute the following national policies should a public health emergency be declared: (1) immediately establish a National Command responsible for enacting strict mandatory guidelines enforced by federal and state governments, including national mask use; (2) mandate civilian cooperation with health officials in contact tracing and quarantine orders; and (3) require incoming travelers to the United States and those quarantined to download a contact tracing app. We acknowledge the countries we studied differ in their cultures, political systems, and reporting criteria for COVID-19 deaths. Further research may need to be conducted to address these limitations; however, we believe that the proposed policies could protect the American public.