COVID-19: Lockdown may not be feasible for all countries

The World Health Organization wrote in a report: “China’s bold approach to contain the rapid spread of this new respiratory pathogen has changed the course of a rapidly escalating and deadly epidemic. These are the only measures that are currently proven to interrupt or minimise transmission chains in humans.”

But WHO also stressed that there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Not all countries will be able to implement the same kind of lockdowns that China did to limit the spread of the virus.

The approach would need to be tailored to each country’s needs, ensuring that the measures are proportionate to the nature of the outbreak.

At present, some countries have taken more limited steps such as banning big gatherings, cancelling school classes and adding international travel restrictions.

But working out what to do next will depend on economic and governance considerations, as well as how big a burden each health system can handle, said Assistant Professor Hannah Clapham.

“The big phrase being used there is ‘flattening the curve’. That’s the point where different countries will be thinking ‘what can we handle and how do we put in place different interventions to make sure that things maintain below the level that we can handle’ – mainly that’s about ICU beds,” she added.

Different measures for social distancing — such as working from home, changing the hours of public transport, and cancelling large gatherings — can help to adjust this peak, whereas a lockdown may only work when there is a clear epicentre.

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