Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health

Volume 11, Issue 2, June 2021, Pages 246 - 252

Policy Disparities in Response to COVID-19 between China and South Korea

Authors
Haiqian Chen1, Leiyu Shi2, Yuyao Zhang1, Xiaohan Wang1, Gang Sun1, 2, *, ORCID
1Department of Health Management, School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, P.R. China
2Department of Health Policy and Management, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
*Corresponding author. Email: sunhoney163@163.com; gsun15@jhu.edu
Corresponding Author
Gang Sun
Received 24 January 2021, Accepted 15 March 2021, Available Online 29 March 2021.
DOI
10.2991/jegh.k.210322.001How to use a DOI?
Keywords
COVID-19; non-pharmaceutical measures; diagnostic tests; quarantine or lockdown
Abstract

Objectives: This study analyzed the effects of COVID-19 non-pharmaceutical measures between China and South Korea to share experiences with other countries in the struggle against SARS-CoV-2.

Methods: We used the generalized linear model to examine the associations between non-pharmaceutical measures adopted by China and South Korea and the number of confirmed cases. Policy disparities were also discussed between these two countries.

Results: The results show that the following factors influence the number of confirmed cases in China: lockdown of Wuhan city (LWC); establishment of a Leading Group by the Central Government; raising the public health emergency response to the highest level in all localities; classifying management of “four categories of personnel”; makeshift hospitals in operation (MHIO); pairing assistance (PA); launching massive community screening (LMCS). In South Korea, these following factors were the key influencing factors of the cumulative confirmed cases: raising the public alert level to orange (three out of four levels); raising the public alert to the highest level; launching drive-through screening centers (LDSC); screening all members of Shincheonji religious group; launching Community Treatment Center (LCTC); distributing public face masks nationwide and quarantining all travelers from overseas countries for 14 days.

Conclusion: Based on the analysis of the generalized linear model, we found that a series of non-pharmaceutical measures were associated with contain of the COVID-19 outbreak in China and South Korea. The following measures were crucial for both of them to fight against the COVID-19 epidemic: a strong national response system, expanding diagnostic tests, establishing makeshift hospitals, and quarantine or lockdown affected areas.

Copyright
© 2021 The Authors. Published by Atlantis Press International B.V.
Open Access
This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

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Journal
Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health
Volume-Issue
11 - 2
Pages
246 - 252
Publication Date
2021/03/29
ISSN (Online)
2210-6014
ISSN (Print)
2210-6006
DOI
10.2991/jegh.k.210322.001How to use a DOI?
Copyright
© 2021 The Authors. Published by Atlantis Press International B.V.
Open Access
This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

Cite this article

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Haiqian Chen
AU  - Leiyu Shi
AU  - Yuyao Zhang
AU  - Xiaohan Wang
AU  - Gang Sun
PY  - 2021
DA  - 2021/03/29
TI  - Policy Disparities in Response to COVID-19 between China and South Korea
JO  - Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health
SP  - 246
EP  - 252
VL  - 11
IS  - 2
SN  - 2210-6014
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/jegh.k.210322.001
DO  - 10.2991/jegh.k.210322.001
ID  - Chen2021
ER  -