Background: With no vaccines or specific treatments, non-pharmaceutical interventions are the only tools for controlling the human-to-human transmission of the COVID-19 disease, which appeared in Wuhan, China last December and has spread globally since. Here we describe and compare the first-wave mitigation strategies and epidemiology of five Asia-Pacific countries that responded rapidly to the epidemic.
Methods: From January to April 2020, mitigation measures and epidemiological data for Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong were screened from official local government websites and a review of investigational studies was conducted.
Background: Data on COVID-19-induced disruption to routine vaccinations in the South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions (SEAR/WPR) have been sparse. This study aimed to quantify the impact of COVID-19 on routine vaccinations by country, antigen, and sector (public or private), up to 1 June 2020, and to identify the reasons for disruption and possible solutions.
Methods: Sanofi Pasteur teams from 19 countries in SEAR/WPR completed a structured questionnaire reporting on COVID-19 disruptions for 13-19 routinely delivered antigens per country, based on sales data, government reports, and regular physician interactions.
Background: Asia has been at the forefront of leveraging big data and digital technologies to strengthen measures against SARS-CoV-2 spread. Understanding strengths and challenges of these new approaches is important to inform improvements and implementation. In this review, we aimed to explore how these tools were utilized in four countries in Asia to facilitate COVID-19 preventative control measures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF