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Review
. 2020 Jun 30;51(2):e4266.
doi: 10.25100/cm.v51i2.4266.

Non-pharmaceutical interventions for containment, mitigation and suppression of COVID-19 infection

Daniel F Patiño-Lugo  1 , Marcela Vélez  1 , Pamela Velásquez Salazar  1 , Claudia Yaneth Vera-Giraldo  1 , Viviana Vélez  1 , Isabel Cristina Marín  1 , Paola Andrea Ramírez  1 , Sebastián Pemberthy Quintero  1 , Esteban Castrillón Martínez  1 , Daniel Andrés Pineda Higuita  1 , Gilma Henandez  1
Affiliations
Review

Non-pharmaceutical interventions for containment, mitigation and suppression of COVID-19 infection

Daniel F Patiño-Lugo et al. Colomb Med (Cali). .

Abstract
in English, Spanish

Background: The best scientific evidence is required to design effective Non-pharmaceutical interventions to help policymakers to contain COVID-19.

Aim: To describe which Non-pharmaceutical interventions used different countries and a when they use them. It also explores how Non-pharmaceutical interventions impact the number of cases, the mortality, and the capacity of health systems.

Methods: We consulted eight web pages of transnational organizations, 17 of international media, 99 of government institutions in the 19 countries included, and besides, we included nine studies (out of 34 identified) that met inclusion criteria.

Result: Some countries are focused on establishing travel restrictions, isolation of identified cases, and high-risk people. Others have a combination of mandatory quarantine and other drastic social distancing measures. The timing to implement the interventions varied from the first fifteen days after detecting the first case to more than 30 days. The effectiveness of isolated non-pharmaceutical interventions may be limited, but combined interventions have shown to be effective in reducing the transmissibility of the disease, the collapse of health care services, and mortality. When the number of new cases has been controlled, it is necessary to maintain social distancing measures, self-isolation, and contact tracing for several months. The policy decision-making in this time should be aimed to optimize the opportunities of saving lives, reducing the collapse of health services, and minimizing the economic and social impact over the general population, but principally over the most vulnerable. The timing of implementing and lifting interventions could have a substantial effect on those objectives.

Antecedentes: Se requiere la mejor evidencia científica para diseñar intervenciones no farmacológicas efectivas para ayudar a los formuladores de políticas a contener COVID-19.

Objetivo: Describir qué intervenciones no farmacológicas utilizaron diferentes países y cuándo las implementaron. También explora cómo las intervenciones no farmacológicas afectan el número de casos, la mortalidad y la capacidad de los sistemas de salud.

Métodos: Consultamos ocho páginas web de organizaciones transnacionales, 17 de medios internacionales, 99 de instituciones gubernamentales en los 19 países incluidos, y además, incluimos nueve estudios (de 34 identificados) que cumplían con los criterios de inclusión.

Resultados: Algunos países implementaron restricciones de viaje, aislamiento de casos identificados y personas de alto riesgo. Otros combinaron varias medidas más drásticas de distanciamiento social. El tiempo para implementar las intervenciones varió desde los primeros quince días después de detectar el primer caso hasta más de 30 días. La efectividad de las intervenciones no farmacológicas combinadas ha demostrado ser efectivas para reducir la transmisibilidad de la enfermedad, el colapso de los servicios de salud y la mortalidad. Cuando se controle el número de casos nuevos, es necesario mantener medidas de distanciamiento social, autoaislamiento y rastreo de contactos durante varios meses. La toma de decisiones políticas en este momento debe tener como objetivo optimizar las oportunidades de salvar vidas, reducir el colapso de los servicios de salud y minimizar el impacto económico y social sobre la población en general, pero principalmente sobre los más vulnerables.

Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus; Health Impact Assessment; Public Health; Quarantine; Review.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no competing interests

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Heat map of Non-pharmaceutical interventions and number of days in which they were implement them after the first case of COVID-19
Figure 2
Figure 2. Number of new COVID-19 cases and day of implementation of some Non-pharmaceutical interventions
Figura 1
Figura 1. Mapa de calor de las intervenciones no farmacológicas y número de días en que se implementaron después del primer caso de COVID-19.
Figura 2
Figura 2. Número de casos nuevos de COVID-19 y día de implementación de algunas intervenciones no farmacológicas
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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