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Review
. 2024 Dec 18;3(6):383-408.
doi: 10.1002/hcs2.122. eCollection 2024 Dec.

Innovative public strategies in response to COVID-19: A review of practices from China

You Wu  1   2   3 , Zijian Cao  1   4 , Jing Yang  1   5 , Xinran Bi  1   4 , Weiqing Xiong  1   4 , Xiaoru Feng  1   4 , Yue Yan  1   4 , Zeyu Zhang  1 , Zongjiu Zhang  1
Affiliations
Review

Innovative public strategies in response to COVID-19: A review of practices from China

You Wu et al. Health Care Sci. .

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic presented unparalleled challenges to prompt and adaptive responses from nations worldwide. This review examines China's multifaceted approach to the crisis, focusing on five key areas of response: infrastructure and system design, medical care and treatment, disease prevention and control, economic and social resilience, and China's engagement in global health. This review demonstrates the effectiveness of a top-down command system at the national level, intersectoral coordination, a legal framework, and public social governance. This study also examines medical care and treatment strategies, highlighting the importance of rapid emergency response, evidence-based treatment, and well-planned vaccination rollout. Further discussion on disease prevention and control measures emphasizes the importance of adaptive measures, timely infection control, transmission interruption, population herd immunity, and technology applications. Socioeconomic impact was also assessed, detailing strategies for disease prevention, material supply, livelihood preservation, and social economy revival. Lastly, we examine China's contributions to the global health community, with a focus on knowledge-sharing, information exchange, and multilateral assistance. While it is true that each nation's response must be tailored to its own context, there are universal lessons to be drawn from China's approach. These insights are pivotal for enhancing global health security, especially as the world navigates evolving health crises.

Keywords: COVID‐19; emergency response; health care management; pandemic.

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Conflict of interest statement

Professor Zongjiu Zhang is the member of the Health Care Science Editorial Board. To minimize bias, he was excluded from all editorial decision‐making related to the acceptance of this article for publication. The remaining authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Conceptual framework of emergency responses to COVID‐19.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Classification of global epidemic prevention and control systems.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Organizational system of emergency command for public health emergencies in China.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Emergency response and routine disease control of COVID‐19 in China.
Figure 5
Figure 5
COVID‐19 Vaccination rollout plan.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Application of the health code system in COVID‐19 management in China. (a) The user interface of health code and travel code; (b) The use of the code system in managing domestic and international risks.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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