A Debate on Public Health Responses to COVID-19: Focused Protection versus Sustained Suppression

Joon Young Song; Kyong Ran Peck; Korean Society of Infectious Diseases The Korean Society of Infectious Diseases

doi:10.3346/jkms.2020.35.e433

A Debate on Public Health Responses to COVID-19: Focused Protection versus Sustained Suppression

Joon Young Song, Kyong Ran Peck, Korean Society of Infectious Diseases The Korean Society of Infectious Diseases

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

With the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic persisting for a long time, there have been debates about the public health response strategies. We conducted a survey of adult infectious disease specialists on public health responses to COVID-19. Most responded that regulations on multi-use facilities should be maintained or strengthened, but schools should not be closed, except in cases where an outbreak occurs within the school. A slightly higher percentage of experts supported focused protection rather than sustained suppression. While the focused protection strategy might sufce in low-level epidemic situations, social distancing should be reinforced by shifing to a strategy closer to sustained suppression in the eventuality of rapid spread of outbreaks.

Original language	English
Article number	e433
Journal	Journal of Korean Medical Science
Volume	35
Issue number	49
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2020.35.e433
State	Published - 21 Dec 2020
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

COVID-19
Pandemics
Public Health Response
SARS-CoV-2

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.3346/jkms.2020.35.e433

Cite this

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title = "A Debate on Public Health Responses to COVID-19: Focused Protection versus Sustained Suppression",

abstract = "With the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic persisting for a long time, there have been debates about the public health response strategies. We conducted a survey of adult infectious disease specialists on public health responses to COVID-19. Most responded that regulations on multi-use facilities should be maintained or strengthened, but schools should not be closed, except in cases where an outbreak occurs within the school. A slightly higher percentage of experts supported focused protection rather than sustained suppression. While the focused protection strategy might sufce in low-level epidemic situations, social distancing should be reinforced by shifing to a strategy closer to sustained suppression in the eventuality of rapid spread of outbreaks.",

keywords = "COVID-19, Pandemics, Public Health Response, SARS-CoV-2",

author = "Song, \{Joon Young\} and Peck, \{Kyong Ran\} and \{The Korean Society of Infectious Diseases\}, \{Korean Society of Infectious Diseases\}",

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AB - With the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic persisting for a long time, there have been debates about the public health response strategies. We conducted a survey of adult infectious disease specialists on public health responses to COVID-19. Most responded that regulations on multi-use facilities should be maintained or strengthened, but schools should not be closed, except in cases where an outbreak occurs within the school. A slightly higher percentage of experts supported focused protection rather than sustained suppression. While the focused protection strategy might sufce in low-level epidemic situations, social distancing should be reinforced by shifing to a strategy closer to sustained suppression in the eventuality of rapid spread of outbreaks.

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KW - Public Health Response

KW - SARS-CoV-2

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JF - Journal of Korean Medical Science

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ER -

A Debate on Public Health Responses to COVID-19: Focused Protection versus Sustained Suppression

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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