How the West Lost COVID

Compared to countries that implemented early shutdowns to combat the coronavirus pandemic, such as France and Ireland, the U.S. "fought the virus, and the virus won." While the federal government is largely responsible, state and local government and their collective failure to follow a united approach to implementing measures also played a role.

Although public health experts agree that New York was initially slow to implement protocols to protect citizens from COVID-19, they also agree that the state was able to gain control over the virus due to the actions the governor and the public eventually took. Protocols that have proved successful for the state include a mask mandate, a stay-at-home order and a delay in reopeneing businesses despite a decrease in cases.

Italy, once a major hotspot for Covid-19 cases, has seen a significant decrease in the spread of the coronavirus after implementing strict government regulations including mandatory travel restrictions and isolation protocols. The success of the measures has been evident as the country begins to reopen – lifting restrictions in two-week increments to account for the "virus’s incubation period" – with no sign of the virus still spreading and hospitals remaining largely empty of critical cases.

Vietnam's approach to handling the Covid-19 pandemic prioritized prevention over eradication which, so far, has helped the country avoid virus-caused deaths. Although the restriction in places, such as quarantine facilities, are aggressive and may not work in other countries, some public health experts commend the approach saying, "it's better to overreact."

Vietnam has reported less than 300 COVID-19 cases and no related deaths, earning the government and citizens praise for how the country has thus far tackled the spread of the virus. The country's comprehensive methodology of scalable testing, closure of borders, mandatory quarantine, and public messaging such as "staying home is loving your country," resulted Vietnam not just emerging as an outlier for containment, but has also allowed for local businesses and some tourist attractions to reopen.

Due to its proximity to China, experts forcasted that Taiwan would experience a high number of coronavirus cases, but aggressive intervention strategies have kept the overall caseload much lower than expected. New regulations, especially focused on people traveling through the airport – such as enrolling travelers in a national coronavirus database, taking their temperature in the airport, and mandating a two-week quarantine – granted the government the capability of being able to track the spread of potential incoming cases.

Singapore, Hong Kong, and South Korea have each seen success through their efforts to contain the coronavirus. Using methods such as aggressive isolation methods that include penalties, contact tracing and rapid intervention strategies that were in place from previously dealing with other communicable diseases, the lessons these countries have learned could provide information for countries still struggling to slow the spread.

As the West continues to battle the spread of coronavirus, countries like Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan offer lessons in what's working to flatten the curve. Although some measures such as early intervention and social distancing are more difficult to implement after the spread has begun, other tactics such as contact tracing and clear communication also have proven impactful.

Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Japan all implemented similar comprehensive public health emergency plans that successfully reduced the spread of coronavirus in each region. Although each country used tactics such as travel restrictions, widespread testing, transparent communication, and quarantine protocols, Taiwan and South Korea are emerging as models for other countries due to the structure of democracy.

Strict and early knockdowns and consistent public health messaging have helped Australia effectively eliminate Covid-19. Now, the country and its residents have largely returned to business as usual, despite many citizens still waiting to receive the Covid vaccine.