Singapore Wins Praise For Its COVID-19 Strategy. The U.S. Does Not

South Korea is emerging as a model for many countries battling the spread of coronavirus, thanks to the country's quick response to initiate widespread testing and contact tracing methodology. Having learned from what failed during the outbreak in 2015, the country has been able to keep their death toll under 1 percent, unlike many other countries battling the pandemic.

Singapore among several other countries have been able to contain coronavirus by working to stay ahead of the spread, rather than confront the spread as it happens. Using strategies – some partially built after learning from failure during the SARS outbreak – such as rigorous contact tracing to determine who may have come into contact with an infected individual, these countries have shown, "early intervention is key."

Singapore has seemingly been able to contain the coronavirus outbreak by relying on quick actions taken by the government and lessons learned from both the SARS and H1N1 outbreaks that impacted the region years ago. With "ready-made government quarantine facilities and a 330-bed, state-of-the-art national center for managing infectious diseases," the region has yet to see a death from this novel coronavirus despite 96 people identified as infected.

After witnessing chaos during the MERS outbreak, South Korea immediately began implementing measures to avoid disaster should another public health crisis occur. Now, as the COVID-19 pandemic impacts much of the world, the country has been able to successfully deploy their new and improved emergency response system – which includes letting hospitals and medical professionals play a larger role – and their accelerated approval system, allowing tests to be created at a more efficient pace.

As much of Europe and the United States are still in the early stages of trying to contain the coronavirus, countries in Asia offer several lessons in mitigation strategies. Rapid government intervention and regulation helped to slow the spread in Taiwan while in South Korea, increased transparency and mass testing – made possible because the country opened the process to the private sector – have shown to have helped flatten the curve of transmission.

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.

The testing efficiency and protocols implemented in South Korea to slow the spread of coronavirus have proven to be successful, with the latest reports of the country showing that reports of cases have leveled off. Combining "a single-payer health-care system and a sweeping infectious-disease law," the country was able rapidly identify potential cases and enact isolation in order to contain the spread of the virus.

South Korea has had an extremely effective response to the coronavirus because of its fast and widespread use of testing. There are now drive-through tests available where people recommended by their doctor can take a test from the safety of their vehicle. This decreases the chances of transmission and lowers the stress of both patient and doctor. As a result, the rate of increase has been slowing since February 29, 2020.

As the United States struggles to test all citizens exhibiting symptoms of coronavirus, Australia and Canada are offering lessons about best practices for preparing for a pandemic. Having learned from previous outbreaks, these countries implemented protocols such as a national hotline, easy-access to information about testing sites, and "an agency to coordinate and help finance testing and treatment during any kind of viral or disease outbreak" – all of which help make testing more efficient.

While many countries are struggling to control the spread of the recent coronavirus outbreak, South Korea has reported a decline in daily caseloads due to their rapid and comprehensive response. By expanding testing sites to include drive-throughs, canceling events and implementing more thorough testing protocols in their international airport, the country has offered lessons for others who have not yet determined a course of action.