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Community responses to COVID-19 pandemic first wave containment measures: a multinational study

Aung MN 1 , Stein C 2 , Chen WT 3 , Garg V 4 , Saraswati Sitepu M 5 , Thu NTD 6 Show all authors , Gundran CPD 7 , Hassan MR 8 , Suthutvoravut U 9 , Soe AN 10 , Nour M 11 , Gyi KK 12 , Brandl R 13 , Yuasa M 14

Affiliations 

  • 1 Advanced Research Institute for Health Sciences and Faculty of International Liberal Arts, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan. dr.myonyeinaung@gmail.com
  • 2 HelpAge International, Myanmar
  • 3 UCLA School of Nursing, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
  • 4 Manav Rachna International Institute of research and Studies, Faridabad, Haryana, India
  • 5 Directorate of Primary Health Care, Ministry of Health, Indonesia
  • 6 Faculty of Public Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue Univeristy, Thua Thien Hue,Vietnam
  • 7 Department of Health Policies and Administration, College of Public Health, University of Phillipines, Manila, Phillipines
  • 8 Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 9 Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathiboidi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
  • 10 City Cancer Foundation, Yangon, Myanmar, and Geneva, Switzerland
  • 11 Kristiania University College, Oslo, Norway
  • 12 Central Epidemiology Unit, Department of Public Health, Ministry of Health and Sports, Myanmar
  • 13 Travel and Vaccination Clinic, Vienna, Austria
  • 14 Department of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of International Liberal Arts, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan
J Infect Dev Ctries, 2021 08 31;15(8):1107-1116.
PMID: 34516418 DOI: 10.3855/jidc.15254

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: National strategies to control COVID-19 pandemic consisted mostly of social distancing measures such as lockdowns, curfews, and stay-home guidelines, personal protection such as hand hygiene and mask wearing, as well as contact tracing, isolation and quarantine. Whilst policy interventions were broadly similar across the globe, there were some differences in individual and community responses. This study explored community responses to COVID-19 containment measures in different countries and synthesized a model. This exaplains the community response to pandemic containment measures in the local context, so as to be suitably prepared for future interventions and research.

METHODOLOGY: A mutlinational study was conducted from April-June 2020 involving researchers from 12 countries (Japan, Austria, U.S., Taiwan, India, Sudan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand). Steps in this research consisted of carrying out open-ended questionnaires, qualitative analyses in NVivo, and a multinational meeting to reflect, exchange, and validate results. Lastly, a commuinty response model was synthesized from multinational experiences.

RESULTS: Effective communication is key in promoting collective action for preventing virus transmission. Health literacy, habits and social norms in different populations are core components of public health interventions. To enable people to stay home while sustaining livelihoods, economic and social support are essential. Countries could benefit from previous pandemic experience in their community response. Whilst contact tracing and isolation are crucial intervention components, issues of privacy and human rights need to be considered.

CONCLUSIONS: Understanding community responses to containment policies will help in ending current and future pandemics in the world.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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