TY - JOUR
AU - Czypionka, Thomas
AU - Iftekhar, Emil Nafis
AU - Prainsack, Barbara
AU - Priesemann, Viola
AU - Bauer, Simon
AU - Calero Valdez, André
AU - Cuschieri, Sarah
AU - Glaab, Enrico
AU - Grill, Eva
AU - Krutzinna, Jenny
AU - Lionis, Christos
AU - Machado, Helena
AU - Martins, Carlos
AU - Pavlakis, George
AU - Perc, Matjaž
AU - Petelos, Elena
AU - Pickersgill, Martyn
AU - Skupin, Alexander
AU - Schernhammer, Eva
AU - Szczurek, Ewa
AU - Tsiodras, Sotirios
AU - Willeit, Peter
AU - Wilmes, Paul
PY - 2022
DA - January
TI - The benefits, costs and feasibility of a low incidence COVID-19 strategy Health Policy
JO - The Lancet Regional Health - Europe
VL - 13
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2021.100294
AB - In the summer of 2021, European governments removed most NPIs after experiencing prolonged second and third waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most countries failed to achieve immunization rates high enough to avoid resurgence of the virus. Public health strategies for autumn and winter 2021 have ranged from countries aiming at low incidence by re-introducing NPIs to accepting high incidence levels. However, such high incidence strategies almost certainly lead to the very consequences that they seek to avoid: restrictions that harm people and economies. At high incidence, the important pandemic containment measure ‘test-trace-isolate-support’ becomes inefficient. At that point, the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and its numerous harmful consequences can likely only be controlled through restrictions. We argue that all European countries need to pursue a low incidence strategy in a coordinated manner. Such an endeavour can only be successful if it is built on open communication and trust.
PB - Elsevier
UR - https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/publications/aeefcf61-e815-4642-bfc9-09e3cf98134a
KW - Coronavirus (COVID-19)
ER