According to a study, coordinated action by governments and health authorities is an important key to combating the coronavirus pandemic. Where governments and authorities at regional and national level have worked well together to contain coronavirus outbreaks, the fight has been most effective, researchers at Kingston University in London found.
Germany, for example, scored positively in the researchers‘ assessment. Politicians reacted early and worked together with different experts at various levels. As a result, the number of deaths – although it is in the thousands – is significantly lower than in Great Britain, for example.
Comparison of eight countries
For their report, the researchers compared how the governments in eight different democratic countries – including Great Britain, the USA and Germany – reacted to the outbreak of the CoV pandemic, i.e. which political decisions were made or not made and how the others Influenced the course of the pandemic.
Countries like Taiwan, which has already experienced epidemics due to the Sars virus, have responded quite successfully through targeted measures, according to another result of the analysis. The same applies to Bulgaria, where schools have been temporarily closed during outbreaks of flu in recent years.
Finn with advice on second wave
Germany has benefited from its robust health system and early intervention. Tests were developed and stored in good time. „When the first outbreaks occurred, the government and health authorities were directly able to carry out tests,“ said political scientist and project manager Peter Finn of Germany.
For the beginning of the second wave, Finn advised decision-makers to coordinate well and communicate clearly: „Without coordinated reactions from decision-makers at different levels and a public that listens, the number of cases will grow exponentially.“
