COVID-19 Mortality and Self-Imposed Behavior Change/Government Regulations
2021
Countries have adopted different approaches, at different times, to reduce the transmission of COVID-19. Cross-country comparison could indicate the relative efficacy of these approaches. This article assesses various nonpharmaceutical interventions, comparing the effects of voluntary behavior change and of changes enforced via official regulations, by examining their impacts on subsequent death rates.
Voluntarily reduced mobility, occurring prior to government policies, decreases the percent change in deaths per day by 9.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] 4.5–14.0). Government closure policies decrease the percent change in deaths per day by 14.0% (95% CI 10.8–17.2%). Disaggregating government policies, the most beneficial for reducing fatality are intercity travel restrictions, canceling public events, requiring face masks in some situations, and closing nonessential workplaces. Other sub-components, such as closing schools and imposing stay-at-home rules, show smaller and statistically insignificant impacts.
COVID-19 Mortality and Self-Imposed Behavior Change/Government Regulations
Source:
Jamison JC, Bundy D, Jamison DT, Spitz J, Verguet S. Comparing the Impact on COVID-19 Mortality of Self-Imposed Behavior Change and of Government Regulations across 13 Countries. Health Services Research 2021; 56 (5): 874-884. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6773.13688