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

Authors

  • Myo Nyein Aung Advanced Research Institute for Health Sciences and Faculty of International Liberal Arts, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan
  • Claire Stein HelpAge International, Myanmar
  • Wei-Ti Chen UCLA School of Nursing, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
  • Vandana Garg Manav Rachna International Institute of research and Studies, Faridabad, Haryana, India
  • Monika Saraswati Sitepu Directorate of Primary Health Care, Ministry of Health, Indonesia
  • Nguyen Thi Dang Thu Faculty of Public Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue Univeristy, Thua Thien Hue,Vietnam
  • Carlos Primero D Gundran Department of Health Policies and Administration, College of Public Health, University of Phillipines, Manila, Phillipines
  • Mohd Rohaizat Hassan Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • Unyaporn Suthutvoravut Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathiboidi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
  • Aung Naing Soe City Cancer Foundation, Yangon, Myanmar, and Geneva, Switzerland
  • Magde Nour Kristiania University College, Oslo, Norway
  • Khin Khin Gyi Central Epidemiology Unit, Department of Public Health, Ministry of Health and Sports, Myanmar
  • Rainer Brandl Travel and Vaccination Clinic, Vienna, Austria
  • Motoyuki Yuasa Department of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of International Liberal Arts, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.15254

Keywords:

Public health, health policy, social vaccine, resilience, COVID-19, preventive behavior, SARS‑CoV‑2

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.

Author Biographies

Wei-Ti Chen, UCLA School of Nursing, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States

Associate Professor 

Nguyen Thi Dang Thu, Faculty of Public Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue Univeristy, Thua Thien Hue,Vietnam

Lecturer

Carlos Primero D Gundran, Department of Health Policies and Administration, College of Public Health, University of Phillipines, Manila, Phillipines

Assistant Professor 4, Department of Health Policies and Administration

Mohd Rohaizat Hassan, Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Associate Professor and Head of Department, Public Health Medicine Specialist & Epidemiologist

Unyaporn Suthutvoravut, Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathiboidi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand

Lecturer at Mahidol University, PhD Tokyo University 

Aung Naing Soe, City Cancer Foundation, Yangon, Myanmar, and Geneva, Switzerland

MBBS, MCTM

Khin Khin Gyi, Central Epidemiology Unit, Department of Public Health, Ministry of Health and Sports, Myanmar

Department of Public Health, Ministry of Health and Sports, Myanmar

Rainer Brandl, Travel and Vaccination Clinic, Vienna, Austria

MD, MCTM

Motoyuki Yuasa, Department of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of International Liberal Arts, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan

MD. PhD, Professor, Global Health

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Published

2021-08-31

How to Cite

1.
Aung MN, Stein C, Chen W-T, Garg V, Saraswati Sitepu M, Thu NTD, Gundran CPD, Hassan MR, Suthutvoravut U, Soe AN, Nour M, Gyi KK, Brandl R, Yuasa M (2021) Community responses to COVID-19 pandemic first wave containment measures: a multinational study. J Infect Dev Ctries 15:1107–1116. doi: 10.3855/jidc.15254

Issue

Vol. 15 No. 08: August 2021

Section

Coronavirus Pandemic

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