Characteristics of countries with delayed COVID-19 transmission
Three months after the first reported case, COVID-19 had spread to about 90% of WHO member countries, and as of March 30, 2020, only 24 countries had not reported it. This study collected and analyzed publicly available information on disease control measures in these countries, understanding potential factors delaying COVID-19 transmission, identifying gaps and opportunities in outbreak preparedness, country characteristics, COVID-19 testing, influenza surveillance, border measures, and more.
Results.
The spread of COVID-19 is shown to be strongly related to the globalization index and geographic location of each country. Most of the 24 countries with delayed onset were found to be LMIC, and 88% were characterized as small islands or landlocked developing countries. 38% of eligible countries reported national laboratory capacity as of March 30, 2020, and 71% reported conducting influenza surveillance in the past year. The results are in. And all of the target countries reported having two or more border measures in place (e.g., travel restrictions and border closures) and multiple preparedness activities in place (e.g., national preparedness plans and school closures).
Conclusion.
Most of the countries that reported delayed onset of infection suggest that they may lack the capacity to detect and identify cases early. In addition, weak global linkages and isolated geographical conditions may have contributed to the delayed onset of COVID-19.
Li, Z., Jones, C., Ejigu, GS etal. Countries lagging in COVID-19 uptake: characteristics, drivers, gaps, and opportunities. Global Health 17, 28 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-021-00678-4
Summary.
Studies have shown that countries with delayed reporting of infections were characterized by problems such as location and screening, but they also reported poor resources for health care workers and others.
Considering the fact that there may be differences in medical resources in different regions of any country, the actual number of infected people may be higher than what has been reported.
