Public Policy

September, 2020

Abstract

Importance: Fatality rates related to COVID-19 in Japan have been low compared to Western Countries and have decreased despite the absence of lockdown. Serological tests monitored across the course of the second wave can provide insights into the population-level prevalence and dynamic patterns of COVID-19 infection.

Objective: To assess changes in COVID-19 seroprevalence among asymptomatic employees working in Tokyo during the second wave.

August, 2020

Highlights

• Swedish strategy is evidence-based and in close partnership between the government and the society.

• No forced lockdown, but ‘soft measures’ built on trust with responsibility of the individual.

• The Swedish way has also been noticed by the WHO and proposed as a future model.

• Implemented measures have successfully flattened the curve

• Limited ability to implement protective measures in some elderly homes.

Abstract

Introduction

August, 2020

Abstract

Background

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants with a 382-nucleotide deletion (∆382) in the open reading frame 8 (ORF8) region of the genome have been detected in Singapore and other countries. We investigated the effect of this deletion on the clinical features of infection.

Methods

August, 2020

Abstract

August, 2020

Abstract

We document four facts about the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide relevant for those studying the impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) on COVID-19 transmission.

First: across all countries and U.S. states that we study, the growth rates of daily deaths from COVID-19 fell from a wide range of initially high levels to levels close to zero within 20-30 days after each region experienced 25 cumulative deaths.

Second: after this initial period, growth rates of daily deaths have hovered around zero or below everywhere in the world.

August, 2020