How will country-based mitigation measures influence the course of the COVID-19 epidemic?

Type Journal Article Author Roy M. Anderson Author Hans Heesterbeek Author Don Klinkenberg Author T. Déirdre Hollingsworth URL https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30567-5/abstract Series Comment Volume 395 Issue 10228 Pages 931-934 Publication The Lancet ISSN 0140-6736, 1474-547X Date 09/03/2020 Extra Publisher: Elsevier PMID: 32164834 Journal Abbr The Lancet DOI 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30567-5 Library Catalog www.thelancet.com Language English Abstract Governments will not be able to minimise both deaths from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the economic impact of viral spread. Keeping mortality as low as possible will be the highest priority for individuals; hence governments must put in place measures to ameliorate the inevitable economic downturn. In our view, COVID-19 has developed into a pandemic, with small chains of transmission in many countries and large chains resulting in extensive spread in a few countries, such as Italy, Iran, South Korea, and Japan.