Policy determinants of COVID-19 pandemic-induced fatality rates across nations.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the most devastating pandemic to affect humanity in a century. In this article, we assessed tests as a policy instrument and policy enactment to contain COVID-19 and potentially reduce mortalities.

Study design

A model was devised to estimate the factors that influenced the death rate across 121 nations and by income group.

Results

Nations with a higher proportion of people aged 65+ years had a higher fatality rate (P = 0.00014). Delaying policy enactment led to a higher case fatality rate (P = 0.0013). A 10% delay time to act resulted in a 3.7% higher case fatality rate. This study found that delaying policies for international travel restrictions, public information campaigns, and testing policies increased the fatal

SUBMITTER: Teixeira da Silva JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7434485 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature