Potential lessons from the Taiwan and New Zealand health responses to the COVID-19 pandemic

Jennifer Summers; Hao-Yuan Cheng; Hsien-Ho Lin; Lucy Telfar Barnard; Amanda Kvalsvig; Nick Wilson; Michael G Baker

doi:10.1016/j.lanwpc.2020.100044

Potential lessons from the Taiwan and New Zealand health responses to the COVID-19 pandemic

Lancet Reg Health West Pac. 2020 Nov:4:100044. doi: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2020.100044. Epub 2020 Oct 21.

Authors

Jennifer Summers¹, Hao-Yuan Cheng^{2

3}, Hsien-Ho Lin^{4

5}, Lucy Telfar Barnard⁶, Amanda Kvalsvig⁶, Nick Wilson¹, Michael G Baker⁶

Affiliations

¹ BODE, Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington, 23A Mein Street, Newtown, Wellington 6021, New Zealand.
² Epidemic Intelligence Center, Taiwan Centers for Disease Control, 2F, No. 6, Linsen Sth. Rd., Taipei 100, Taiwan.
³ Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Children's Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁴ Global Health Program, Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, National Taiwan University, Rm706, No.17, Xuzhou Rd, Taipei 100, Taiwan.
⁵ Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taiwan.
⁶ Co-Search COVID-19 Research Collaborative, Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand.

Abstract

Approaches to preventing or mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic have varied markedly between nations. We examined the approach up to August 2020 taken by two jurisdictions which had successfully eliminated COVID-19 by this time: Taiwan and New Zealand. Taiwan reported a lower COVID-19 incidence rate (20.7 cases per million) compared with NZ (278.0 per million). Extensive public health infrastructure established in Taiwan pre-COVID-19 enabled a fast coordinated response, particularly in the domains of early screening, effective methods for isolation/quarantine, digital technologies for identifying potential cases and mass mask use. This timely and vigorous response allowed Taiwan to avoid the national lockdown used by New Zealand. Many of Taiwan's pandemic control components could potentially be adopted by other jurisdictions.

Keywords: COVID-19; Epidemiology; Global health; Health policy; Infectious diseases; Public health.

Publication types

Review