COVID19 National Strategies: Find information on the COVID19 national strategies of several different nations for addressing COVID by clicking on the links below. A list of resources for more information on the COVID-19 pandemic is available here.

Selected Resources

The COVID Tracking Project is a great source of statistical data on COVID-19 within the US.

Up to date statistics on the COVID-19 pandemic and much more are available at the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

The US government’s COVID-19 website is at https://www.coronavirus.gov/.

The World Health Organization’s resource center on the COVID pandemic is at https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019.

The European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies in conjunction with the European Commission and the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for Europe maintains a valuable resource called the Covid-19 Health System Response Monitor.

Cochrane Reviews and related content from the Cochrane Library relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) Outbreak Resources

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (an agency of the European Union)

From the World Health Organization website, last accessed Feb. 2, 2021: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public

“Stay aware of the latest COVID-19 information by regularly checking updates from WHO and your national and local public health authorities.

“Protect yourself and others from COVID-19

“If COVID-19 is spreading in your community, stay safe by taking some simple precautions, such as physical distancing, wearing a mask, keeping rooms well ventilated, avoiding crowds, cleaning your hands, and coughing into a bent elbow or tissue. Check local advice where you live and work. Do it all!

“What to do to keep yourself and others safe from COVID-19

• “Maintain at least a 1-metre distance between yourself and others to reduce your risk of infection when they cough, sneeze or speak. Maintain an even greater distance between yourself and others when indoors. The further away, the better.
• “Make wearing a mask a normal part of being around other people. The appropriate use, storage and cleaning or disposal are essential to make masks as effective as possible.

“Here are the basics of how to wear a mask:

• “Clean your hands before you put your mask on, as well as before and after you take it off, and after you touch it at any time.
• “Make sure it covers both your nose, mouth and chin.
• “When you take off a mask, store it in a clean plastic bag, and every day either wash it if it’s a fabric mask, or dispose of a medical mask in a trash bin.
• “Don’t use masks with valves.

• “For specifics on what type of mask to wear and when, read our Q&A and watch our  videos. There is also a Q&A focused on masks and children.
• “Find out more about the science of how COVID-19 infects people and our bodies react by watching or reading this interview.
• For specific advice for decision makers, see WHO’s technical guidance.

“How to make your environment safer

• “Avoid the 3Cs: spaces that are closed, crowded or involve close contact.
  • “Outbreaks have been reported in restaurants, choir practices, fitness classes, nightclubs, offices and places of worship where people have gathered, often in crowded indoor settings where they talk loudly, shout, breathe heavily or sing.
  • “The risks of getting COVID-19 are higher in crowded and inadequately ventilated spaces where infected people spend long periods of time together in close proximity. These environments are where the virus appears to spread by respiratory droplets or aerosols more efficiently, so taking precautions is even more important.
• “Meet people outside. Outdoor gatherings are safer than indoor ones, particularly if indoor spaces are small and without outdoor air coming in.
  • “For more information on how to hold events like family gatherings, children’s football games and family occasions, read our Q&A on small public gatherings.
• “Avoid crowded or indoor settings but if you can’t, then take precautions:
  • “Open a window. Increase the amount of ‘natural ventilation’ when indoors.
  • “WHO has published Q&As on ventilation and air conditioning for both the general public and people who manage public spaces and buildings.
  • “Wear a mask (see above for more details).

“Don’t forget the basics of good hygiene

• “Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. This eliminates germs including viruses that may be on your hands.
• “Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and infect you.
• “Cover your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately into a closed bin and wash your hands. By following good ‘respiratory hygiene’, you protect the people around you from viruses, which cause colds, flu and COVID-19.
• “Clean and disinfect surfaces frequently especially those which are regularly touched, such asdoor handles, faucets and phone screens.

“What to do if you feel unwell

• “Know the full range of symptoms of COVID-19. The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Other symptoms that are less common and may affect some patients include loss of taste or smell, aches and pains, headache, sore throat, nasal congestion, red eyes, diarrhoea, or a skin rash.
• “Stay home and self-isolate even if you have minor symptoms such as cough, headache, mild fever, until you recover. Call your health care provider or hotline for advice. Have someone bring you supplies. If you need to leave your house or have someone near you, wear a medical mask to avoid infecting others.
• “If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention immediately. Call by telephone first, if you can and follow the directions of your local health authority.
• “Keep up to date on the latest information from trusted sources, such as WHO or your local and national health authorities. Local and national authorities and public health units are best placed to advise on what people in your area should be doing to protect themselves.

Source: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public. World Health Organization. From the web, last accessed Feb. 2, 2021.
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public

“As of December 4th 2020, more than 64 million people were known to be infected with the coronavirus and more than 1.5 million to have died [1]. The actual numbers are likely to be much higher, especially in low and middle income countries where testing rates are low and death registration systems are weak. In late November 2020, the WHO South-East Asia Region (SEAR), Region for the Americas (AMR) and European Region (EUR) had the highest number of new daily cases. The distribution of deaths from COVID-19 has been highly skewed: just four countries—Brazil, India, Mexico and the United States—account for more than 50% of all deaths to date.

“The direct effect of COVID-19 on morbidity and mortality is exacerbated by its impact on non-COVID-19 health services. Social distancing and so-called lockdown policies have lowered the use of routine health services such as immunization, antenatal care, elective surgery and care for chronic noncommunicable diseases [2, 3] (Box 4.1). Both the demand and supply of those services have been affected by the level of lockdown at a particular place and time, as well as the fear of seeking care at health facilities. Foregone care—especially for noncommunicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes and hypertension—is likely to have longer-term health consequences. Risk factors shared between COVID-19 morbidity and other health conditions create a need for comprehensive tracking and analysis of spending across the health sector and beyond. While efforts to channel money to the COVID-19 response are critical, a broader response is clearly needed to maintain other essential health services, manage the longer-term effects of contracting COVID-19 and invest in future prevention and treatment.”

Source: Global spending on health 2020: weathering the storm. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2020. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240017788

“The full effect of COVID-19 on spending trends in 2020 and beyond will only be clear when comprehensive financial data become available [7]. But early indications from some OECD countries show how health spending could develop, reflecting both the disease burden and specific health financing policies adopted to buttress the financial status of health systems against COVID-19.

“In Belgium, for example, spending by Social Health Insurance for ambulatory care fell by 6% in the first five months of 2020 compared with 2019, and spending for hospital care fell by 4% in the first four months [8]. That said, other health activities, including testing, are financed by other payers whose spending may have increased.

“In Germany, spending by Social Health Insurance—which finances around 60% of total health spending—increased by around 3% in the first half of 2020 compared with 2019 [9]. In addition, the German federal government increased its health budget, which also provides subsidies to hospitals.

“On the other hand, the US Bureau of Economic Analysis estimated a substantial reduction in private health spending in the second quarter of 2020 (-22.5% compared with 2019) [10]. At the same time, the US federal government offered substantial funds for health providers and financed widespread testing, so overall spending could rise in 2020.

“The differences partly result from the kind of provider payment system (prospective versus retrospective) and the influence of policy decisions to advance payments to providers even in systems that generally rely more on retrospective reimbursement (see the WHO European region COVID-19 Information page for more information on European country health financing policies in response to COVID-191).

“Although how much health spending will increase (or not) in 2020 is still unclear, a jump in the health expenditure-to-GDP ratio can be expected in high income countries, reflecting the severe economic downturn they all are experiencing. In most, the fall in GDP is expected to be much more pronounced than any eventual drop in health spending, a phenomenon observed in connection with the 2008–2009 financial crisis.”

Source: Global spending on health 2020: weathering the storm. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2020. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240017788

Health Systems Facts is a project of the Real Reporting Foundation. We provide reliable statistics and other data from authoritative sources regarding health systems in the US and several other nations.

Page last updated Feb. 4, 2021 by Doug McVay, Editor.