News Release

Lockdown or lockup

Comparisons across nations are difficult because of wide variation in demographic, case definition, testing and other parameters

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.

Coronavirus lockdown

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Around the Globe and in the US there is currently an ongoing debate on "reopening" or, more to the point, when and how to end the Lockdown.

Unfortunately, there is no standard or accepted definition as to what a Lockdown constitutes. More importantly, we have not asked the critical question as to the very effectiveness of a spectrum of Public Health interventions, nor assess the socio-economic costs of individual measures.

What is obvious is that an extreme Lockdown that leads to socio-economic damage is very costly in terms of both economic and Public Health consequences. Comparing the epidemiological curves of Nations with 5,000 or more cases of COVID-19 against the spectrum of interventions in those countries shows no consistent advantage to extreme versus more limited social distancing measures.

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About the Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc

The SDMPH is dedicated to the promotion and advancement of excellence in disaster medicine and public health across a broad global, multiprofessional membership. The SDMPH will provide members with resources, organizational structure, and the means to sustain interprofessional interaction and discourse related to the discipline of disaster medicine and public health.

About the Journal Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness

Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness is the first comprehensive and authoritative journal emphasizing public health preparedness and disaster response for all health care and public health professionals globally. The journal seeks to translate science into practice and integrate medical and public health perspectives. With the events of September 11, the subsequent anthrax attacks, the tsunami in Indonesia, hurricane Katrina, SARS, H1N1 Influenza, and COVID19 Pandemic, all health care and public health professionals must be prepared to respond to emergency situations. In support of these pressing public health needs, Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness is committed to the medical and public health communities who are the stewards of the health and security of citizens worldwide


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