Table 1.
Relative importance of available options for prevention and control of COVID-19 pandemic.
| Control strategy | Govt resources required | Monitoring | Feasibility | Acceptability to public | Economic cost for general population | Effectiveness7,11, 12, 13 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. To reduce spread of infection | ||||||
| Social distancing and restrictions in gathering of people | Low | Difficult | Difficult | Low | Low | High |
| Vaccination | High | Easy | Easy | High | Low | High |
| Use of face masks | Low | Difficult | Easy | Moderate | Low | High |
| Closure of schools and colleges | Low | Easy | Easy | High | Low | High |
| Travel and border restrictions | High | Difficult | Difficult | Low | High | Moderate |
| Educate and communicate with public | High | Easy | Difficult | High | Low | Moderate |
| Closure of nonessential businesses | Low | Easy | Easy | Low | High | Moderate |
| Quarantine and isolation | High | Difficult | Difficult | Low | High | Moderate |
| Hand hygiene | Low | Difficult | Easy | Moderate | Low | Low |
| Environmental cleaning and disinfection | High | Difficult | Difficult | High | Moderate | Low |
| Airport health checks | High | Easy | Easy | High | Low | Low |
| Night curfew | Low | Easy | Easy | Low | Low | Low |
| Complete lockdown (in addition to other restrictions) | High | Difficult | Difficult | Low | High | Low |
| Contact tracing and testing | High | Difficult | Difficult | Low | Low | Low |
| 2. To reduce mortality among COVID cases | ||||||
| Hospital treatment of moderate/severe cases | High | Easy | Easy | High | High | High |
| Vaccination | High | Easy | Easy | High | Low | High |