Table 1.
Variable descriptions.
| Variable name | Description (by country) | Source | Year measured | |
| Dependent variable |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total casesa | Number of individuals infected by COVID-19 | Worldometers | 2020 |
|
|
Fatality ratea | Death rate against the number of confirmed cases (0-100) | Worldometers | 2020 |
|
|
Number of daysb | Number of days elapsed from the first confirmed case to the 1000th confirmed case | Our World in Data | 2020 |
| Control variable |
|
|
|
|
|
|
GDPc PPPd | GDP by PPP in billions | World Bank | 2019 |
|
|
Unemployment rate | Unemployment rate (0-100) | World Bank | 2019 |
|
|
Population density | People per square km of land area | World Bank | 2019 |
|
|
Percent aged 60 or over | Percentage of people aged 60 or older | United Nations | 2019 |
|
|
Annual rainfall | Average annual rainfall in mm | World Bank | 2019 |
|
|
Annual temperature | Average annual temperature in °C | World Bank | 2019 |
|
|
Early lockdown | Implementation of a national lockdown within 1 month of the first confirmed case (dichotomous) | Wikipedia, Press | 2020 |
|
|
Individualism | Cultural dimension score for preference for a loosely knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of only themselves and their immediate families (0-100) | Hofstedee | 2015 |
|
|
Uncertainty avoidance | Cultural dimension score for degree to which the members of a society feel uncomfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity (0-100) | Hofstede | 2015 |
| ICTf infrastructure enabling physical distancing |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Credit card ownership | The percentage of respondents who report having a credit card (aged 15+) | World Bank | 2017 |
|
|
Broadband speed | Broadband internet speed in Mbps | Ookla | 2019 |
| Medical ICT infrastructure and policy |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Telehealth policy (stated) | Country with a stated telehealth policy or strategy (1: yes, 0: otherwise) | World Health Organization | 2015 |
|
|
Telehealth policy (implied) | Country with no specific telehealth policy or strategy but is referred in an overall eHealth policy or strategy (1: yes, 0: otherwise) | World Health Organization | 2015 |
|
|
Government health websites | Government-supported health internet sites providing information (1: available, 0: not available) | World Health Organization | 2015 |
|
|
Training ICT health | Institutions offering in-service training to health professionals on ICT for health (1: available, 0: not available) | World Health Organization | 2015 |
|
|
National EHRg | Country with a national EHR (1: available, 0: not available) | World Health Organization | 2015 |
aData collected as of July 28, 2020.
bData collected as of August 9, 2020.
cGDP: gross domestic product.
dPPP: purchasing power parity.
eDefinitions for Hofstede variables were obtained online [32].
fICT: information and communications technology.
gEHR: electronic health record.