Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

January 12, 2021

Mitigation Policies and COVID-19–Associated Mortality — 37 European Countries, January 23–June 30, 2020

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European countries that implemented stricter mitigation policies during the beginning of the pandemic tended to report fewer COVID-19 deaths through the end of June 2020, according to data from 37 European countries. Using the Oxford Stringency Index (OSI) to measure the stringency of policies (higher number corresponds to stricter policies), a 1-unit increase in the OSI standard deviation (22.9 unit increase in the OSI) was associated with a decrease of 12.5 deaths per 100,000. The authors conclude that the countries that could have averted the most deaths if they had implemented stricter policies include the UK, France, and Spain. 

Fuller et al. (Jan 12, 2021). Mitigation Policies and COVID-19–Associated Mortality — 37 European Countries, January 23–June 30, 2020. MMWR. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7002e4