Publication: Interventions with Positive Side-Effects: COVID-19 Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions and Infectious Diseases in Europe [15.01.21]
Reading recommendation! Publication on "Interventions with positive side-effects: COVID-19 non-pharmaceutical interventions and infectious diseases in Europe" by Dr. Micha Kaiser, Dr. Steffen Otterbach, Prof. Dr. Alfonso Sousa-Poza, and Dr. David E. Bloom in IZA Discussion Paper, December 2020.
The paper evaluates the efficacy on infectious diseases of non-pharmaceutical measures used to contain the Covid-19 pandemic in Europe. Data on influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) were analyzed. Although the magnitude of results varied between countries, researchers documented a much greater decline in end-of-season infections in the most recent outbreak than in previous outbreaks, suggesting they may be driven by Covid-19 control measures implemented in 2020. Certain measures significantly reduce not only the spread of covid-19, but also the spread of influenza and RSV. Although the researchers identify workplace closures as a particularly effective measure, they find no evidence that other regulations, such as travel restrictions, are effective.
You can read the paper here.
