The UK’s pandemic preparedness and early response to the Covid-19 pandemic

Bibliographic Data

ID15540982
AuthorsJochem Rietveld (University of Cambridge, corresponding author), Tom Hobson (0000-0002-1244-3787, University of Cambridge), Lara Mani (0000-0003-2967-7499, University of Cambridge), Shahar Avin (0000-0001-7859-1507, University of Cambridge), Lalitha Sundaram (0000-0002-9595-9753, University of Cambridge)
Year2024
Volume19
Issue1
Pages2415499-2415499
Publication date2024-10-21
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueGlobal Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1744-1692 • E-ISSN: 1744-1706
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/17441692.2024.2415499
PMID39432455
OpenAlexW4403598522
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited15

This article focuses on the UK's pre-COVID 19 pandemic preparedness and its early response to the COVID-19 pandemic (January '20 - March '20). The aim of this article is to explain the high excess mortality the UK experienced compared to many of its international and European peers in the first wave, which is contrary to the country's high ranking in pre-COVID-19 preparedness rankings. The article assesses the various components of pre-COVID-19 pandemic preparedness such as pandemic strategy, exercises, and stockpiles, and it covers government decision making processes on the early response, including questions around post-travel quarantining, test and trace, and mobility restrictions. The article concludes that there were important deficiencies in the UK's pandemic preparedness and early response in the COVID-19 pandemic. These include the centrality of the 'inevitability of spread'-assumption underpinning the UK's pandemic planning pre-COVID, the insufficient implementation of pandemic exercise recommendations, the lack of early and 'live learning' from other countries' experiences, the lack of adoption of public health advice of the World Health Organisation early on, the late implementation of internal mobility restrictions, the lack of timely consideration of alternative early pandemic response models, and fragilities in the SAGE/governmental interplay

2019-20 coronavirus outbreak · Betacoronavirus · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Coronavirus Infections · Disease · Infectious disease (medical specialty · Medical emergency · Outbreak · Pandemic · Political science · Preparedness · Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 · COVID-19 epidemiological studies · COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts · Disaster Response and Management · Medicine · Virology