Public Health Emergency and Crisis Management: Case Study of SARS-CoV-2 Outbreak

Hemin Choi, Wonhyuk Cho, Min-Hyu Kim and Joon-Young Hur
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Hemin Choi: Graduate School of Public Administration, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
Wonhyuk Cho: Wellington School of Business and Government, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6011, New Zealand
Min-Hyu Kim: School of Public Affairs, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
Joon-Young Hur: Korea Institute of Public Administration, Seoul 03367, Korea

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 11, 1-14

Abstract: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has caused an unparalleled public health crisis, delivering an immense shock to humanity. With the virus’s health consequences largely unknown, different health systems around the globe have pursued various avenues of crisis management. South Korea, troubled early by the virus, was once the second most affected nation in the world. Arrays of measures in South Korea, such as large-scale diagnostic testing and technology-based comprehensive contact tracing, have brought about debates among public health experts and medical professionals. This case study describes the major cluster transmissions in SARS-CoV-2 hotspots in South Korea (such as a religious sect, a call center, logistics facilities, and nightclubs) and offers early observations on how South Korean public health authorities acted in response to the initial outbreak of the virus and to the new waves prompted by re-opening economies. We then discuss the way in which South Korea’s experience can act as a reference for shaping other countries’ public health strategies in pandemic crisis management.

Keywords: pandemic; public health; coronavirus; SARS-CoV-2 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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