Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35264231›Full record

ArticleArchives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique2022

Back to basics: measuring the impact of interventions to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Europe.

Dominic Cortis, Fiona Vella King

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Effectiveness of social distancing measures and lockdowns for reducing transmission of COVID-19 in non-healthcare, community-based settings.Philosophical transactions. Series A, Mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences · 2023
    Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Dominic CortisDepartment of Insurance, Faculty of Economics, Management and Finance, University of Malta, Msida, Malta. dominic.cortis@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6376-9824
Fiona Vella KingDepartment of Insurance, Faculty of Economics, Management and Finance, University of Malta, Msida, Malta.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFollowing the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe at the start of 2020, most countries had implemented various measures in an attempt to control the spread of the virus. This study analyses the main non-pharmaceutical interventions and their impact on the rate by which cumulative cases and deaths were growing in Europe during the first wave of this pandemic.

methodsThe interventions analysed are the school closures, restrictions on travel, cancellation of events, restrictions on gatherings, partial and full lockdowns. Data was collected on the implementation date of these interventions, and the number of daily cases and deaths during the first wave of the pandemic for every country and territory geographically located in Europe. The study uses growth rates to calculate the increase in cumulative cases and deaths in Europe before, during, and after these interventions were implemented.

resultsThe results show that decisions to close schools, cancel events, and restrict travel were taken during the same time period, whereas the decisions for the other interventions were taken when the growth rates were similar. The most effective interventions at lowering the rate by which cumulative cases were increasing were the travel restrictions, school closures, and the partial lockdown, while most effective against cumulative deaths were the partial lockdown, travel restrictions, and full lockdown.

conclusionAll the interventions reduced the rate by which cumulative cases and deaths were increasing with the partial lockdowns being the most effective from the other interventions, during the first wave of the pandemic in Europe.

Indexed as

COVID-19EuropeLockdown effectivenessNon-pharmaceutical interventions

Identifiers

PMID35264231
PMCPMC8904711

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.