The strategies by which governments around the world are trying to combat the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus differ significantly. The risk of transmission of the virus by its hidden carriers (people who have no symptoms of the disease) is also assessed differently. However, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, several countries have demonstrated several elements of success in the preparedness and response phases. Among these countries, Germany, Japan and South Korea stand out for their successful experience in the fight against coronavirus. Since at the moment opinions on precautionary measures to combat coronavirus are very different, it is necessary to at least analyze the experience of these countries and try to follow their path to achieve success. Even though the experience of these countries also differs from each other, there is one common thing with the help of which they successfully overcome the pandemic – they drastically reduced the likelihood of its transmission.

Masks in Transport

Whereas Germany and South Korea faced the problem that many people do not follow their recommendations of wearing masks in transport and other public places and consequently made it mandatory, Japan did not have such a problem. In Japan, it is accepted that if a person has a cough or a runny nose, then he puts on a mask to protect others. Residents do not need to be strictly controlled regarding self-isolation or hygiene rules. The state gave instructions, and the population diligently fulfills them. In the United States, wearing masks is optional, so this can be one of the reasons why the number of infected is growing rapidly. According to US presidential candidate Joe Biden, more than 40 thousand lives will be saved in the next three months after the mandatory wearing of masks is introduced throughout the country to protect against the spread of COVID-19. Nevertheless, the issue of wearing masks is still one of the most discussed topics in the fight against the virus.

Transport Disinfection

In South Korea and Japan, disinfection in public places is one of the measures of protection against coronavirus. In Japan, disinfection of public places and transport is carried out not only during periods of seasonal epidemics, but every day and all year round. In the countries of Europe and the United States, measures were also introduced to prevent the spread of the virus in transport, but daily disinfection is not carried out everywhere. Germany applied its measures of preventing the spread of the virus: bus drivers have been banned from opening front doors at stops, through which new passengers are supposed to enter, presenting the driver with a ticket or buying a one-time ticket from him. Nevertheless, the experience of Japan and South Korea shows that vehicle disinfection is an effective tool in the fight against the Covid-19.

International Travelling

The most important threat when flying is the contact with other people: you have to sit side by side with them and sometimes you also have to communicate. Moreover, it can be difficult to maintain social distance at once at several stages of the flight: at the airport of departure (railway station), onboard, at the transit airport, at the airport of arrival and on the way to the destination. All these stages are long and the risk of infection is high. To reduce the risk of infection, some measures are taken for international flights. The most noticeable change is the mandatory wearing of protective masks throughout the journey. Maintaining a physical distance in queues in front of check-in counters, in the baggage inspection area, before passport control, in the waiting areas for departure and baggage claim area is also a prerequisite for international travel in many countries. Japan has imposed tougher measures than other countries. The Land of the Rising Sun has a long list of countries from which entry into Japan is temporarily prohibited. There is also one more reason that helps Japan to implement its restricted travel measures: the Japanese do not like to travel outside their country.

According to WHO, returning to normal life will be impossible in the near future and all that remains for us is to learn to live with the new travel rules. Do not touch the face, wear masks — one of the most effective ways to prevent transmission of infection, wash hands with soap before and after using public transport and trying to keep distance everywhere if possible. By applying these seemingly conventional precautions, some countries have been able to defeat the spread of coronavirus.