Impact of public health interventions on COVID-19 control in Lahore

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on public health, with governments and organizations implementing various interventions to control its spread. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of public health interventions on controlling the spread of COVID-19 in Lahore, Pakistan. Methods: Data on COVID-19 cases and public health interventions were collected from March 2020 to March 2022. The data were analyzed to evaluate the impact of each intervention on controlling the spread of COVID-19 in Lahore. Results: From March 2020 to March 2022, 6,710,142 COVID-19 tests were conducted in Lahore, with 518,393 cases testing positive for the virus. The contact tracing strategy involved tracing an average of 6.83 contacts per positive case in 2020, which increased over the year, and an average of 6.80 contacts per positive case in 2021, with a decrease in the second quarter of the year. The cordoning-off strategy was used to contain the spread of COVID-19 in over 340 areas of Lahore. Shutdowns of non-essential businesses and schools, guidelines for social distancing, and the use of PPE were also effective in reducing the transmission of COVID-19.