Isolation, quarantine, social distancing and community containment: pivotal role for old-style public health measures in the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak

TLDR

Public health measures such as isolation, quarantine, and community containment were decisive in controlling SARS in 2003, with isolation separating ill from healthy, quarantine restricting movement of contacts, and community containment ranging from social distancing to community‑wide quarantine. The study examines whether these measures will suffice to control 2019‑nCoV, contingent on unresolved questions.

Abstract

Public health measures were decisive in controlling the SARS epidemic in 2003. Isolation is the separation of ill persons from non-infected persons. Quarantine is movement restriction, often with fever surveillance, of contacts when it is not evident whether they have been infected but are not yet symptomatic or have not been infected. Community containment includes measures that range from increasing social distancing to community-wide quarantine. Whether these measures will be sufficient to control 2019-nCoV depends on addressing some unanswered questions.