Special Topic: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

At the end of 2019, cases of unknown viral pneumonia began to appear in mainland China[1], while related cases had been found in Hong Kong since January 2020[2]. The disease, which was later officially named Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), rapidly spread around the world, and the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a "global pandemic" in March 2020[3]. In addition to the high infectivity of the virus, the symptoms and severity of the disease varied from person to person and variants emerged from time to time. The pandemic hence ravaged all over the world, and the epidemic situation constantly fluctuated, bringing enormous changes to our lives. In this special topic, we will try sorting out the anti-epidemic measures taken by the government, the public, different institutions and groups in the battle against the epidemic based on the "PPRR model" (Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Recovery), so as to reflect on how our psychological state might affect the effectiveness of some measures, and how the epidemic and various prevention strategies might affect our mental health. Through learning from experience, we hope to respond more flexibly to similar disasters.

Framework applied by this special topic in discussing the COVID-19 situation in Hong Kong(Chinese Only)
Framework applied by this special topic in discussing the COVID-19 situation in Hong Kong(Chinese Only)

The complexity of the epidemic situation and numerous measures implemented during the fight against the pandemic might not be fully illustrated in the article.

Moreover, due to the nature of the pandemic, different measures in terms of prevention, preparation, response and recovery might overlap and alternate from time to time. Many of these measures not merely responded to the immediate situation, but also prepared us for the future surges.

In order to facilitate the review and the organization of information, this special topic takes the first case classified as a local infection in early February 2020 as a watershed[4]. The measures and related discussions before and after that case are extracted into Chapter 1: Prevention and Preparedness Phase and Chapter 2: Response Phase respectively. While it might be difficult to achieve a comprehensive recovery before the popularization of effective vaccines or drugs, the Chapter 3: Transition/Recovery Phase aims to, with reference to the literatures from different countries, provide insights on regaining stability, staying physically and mentally healthy during the epidemic, as well as learning how to better deal with the next wave of the pandemic .

Ch 1: Prevention and Preparedness Phase
Ch 1: Prevention and Preparedness Phase
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Ch 2: Response Phase
Ch 2: Response Phase
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Ch 3: Transition/Recovery Phase
Ch 3: Transition/Recovery Phase
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