PurposeGiven the efficacy of a robust public healthcare system in handling public health emergencies, the rapid rate of COVID-19 pandemic infection in early-hit (advanced) countries with competent healthcare system is intriguing. The popular public health argument supports the strengthening of the healthcare system as a significant response strategy to minimize infection. Hence, this paper examines the catalysts that exacerbated the pandemic’s rapid spread in these countries despite the sound state of their healthcare system. Also, it assesses the condition of Nigerian public healthcare system in the lights of the novel COVID-19 pandemic and suggests the need for improvement and effective functioning.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses a documentary approach to establish the authors’ opinion on the subject matter under investigation.FindingsFactors such as climate, temperature, and humidity levels played a key role in infection in the winter of 2020. These factors facilitated for the pandemic’s rapid spread in advanced countries. In peripheral countries like Nigeria, the public healthcare system is burdened by a lack of funding, an insufficiency in welfare and training for healthcare staff and facilities and other operational challenges. Hence, the effective management of COVID-19 outbreak in Nigeria relative to advanced countries was hindered by the inadequacies mentioned above.Originality/valueThis paper provides an understanding on the condition of public healthcare system in peripheral nations in relation to the healthcare system advisories from the World Health Organization (WHO) in the context of handling the pandemic outbreak. Also, it explains the catalysts that heightened the pandemic’s rapid spread in advanced countries despite the higher capacity of their healthcare system to manage health emergencies.