The Successes and Failures of the Initial COVID-19 Pandemic Response in Romania

Abstract

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, countries around the world varied in the strength and timeliness of their responses. In Romania, specific challenges were faced with regards to managing the spread and limiting the impact of the disease, ranging from healthcare infrastructure to demographic and sociocultural aspects. As the country has a sizeable diaspora, major difficulties were faced when large numbers of individuals from highly affected areas returned to Romania. However, the fast implementation of control measures successfully averted a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases. This delayed the overburdening of an already challenged healthcare system during the initial phases of the epidemic. Furthermore, early control was facilitated by the exploitation of communication channels that penetrated all layers of society, from ordinary citizens to governmental authorities and high-ranking religious figures. The management of the COVID-19 crisis in Romania illustrates the importance of a fast initial response which takes into account the role played by sociocultural aspects in the context of an epidemic. As the challenges faced by Romania are not unique, these results could inform future public health strategies worldwide.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Health-Related Quality of Life, Anxiety, and Training Among Young Gastroenterologists in Romania

“…As of 24 June 2020, 9.3 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 (477,500 deaths) were recorded all over the world, with 24,826 confirmed cases (1,555 deaths) in Romania. The rapid implementation of control measures successfully prevented a wave in the number of COVID-19 cases in Romania ( Dascalu, 2020 ).…”

Public Health and Risk Communication During COVID-19—Enhancing Psychological Needs to Promote Sustainable Behavior Change

“…Two hundred six papers were excluded based on title and abstract screening, and 27 were excluded after reading the full paper. A total of 20 papers matched the inclusion criteria (36,(38)(39)(40)(41)(42)(43)(44)(45)(46)(47)(48)(49)(50)(51)(52)(53)(54)(55)(56).…”

“…Out of the 20 papers included in this overview, 12 papers focused on issues relating to autonomy [i.e., cultural values, voluntary adoption of preventative measures, societal tightness vs. looseness; (36,(38)(39)(40)(41)(42)(43)(44)(45)(46)(47)(48)]; five papers related to issues of competence [i.e., adjusting messages to context, public involvement; (46,(49)(50)(51)(52)] and nine addressed relatedness (sense of community, trust) (36,38,42,46,51,(53)(54)(55)(56). Some of the papers addressed more than one issue.…”

“…Five papers relating to transparency and trust were identified in our systematic search (42,46,(54)(55)(56). Findings show that trust is a critical factor influencing the public's adherence to preventative measures during COVID-19.…”

“…Findings show that trust is a critical factor influencing the public's adherence to preventative measures during COVID-19. For example, the Romanian public lost trust in its healthcare system after years of corruption, which resulted in citizens not reporting truthfully about their travels and disregarding the government's restrictions (55). In the US, individuals interpreted the COVID-19 threat in partisan-patterned ways, with Republicans following party leaders in dismissing the threat and taking less actions than did Democrats (54).…”