Effective health communication – a key factor in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic

Over the course of March 2020, the everyday life of most people changed from normal to extraordinary around the globe. By the beginning of March, there had been serious outbreaks of COVID-19 in a limited number of countries, such as China, South Korea, Iran and Italy, while many others experienced a lull before the storm. People in unaffected countries understood that the Corona SARS CoV-2 virus might reach their shores at one point; the question was when and how hard it would hit. By the end of March, many governments had ordered drastic measures. Schools and university campuses were shut down. Shops, restaurants and companies were closed. People in many different jobs were asked to work from home, and many were in quarantines.