Social distance measures to control the COVID-19 pandemic: Potential impacts and challenges in Brazil

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic has challenged researchers and policymakers to seek public health measures to prevent the collapse of health systems and reduce deaths. This narrative review sought to summarize the evidence on the impact of social distancing in the course of the COVID-19 epidemic and to discuss its implementation in Brazil. We searched papers describing the effects of social distancing on COVID-19 in PubMed, medRXiv and bioRvix databases. Federal and states legislation were analyzed to summarize the strategies implemented in Brazil. This review suggests that social distancing in the entire population is effective, especially when combined with the isolation of cases and the quarantine of contacts. We recommend the implementation of social distancing, and social protection policies to ensure the sustainability of these strategies. For the control of COVID-19 in Brazil, it is essential that these measures are combined with the strengthening of the epidemiological monitoring in the three levels of SUS, which include the evaluation and use of additional indicators to monitor the unfolding of the pandemic and the effect of control measures, the expansion of testing capacity, and the wide and transparent availability of disaggregated case and testing registries.