Background/aim: Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is now a pandemic spreading in most countries including Turkey.
Materials and methods: The current knowledge of COVID-19 and the virus causing it, SARS-CoV-2, was reviewed. The epidemiology and control in different countries was compared and the differences discussed.
Results: The population attack rates and case fatality rates vary from country to country with Lombardy in northern Italy reporting an attack rate in the general population of 0.37% compared to 0.004% in Hong Kong. The differences are caused by different testing strategies and reporting systems.
Conclusion: Turkey is early in the outbreak. Different control strategies are available with South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore being models to follow.
Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus; control; epidemiology; mortality.
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