The Global Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Six Countries

The purpose of this thesis project is to examine the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic in six countries, in order to determine the best approach for the next pandemic. The first chapter reviews several key communicable diseases of the last century and summarizes the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The second chapter consists of six national case studies, one from each continent, that showcase a variety of approaches to managing the pandemic. The third chapter analyzes the lessons to be learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and synthesizes the case studies in order to determine key factors crucial to a successful pandemic response in the future.