https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1129-414X
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ABSTRACT
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic prompted varied policy responses globally, with Latin America facing unique challenges. A detailed examination of these policies’ impacts on health systems is crucial, particularly in Bolivia, where information about policy implementation and outcomes is limited.
Objective
To describe the COVID-19 testing trends and evaluate the effects of quarantine measures on these trends in Cochabamba, Bolivia.
Methods
Utilizing COVID-19 testing data from the Cochabamba Department Health Service for the 2020–2022 period. Stratified testing rates in the health system sectors were first estimated followed by an interrupted time series analysis using a quasi-Poisson regression model for assessing the quarantine effects on the mitigation of cases during surge periods.
Results
The public sector reported the larger percentage of tests (65%), followed by the private sector (23%) with almost double as many tests as the public-social security sector (11%). In the time series analysis, a correlation between the implementation of quarantine policies and a decrease in the slope of positive rates of COVID-19 cases was observed compared to periods without or with reduced quarantine policies.
Conclusion
This research underscores the local health system disparities and the effectiveness of stringent quarantine measures in curbing COVID-19 transmission in the Cochabamba region. The findings stress the importance of the measures’ intensity and duration, providing valuable lessons for Bolivia and beyond. As the global community learns from the pandemic, these insights are critical for shaping resilient and effective health policy responses.
Paper Context
Main findings: The findings highlight the importance of stringent quarantine measures in managing infectious disease outbreaks, offering valuable insights for policymakers worldwide in strategizing effective public health interventions.
Added knowledge: By providing a detailed analysis of testing disparities and quarantine policies’ effectiveness within a specific Latin American context, our research fills a critical gap in understanding their impacts on health system responses and disease control.
Global health impact for policy and action: The findings highlight the importance of stringent quarantine measures in managing infectious disease outbreaks, offering valuable insights for policymakers worldwide in strategizing effective public health interventions.
Responsible Editor Jennifer Stewart Williams
Responsible Editor Jennifer Stewart Williams
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to IIBISMED and UMSS School of Medicine authorities, Dr. Jenny Luizaga, and Dr. Daniel Illanes as well as to SEDES Cochabamba, for their help securing the data used in this study.
Author contributions
The authors contributed as follows. Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work: RA, YM, MS, and FJ. Contributed to the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work: All authors. Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content: RA, OF, MS, and FJ. Final approval of the version to be published: All authors. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved: All authors.
Data availability statement
Daily count data used in this study is available upon request.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Ethics and consent
Ethical approval (Number C-EB-34) for this study was obtained from the School of Medicine Institutional Review Board at San Simon University, Cochabamba, Bolivia. All data coming from SEDES-Cochabamba was de-identified. The data collected was exclusively managed by the research team with appropriate human research ethics training.