Dissection of non-pharmaceutical interventions implemented by Iran, South Korea, and Turkey in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has imposed a great global burden on public health. As one of the most affected countries, Iran has tackled emerging challenges in the path to overcoming the epidemic, with three peaks of the disease propagation as of February 19, 2020. To flatten the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic, most countries have implemented bundles of intrusive, sometimes extremely stringent non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs). In this communication, we have dissected the effectiveness of NPIs and compared the strategies implemented by Iran, Turkey, and South Korea to mitigate the disease's spread. Methods We searched online databases via PubMed, Web of Knowledge, and Scopus. Titles/abstracts and full-texts were screened by two reviewers and discrepancies were resolved upon discussion. Results Our results provide insights into five domains: prevention, screening, in-patient and out-patient facilities, governance, and management of diabetes mellitus. Analysis of previous efforts put in place illustrates that by fostering efficient social distancing measures, increasing the capability to perform prompt polymerase chain reaction tests, applying smart contact tracing, and supplying adequate personal protective equipment, Turkey and South Korea have brought the epidemic sub-optimally under control. Conclusion From the perspective of policymakers, these achievements are of utmost importance given that attaining the aspirational goals in the management of the COVID-19 necessities a suitable adjustment of previous successful strategies. Hence, policymakers should be noticed that a suitable combination of NPIs is necessary to stem the disease's propagation.