Pandemic lessons from Hong Kong

COVID-19 offers many valuable lessons, many of which could be found in unique societies like Hong Kong. The metropolis is special for its drastically varying—good and bad—COVID-19 performances. Hong Kong was widely considered a pandemic control and containment success for maintaining a remarkably low number of COVID-19 infections and deaths, until it was not. In March 2022, for instance, Hong Kong had the world’s highest COVID-19 infection rates. As Hong Kong shares many similarities with other metropolises around the world, it is important to learn the hard-earned lessons from its failure to control infections. Drawing insights from the literature and our own research, this analysis aims to identify key lessons societies could gain from Hong Kong’s COVID-19 responses to ensure better preparation for future pandemics.