Although China's central and local governments do not have behavioral insights teams, they nonetheless incorporated strategies consistent with behavioral science research when they instituted plans to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. They made it easy for the public to implement health-protective behaviors; eliminated financial barriers to obtaining treatment; set the most stringent protocols as the default to protect health care professionals; simplified decisionmaking about which groups of people needed to self-isolate (thereby enhancing the efficiency of infection-control programs); and provided timely, tailored mental health services to those in need of psychological assistance. Adopting similar practices might help other countries contain the COVID-19 pandemic and enhance future pandemic preparedness and resiliency.
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