Mandatory lockdowns may not be any better at controlling COVID-19 than less restrictive measures, study finds

Mandatory stay-at-home orders and business closures may not be more effective at controlling the spread of the coronavirus than less restrictive, voluntary measures, a new study found.

Sweden relied on "social distancing guidelines, discouraging of international and domestic travel, and a ban on large gatherings," while South Korea relied on "intensive investments in testing, contact tracing, and isolation of infected cases and close contacts." The findings appeared in the European Journal of Clinical Investigation.