Using the Public Health and Social Measures Severity Index for analysing government responses during the COVID-19 pandemic in the WHO European Region

Public health and social measures (PHSM), such as adaptions to the operation of schools, businesses and workplaces, international travel measures and restrictions on gatherings and peoples movements, as well as individual preventive measures such as physical distancing, have been a vital set of tools utilized by many countries to mitigate the spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2020, the WHO Regional Office for Europe started to systematically monitor, collect and categorize data on response measures taken by its Member States. In order to visualize and analyse the collected data, WHO developed a methodology for quantifying the response measures into an index, capturing the severity of these policy measures in terms of six key indicators. The aim of this article is to describe the methodology underlying the index, including data collection, categorization and calculation, in order to provide researchers and policy-makers with a better understanding of its application. Furthermore, it provides an overview and examples of possible applications of the index, as well as serve as a reference for subsequent research on the effectiveness of PHSM, including empirical studies and models that can help to guide health policies, their timing and severity.