The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has confronted public health systems and world economies with serious challenges. Faced with the same disease, countries responded to the threat differently depending on their social, demographic and geographic characteristics. Based on the analysis of scientific literature, international guidances and other sources of information about infection prevention and control, this article systematizes knowledge about containment strategies developed before the current pandemic, describes challenges posed by the coronavirus outbreak and highlights solutions. Specifically, the article describes the timing and order of the introduced measures, considerations for lifting the restrictions and the impact of different containment strategies on the spread of the infection, society and economy.