Testing the backbone of the COVID-19 response
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is calling on governments to scale up testing of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in response to the outbreak.
“We have not seen an urgent enough escalation in testing, isolation and contact tracing – which is the backbone of the response. Social distancing measures can help to reduce transmission and enable health systems to cope.
“Handwashing and coughing into your elbow can reduce the risk for yourself and others.
But on their own, they are not enough to extinguish this pandemic. It’s the combination that makes the difference,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
WHO punted the prevention of infections as the key to breaking the chains of transmission during their media briefing on the Coronavirus on Monday.
“And to do that, you must test and isolate. You cannot fight a fire blindfolded. And we cannot stop this pandemic if we don’t know who is infected. We have a simple message for all countries: test, test, test. Test every suspected case,” said Ghebreyesus.
Should people test positive, WHO urged for governments to isolate infected persons, find out who they have been in close contact with up to two days before they developed symptoms, and test those people too.
WHO recommends testing contacts of confirmed cases only if they show symptoms of COVID-19.
To meet the global demand, WHO has shipped almost 1.5 million tests to 120 countries.
“We’re working with companies to increase the availability of tests for those most in need.
“WHO advises that all confirmed cases, even mild cases, should be isolated in health facilities, to prevent transmission and provide adequate care,” said Ghebreyesus.
But with many countries having already exceeded their capacity to care for mild cases in dedicated health facilities, WHO advised that countries should prioritize older patients and those with underlying conditions.
“Some countries have expanded their capacity by using stadiums and gyms to care for mild cases, with severe and critical cases cared for in hospitals,” said Ghebreyesus.
Caring for Coronavirus patients at home
Another option is for patients with mild disease to be isolated and cared for at home.
But caring for infected people at home may put others in the same household at risk, so it’s critical that care-givers follow WHO’s guidance on how to provide care as safely as possible.
“For example, both the patient and their care-giver should wear a medical mask when they are together in the same room,” recommended Ghebreyesus.
Other measures to care for infected patients include:
- The patient should sleep in a separate bedroom to others and use a different bathroom.
- Assign one person to care for the patient, ideally someone who is in good health and has no underlying conditions.
- The care-giver should wash their hands after any contact with the patient or their immediate environment.
- People infected with COVID-19 can still infect others after they stop feeling sick, so these measures should continue for at least two weeks after symptoms disappear.
- Visitors should not be allowed until the end of this period.
More details on WHO’s guidance are available on the WHO website https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/technical-guidance
Alan Straton
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