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Last week, the World Health Organization’s special envoy on COVID-19, David Nabarro, said:
We, at the World Health Organization, do not advocate lockdowns as the main measure to control the virus.
This has created confusion and frustration, as many people have interpreted this as going against the WHO’s previous advice on how to cope with the pandemic. Have not most of us spent part or most of the last few months living in a world of seclusion and severe restrictions, according to WHO advice?
However, dig a little deeper and these comments are not as contrary as they might seem. They simply make explicit the idea that lockdowns are just one of many different weapons we can deploy against the coronavirus.
Lockdowns are a good tactic in situations where transmission is out of control and there is a threat of the healthcare system being overwhelmed. As Nabarro says, they can “give you time to reorganize, regroup, rebalance your resources.”
But they should not be used as the primary strategy against COVID-19 more broadly. And the decision to impose a lockdown must be considered carefully, with the benefits compared to the consequences often very significant.
Blockades also have a disproportionate impact on the most disadvantaged people in society. This cost is even higher in the poorest countries, where not going to work can literally mean not having anything to eat.
Read more: Is the confinement worth it? No, it’s a deck and we have better options
So if lockdowns are best used as a short, sharp measure to stop coronavirus rampant, what other strategies should we focus on to control the spread of COVID-19 more generally? Here are four key tactics.
1. Test, contact tracing and isolation
The key pillars in the public health response to this pandemic have always been testing, contract tracing, and case isolation. This has been the clear message of the WHO from the beginning, and all jurisdictions that have been successful in controlling the virus have excelled in these three interconnected tasks.
No one disputes the importance of being able to identify cases and make sure they don’t spread the virus. When we identify cases, we must also find out where and who infected them, so that anyone who has also been exposed can be quarantined. The goal here is to interrupt the transmission of the virus by keeping the infected away from others.
LYNN BO BO / EPA / AAP
Time is of the essence. People should be tested as soon as they develop symptoms and should immediately isolate themselves until they know they are safe. For positive cases, contact tracing should be done as quickly as possible. All of this helps limit the spread of the virus.
Read more: Where did Victoria go wrong with contact tracing and have they fixed it?
2. Respond to clusters
Responding to disease clusters in an effective and timely manner is also vitally important. We have all seen how certain settings, such as nursing homes, can become breeding grounds for infections and how difficult it is to control these groups once they gain momentum.
Controlling clusters requires decisive action, and countries that have been successful in fighting the virus have used a variety of strategies to do so. Vietnam, which has been praised for its response to the coronavirus despite its large population and lack of resources, has worked hard to “fit the virus” when the groups were identified. This involved identifying and testing people up to three degrees apart from a known case.
JAMES GOURLEY / MONO
Read more: The second wave of Europe is worse than the first. What went so wrong and what can you learn from countries like Vietnam?
3. Educate the public
Another crucial element of a successful response to the coronavirus is providing the public with clear advice on how to protect yourself. Public acceptance is vital because ultimately it is the behavior of people that has the greatest influence on the spread of the virus.
Everyone in the community should understand the importance of social distancing and good hygiene. This includes non-English speakers and other minority groups. Getting this message across to all members of the community requires money and effort on the part of health authorities and community leaders.
4. Masks
After some confusion at the start of the pandemic, it is now almost universally accepted that public use of masks is a cheap and effective way to delay disease transmission, especially in situations where social distancing is difficult.
As a result, the masks, although excessively politicized in some quarters, have quickly become accepted in many societies that were previously unaccustomed to wearing them.
Read more: Victorians, and anyone else at risk, should now wear face masks. Here’s how to make one
