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We must be prepared for the worst-case scenario, the authors of this study warn. And for that they went on to analyze what some countries such as Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, and European countries -Germany, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom- did so that, with the mistakes of the past, it is possible create better ways of acting in the future.
To begin with, they defend the existence of It is essential “a clear and transparent plan that describes the factors that are being considered”. “Ideally, these plans should clearly detail the levels and phases that exist to ease the restrictions, the criteria for moving to the next phase and what control measures are in each of these levels,” the paper reads. .
Second, the Countries should not ease restrictions until they have a robust system to monitor the status of infection cases..
Third, it is you should be aware that continued measures will be needed for some time to reduce transmission. For example, social distance, the use of masks, are measures that can last over time.
Those responsible for this study also consider that Governments must involve all members of society, particularly the most vulnerable, in responding to the pandemic.. Citizens must participate in creating protection measures in a local context.
Fourth, all countries must have effective system to find, test, isolate and support people who may be infected with the virus. All the data confirm that the identification of mild and even asymptomatic cases substantially reduces contamination and, ultimately, mortality.
In addition, they write that this objective of testing and isolation must be supported by continued investment in the capacity of public health and the national health system of each country.
In this study published in The lancetIt is clear that the current situation the world is going through will continue for some time to come. “There is a growing awareness that removing Covid-19 restrictions does not mean that we will return to the pre-pandemic situation, but rather gradually return to a new normal,” always ready to re-impose restrictive measures.
When containment measures should be lifted has been a challenge, with the WHO has recently warned that premature withdrawal of these measures could lead to an increase in infections and cause an even bigger problem in the long term.
The truth is that no country can bear to be paralyzed for so long, which is why the authors of this work suggest that, when it comes to uncertainty, these five criteria are taken into account: knowledge of the state of contagion, community involvement, capacity health system, health system capacity, and border control measures.
1. Knowledge of the infection status
Almost “intuitive”, they say, but no country should reopen until it has a robust surveillance system for new cases of infection. Unfortunately, they write in The Lancet, this has not happened in many countries.
And they give an example. While Hong Kong was able to implement a system that estimates R (infection rate) in real time, Spain and the United Kingdom had great difficulty in implementing a system to monitor this value.
2. Community participation
In order for societies to reopen safely, the authors of this study advise that Communities must be fully involved and have the means to protect themselves from the virus and the effects of the crisis caused by it. Therefore, the authorities must ensure that the population fully understands the reality of the situation. Advice must be consistent and crediblethey add.
At this point, the study authors give examples of misleading messages that don’t help. First in relation to social distance. Sometimes we talk about 2 meters, then at least one meter. The message about wearing masks is not the best either, as it sometimes creates confusion among the population.
With a few rare exceptions, they write, around the world, a lot has been demanded of political leaders to maintain public confidence in the changes that are taking place. Interestingly, they add, women-led countries have done a better job of guaranteeing public confidence in the measures they apply.
Another central point in this community participation is the protection of the most vulnerable populations. Financial support is essential, as is maintaining jobs and alleviating personal or family financial burdens.
3. Public health capacity
As already mentioned, one of the bases for a successful exit from confinement is through the monitoring system. Find cases, test and isolate infected people. And then to be able to find direct contacts to be isolated.
In fact they say the rapidity of the pandemic shows that countries were very poorly prepared for this reality.
4. Capacity of the National Health System
A muscular SNS is essential to respond to a possible increase in infections. It implies having enough hospitals, but also medical teams and health professionals. Without this, the mismatch can fail.
5. Border control
With the opening of borders, the number of people crossing countries increases. The study cautions that travel is controlled to reduce the risk of infection.
In final notes, this work now published in The Lancet concluded that the In general, Asian countries were better prepared for this pandemic because, due to SARS in 2003 and MERS in 2016, they invested in building stronger national health systems and public health systems.
It also became easier for Asians to comply with wearing a mask because they were already used to this reality.
