In a scenario of at least 2 million people infected by coronavirus and 123,000 deaths worldwide , according to the director of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on his Twitter account, some countries are considering easing the restrictions social and economic measures put in place to stop the spread of the pandemic.
For the head of the WHO, “this is something we all want, but it must be done with great care. If done too quickly, we risk a resurgence that could be even worse than our current situation . ” For Ghebreyesus, the most important thing is to protect human health and guide us by what we already know about the coronavirus. Regarding the new coronavirus, the doctor points out that the WHO continues to learn day after day about it and adjusts its strategy to the evidence that is available at all times.
Six conditions to lighten confinement
Dr. Ghebreyesus talks about six conditions that a country should meet when starting to lift restrictions. They are as follows:
1. The transmission of COVID-19 must be controlled .
2. The country’s health system must be able to detect, test, isolate and treat each case, as well as trace each contact .
3. It must be possible to minimize risks in special settings (eg nursing homes).
4. Preventive measures in basic places where people go, such as workplaces and schools, must be ensured.
5. The risk of importing new cases must be under control.
6. Society must be fully educated and aware to adjust to the “new norm”.
Ghebreyesus has taken the opportunity to reiterate that all sectors affected by COVID-19, including food markets, need to ensure that they comply with high regulatory systems and high standards of cleanliness, hygiene and safety at the time they are to resume their activity.
On the other hand, an article recently published in Science and carried out mostly by Harvard University researchers estimates that social distancing measures, not confinement, could be extended to 2022 to effectively stop the spread of the new coronavirus saturation of health centers. “To mitigate the possibility of a resurgence of infection, prolonged or intermittent periods of social distancing may be required. After the initial pandemic wave, SARS-CoV-2 could follow its closest genetic relative, SARS-CoV-1, and be eradicated by intensive public health measures after causing a short but intense epidemic. But more and more, the public health authorities consider that this scenario is unlikely ”, can be read in the article.
