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| SHORT COMMUNICATION |
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| Year : 2020 | Volume
: 8
| Issue : 2 | Page : 80-81 |
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Corona virus disease 2019 pandemic: Strengthening of the health system and mounting an effective public health response
Saurabh RamBihariLal Shrivastava1, Prateek Saurabh Shrivastava2
1 Member of the Medical Education Unit and Institute Research Council, Department of Community Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth – Deemed to be University, Ammapettai, Nellikuppam, Chengalpet District, Tamil Nadu, India
2 Department of Community Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth – Deemed to be University, Ammapettai, Nellikuppam, Chengalpet District, Tamil Nadu, India
| Date of Submission | 09-Jul-2020 |
| Date of Decision | 14-Jul-2020 |
| Date of Acceptance | 21-Jul-2020 |
| Date of Web Publication | 23-Sep-2020 |
Correspondence Address:
Saurabh RamBihariLal Shrivastava
Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (SBV) – Deemed to be University, Tiruporur - Guduvancherry Main Road, Ammapettai, Nellikuppam, Chengalpaet District - 603 108, Tamil Nadu
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/dmr.dmr_36_20
The Corona Virus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) outbreak initiated with a cluster of pneumonia cases in the Wuhan city and subsequently accounted for a significant caseload in China. The COVID-19 pandemic should not deviate us from the efforts required for the public health authorities to effectively contain the spread of the infection. It is worth noticing that the spread and distribution of the disease has not been uniform, with most of the affected nations have not reported very high number of cases. This is an opportunity for the nations to strengthen their outbreak readiness and emergency response to the outbreak of the disease. In conclusion, the heterogeneous distribution of COVID-19 has given opportunities for the public health authorities to mount a coordinated and concerted response. The need of the hour is to strengthen health systems and implement strategies based on the local case scenario and actively engage the whole of community in the entire response.
Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, Health system, World Health Organization
How to cite this article:
Shrivastava SR, Shrivastava PS. Corona virus disease 2019 pandemic: Strengthening of the health system and mounting an effective public health response. Dent Med Res 2020;8:80-1 |
How to cite this URL:
Shrivastava SR, Shrivastava PS. Corona virus disease 2019 pandemic: Strengthening of the health system and mounting an effective public health response. Dent Med Res [serial online] 2020 [cited 2020 Oct 27];8:80-1. Available from: https://www.dmrjournal.org/text.asp?2020/8/2/80/295867 |
| Introduction | |  |
The Corona Virus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) outbreak initiated with a cluster of pneumonia cases in the Wuhan city and subsequently accounted for a significant caseload in China. Further, owing to the potential of the novel virus to get transmitted to other nations at a rapid pace, the disease was declared as Public Health Emergency of International Concern.[1] However, the risk and the spread of the virus did not reduce despite the efforts of the national health authorities, and thus, the global risk of transmission has been categorized as very high.[1],[2] In fact, as on 6 July 2020, a total of 1,166,9259 cases and 539,906 deaths have been reported across the 216 nations and territories which have reported COVID-19 cases.[3]
Ground reality
The COVID-19 pandemic should not deviate us from the efforts required from the public health authorities to effectively contain the spread of the infection. We have to remember that more than two-third of the reported cases in China till date have been treated and they are back to their normal routine.[3] It is worth noticing that the spread and distribution of the disease has not been uniform, with most of the affected nations have not reported very high number of cases. This is an opportunity for the nations to strengthen their outbreak readiness and emergency response to the outbreak of the disease. Moreover, the imposition of lockdown in some of the nations has given a second window of opportunity to the program managers to ameliorate their response and be ready for a large-scale community transmission.[1],[3]
Strengthening of the health system
In other words, different affected nations are experiencing different scenarios and thus we have to understand that and come out with a customized response.[2],[4] However, the real determinant of the fate of the disease in the nation will be defined by the promptness of the response, being prepared to deal with the infection and ensuring that we aim for both mitigation as well as effective containment of the infection.[2],[4] Our ultimate aim is to stop the transmission and prevent the spread of the causative agent, and this will essentially require sustained political commitment and strengthening of the risk communication, early case detection, community engagement, behavioral modifications at population level, contact tracing, infection prevention and control, laboratory support, appropriate treatment of the affected individuals, and maintenance of the supply chain for logistics.[4],[5]
| Conclusion | | |
In conclusion, the heterogeneous distribution of COVID-19 has given opportunities for the public health authorities to mount a coordinated and concerted response. The need of the hour is to strengthen health systems and implement strategies based on the local case scenario and actively engage the whole of community in the entire response.
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
| References | | |
| 1. | Cohen J, Kupferschmidt K. Strategies shift as coronavirus pandemic looms. Science 2020;367:962-3.  |
| 2. | |
| 3. | |
| 4. | Lee A. Wuhan novel coronavirus (COVID-19): Why Global Control is Challenging? Public Health 2020;179:A1-2. |
| 5. | World Health Organization. 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV): Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan. Geneva: World Health Organization Press; 2019. p. 1-20. |
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