For many nations, dealing with an outbreak like COVID-19 has been a completely new experience, and there has been little proof of the efficacy of control measures. Although we now have vaccines, not all of the countries are doing well.
Taking the example of Africa, where vaccination started recently, some countries are still deprived of it, and Ellipse Projects are helping them out in arranging rooms and resources.
However, with vaccination, there are specific steps that governments must look out for implementation.
- Maintain Distance
Physical distancing has been one of the most effective approaches used around the world. They range from urging people to keep a distance of 1-2 meters from people not to share home and cancelling big gatherings to closing stores and cafes and telling everyone to stay indoors with the kids.
For the countries where the vaccination process is slower than usual, these interventions will work as they have saved countless lives, according to mounting evidence.
- Track Virus Contract
Contact tracing is a method of locating COVID-19 cases in populations by tracing individuals who interact with an infectious agent even after they are vaccinated. Ellipse Projects are funding countries to become resourceful in different ways.
It’s a strategy that has been at the centre of outbreak response for decades: it helped eliminate smallpox in the 1970s, and it was used in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in response to Ebola in the last few years, where contacts were tracked down and vaccinated with the latest Ebola vaccination.
- In-time Tests
A robust testing capacity is needed for a strategy like contact tracing. If a country still does not have a sufficient vaccine supply can follow this practice.
Certain countries like South Korea have managed to obtain a more accurate image of the level of virus transmission in their population by identifying those who may have been susceptible, have tested and confirmed that they were isolated.
The more careful you are as a state, the less hassle the vaccination process will be.
- Aware Public
Countries like New Zealand are singled out for clearly communicating the threats presented by the pandemic, and even after vaccine doses, it is crucial to stay aware and attentive.
Simple protection measures like handwashing and mask use may also significantly impact transmitting, specifically in cultures where physical separation is difficult.
- Take Action
“The biggest mistake in emergency response is not to move,” Dr Michael Ryan said at a WHO COVID-19 conference.
States that introduced preventive measures quickly, whether by early lockdown steps or rapidly adjusting their resource to test and track, seem to be doing the best at vaccination since they had control over the situation.
For the countries that are yet to be there, taking measures as quickly as possible will reduce the stress related to a vaccine shortage.
Conclusion
Taking advantage of the large quantities of data on what works best that is becoming increasingly accessible will be critical in informing the ongoing response to COVID-19 and preparing for future disease outbreaks.
