Disconnect in COVID policy and curve, says PAHO head
WASHINGTON, DC (PAHO)— With the number of COVID-19 cases more than doubling in the region of the Americas in the past few weeks, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) says said there seems to be a disconnect between policies being implemented and what the epidemiological curves tell us in “far too many places”.
Noting that the number of new COVID-19 infections reported in the Americas rose from 5.3 million on July 1 to more than 12 million today, with the number of deaths doubling in the past six weeks, PAHO director of the Dr Carissa F Etienne said during a press conference today that contact tracing and data management strategies need to be strengthened, particularly as countries are relaxing restrictions, resuming commerce and some gearing up to head back to school.
“We can’t stop all transmission, but if countries stay vigilant and expand testing and surveillance, they can better identify spikes in cases and act quickly to contain them before they spread out of control,” Dr Etienne said.
She argued that primary health care should be at the centre of the response: identifying cases, acting to contain transmission and providing timely care in the community.
“Local health authorities have a central role to play in generating and analysing data to adjust public health measures to the reality in each area…In far too many places, there seems to be a disconnect between the policies being implemented and what the epidemiological curves tell us. This is not a good sign. Wishing the virus away will not work, it will only lead to more cases, as we’ve seen over these past six weeks,” Etienne said.
“We have good tools today: data that show where the hot spots are, contact tracing protocols to slow onward transmission and public health measures that can reduce the risk of exposure. We’ll have even better tools in the future: improved tests, more effective treatments and even vaccines. National and local governments need to be strategic about how they use these tools – old and new – to achieve the desired impact,” she added.
In addition to governments using data and policy to slow the spread of the virus, Etienne also warned individuals of their shared responsibility in defeating COVID-19. Of particular note was young people, as, according to PAHO data, “the majority of cases are reported in people between 20 and 59 years of age”, even while the majority of deaths reported are in people over 60.
“This indicates that younger people are primarily driving the spread of the disease in our region. Many young people who contract the virus may not become ill or require an ICU bed, but they can spread it to others who will.
“If you don’t take the right steps to keep yourself safe, you’re putting others in danger,” the PAHO head warned.