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| SHORT COMMUNICATION |
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| Year : 2020 | Volume
: 34
| Issue : 1 | Page : 50-51 |
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Call for global leaders to improve their preparedness and response amidst changing dynamics of the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak
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 | 08-Mar-2020 |
| Date of Decision | 14-Mar-2020 |
| Date of Acceptance | 25-Mar-2020 |
| Date of Web Publication | 16-Nov-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, Chengalpet District, Tamil Nadu - 603 108
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/jms.jms_15_20
The Corona Virus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) outbreak continues to increase in terms of reported cases, attributed deaths and global distribution since the detection of the first case in the Wuhan city of China. The important finding is that China has been successful in minimizing the incidence as well as attributed deaths, but an opposite trend has been observed in rest of the world. As cases have been reported even in those nations which are having a weak healthcare delivery system, we have to ensure that we are ready with a concerted, well-coordinated and a holistic response plan. The need of the hour is to recognize that no one is immune to infection and thus we have to do our part, as an individual, as a community and as a nation as well to protect people from this novel infection. In conclusion, the COVID-19 outbreak is a global public health emergency with a very high risk of transmission. It is extremely essential to improve our level of preparedness and mount a strong and well-coordinated response plan to contain the infection across the globe.
Keywords: COVID-19 outbreak, China, Preparedness, World Health Organization
How to cite this article:
Shrivastava SR, Shrivastava PS. Call for global leaders to improve their preparedness and response amidst changing dynamics of the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak. J Med Soc 2020;34:50-1 |
How to cite this URL:
Shrivastava SR, Shrivastava PS. Call for global leaders to improve their preparedness and response amidst changing dynamics of the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak. J Med Soc [serial online] 2020 [cited 2023 Jun 9];34:50-1. Available from: https://www.jmedsoc.org/text.asp?2020/34/1/50/300544 |
| Introduction | |  |
The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) outbreak continues to increase in terms of reported cases, attributed deaths, and global distribution since the detection of the first case in the Wuhan city of China.[1],[2] The current estimates suggest that a cumulative total of 2878196 cases of the disease have been reported, of which 47.2% cases have been reported in the European region.[1] The important finding is that China has been successful in minimizing the incidence as well as attributed deaths.[1] It is alarming to note that within the period of 24 h, a total of 85530 cases and 4982 deaths has been reported across the 213 nations and territories.[1],[3]
| Changing Trends of Covid-19 | | |
Another important estimate pertaining to the novel infection has been the rising case fatality rate, which has now increased to 6.9%, as a total of 198668 affected individuals have lost their lives in this global outbreak.[3] Likewise, in China, encouraging estimates have also been reported in the Republic of Korea, and it is important to consider that in excess of 100 nations have not reported any case or twenty nations have reported only one case and many more have not reported any case in the last 14 days.[3] These encouraging signs and the fact that most of the reported cases are being reported in only few nations should not be considered as an indicator that we can stay relaxed.[2-4] It is extremely important to accept and acknowledge that the disease remains a threat for each and every nation and the only solution to contain the outbreak is aggressive preparedness on the part of all the involved stakeholders.[5]
| Need for Preparedness and Emergency Response | | |
As cases have been reported even in those nations which are having a weak healthcare delivery system, we have to ensure that we are ready with a concerted, wellcoordinated, and a holistic response plan.[2] It is high time that the policymakers should take the ongoing outbreak seriously and not think that the outbreak cannot be contained. The disease can be very much controlled provided there is a strong political commitment, support from the stakeholders, and strengthening of the health response.[4],[5] We should be aiming to increase our laboratory capacity to diagnose the infection early, establish facilities for isolation and treatment, ensure proper supply chain management to enable the availability of logistics, strengthen contact tracing, and train health professionals regarding the various aspects of the disease and the ways in which disease transmission can be prevented.[2],[5] Moreover, education of the public through timely information and adoption of the right risk communication system will also play an important role in the effective containment of the outbreak.[5]
The need of the hour is to recognize that no one is immune to infection and thus we have to do our part, as an individual, as a community, and as a nation as well to protect people from this novel infection.[3] If China can succeed, the same thing can be replicated in other settings, but for that to happen, we will require a consolidated approach to minimize the risk of acquisition of infection.[3],[4] Even though the disease is serious and at times fatal as well, it is important to accept that the factors which will eventually determine the extent of the disease will not be virus alone, but also the extent to which we are prepared and respond to this infection.[4],[5] In order to ensure that all the efforts and actions go uninterrupted, international welfare agencies have been trying to build liaison with various funding agencies.[3]
| Conclusion | | |
In conclusion, the COVID19 outbreak is a global public health emergency with a very high risk of transmission. It is extremely essential to improve our level of preparedness and mount a strong and wellcoordinated response plan to contain the infection across the globe.
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
| References | | |
| 1. | |
| 2. | Lee A. Wuhan novel coronavirus (COVID-19): Why global control is challenging? Public Health 2020;179:A1-2.  |
| 3. | |
| 4. | Perrella A, Carannante N, Berretta M, Rinaldi M, Maturo N, Rinaldi L. Novel Coronavirus 2019 (Sars-CoV2): A global emergency that needs new approaches? Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2020;24:2162-4. |
| 5. | World Health Organization. 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV): Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan. Geneva: WHO Press; 2020. p. 1-3. |
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