WHO Sets 6 Conditions For Ending A Coronavirus Lockdown

For the billions of people now living under some form of stay-at-home or lockdown orders, experts from the World Health Organization have new guidance: We should be ready to "change our behaviors for the foreseeable future," they say, as the agency updates its advice on when to lift COVID-19 lockdown orders.

The question of when to ease shutdowns is a hot topic, as economic output is stalled in many countries — including the U.S., now the epicenter of the global pandemic.

"One of the main things we've learned in the past months about COVID-19 is that the faster all cases are found, tested, isolated & care for, the harder we make it for the virus to spread," said WHO Direct0r-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus via Twitter as the guideline was released. "This principle will save lives & mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic."

The coronavirus has killed tens of thousands of people. It has also reshaped society and disrupted daily life for people around the world – including 1.4 billion children whose educations are now derailed by shutdowns, WHO says. The pandemic has triggered massive losses for big companies and small businesses, and forced millions of people out of work.

While full national lockdowns remain uncommon, at least 82 countries have some form of lockdown in place, according to UNICEF.

The global economy is now predicted to shrink by 3% this year, the International Monetary Fund says in its most recent analysis. That includes a contraction of nearly 6% for the U.S. economy.
Despite all the personal and economic pain the coronavirus has caused, WHO officials say that in many places, it's too soon to get back to normal. And because any premature attempts to restart economies could trigger secondary peaks in COVID-19 cases, they warn that the process must be deliberate and widely coordinated.

"You can't replace lockdown with nothing," Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of WHO's emergencies program, said at a recent briefing. Stressing the importance of a well-informed and committed population, he added, "We are going to have to change our behaviors for the foreseeable future."

Any government that wants to start lifting restrictions, said Tedros of WHO, must first meet six conditions:

1. Disease transmission is under control

2. Health systems are able to "detect, test, isolate and treat every case and trace every contact"

3. Hot spot risks are minimized in vulnerable places, such as nursing homes

4. Schools, workplaces and other essential places have established preventive measures

5. The risk of importing new cases "can be managed"

6. Communities are fully educated, engaged and empowered to live under a new normal

The worldwide number of COVID-19 cases is quickly approaching the 2 million mark, including more than 120,000 people who have died, according to a COVID-19 dashboard created by Johns Hopkins University's Whiting School of Engineering.

The number of new cases continues to rise sharply in the U.S., where disagreements over the potential restarting of economies recently prompted at least 10 states to band together in regional coalitions. The governors of those states say they — not President Trump or the federal government — will determine when to resume normal activities, based on health statistics and science.

Even in instances where governments can lift some lockdown conditions, Ryan said, "Health workers are going to have to continue to have protective equipment and we're going to have to continue to have intensive care beds on standby, because as we come out of these lockdown situations, we may see a jump back up in cases."

The goal is to taper restrictions so governments – in communities, cities and nations — can avoid a cycle of new COVID-19 outbreaks.

"We don't want to lurch from lockdown to nothing to lockdown to nothing," Ryan said. "We need to have a much more stable exit strategy that allows us to move carefully and persistently away from lockdown."

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Asymptomatic Carriers May Still Transmit Coronavirus, Says New Research

The advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, and other reputable agencies on how to protect yourself from coronavirus is simple: wash your hands frequently, don't share personal items, and try to keep your distance from those who are showing symptoms. But now, new research and anecdotal evidence shows that even those without symptoms may be able to transmit the coronavirus.

While it's still unclear exactly how much of the current coronavirus outbreak has been fueled by asymptomatic, mildly symptomatic, or pre-symptomatic people, the risk is there, Nate Favini, MD, medical lead of Forward, tells Health. That's because people who are asymptomatic can still spread the virus and have high levels of the virus in their respiratory secretions, he says—something that is apparent from the rapid spread of the coronavirus. "Given the rapidity of the spread of COVID-19, it seems plausible that people who are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic could be playing a role in spreading the virus," he says.

Deborah Birx, MD, an American family physician who's currently serving as the response coordinator for the White House Coronavirus Task Force, has also voiced concern about potential asymptomatic carriers of the coronavirus. During a White House press conference Saturday, Dr. Birx mentioned that experts are still trying to understand people—mainly those under the age of 20—who don't have "significant symptoms": "Until you really understand how many are asymptomatic and asymptomatically passing the virus on, we think it's better for the entire American public to know that the risk of serious illness may be low, but they could be potentially spreading the virus to others," she said.

One instance of this possible asymptomatic spreading took place in Massachusetts during a recent Biogen conference at the Boston Marriott Long Wharf. According to CNN, the conference took place in February, and after the meeting was over, three employees tested positive for coronavirus—but a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, via CNN, noted that those three employees didn't show symptoms during the meeting. As of Monday, 108 cases of Massachusetts' total 164 coronavirus cases have been linked back to the Biogen conference.

New research from various outlets also points to asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic carriers, which may count for a significant amount of transmission. One research letter, set to be published in the CDC journal Emerging Infectious Disease, found that that time between cases in a chain of transmission is less than a week, with more than 10% of patients being infected by somebody who has the virus but does not yet have symptoms. "The data suggest that this coronavirus may spread like the flu," Lauren Ancel Meyers, a professor of integrative biology at UT Austin, who was part of a team of scientists from the United States, France, China and Hong Kong, explained in a press release. "That means we need to move quickly and aggressively to curb the emerging threat."

Two more studies—neither peer-reviewed, but posted on MedRxiv, a pre-print server founded by Yale University, the medical journal BMJ and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York—found that pre-symptomatic people were responsible for an overwhelming amount of overall spread.

One of the studies, shared by Dutch and Belgian researchers, analyzed two coronavirus clusters in Singapore and Tianjin, China, and found that between 48% and 66% of the 91 people in the Singapore region contracted the infection from someone who was pre-symptomatic, while between 62% and 77% of the 135 people caught coronavirus from someone who had yet to show symptoms in the Tianjin cluster. The other study, shared by Canadian, Dutch, and Singaporean researchers and also looked at the Singapore and Tianjin clusters, found that the coronavirus was transmitted, on average, 2.55 days before symptom onset in Singapore and 2.89 days before symptoms onset in Tianjin.


And in February, researchers in China published a research letter in the Journal of the American Medical Association, outlining a case of an asymptomatic woman in Wuhan, China who reportedly spread the virus to five family members while traveling to Anyang, China—all of whom developed COVID-19 pneumonia. "The sequence of events suggests that the coronavirus may have been transmitted by the asymptomatic carrier," wrote the study authors.

Despite the most recent information and research, US agencies, including the CDC, maintain that the coronavirus is mainly spread by symptomatic people—but according to William Haseltine, PhD, president of the global health think tank ACCESS Health International, it's this way of thinking that may render the current mode of testing for the coronavirus in the US as "dramatically ineffective."

Instead, Haseltine recommends a testing system known as "contact tracing," which, he says, has already been implemented in Singapore and South Korea. The method involves testing everyone with symptoms first; then, after identifying those with the virus, attempting to find and test every person the infected individual has come into contact with over a period of two weeks. Essentially, says Haseltine, it's not necessarily about how many tests an area has, but how they're used. "You want to catch people early, before they get sick" he says.

The information in this story is accurate as of press time. However, as the situation surrounding COVID-19 continues to evolve, it's possible that some data have changed since publication. While Health is trying to keep our stories as up-to-date as possible, we also encourage readers to stay informed on news and recommendations for their own communities by using the CDC, WHO, and their local public health department as resources.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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Coronavirus Preventions: 6 Practical Tips to Follow Without Shutting off Yourself from the World

With the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring COVID-19 a pandemic, there is panic all around. The last few days have seen over 1,18,000 cases of the coronavirus illness in over 110 countries and territories around the globe, which will further spread more.

With nothing much known about the coronavirus when it comes to getting cured of it, there is a wave of fear around. The announcement somewhere adds on to the ongoing horror. However, to put the meaning of word pandemic simply it means, "Widespread of a new disease".

“This is not just a public health crisis; it is a crisis that will touch every sector. So every sector and every individual must be involved in the fights," said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, at a media briefing.

The global outbreak has already informed us about which marks will work and which won't. How to cough (use your inner elbow), wash your hands and keep them sanitized. But it's time to implement some practical changes to avoid coronavirus altogether and not isolate ourselves or panic.

When we talk about safety it just doesn't involve you but also people around you.

Give A Break To Your Fingertips

 Need to press a button or open the door? Let go of your fingertips and start using other parts of your body to do the same. Use your knee, feet, elbow, and knuckles. You might find it odd initially but eventually, you will get used to it.
For example, open the doors using your hip or elbow instead of your hands or cover your hands with the sleeves of whatever you are wearing to turn the knob. It is always easier to throw the clothes for a quick wash instead of touching everything with your skin. Follow this religious especially when travelling to cafes/restaurants or crowded eateries.

It's Okay To Not Hug Or Shakehands

While these are social gestures. We can surely give it a pass until things come under control. Sometimes you need to understanding that the step of social distancing is being taken place from the sole perspective to protect health.

Your Phone Is Everything

Our lives revolve around our phones. We begin and end our day with the same. First and foremost how about you avoid taking your phone to the washroom? Make sure you are wiping your phone with disinfectants.
Avoid keeping your phone anywhere; make sure the surface is clean. The best place to keep your phone is your jeans or coat pocket than any filthy place.

Say No To The Buffet, Food Counters And Roadside Eateries

We Indians are obsessed with food. At times food takes priority over health. But this is just not the right time for it. It's a common practice where people often take food with their bare hands from the spread. How safe is that?
When eating a roadside sandwich or other savouries, the vendor often mixes things using his bare hand. This should be the reason enough for you to take a break. However, many restaurants are taking measures and have kept sanitisers at every table requesting customers to use it before eating.

Wash Your Hands and Carry The Essentials

 

Make sure the first thing you do is washing your hands as soon as you enter your home. When you know you are going to spend certain time at someplace making sure you wash your hands as you enter and leave.
If you are someone who uses contact lenses, this is a must practice for you as you often touch your eyes. Carry sanitizer, wet wipes, and facial tissues as many as you can. Before opening the door or touching your phone, use the tissue for cleaning purposes.

Go Cashless

Money is an essential part of our day to day life. However, one piece of the currency goes through thousands of hands. Try giving up on cash and use cards and digital modes of payment as much as possible.

Some Suggestions from WHO & Unicef:

 

 

Note: The information given above are just some safety tips to keep yourself fit and healthy. However, if you feel your symptoms are something similar to that of COVID-19, please consult a physician on an urgent basis.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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Accelerate efforts to eliminate cervical cancer

World Health Organization urged countries in its South-East Asia Region to accelerate efforts to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030.

“Countries need to expand vaccination, screening, detection and treatment services for everyone, everywhere to address the growing problem of cervical cancer,” said the Regional Director WHO South-East Asia.

Cervical cancer is a significant public health problem in the Region. In 2018, an estimated 158 000 new cases and 95 766 deaths were reported due to cervical cancer, which is the third most common type of cancer.

Addressing cancer risk factors and reducing its prevalence has been a regional flagship priority since 2014. All countries in the Region are taking measures for screening and treatment of pre-cancers. Four countries in the Region - Bhutan, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand - have introduced HPV vaccine nationally.

“We need to scale up both our capacities and quality for screening, treatment services and palliative care,” the Regional Director said.

Vaccination against human papillomavirus, screening and treatment of pre-cancer, early detection, and prompt treatment of early invasive cancers and palliative care are proven effective strategies to address cervical cancer.

Member countries are working towards interim global targets - of achieving 90% girls fully vaccinated with the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine by 15 years of age; 70% women screened with a high-precision test at 35 and 45 years of age, and 90% women identified with the cervical disease receive treatment and care by 2030.

The Regional Director said there is need to strengthen national cervical cancer control plans, including appropriate strategies and guidelines for immunization, screening, treatment and care, including palliative care.

“It is necessary to include these services in the essential services packages towards universal health coverage to meet the targets,” the  Dr.  said.

WHO is prioritizing cervical cancer elimination as worldwide cervical cancer remains one of the gravest threats to women’s lives.

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Reduce the risk of dementia with new WHO guidelines

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued its inaugural guidelines for reducing the risk of dementia. According to the estimates of WHO, dementia cases are expected to triple in the next 30 years. Dementia is an umbrella term for various symptoms that leads to a decline in your thinking capability, memory, behaviour, affecting your daily routine. The world body cites that Alzheimer’s accounts for around 60-70 per cent of all the cases of dementia across the globe. Initially, you will lose the track of time and forget things, but as the condition reaches into the next phase, you might experience difficulty to communicate, forgetting recent events and names of people. In the last stage, you will not be able to recognise your family members, confusion regarding time and place and even experience difficulty in walking. There is no cure for this condition, however, with the new guidelines of WHO, you can reduce your risk developing dementia.

Keeping your weight in check: Being overweight can make you susceptible to a number of health complications and dementia is one among them. The world health body suggests that managing your weight can significantly help you lower your risk of developing dementia.

Manage your blood sugar and blood pressure: The last guideline highlights that you should maintain your blood pressure and blood sugar levels in order to reduce your risk of developing dementia.

Eat mindfully: To keep your brain sharp, you need to maintain healthy eating habits. WHO specifically highlighted Mediterranean diet that can help you reduce your risk of dementia.

Limit your alcohol intake: Excessive alcohol can have detrimental effects on your body and in some cases on your brain. This damage can lead to a condition known as alcohol-related dementia.

Not smoking: The toxins inside a cigarette can increase oxidative stress and inflammation that can up your risk of dementia. WHO recommends that quitting smoking might reduce your possibility of developing this condition.

Regular exercising:Regular exercise can give you various health benefits, but according to WHO, it can also curb your chances of cognitive decline.

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