PAHO Director says timing and local planning are critical to relax restrictions for COVID-19

Washington, DC, 30 di juni 2020. E directora di e Organizacion Panamericano di Salud, Dr. Carissa F. Etienne, a bisa cu e paisnan cu planea relaja e medidanan di e salud publico mester adopta un enfoke gradual basa na e condicionnan local y mester ta prepara pa impone medidanan preventivo nuevamente si e situacion epidemiologico cambia.

“E clave ta pensa tanto na nivel nacional como local y basa e decisionnan na e ultimo datonan. Mas granula nos comprension ta di unda e virus ta ataca, mas specifico nos respuesta mester ta”, e directora a bisa awe den un conferencia di prensa.

“Manera nos ta mirando, e paisnan, estadonan y ciudadnan cu no ta adopta medidanan preventivo of ta relaja e restriccionnan demasiado pronto lo por  haya nan mes hundi cu casonan nobo” asina Etienne a bisa. “E tempo ta critico. Na nivel nacional of local, nos mester habri gradualmente, adoptando un enfoke gradual cu ta basa de un vigilancia robusto, datonan y pruebanan amplio y capacidad di rastreo di contactonan “. Si e situacion cambia y e infeccionnan aumenta, e localidadnan y e paisnan mester ajusta e rumbo rapidamente, ela agrega.

Notando cu mas di 5.1 miyon di caso y mas di 247,000 morto debi na COVID-19 a ser reporta den e Americanan te cu 29 de juni, ela bisa: “Pa compronde realmente e impacto di e virus y planifica di un manera mas efectivo locual bini despues, ta importante mira  mas leu cu e datonan regional y nacional y concentra na e nivel local “.
“Frecuentemente nos ta scucha e number di casonan na paisnan grandi manera Brasil, Mexico of Estados Unidos sin e apreciacion di su considerable diversidad social y geografico. De facto, ta co-existi multiple curvanan epidemiologico tanto den nos region como den cada pais, y e respuestanan di salud publico mester adapta nan mes na e situacionnan especifico aki ”, Etienne a bisa.
E directora di PAHO a bisa cu e reapertura ta rekeri medidanan di salud publico pa rastrea casonan nobo y desarroya e capacidad suficiente pa detecta y controlar brotenan nobo. “E transmision den su area mester ta disminuyendo di manera sostenible, e cantidad di mortonan mester ta disminuyendo y e cantidad di ocupacion di camanan di hospital mester ser baja prome cu relaja e restriccionnan”,  Etienne a agrega.

Ela enumera e medidanan di salud publico cu e gobiernonan local y nacional mester tuma, incluyendo e testnan oportuno, e aislamiento di e casonan pa reduci e transmision, e rastreo di contactonan pa haya e personanan infecta y aislanan, e acceso na e equipo di proteccion personal y e capacitacion di e trahadornan di salud y, si ta necesario, e medidanan pa ora di viaja pa limita infeccionnan nobo como screening, e deteccion di casonan, e cuarentenanan y otro medidanan.

“Nos mester testnan, pero tambe nos mester di e resultadonan di e pruebanan ser informa rapidamente pa por tin un bista preciso”, Etienne a bisa. “Cualkier persona cu sintoma mester tin e orientacion y apoyo necesario pa reduci e posibilidad di transmiti na otronan”, ela agrega.

E seguimiento di contactonan, ora cu e ta ancla na un sistema solido di atencion primario di salud, “por yuda na reduci e riesgo di transmision entre e comunidadnan vulnerabel”, Etienne a bisa, y e sistema di mester di suficiente camanan di hospital y unidadnan di cuido intensivo pa atende e casonan grave.

PAHO ta trahando den estrecho colaboración cu e paisnan y, “den hopi casonan, e gobiernonan local pa analiza e tendencianan aki pa yuda na guianan pa tuma desicionnan”, ela bisa. “PAHO a apoya e paisnan den tur aspecto di e respuesta, brindando orientacion, capacitacion y suministro. Den e ultimo dos lunanan, nos a haci donacion di casi 5 miyones di testnan di PCR na e region y nos a adkiri mas di 10 miyones di test den nomber di nos paisnan. Nos a realiza 54 cargaento di EPP na 26 paisnan ”.

PAHO Director says timing and local planning are critical to relax restrictions for COVID-19

Washington, D.C., June 30, 2020 (PAHO)— The Director of the Pan American Health Organization, Dr. Carissa F. Etienne, said countries planning to relax public health measures must take a phased approach based on local conditions and be prepared to impose preventive measures again if the epidemiological situation changes.
 
“The key is to think both nationally and locally and base decisions on the latest data. The more granular our understanding of where the virus strikes, the more targeted our response will be,” she told a media briefing today. 
 
“As we are seeing, countries, states and cities that do not embrace preventive measures or relax restrictions too soon can be flooded with new cases,” Etienne said. “Timing is critical. At national or at local level, we must open gradually, taking a phased approach that relies on robust surveillance, data, and expanded testing and contact tracing capacity.”  If the situation changes and infections rise, localities and countries must adjust course quickly, she added.
 
Noting that 5.1 million cases and more than 247,000 deaths due to COVID-19 have been reported in the Americas through June 29, she said, “To truly understand the impact of the virus, and to plan more effectively for what comes next, it’s important to look beyond regional and national data and focus on the local level.” 
 
“We often hear about the number of cases in large countries like Brazil, Mexico or the United States without the appreciation of their considerable societal and geographic diversity. In fact, multiple epidemiological curves coexist both within our region and within each country, and public health responses must be tailored to these specific situations,” Etienne said.
 
The PAHO director said reopening requires public health measures to track new cases and build sufficient capacity to detect and control new outbreaks. “Transmission in your area should be going down in a sustainable way, deaths should be decreasing, and hospital bed occupancy rates should be low before restrictions are relaxed,” Etienne added.
 
She listed public health measures local and national governments should take including  timely tests, isolation of cases to reduce transmission, contact tracing to find infected persons and isolate them, access to Personal Protective Equipment and training for health workers, and if necessary, travel measures to limit new infections such as screening, case finding, quarantines and other measures.
 
“We need tests, but we also need test results to be reported quickly to paint an accurate picture,” Etienne said. “Anyone with symptoms should have the guidance and support needed to reduce the chance of transmitting to others,” she added.
 
Contact tracing, when anchored to a strong primary health care system, “can help reduce the risk of transmission among vulnerable communities,” Etienne said, and the health system needs enough hospital beds and intensive care units to provide care for severe cases. 
 
PAHO is working closely with countries and, “in many cases, local governments to analyze these trends to help guide their decision making, she said. “PAHO has supported countries in every aspect of the response, providing guidance, training, and supplies. Over the past two months we have donated almost 5 million PCR tests to the region and procured more than 10 million tests on behalf of our countries. We made 54 shipments of PPEs to 26 countries.”