Kathmandu, March 4

With India, Indonesia and Thailand confirming new cases of COVID-19, World Health Organisation today asked countries including Nepal to strengthen preparedness and ensure early containment measures.

“Top priority of countries should be to be ready to roll out speedy response to the first case, first cluster and first evidence of community transmission. Early containment measures can help countries stop transmission,” said Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director, WHO South-East Asia Region in New Delhi.

Five of the 11 countries in the region have confirmed COVID-19 cases with Thailand 43, India 28, Indonesia 2 and Sri Lanka and Nepal, one each.

“Risk of coronavirus outbreak is high across the world and in South- East Asia Region. More cases can be expected. Rapidly identifying cases, isolating them and following their contacts are important initiatives to help limit person to person transmission.

Speed of our response is critical, which is only possible if we are prepared,” the regional director said in a press release circulated by Kathmandu-based WHO office.

Dr Khetrapal Singh said there were three priorities for readiness—protecting health workers, engaging with communities and empowering them with timely and accurate information to enable them take protective measures, specially those at highest risk and doing best to contain epidemics.

The virus can cause mild, flu-like symptoms as well as more severe sickness. Patients have a range of symptoms such as fever, cough and shortness of breath.

Based on current data, globally 81 per cent of cases seem to have mild sickness, about 14 per cent appear to progress to severe sickness and some 5 per cent are critical.

People can protect themselves and prevent spread of the virus by practicing hand hygiene, covering their cough and sneeze, maintaining distance from others if they are sick and from those who are sick, she said.

Infection prevention and control is of great importance in health facilities for COVID-19.

Outlining preparedness and response measures and capacities in South-East Asia region, Dr Khetrapal Singh said WHO was assisting countries in preparedness and response planning in coordination with other partner organisations, as per updated global guidelines.

All member countries have rolled out a series of measures to prevent the disease and protect their nationals.

According to the release, nine of the 11 countries now have capacities to test for COVID-19. WHO is supporting countries with supplies for laboratories.

For countries unable to conduct sample test on their own, WHO is assisting by shipping their samples to global referral laboratories, three of them in the region - two in Thailand and one in India. Nearly 300,000 pieces of personal protective equipment comprising caps, goggles, surgical masks, gloves and gowns have been supplied to member countries and nearly 200,000 more pieces are being procured.

WHO is conducting web trainings for countries in critical areas on preparedness and response such as surveillance, testing in laboratories, clinical management of cases, infection prevention and control, communicating the disease to the community. WHO is constantly analysing data, as more information comes in and is working closely with experts to better understand transmission, risk factors and source of the infection.

On February 28 WHO raised risk assessment for COVID-19 outbreak from ‘high’ to ‘very high’ nearly a month after the novel coronavirus was declared a public health emergency of international concern.