Current affairs perspective
During the 2019 coronary virus disease epidemic, no health system of any country has the ability to respond to tens of thousands of patients in a few weeks.In addition, about one -seventh -in -diagnosis patients need to be hospitalized, and about one -20 people need to maintain their lives, which will cause the medical system to operate and fail to operate and fail.
If even developed countries with an efficient sanitary system are helpless about coronary virus, what else can there be in countries with weak medical systems?After all, those in poor countries usually lack technology, proficiency in medical care and resources to identify virus infections and cannot isolate them in appropriate facilities to reduce the subsequent transmission of the virus; nor can they be treated with sufficient treatment to minimize the incidence and death as much as possible.Rate.
In terms of standard epidemiological response measures, these countries, such as tracking patients, procurement, and determining the stable supply of personal protection equipment, have insufficient capabilities.It is true that more autocratic regimes (some of the poor countries are undoubtedly like this) may be able to enforce more stringent social distances, but they may not be able to reduce the negative consequences of these measures, especially groups of social economy in unfavorable positions.
Therefore, what can these weak sanitary systems do when they are popular when they are popular in the epidemic in the crown disease?
The blockbuster border can minimize the risk of cases input and allow the health systems of these countries to prepare more time to prepare for the medical work team.However, for those countries that often rely on external assistance to obtain basic materials and services including medical supplies, a complete closing the border may cause a humanitarian crisis.
In addition, the coronary virus has strong dissemination ability in the early stage of the symptoms that have not been severe.However, in many poor countries, people will only go to a doctor only after they are sick for a long time or the illness is serious.During this period, most people will continue to work to maintain family income.To prevent this, government and community leaders must improve the health knowledge of residents and establish a financial guarantee network to prevent the general poverty of the disease, but it is more difficult to do.
In addition, many low -income countries still rely on community health workers to provide basic primary health care, which is especially common in rural areas.However, when the virus is widely spread in the community, especially when they lack the necessary personal protection equipment to protect themselves, these residents may be the most vulnerable to infection and risk.
Many of them are also difficult to distinguish the symptoms of coronary virus and the symptoms of other influenza diseases.Therefore, all front -line medical workers must receive training using personal protection equipment and equipped with corresponding equipment to minimize the risk of infection viruses and understand how to distinguish and isolate patients with suspected suspected coronary virus.
In addition, in many low -income countries, medical workers in primary hospitals that provide the most widely served will require additional guidance to the supervision and management of crustary virus severe patients.This group must be composed of three to five medical workers to conduct detailed coordination and coordination to provide clinical monitoring work around the weather.
To accurately diagnose whether the patient is infected with the coronary virus, special laboratory equipment is required to detect the genetic reversal polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) detection for the throat and nasal swab specimen collected from suspected cases.Poor countries often lack the genetic technologies required for these testing and trained laboratory technicians. They must rely on the assistance of international partners.
It is impossible to accurately diagnose whether the infection of the coronal virus, which also makes the process of tracking contacts chaotic (the tracker's contact person refers to the confirmation of those who have been in contact with confirmed cases recently, and they may also be infected with similar infections).In addition, the establishment of these connections requires professionals for interviews and investigations.In fact, the world is worried that the number of crown diseases reported by many poor countries, because the virus testing and tracking capabilities of these countries may be weak, not that the virus has not yet spread in these countries.
Therefore, when formulating national measures to respond to crown diseases, leaders of low -income countries must understand that whether it is the number of health care and epidemiological professionals, the number of clinical infrastructure, or the supply of medical equipment, they are with other supplies of medical equipment.Gap in developed countries.After determining these gaps, the governments of these countries can seek material support and suggestion guidance to the world's health organizations and resources.In this regard, China has become the world's leading international assistance providers for materials and technical consulting.
The popularity of crown disease is a global crisis, and several generations of people around the world have never experienced.Therefore, decision makers must designate response measures beyond the national level and take coordination and consistent global efforts, especially to ensure that technical experts and resources are shared.
Just as the solidity of the chain depends on its weakest part. If a country cannot curb the crisis crisis, it will increase the risk of other countries in the world.Countries with a strong health system must now help countries with weak assistance; and weaker countries should readily accept any aid to help them cope with this deadly global threat.
The author Zhang Yiying is the dean of the Singapore National University Su Ruifu School of Public Health, the founding director of the Singapore National University Medical Organization Health Services and Policy Research Center, and former director of the National University Infectious Disease Research Center.
English Title: The Covid-19 Weakest Links
Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2020
