COVID-19 ‘will come back in waves’, PAHO chief warns

The deadly coronavirus disease is likely to surge over the Americas in a recurring series of waves, the head of the Pan American Health Organization, Dr Carissa F. Etienne, has warned.

In her latest press briefing, she told journalists: “In the absence of effective treatments or a widely available vaccine, we expect that over the next two years the region of the Americas will experience recurring COVID-19 outbreaks, which may be interspersed with periods of limited transmission.”

“In the face of a fast-changing pandemic, leadership will make or break our response.

“Now is the time for leaders to reach across political divisions and geographic borders to rally the support for a response commensurate to this unprecedented crisis.”

Cases of COVID-19 in the Americas have topped 4.5 million, with 226,000 deaths as of June 23. Since last month, cases have tripled in Latin America and the Caribbean from almost 690,000 since May 23, to more than two million today.

Breaking down the state of the virus’ spread across the hemisphere, Dr Etienne said: “There is now widespread transmission in most of Central America.

“In South America this weekend, Brazil surpassed one million COVID-19 cases, joining the United States as the only other country in the world with cases in the six digits.

“The Caribbean is faring better but with hot-spots on the border of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, as well as within the Guyanese shield.

“We must be realistic about the future: all of us must adjust to a new way of life and redefine our sense of normal.”

As the health agency’s highest decision-making body, the Executive Committee, met this week, member states discussed a resolution that “seeks to balance the triple threat this pandemic represents to the health of our people, our social welfare and to our national economies”.

The PAHO director said countries must adjust and coordinate their COVID-19 response based on increasingly detailed data. “Governments will have to make decisions, considering simultaneously health, economic, and social indicators,” she told journalists. “This will allow health officials to understand where transmission is accelerating, and which groups are at greater risk so as to better target their efforts.”

Declaring that flexible responses are key, she said: “Public health measures, as well as social protection efforts, will need to be reviewed regularly to minimize the impact of the virus in our societies.

“The provision of social, financial, and fiscal protection, especially in communities heavily dependent on informal economies is critical.

“We will not overcome this crisis without addressing the needs of the most vulnerable: those most likely to fall sick and the least likely to receive care, such as indigenous peoples, Afro-descendants, the urban poor and migrant populations. If we neglect them, we run the risk of the next two years looking like the past few months.”

Dr Etienne suggested authorities “prioritize early detection of suspect cases, laboratory testing, contact tracing and quarantine as the foundation of a targeted and sustainable strategy to control COVID-19,” noting that more investments in human resources, supplies, improved surveillance, and development and adoption of new tools will be needed.

She declared: “We must also continue to strengthen our health systems, which are our strongest defense against COVID-19 – today and in the future.

“PAHO’s recommendation of public health expenditure benchmark of at least six per cent of GDP is relevant now, more than ever. And from all public health investments, at least 30 per cent should be allocated to the first level of care.

“If we allocate resources to primary health clinics, hospitals and laboratories, grow our health workforce, invest in essential public health and expand our stockpiles and supplies, we can stay ahead of the pandemic and save lives.”

Calling for concerted regional cooperation against COVID-19, Dr Etienne said: “Though we rejoice when one country successfully flattens its COVID-19 epidemic curve, the risk of reemergence will always remain unless we flatten the curve regionally and globally.” sandydeane@barbadostoday.bb