Table 1: Epidemic control measures for COVID-19 [1-3].
Objective | Epidemic control measures |
Containing patients | • Viral Testing to identify COVID-19 cases among symptomatic suspected patients • Isolation to sequester infected patients until their clinical samples become test negative |
Containing silent spreaders | • Contact Tracing to identify people who have (suspected) contact with an infected person • Quarantine to confine the contacts and people arriving from the epicenters • Testing and Isolation to identify COVID-19 cases among the quarantined people |
Protecting uninfected people | Personal level (to prevent exposure to the virus) • Hand Hygiene (hand washing with soap and water or alcohol hand rub) • Other hygienic practices (see Table 2) Community/country level (to prevent human contacts and movements) • Social Distancing (avoiding public places and proximity with others) • Closure (schools, shops, workplaces) • Mass Gathering Ban (sport, religious, and entertainment events) • Lockdown (community containment at the epicenters) • Travel Restriction/Ban (to and from the epicenters) • Border Closure (countries or jurisdictions) |