One of the most comprehensive advices/ recomm for Pak by @FaheemYounus Chief of Infectious Diseases at US uni. Summarizing his policy suggestions in Twitter thread as under:- https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/amp/642330-a-fragile-system

Acknowledge the magnitude of people fears (what if I test positive & what of my family then etc) and make people feel safe by showing them to have trust in govt and preparing for it. 1/10

Educate people clearly and repeatedly about outcomes of being tested positive; debunk SM myths & let experts and officials drive the narratives (health, relief etc) 2/10

Encourage public to regularly use surgical mask to prevent the spread of infectious droplets. If you cannot afford it make one make one from a double-layer of any spare cotton cloth in their homes. 3/10

Adopt the policy of strategic rather than blanket lockdown: let essential govt & pvt sectors continue to run while stopping other gatherings weddings, classes, religious services etc for min 3-4 weeks then reassses. 4/ 10

Protect the frontline of healthcare workers through ensuring adequate supply of N95 masks and PPE; to mitigate shortage inspire garments industry to make gowns & marks instead. 5/ 10

Massively increase the testing capability (min 10K/ day for next few weeks; test everyone with primary symptoms then trace & test family members of patient, repeat process with friends and keep digging as per contact tracing principles. 6/ 10

Instead of draining ltd hospital resources, motivate patients to quarantine at home where they should stay in private room and use separate washrooms for 10-14 days; in case of small homes divide room by hanging a thick cotton curtain and patients must walk around in masks. 7/ 10

Nebulizer treatment may spread thousands of particle in air and as 10% of Pak population suffer from asthma; all nebulizer users must use separate rooms for their treatment and clean room aftewards. 8/ 10

Balance needs of non-COVID patients who need ventilator with better survival chances agst COVID patients ( much less than 50% survival) . Have hard policy discussions on buying of ventilators vs masks, PPE etc. Prioritize these scarce resources keeping in view Pak infra 9/10

Use technology & think innovatively: use of video/ voice call to examine a coughing patient, apps to track non-compliant corona patients, detection of COVID19 hotspots through CCTV footage and challenge tech industry & academia to find cheap and creative solutions 10/ 10

Lastly, No recommendation will succeed until nation becomes unified as virus is; by uniting against pandemic and setting aside over differences while trusting govt and experts is most powerful vaccine available now.

End of Thread.

#COVID19Pakistan #COVID2019