LESSONS from COVID-19: Prevention, the key to infection control
"The coordinated actions by the Greek health authorities but also the immediate adoption of basic measures of prevention that control the transmission of the new virus by the vast majority of citizens, show that we already have suitable defense mechanisms at hand. The ultimate goal and opportunity now is for prevention practices to become permanently integrated into our daily lives, even after the COVID-19 pandemic. This way we can stop losing lives every year from the flu and other infections that can otherwise be prevented " says Dr Theoklis Zaoutis, Professor of Pediatrics and Epidemiology and Scientific Director of CLEO.
o far, COVID-19 mortality appears to be relatively low, with those who are most severely affected suffering from existing health conditions. But, while most cases of COVID-19 may be mild, the virus is more threatening – in the epidemiological sense- than would a virus which caused more severe symptoms. Those with an asymptomatic infection may not be aware of having contracted the virus, they may not take additional precautions to minimize their role in transmission, nor seek to receive adequate medical care. Unnoticed the virus may continue spreading widely, so much as to see large increases in prevalence and a domino effect not only each health system but also on the national and global economy.
One of the most important factors in limiting the spread of COVID-19 is the uptake of personal protection and prevention measures by all citizens. Another is the systematic adoption of infection control procedures by healthcare workers, who more than any other group are at greater risk of infection through the close contact with infected cases and environments. Basic precautions, such as good hand hygiene and the safe disposal of clinical waste, and transmission precautions, such as the use of isolated, clearly marked isolation areas and suitable personal protective equipment (e.g. masks, robes, goggles and gloves), are essential.
Infected patients should be moved as little as possible into and within a healthcare unit and when such movement cannot be avoided, patients should be isolated from healthcare staff and other patients through the use of dividers, curtains and appropriate air filtration systems. All healthcare professionals should be trained in infection control precautions and hospitals should be in close contact and cooperation with public health authorities in order to share up-to-date and accurate information about the spread of the virus.
The most important of these precautions – e.g. hand washing, wearing robes and gloves, and disinfecting or disposing of contaminated equipment, are quick, simple and low-cost practices that should become "second nature" not only to those who work in a healthcare environment but also to the wider public.
COVID-19 can teach us an important lesson about the urgent need for increased awareness around infection prevention as well as highlight the unique opportunity we now have to prioritize prevention for infection control in Greece and to take action on a permanent basis. The Greek government has recently taken an important step in this direction, introducing a Program for the Prevention and Control of Infections Related to Health Services and Antimicrobial Resistance, by law at the end of January 2020. The program is supported by a generous grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation within the framework of the "Health Initiative" program.
The importance of prevention, both for the health of citizens and for an effective health care system, is particularly evident now that the world is facing a public health emergency. Maximizing the use of standard precautions and best practices is vital to preventing and limiting both common infections and new pandemic diseases such as COVID-19.
The program is supported by a generous grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation within the framework of the "Health Initiative" program (https://www.snf.org/el/protoboulies/stirizontas-tin-ygeia-stin-ellada/).
The importance of prevention, both for the health of citizens and for an effective health care system, is particularly evident now that the world is facing a public health emergency. Maximizing the use of standard precautions and best practices is vital to preventing and limiting both common infections and new pandemic diseases such as COVID-19.
