FAQ on COVID-19

1. What are the best, most trusted sources of information?

The websites of recognized national and international public health organizations, as well as major academic institutions, are best placed to have the most reliable and up-to-date information on COVID-19. Here are some of the best:

The World Health Organization (WHO), a UN agency that is coordinating the global response to COVID-19: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is coordinating the COVID-19 medical response in the United States, has a coronavirus information page: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
Johns Hopkins University, with its renowned schools of medicine and public health, is an excellent resource.
- Coronavirus information page: https://hub.jhu.edu/novel-coronavirus-information/
- Global Cases Tracking Map, which is constantly updated with the latest data: https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6
The Africa CDC and the African Union have developed posters for the public on COVID-19 prevention, protection, transmission, symptoms, and when to seek medical attention, available at: https://www.africacdc.org/press-centre/fact-sheets-and-brochures/Fact%20sheets%20and%20brochures/detail

2. What protective measures should be adopted by health care workers and health care facilities?

For health care workers: All health care workers should use “standard precautions” for infectious disease. This includes proper hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and injection safety practices. For more detailed information:

The WHO has created a Q&A on infection prevention and control for health care workers caring for patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19: https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-on-infection-prevention-and-control-for-health-care-workers-caring-for-patients-with-suspected-or-confirmed-2019-ncov
The CDC has published guidelines for health care professionals https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/hcp/index.html as well as resources for health care facilities: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/healthcare-facilities/index.html
The African Union has published posters in English and French: https://www.africacdc.org/press-centre/fact-sheets-and-brochures/Fact%20sheets%20and%20brochures/detail)

For health care facilities:

The WHO has issued a Risk Communication Package for healthcare facilities that is a toolkit for how to start a response: https://mcusercontent.com/9f3c37c977c58bafcc6ecd475/files/7e2db11d-7bde-4254-8f5d-c6a4a45f8b16/Risk_Communication_Package_for_Healthcare_Facilities.pdf

3. Are masks effective at preventing the spread of COVID-19 and who should wear them?

The N95 disposable face mask is not effective in preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the general public and should not be worn by healthy people unless they are caring for someone who is ill. According to the CDC: “Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. The use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).” Panic buying of face masks by the general public could result in shortages for those who genuinely need them.

4. How are IMA World Health and Lutheran World Relief working to respond to the coronavirus public health emergency?

Applying lessons learned in the Ebola response, IMA World Health and Lutheran World Relief are mounting efforts to counter disinformation about COVID-19, which is already a major problem. In the recent Ebola outbreak, distrust between the population and the medical community hindered detection, contact tracing and treatment, and led to further spread of the disease. To combat misinformation and mistrust, health associations will be provided with informative messaging on the virus and what to do to prevent it that can be widely disseminated to the public on easily accessible communications and social media platforms, such as WhatsApp.

In addition, IMA World Health and Lutheran World Relief will train health workers on how to protect themselves as they are treating suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases and will equip facilities with the supplies they need to apply proven infection prevention practices.

5. How is the outbreak affecting the operations of IMA World Health and Lutheran World Relief?

The executive leadership of IMA World Health and Lutheran World Relief is closely monitoring the rapidly evolving situation with COVID-19, both in the United States, where our headquarter operations are located, as well as in our field offices. Their top priority is for the health and safety of all employees and their families. And they are taking steps to ensure that operations of IMA World Health and Lutheran World Relief will continue to run smoothly, even if offices are forced to close.