Friday, March 06, 2020 / 04:55
PM / by Africa CDC / Header Image Credit: Twitter; @AfricaCDC
Background
Social
distancing is an accepted strategy to delay and diminish outbreaks of
respiratory infections, such as influenza. Similar to influenza, the novel
coronavirus disease (COVID-19) can be readily transmitted human-to-human
through respiratory droplets and contact with a contaminated surface. For
pandemic influenza, the global consensus has been to defer mass gatherings,
which have been defined as events involving more than 1000 people or events in
which an outbreak could rapidly overwhelm existing health facilities. Mass
gatherings can amplify infectious disease transmission at the event and lead to
community transmission after participants return home. The transmissibility and
severity of COVID-19 has led many countries and organizations to minimize international
travel and delay public gatherings of any size, not just mass gatherings.
Africa CDC has developed the following guidance for the African Union regarding
meetings and travel to meetings in Africa.
Definitions
Meeting
= any event in which people from different households assemble in a specific
location for a fixed period. For the purposes of this document, meeting refers
to any event organized wholly or partially by the African Union or any event
that includes representation by African Union staff.
Large
meeting = a meeting involving at least 50 or more people.
Mass
meeting = a meeting involving 1000 or more persons.
International
meeting = a meeting in which one or more participants crosses an international
border to attend the event.
Recommendations for Meetings
- Meeting organizers should always consider whether
the meeting, regardless of size, can achieve similar outcomes if held
virtually, e.g., audio or video conference.
- Does your meeting involve 1000
or more persons (mass meeting)? Postpone meeting until further
guidance is issued.
- Does your meeting involve 50 or
more persons (large meeting)?
- International participant(s): Postpone
meeting until further guidance is issued. Rare exceptions can be made for
important and urgent meetings. If the meeting will have a near-term
impact on health, safety, and/or security or failure to hold the meeting
could impact health, safety, and/or security, hold meeting with public
infection prevention and control measures in place.
- No international participants:
Institute public infection prevention and control measures [see
below].
- Does your meeting involve
<50 persons?
- International participant(s): Consider
postponing meeting. If the meeting will have a near-term impact on
health, safety, and/or security or failure to hold the meeting could
impact health, safety, and/or security, hold meeting with public
infection prevention and control measures in place.
- No international participants:
Hold meeting and institute public infection prevention and control
measures.
Public Infection Prevention and Control
- Before the event
- Assess risk in accordance with
guidance from Africa CDC, WHO, and local and national public health
authorities to decide whether to proceed, postpone, or cancel gathering.
- Provide repeated guidance to
participants and workers that they should stay home if they have fever,
cough, shortness of breath, or other respiratory symptoms.
- Provide repeated guidance to
participants and workers that they should stay home if they have returned
from an area with an outbreak of COVID-19 or have had direct contact with
a COVID-19 patient.
- Obtain the contact information
for the ambulance, hospital, and/or public health agency to call if a
participants or worker develops illness consistent with COVID-19.
- Ensure that the facility has
adequate facilities for hand hygiene, including soap, water, and hand
towels, alcohol-based hand rub, and/or other disinfectants.
- Designate an area at gathering
location for participants who develop symptoms and need to wait for a
health assessment.
- During the event
- Post prominent signs reminding
participants and workers to not attend if they have symptoms of illness,
recent travel to a COVID-19 outbreak area, or direct contact with a
COVID-19 patient.
- Post prominent signs reminding
participants and workers to use non-contact greetings, e.g., elbow bump,
Namaste/prayer, foot touch.
- Screen all participants and
workers for symptoms of illness (above). Refuse entry to any participant
or worker with fever, cough, shortness of breath, or other respiratory
symptoms.
- Ensure washrooms, dining
areas, and any other frequently touched surfaces are cleaned frequently.
- Do not encourage healthy
people to wear masks. If possible, maintain a supply of surgical (simple)
face masks to use for any participant or worker that develops cough or
respiratory symptoms.
- If possible, seat participants
at least 1 meter (~2 seats) apart, and minimize congregation at sanitary
stations and food and water distribution areas.
- Encourage all participants and
workers to practice hand hygiene before eating, after eating, and after
using the bathroom using soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub.
- Establish emergency
communication mechanism with public health authorities.
- If a person becomes ill with
respiratory symptoms:
I.
Isolate
person immediately.
II. Provide
person with a face mask to help contain respiratory droplets generated from
coughing and sneezing.
III.
Contact
local health authorities.
- After the event
- Ask participants and workers
to contact the event organizer if they develop fever, cough, shortness of
breath, or other respiratory symptoms within 14 days of departing the
event.
- Event organizers should share
contact information, itineraries, local transport and hotels about all symptomatic
participants with public health authorities.
- Notify home countries of
returning participants of any person who develops COVID-19 while
attending the event.
Recommendations for African Union Travelers
- Travel should be limited to only critical mission
needs such as security, health, and safety.
- African Union staff should
follow Africa CDC guidance if they travel to an area with "local
transmission" of COVID-19.
- The list of countries with "local transmission" is updated daily by the World
Health Organization.
- Africa CDC guidance is
available here
- If African Union staff were in
an area with "local transmission," they should stay at home for 14 days
after returning from that area. During those 14 days, they should not
report to work and should avoid leaving the home, except for health or
safety. They should contact AU Medical Services if they develop fever,
cough, shortness of breath, or any other respiratory symptoms.
- If African Union staff were in
direct contact with a COVID-19 patient or spent time in a healthcare
facility with a COVID-19 case in previous 14 days, they should immediately
notify AU Medical Services, and AU Medical Services will work with
Ethiopublic health officials to monitor the health of the staff person.
During those 14 days, they should not report to work and should
avoid leaving the home, except for health or safety.
- Exceptions should be considered on a case-by-case
basis for personnel who perform essential functions, such as health and
safety. Exceptions can only be granted if approved by Africa CDC and AU
Medical Services. Excepted individuals should be particularly vigilant
about monitoring their own symptoms and, if they develop symptoms, seeking
medical care immediately and reporting their history of travel to a
COVID-19 area.

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