WHO Representatives in Vitebsk: The spread of the virus will have to be combated for 12-18 months
On April 10, representatives of the World Health Organization mission familiarized themselves with the system of measures being taken in the Vitebsk region to overcome coronavirus infection.
Before visiting the city's medical institutions that provide care to patients, employees of the WHO European Bureau in Copenhagen, the organization's headquarters in Geneva, and its representative office in Belarus met with the region's leadership.
The Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Nikolai Sherstnev, expressed his gratitude to the guests for their prompt response to the request of the President of Belarus to come and assess the situation with coronavirus infection in our country and whether we are fighting it correctly:
- Perhaps you will make some remarks or suggestions, which will allow us to cope more effectively with a disease that affects the whole world.
He briefly described the scenario of events with the importation of infection from abroad into the region as a result of usual business and other contacts between people. As a result, for a month and a half now, authorities and the healthcare system have been engaged in protecting their population from this threat.
- We saw how events were unfolding in the world and decided to counter the spread of infection in our country, to protect the population while preserving the economy, without stopping enterprises, agricultural production, and so on, - emphasized Nikolai Sherstnev. – It is much easier to close down and isolate everyone, but in the conditions of a functioning economy, it is more difficult to implement protective measures. Decisions on the situation are made instantly, as doctors must treat, and the authorities must solve all other issues. For example, all possible manufacturers in the region have been mobilized to produce protective equipment for both medical workers and residents.
The Chairman of the Committee for State Control of the Republic of Belarus, Leonid Anfimov, who participated in the meeting, added that a regional headquarters is operating in the Vitebsk region to address all problematic issues. A clear system for tracking the situation and making necessary decisions at the level of the Head of State has been established, although the President is not formally the head of the republican headquarters.
Patrick O'Connor from the WHO European Office based in Copenhagen characterized the mission's task. It is not to control something, but primarily to assess the work of medical professionals, to understand what national system of measures the country is implementing in the context of the pandemic, which of them are effective, and, taking this experience into account, could be useful for other states. Similar WHO missions are currently operating in Italy and Spain. Experts who have gone "on-site" are assisted online by a support team of specialists in Copenhagen. Patrick O'Connor thanked the host party for their openness and willingness to engage in dialogue, and the Head of the WHO Representative Office in Belarus, Batyr Berdyklychev, noted: "We are here to tackle the problem together with you."
The parties then exchanged views on current issues. The experts agreed with Nikolay Sherstnev's understanding that during the period of infection spread, the task is to stretch out the process and prevent an outbreak of the disease with all its negative consequences. Regarding the rapid success in China's Wuhan, Patrick O'Connor said that encouraging news from this province should be met with sober optimism. Such maximally strict measures could be afforded by a large country with great capabilities, and in relation to just one of its regions. For others, compromise options are more realistic. Nevertheless, he warned that even in China, the infectious process cannot be considered complete. In Europe, there are also a number of countries that are considering the possibility of easing quarantine measures after Easter. But the official position of the WHO is: "We must be extremely cautious. We believe that both at the global level and at the level of individual countries, governments must be prepared for the fact that the spread of the virus may have to be combated for another 12-18 months. It is quite possible that effective vaccines will be developed during this time, but we must constantly ensure that healthcare systems are not overloaded and that all other barrier measures are in place. There are reports from some Asian countries about a possible second wave of infection. Therefore, while maintaining optimism, we must also maintain vigilance. This is not a short-distance race. It's a long marathon."
In conclusion, the parties agreed that there is no single recipe for combating the infection, and each country, taking into account the opinion of specialists, chooses the most acceptable path for itself. Belarus and other countries will most likely pass the peak of the incidence within the next few months. But all efforts must be consistent and methodical; this is not purely a medical problem. The participation of authorities, enterprises, businesses, and society as a whole is mandatory in its solution. Everyone must contribute at their own level.