Uncategorized – READY Initiative

COMPASS Modular Programming Guidelines (Save the Children)

Save the Children’s COMPASS is a platform for storing standardized programming guidelines, including six related to COVID-19:

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Preventative measures at the community level
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Case management at the community level
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Case management at the facility level
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Sexual and reproductive health
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Risk communication and community engagement (developed by READY)
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Mental health and psychosocial support

The COMPASS platform has an associated app that allows offline access to modules, making it accessible to practitioners in locations with unreliable access (or no access) to the Internet.

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COVID-19 Pandemic Hub (WHO)

WHO has an extensive collection of resources related to the COVID-2019 outbreak. In addition to information for the public about protective measures, questions and answers, travel advice, and daily situation reports, there is a wealth of specific technical and research information:

The Technical Guidance collection includes a national capacities review tool, risk communication and community engagement materials, surveillance and case definition guidance, and more.
The Global Research collection includes links to current news articles and a searchable database of research publications.
Infection prevention and control: WHO’s first edition of guidance on infection prevention and control (IPC) strategies for use when infection with COVID-19 is suspected. It has been adapted from WHO’s prior guidance on IPC for MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV. This guidance is intended for facility-level healthcare workers and managers, but is also relevant to the national and district/provincial levels.
Global Surveillance for human infection with coronavirus disease (COVID-2019): WHO’s guidance to Member States on how to implement COVID-19 surveillance, to monitor transmission trends; rapidly detect new cases; and provide epidemiological information to (1) conduct risk assessment at the national, regional and global level and (2) guide response measures.
Disease commodity package – novel coronavirus (nC0V): This publication includes an essential list of biomedical equipment, medicines and supplies necessary to care for patients with COVID-19.
Recommendations to reduce risk of transmission of emerging pathogens from animals to humans in live animal markets: General precautions and recommendations for at-risk groups
Emerging respiratory viruses, including nCoV: methods for detection, prevention, response and control (OpenWHO online course): A general introduction to emerging respiratory viruses, including how to detect and assess an outbreak, strategies for preventing and controlling outbreaks, and strategies to communicate risk and engage communities in detection, prevention, and response activities.

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Global Health Network: Coronavirus Knowledge Hub

The Global Health Network has a “pop-up” knowledge hub at https://coronavirus.tghn.org/. As the GHN notes, “During emerging outbreaks it is vital to learn as much as possible to generate evidence on best practice for prevention, diagnosis and treatment and to facilitate effective preparedness and response for future outbreaks.” This up-to-the-minute collection includes a resource dashboard, WHO resources, regional response information, research findings, news, management and treatment, and surveillance.

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EPI-WIN: Information Network for Epidemics (WHO)

EPI-WIN: “A key component of epidemic and pandemic preparedness is ensuring systems are in place for real-time information to flow from a trusted source to the people at risk.”

The World Health Organization’s “EPI-WIN” (WHO Information Network for Epidemics) system puts reliable information at the world’s fingertips, fighting myth and misinformation that can contribute to panic and put lives in danger. The network covers common myths; information for health workers; effects on travel and tourism; and tailored advice for the general public, businesses and employers, and WHO member states.

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Influenza and Pandemic Threats Library (Save the Children)

Though developed for influenza, this online library has broad applicability to COVID-19, as both are respiratory illnesses and have similar transmission properties. Developed to help inform Save the Children staff and offices about Influenza and Pandemic Threats, the collection is posted here to make this information more accessible to peer agencies.

Link: Influenza & Pandemic Threats (including Novel Coronavirus)

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Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Resources (UNICEF and CDC)

Guidance for expectant and new parents in the context of COVID-19 is still developing (for example, it is not yet known whether COVID-19 can be transmitted through breast milk), but these are concise interim resources.

UNICEF page, “Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): What parents should know“: This page, in the form of “Frequently Asked Questions,” condenses basics for parents on COVID-19 transmission, prevention, and symptoms, and specifically addresses pregnancy and breastfeeding.
CDC Resources: Interim Guidance on Breastfeeding for a Mother Confirmed or Under Investigation For COVID-19 offers a general overview, while Frequently Asked Questions and Answers: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and Pregnancy addresses specific questions that may be of concern to expectant parents.

Managing epidemics: Key facts about major deadly diseases (WHO)

This manual (which pre-dates the emergence of COVID-19) “provides concise knowledge on 15 infectious diseases that have the potential to become international threats, and tips on how to respond to each of them.”

LINK: Managing epidemics: Key facts about major deadly diseases (WHO)

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Case Tracker: Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering

The Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) has created a public COVID-19 case tracker, drawing together data from the World Health Organization (WHO), (U.S.) Centers for Disease Control (CDC), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China (NHC), and NHC, and DXY.cn (Chinese: 丁香园; pinyin: DīngXiāngYuán, an online community for physicians, health care professionals, pharmacies, and health care facilities. The data behind the visualization is available in a GitHub repository, available to the public for download.

Psychological Coping During Disease Outbreak

A community-friendly resource developed by the Hong Kong Red Cross, this potential patient handout/booklet/poster provides “dos and don’ts” that support mental and emotional wellbeing during an outbreak.

Link: Psychological Coping During Disease Outbreak

Mental Health and Psychosocial Support for Staff, Volunteers and Communities in an Outbreak of Novel Coronavirus

This briefing note from IFRC provides background knowledge on the MHPSS aspects related to COVID-19 and suggests MHPSS activities that can be implemented. These messages can be helpful for those in contact with patients or relatives and those who feel the strain of working and living during the pandemic. The briefing is for those working in any capacity with people affected by COVID-19 and for MHPSS responders who implement activities and interventions for anyone affected.

Link: Mental Health and Psychosocial Support for Staff, Volunteers and Communities in an Outbreak of Novel Coronavirus

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