Al Nsour et al40 | Eastern Mediterranean region (EMR) (Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia) | This article elaborates on the response of the Global Health Development and Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network, and the Field Epidemiology Training Programmes (FETPs) during the COVID-19 pandemic | Commentary or editorial | Service: Functional:Collation, synthesis and dissemination of information by the Public Health Emergency Management Centre in response to the pandemic. Conducting orientation session with physicians and public health practitioners to build a shared understanding of the protocols, case definitions and public messaging strategies.
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Banerj41 | India | This article summarises the Indian Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) response to the COVID-19 pandemic | Commentary or editorial | Clinical: Service:Armed force medical facility was designated as a COVID-19 treatment hospital with COVID-19 testing facilities. Service delivery was separated for patients with COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 for both inpatient and outpatient facilities.
Functional:Aircraft from Indian Air Force were used to establish a supply chain of personal protective equipment (PPE), clinical equipment and medication. General duty soldiers were recruited as volunteers and underwent training for COVID-19 pandemic response, and participated in the implementation of preventive measures.
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Chellamuthu and Muthu45 | India | This article explores the management of orthopaedic care in a tertiary care hospital using a pandemic response protocol during the COVID-19 pandemic | Review | Clinical: Service:Creating a separate group of physicians to provide inpatient and outpatient service without engaging with each other. Reducing elective surgical care. Using telemedicine and online tools to provide rehabilitative and postoperative care.
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Garg et al46 | India | This article highlights the preparedness of 51 primary healthcare facility linked to medical colleges and institutions to provide safe outpatients services in India during the COVID-19 pandemic | Observational study | Functional:Chemically disinfecting the facilities (80% of the facilities implementing the disinfection procedures either daily or on alternative days). Providing PPE to the physician (PPE suites available=27.4%, N95 mask available=50.9% and surgical mask available=39.3%). Training to safely manage patients with COVID-19 were provided in 78.4% of the facilities.
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Gupta et al42 | India | This article details measures taken by the Government of India in preparation and response to the COVID-19 pandemic | Review | Clinical:Strictly following infection control measures. Streamlining screening, sample collection, diagnostic and treatment protocol.
Service:Categorisation of international travellers based on their COVID-19 exposure and symptoms. Implementing strict quarantine procedure for international visitors, suspected and confirmed cases. Reducing elective care provision in the hospitals.
Functional: Organisational:Developing coordination among institutions and stakeholders (such as National Centre for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, State Public Health Departments, Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDLs), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) - National Institute of Virology).
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Gupta et al43 | India | The article describes the contribution of a countrywide network of VRDLs in India for scaling up testing capacity for SARS-CoV-2 | Commentary or editorial | Clinical:The ICMR, National Institute of Virology (NIV), and Department of Health Research (DHR) coordinated with 106 VRDLs to harmonise the SOP of sample collection, shipment and reporting procedures.
Service:Early identification and activation of VRDLs in the cities with international airports to perform real-time PCR assays Assigning specific VRDLs as sample collection site vs testing laboratories to restructure the COVID-19 testing strategy
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Ha et al37 | Vietnam | This article highlights specific measures adopted in Vietnam for the prevention and control of COVID-19 | Review | Clinical: Service:Setting up the centre for management of clinical support specifically for patients with COVID-19. Engaging frontline health workers to provide health education, contact tracing and set-up local/home isolation facilities.
Functional: Organisational:Establishment of a Taskforce Group on COVID-19 prevention and control by including personnel from ministries, other government committees and media. Activation of Emergency Public Health Operations Centre within the General Department of Preventive Medicine to coordinate with provincial Center for Diseases Control (CDCs).
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Iyengar et al47 | India | This article explores the application of smartphone technology for COVID-19 surveillance and care provision | Review | Functional:Development of a COVID-19 tracking application, Aarogya Setu (‘Health Bridge’) for smartphone by the National Informatics Centre. Real-time triangulation of smartphone location information collected by Aarogya Setu with national COVID-19 database build by the Government of India.
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Kaplan et al38 | Bolivia | This article elaborates the field experience of development and implementation of COVID-19 prevention plan among Tsimane forager-horticulturalists in Bolivia | Protocol of intervention | Service:Organisation of community meetings to encourage the community to participate in the pandemic response. Empowering the community to regulate integration with outsiders, establish case reporting procedures and implementing isolation procedures. Organising close to community curative care delivery structure for COVID-19 and non-Covid-19 cases so that hospitalisation can be reduced to prevent cross-infection.
Functional:Translating English educational material into Tsimane language. Ensuring an adequate supply of PPE and provision of training. Linking of clinical data with GIS data to map community spread and aid in contact tracing.
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Lal et al50 | India | This article reviews the operational protocol to ensure the safety of the orthopaedic patients and providers in the outpatient department during the COVID-19 pandemic | Review | Clinical:Conducting regular screening and testing of all healthcare providers. Strictly follow social distancing protocol and use of PPE while in the health facility, during the consultation, diagnostic procedure, physiotherapy and dispensing of the drug. Use of the Aarogya Setu application on their mobile phone to ensure social distancing and safety during an outpatient visit.
Service:Restricting consultation for elective services and providing in-person consultation for a health issue that significantly affect the lifestyle of the patients. Classifying patients as ‘COVID-19 positive’, ‘COVID-19 suspected’ and ‘No history and symptom’ and organising consultation accordingly. Referring COVID-19 suspected patients to the designated fever clinic.
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Lucero-Prisno et al39 | Africa n region(Algeria, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Sudan, Uganda) | This article provides a commentary on the pandemic response effort of the African continent | Commentary or editorial | Clinical: Service:Coordination of a wide range of services across African countries, which includes the screening of incoming travellers at the point of entry, surveillance, community engagement for COVID-19 prevention, capacity building of the healthcare facilities for testing and case management. Building public awareness through an interactive COVID-19 dashboard.
Functional: Organisational:Establishing the Africa Task Force for Novel Coronavirus by the Africa CDCs, in collaboration with the WHO. Formation of Emergency Operations Centres and RRT for cross-country collaboration.
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Meghana et al51 | India | This article explores the engagement of 24 pharmacy professionals (PPs) across seven states of India on Emergency Preparedness & Response of COVID-19 pandemic | Observational study | Service: Functional:Ministry of Health and Family Welfare instructed the Pharmacy Council of India to enlist pharmacists and train them as a part of the COVID-19 response (such as supply chain, inventory management, infection control and rational use of the drug).
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Meghwal et al52 | India | This article elaborates the field experience of COVID-19 cluster containment strategies in a healthcare facility by Central and the State RRTs at Bhilwara, Rajasthan, India | Observational study | Service: Functional:Implementation of disinfection procedure in the health facilities and development of buffer zones. Contact tracing and implementation of isolation procedure of the discharged patients. Using the Rajasthan Social Media Platform application on smartphone devices to sure the home quarantine measures of the suspected cases. Training of all the medical, paramedical, administrative staff for implementation of containment guidelines.
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Piryani et al44 | Nepal | This article summarises Nepal’s response before and after WHO declared COVID-19 as a pandemic | Commentary or editorial | Clinical:Development of Nepal’s treatment protocol for COVID-19 sample collection, transportation and case management based on by UN Health Agency’s recommendation. Drafting and implementing the ‘Quarantine Procedure for Nepali Students repatriating from China’.
Service:Dedicating specific space and isolation facilities to treat COVID-19 as early as January 2020. Implementing screening procedure at the Tribhuvan International Airport and ensuring safe transport of suspected cases to designated hospitals—delivering COVID-19 specific information by a free call centre.
Functional:Building the COVID-19 diagnostic capacity of National Public Health Laboratory on 27 January 2020, following up by initiation of testing at the Provincial Public Health Laboratories from April 2020. Ensuring adequate PPE for healthcare facility and testing laboratories.
Organisational:Formation of a high-level technical team for the pandemic response, which includes Department of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Population, Ministry of Social Development, Health Emergency Operation Centre and Provincial Health Emergency Operation Centre.
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Rastogi et al48 | India | This article advocates the integration of Ayurvedic therapy with Allopathic medicine to ensure effective pandemic management | Commentary or editorial | Clinical: |
Rastogi et al49 | India | This article explores the opportunity of WhatsApp facilitated video Ayurveda consultation during the COVID-19 pandemic | Commentary or editorial | Service: Functional: |
Shinde et al53 | India | This article reviews the triage guideline for the surgical procedure for cancer using COVID-19 pandemic | Review | Clinical:Clinical decision of conducting surgery or delaying the procedure should be based on prognosis and patient’s condition—screening and diagnostic test. Surgical protocol and guidelines need to accommodate additional infection control measures, such as conducting the surgery in the operative room with negative pressure, taking extra precautions for anaesthesia-related procedures, thoracic and health-neck surgery.
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Zgueb et al36 | Tunisia | This article describes the development and implementation of novel psychological crisis intervention in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia | Protocol of intervention | Clinical: Service: Functional: Organisational:Coordination between the Strategic Health Operations Centre (Shoc room) of the Ministry of Health, the psychological support unit (CAP) and the national telephone operator during the development of the intervention strategy. Collaboration among the Shoc room, the CAP, Tunisian Medical Student’s Association (Associa-Med) and the Tunisian Red Crescent to build a pool of psychological counsellor.
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