Iraq experience in handling the COVID-19 pandemic: implications of public health challenges and lessons learned for future epidemic preparedness planning.
J Public Health (Oxf)
; 43(Suppl 3): iii19-iii28, 2021 12 08.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1470167
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Iraq has been exceptionally challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic due to the already exhausted healthcare system.OBJECTIVES:
To describe the epidemiological situation of COVID-19 in Iraq, the government's response to the pandemic, and provide recommendations for further action.METHODS:
A desk review of secondary data using the available reports on the epidemiological situation in Iraq as well as official governmental sources was conducted.RESULTS:
The major surge in the number of COVID-19 cases occurred in the first week of June and continued to increase dramatically until mid-October when a significant decrease happened. With a few exceptions, the reproductive number R has been consistently above 1. Patients aged 30-39 years (25.6%) were the most affected, while those aged 60-69 years (26.7%) had the highest deaths rates. Iraq tried to contain the pandemic through several regulations border control, enforcing curfew, mask-wearing, and social distancing, COVID-19 isolation centers, expanding lab capacity, contact tracing, as well as several supportive economic measures. However, the extent of implementing these regulations is questionable.CONCLUSION:
Additional administrative and scientific measures with special emphasis on handling mass gathering, coordination with media and better training of healthcare workers particularly on infection prevention and control.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pandemics
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Observational study
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
English
Journal:
J Public Health (Oxf)
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Pubmed
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