Health experts create “Frontline Guide” for communities battling COVID-19

Leading global health experts have released a COVID-19 Frontline Guide for local governments designed to provide local health professionals with more information on how to protect their communities.

The online tool features eight indicators of progress for self-assessment and seven key actions that each include checklists of decision points. It provides a framework to help local leaders establish strategies to fight the outbreak and reduce transmission of the disease.

The guide is available at COVID-Local.org. It was developed by Global Biological Policy Program at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), the Center for Global Development, and the Georgetown University Center for Global Health Science and Security, in collaboration with Talus Analytics. There will be an online webinar on Monday, March 30, at 12:30 pm ET to go over the details.

The contents of the guide are grounded in existing guidance from U.S. and global authorities, public health research findings, and lessons observed from countries that have been battling COVID-19. It is intended to complement, but not supplant, guidance from global, federal, and local public health and other authorities.

“Even in prepared cities like Seattle, health systems are struggling to test patients and keep pace with growing caseloads. The specter of rapid community transmission and exponential growth is real and daunting,” NTI Vice President Beth Cameron said.

The seven key actions are:
• Activate an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and establish a whole-of-community incident management structure;
• Understand the real-time spread of COVID-19 in the community;
• Slow and reduce transmission;
• Focus protection on high-risk groups;
• Reinforce and expand health system surge capacity to sustain healthcare operations and avoid high mortality;
• Expand risk communication and community engagement;
• Mitigate economic and social consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

NTI is a nonprofit global security organization focused on reducing nuclear and biological threats. The Center for Global Development is an independent, nonprofit organization that works to reduce global poverty by encouraging better policies and practices by world leaders.