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PAHO Director: The Americas must prepare to respond to

imported cases, outbreaks and community transmission of
COVID-19

Washington, DC, March 6, 2020 (PAHO) – In the last ten days, 14 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean
have reported confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), in addition to the United States and
Canada. Given the rapid arrival of COVID-19, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) urged countries to
focus on containing the virus, saving lives by ensuring that health workers are protected and that the sector is
prepared to care for patients, and reducing transmission through multisectoral actions and measures.

As of this a ernoon, 257 cases were confirmed in ten countries and four territories in the Region (Argentina,
Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, French Guiana, Martinique,
Mexico, San Bartolome, San Martin, and the United States).
“The countries of Latin America and the Caribbean are already in the phase of responding to cases and clusters
of COVID-19,” said Carissa F. Etienne, PAHO Director. “Countries need to be ready to respond to the situation we
are experiencing today, with imported cases, while also preparing for tomorrow and the possibility of localized
outbreaks or even transmission in the community, with the tools they have at their disposal today,” she added
during an update on the situation in the Region, first to the media and then to Ambassadors to the Organization
of American States (OAS) in Washington D.C.

PAHO is working intensively with countries that have the weakest health systems. The Organization has worked
with Member States to strengthen surveillance activities to ensure the early detection of possible imported
cases of COVID-19, and to ensure that health services are prepared. PAHO has also trained and equipped 29
laboratories throughout the Region to carry out diagnostic testing for COVID-19 and has also developed a tool
that enables hospitals to analyze their preparedness to handle cases.

Dr. Etienne described three possible situations of COVID-19  that countries of the Region may face –
simultaneously or even within di erent areas of larger countries: clusters of cases following importation; large
outbreaks in “closed spaces” such as care homes, prisons, military camps, mass gatherings; and mass
community transmission, which is more likely to occur during flu season.

To address these situations, the PAHO Director highlighted that there are three types of action that can be
taken: contain the virus following its introduction through the detection and isolation of cases and contact
tracing; work with the health sector to save lives through the protection of health workers and the organization
of services to respond to a possible influx of critical patients; and to slow transmission through a multisectoral
approach, working with the education and transportation sectors, as well as civil society and others in order to
determine public measures that will be activated if necessary, including school closure, cancellation of mass
gatherings, teleworking and others.
“It is important to avoid an exaggerated reaction to imports and outbreaks,” said Etienne, calling on the
general public and the media to do their part to reduce the risk of infection and to protect themselves and
others from COVID-19 in every situation that may arise.

“It is too early to determine the future of the virus in the Region so we must be prepared to respond based on the
knowledge we already have today,” said Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, Deputy Director of PAHO. “It is very likely that we
will see a growth in the number of cases and the number of countries registering cases because they will receive
travelers,” he said, emphasizing that “surveillance must go beyond travelers because cases will most likely be
identified in health services.”

The disease is transmitted much like flu or the common cold: through face-to-face contact by sneezing or
coughing, or by contact with secretions of infected people. According to the latest available information, so far
the vast majority of cases (80%) are mild and recover, 20% are serious and about 2% can end in death. Deaths
have mainly occurred among older people or those living with diseases such as cardiovascular disease and
diabetes.

“The impact of COVID-19 on health services will depend on its transmissibility and the severity at which it
a ects people,” said Dr. Ciro Ugarte, Director of the Health Emergencies Department at PAHO. Ugarte asked
countries to activate their plans, enlist health systems in anticipating for serious infections and the additional
burden on services, and to be ready for possible community transmission including non-pharmaceutical
mitigation measures and retrofitting services.

Links
— For more information, visit www.paho.org/coronavirus
— Pictures: Pictures: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmLPFe4F and https://flic.kr/s/aHsmLPGEhe

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