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WHO Resources
WHO has defined four transmission scenarios for COVID-19:
1. No cases: Countries with no cases
2. Sporadic cases: Countries with 1 or more cases, imported or locally detected
3. Clusters of cases: Countries experiencing cases clustered in time, geographic location and/or common exposure
4. Community transmission: Countries experiencing large outbreaks of local transmission
Click this link to access the preparedness, readiness and response actions for COVID-19 for each transmission
Responding to Community Spread of COVID-19
Click this link to access technical guidance for government authorities, health workers, and other key stakeholders to guide response to community spread. For countries that are already preparing or responding, this document can also serve as a checklist to identify any remaining gaps.
Operational Considerations for Case Management of COVID-19 in Health Facility and Community
The document below promotes two key messages:
1. Key public health interventions regardless of transmission scenario; and
2. Key action steps to be taken by transmission scenario to enable timely surge of clinical operations
Click this link to get a guide about the care of COVID-19 patients as the response capacity of health systems is challenged; to ensure that COVID-19 patients can access life- saving treatment, without compromising public health objectives and safety of health workers
Prioritized Laboratory Testing Strategy According to 4Cs Transmission Scenarios
Diagnostic testing for COVID-19 is critical to tracking the virus, understanding epidemiology, informing case management, and to suppressing transmission. This document describes the strategic use of diagnostic testing in different transmission scenarios of the COVID-19 outbreak, from no cases to community transmission, including how testing might be rationalized when lack of reagents or testing capacity necessitates prioritization of certain populations or individuals for testing.
Click this link to access the Prioritized Laboratory Testing Strategy According to 4Cs Transmission Scenarios
Severe Acute Respiratory Infections Treatment Centre
Click this link for a practical manual to set up and manage a SARI treatment centre and a SARI screening
Considerations in adjusting public health and social measures in the context of COVID-19
Click this link for national authorities and decision makers in countries that have introduced large scale public health and social measures. It offers guidance for adjusting public health and social measures, while managing the risk of a resurgence of cases
Considerations in the Investigation of Cases and Clusters of COVID-19
This document offers operational guidance to Member States for the rapid investigation of suspected COVID-19 cases after an alert or signal. It is a tool to be used by local, regional, or national health authorities that addresses considerations in investigation cases of COVID-19.
Click here to access the publication
Global Surveillance for Human Infection with Coronavirus Disease
This document provides guidance to Member States on implementation of global surveillance of COVID-19. The objectives of this global surveillance are:
1. To monitor trends of the disease where human to human transmission occurs
2. Rapidly detect new cases in countries where the virus is not circulating
3. Provide epidemiological information to conduct risk assessments at the national, regional and global levels
4. Provide epidemiological information to guide preparedness and response measures
Click here to access the publication
Case Based Reporting: Reporting Every Case of COVID19
1. Case- based reporting form: https://www.who.int/publications-detail/case-based-reporting-form
2. Data dictionary for case- based reporting form: https://www.who.int/who-documents-detail/data-dictionary-for-case-based-reporting-form
Aggregated Reporting: Reporting Global Cases Count of COVID19
1. Aggregated weekly reporting form: https://www.who.int/publications-detail/aggregated-weekly-reporting-form
Considerations for Quarantine of Individuals in the Context of Containment for COVID-19
The purpose of this document is to offer guidance to Member States on quarantine measures for individuals in the context of COVID-19. It is intended for those responsible for establishing local or national policy for quarantine of individuals and adherence to infection prevention and control measures
Click here to access the document
Operational Considerations for COVID-19 Surveillance Using GISRS
This document is intended for Ministry of Health and other government officials responsible for COVID-19 and influenza surveillance and summarizes the operational considerations for leveraging influenza surveillance systems to incorporate COVID-19 testing.
Click here to access the publication
WHO Interim Guidance for Laboratory Testing
The purpose of this document is to provide interim guidance to laboratories and stakeholders involved in laboratory testing of COVID-19 virus
Click here to read the document
Diagnostic testing for COVID-19 is critical to tracking the virus, understanding epidemiology, informing case management, and to suppressing transmission. This document describes the strategic use of diagnostic testing in different transmission scenarios of the COVID-19 outbreak, from no cases to community transmission, including how testing might be rationalized when lack of reagents or testing capacity necessitates prioritization of certain populations or individuals for testing.”
Click here to access the laboratory testing strategy recommendations for COVID-19
WHO interim guidance for laboratory biosafety related to COVID-19 virus
The purpose of this document is to provide interim guidance on laboratory biosafety related to the COVID-19 virus to laboratories and stakeholders involved in COVID-19 virus laboratory work. This also includes the packaging and shipment requirements for sending specimens to WHO reference laboratories providing confirmatory testing for COVID-19.
Click here to access the document
Molecular Assays to Diagnose COVID-19
Many in-house and commercial assays that detect the COVID-19 virus have been developed or are currently under development. Many of these molecular assays are currently being validated in partner laboratories. An overview of assays that have applied to FIND for participation in their assay assessment work can be found here
At the beginning of the outbreak, WHO supported access to COVID-19 in-house PCR protocols assays by posting them online on the WHO website. Protocols that have been shared can be accessed here
Being listed in this document does not imply any endorsement or validation by WHO. These protocol postings online are not being updated and may not reflect subsequent refinements of the assays.
WHO Reference Laboratories Providing Confirmatory Testing for COVID-19
Countries who have no testing capacity and national COVID-19 laboratories with limited experience on COVID-19 virus testing are encouraged to send the first five positives and the first ten negative COVID-19 samples to WHO reference laboratories providing confirmatory testing for COVID-19.
Click here to access the list of COVID-19 Reference Labs
Booking Form: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/20200311booking-form-2019-ncov.pdf?sfvrsn=95d08287_4
Contact details of WHO reference laboratories providing confirmatory testing for COVID-19 can be obtained from the respective regional WHO offices.
Guidance for Laboratories Shipping Specimens to WHO reference laboratories that provide confirmatory testing for COVID-19 virus
WHO has established a shipment mechanism to expedite and cover the costs of the shipment of clinical samples from patients with suspected COVID-19 from the country of collection to one of the WHO reference laboratories providing confirmatory molecular testing for COVID-19. This document explains the process and documentation required for shipment of specimens.
Click here to access the document
Laboratory Assessment Tool for laboratories implementing COVID-19 testing
This Laboratory Assessment Tool (LAT) is specifically designed to assess capacities of existing laboratories which have implemented or aim to implement COVID-19 virus testing. It addresses both core capacities of a laboratory and specificities related to COVID-19 virus testing. It is a focused and shorter version from the existing complete laboratory assessment tool that can be found at: https://www.who.int/ihr/publications/laboratory_tool/en/
The target audience is any stakeholder performing laboratory assessments such as national health authorities, multilateral agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and laboratory managers. Assessors can use the tool, and customized if needed, to meet local requirements or assessment context. This tool is an Excel file, which enables automatic calculations of module indicators.
Click here to access the tool
Click here to access the user guide
Scientific Brief
Advice on the use of point- of- care immunodiagnostic tests for COVID-19
Click here to read the brief
Strengthening Preparedness for COVID-19 in Cities and Urban Settings
The document is to support local authorities, leaders and policy- makers in cities and other urban settlements in identifying effective approaches and implementing recommended actions that enhance the prevention, preparedness and readiness for COVID-19 in urban settings, to ensure a robust response and eventual recovery. It covers factors unique to cities and urban settings, considerations in urban preparedness, key areas of focus and preparing for future emergencies.
Click here to download the document
Draft Operational Planning Guidance for UN Country Teams
The purpose of this document is to provide a practical guide for the UNCTs and partners to develop a CPRP to immediately support national governments to prepare for and respond to COVID-19. The initial CPRP should be developed for a 3- month period from 1 February to 30 April in alignment with the SPRP. Subsequence CPRPs will be developed based on the evolving situation and needs.
This guide outlines the priority steps and actions to be included in the CPRP across the major areas of the public health preparedness and response
COVID-19 Partners Platform based on Operational Planning Guidance: https://covid-19-response.org/
Training modules: Operational Planning Guidelines and COVID-19 Partners Platform: https://openwho.org/courses/UNCT-COVID19-preparedness-and-response-EN
National Capacities Review Tool for a Novel Coronavirus
The main aim of the national capacities review tool is to better understand existing capacities in the area of detection and response to a novel coronavirus (nCov) that is zoonotic and causes respiratory disease. The tool was developed with other coronaviruses, such as SARC-CoV and MERS-CoV, in mind and in consultation with member states. This information will help national authorities to:
i) identify main gaps
ii) perform risk assessments
iii) plan for additional investigations, response and control actions
Click here to access the publication
Clinical Management of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection when COVID-19 is Suspected
This document is intended for clinicians taking care of hospitalized adult and pediatric patients with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) when a nCoV infection is suspected. It is not meant to replace clinical judgment or specialist consultation but rather to strengthen clinical management of these patients and provide up-to-date guidance. Best practices for SARI including IPC and optimized supportive care for severely ill patients are essential.
Click here to access the document
Clinical Care of Severe Acute Respiratory Infections: Tool Kit
This toolkit is intended for clinicians working in acute care hospitals in low- and middle-income countries, managing adult and paediatric patients with acute respiratory infection, including severe pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis and septic shock. The main objective is to provide some of the necessary tools that can be used to care for the critically ill patient from hospital entry to hospital discharge.
Click here to access the document
Recommendations: Prehospital Emergency Medical Services (EMS) COVID-19
This document provides general guidance for Emergency Medical Service (EMS) preparedness and response to COVID-19 and is directed to EMS providers. Prehospital workers, including EMS personnel and other emergency responders, may potentially be exposed to the disease through patient contact or through contaminated environments. It is paramount that providers follow specific practice guidelines to mitigate the effects of an escalating pandemic.
Click here to access the publication
Severe Acute Respiratory Infections Treatment Centre
Practical manual to set up and manage a SARI treatment centre and a SARI screening
Click here to access the publication
Considerations for Quarantine of Individuals in the Context of Containment for COVID-19
The purpose of this document is to offer guidance to Member States on quarantine measures for individuals in the context of COVID-19. It is intended for those responsible for establishing local or national policy for quarantine of individuals, and adherence to infection prevention and control measures.
Click here to access the publication
Home care for Patients with Suspected Novel Coronavirus Infection Presenting with Mild Symptoms and Management of Contacts
WHO has developed this rapid advice note to meet the need for recommendations on the safe home care for patients with suspected novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection presenting with mild symptoms and public health measures related to management of asymptomatic contacts.
Click here to access the document
Operational Considerations for Case Management of COVID-19 in Health Facility and Community
This document is intended to guide the care of COVID-19 patients as the response capacity of health systems is challenged; to ensure that COVID-19 patients can access life-saving treatment, without compromising public health objectives and safety of health workers.
It promotes two key messages:
1. Key public health interventions regardless of transmission scenario
2. Key action steps to be taken by transmission scenario to enable timely surge of clinical operations.
Click here to access the publication
Maintaining a Safe and Adequate Blood Supply during the Pandemic Outbreak of COVID-19
This document provides interim guidance on the management of the blood supply in response to the pandemic outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). It emphasizes the importance of being prepared and responding quickly and outlines key actions and measures that the blood services should take to mitigate the potential risk to the safety and sufficiency of the blood supplies during the pandemic.
It should be read in conjunction with WHO Guidance for National Blood Services on Protecting the Blood Supply During Infectious Disease Outbreaks, which provides general guidance on the development of national plans to respond to any emerging infectious threats to the sufficiency or safety of the blood supply.
Click here to access the document
Global COVID-19 Clinical Characterization Case Record Form and New Data Platform for Anonymized COVID-19 Clinical Data
The clinical characterization case record form (clinical CRF) is intended to provide member states with a standardized approach to collect clinical data in order to better understand the natural history of disease and describe clinical phenotypes and treatment interventions (i.e. clinical characterization). By using one standardized clinical data tool, there is potential for clinical data from around the world to be aggregated; in order to learn more to inform the public health response and prepare for large scale clinical trials.
Click here to access the rapid case record form
Click here to access the pregnancy module of case report form
WHO COVID-19 Essential Supplies Forecasting Tool
The WHO COVID-19 Essential Supplies Forecasting Tool (ESFT) is designed to help governments, partners, and other stakeholders to estimate potential requirements for essential supplies to respond to the current pandemic of COVID-19. Although it gives users with an estimation of the number of cases, this calculator is not an epidemiological calculator.
The focus of this tool is to forecast essential supplies: it includes estimation of personal protective equipment, diagnostic equipment, biomedical equipment for case management, essential drugs for supportive care, and consumable medical supplies.
The COVID-19 ESFT tool is intended to be complimentary to the Health Workforce tools (Adaptt and the Workforce Estimator). Both tools use the same base clinical attack rate ranges and classify health workforce using ILO ISCO codes, but their outputs are intentionally different due to their primary focus.
Infection prevention and control during health care when novel coronavirus (nCoV) infection is suspected
This is the first edition of guidance on infection prevention and control (IPC) strategies for use when infection with a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is suspected. It has been adapted from WHO’s Infection prevention and control during health care for probable or confirmed cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection, based on current knowledge of the situation in China and other countries where cases were identified and experiences with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV and MERS-CoV.
Click here to access the publication
Infection Prevention and Control for the Safe Management of a Dead Body in the Context of COVID-19
This interim guidance is for all those, including managers of healthcare facilities and mortuaries, religious and public health authorities, and families, who tend to the bodies of persons who have died of suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
Access the publication here
IPC Guidance for Long- term care facilities in the context of COVID-19
The objective of this interim guidance is to provide guidance on Infection Prevention and Control in Long-Term Care Facilities (LTCF) in the context of COVID-19 to prevent COVID-19-virus from entering the facility, spreading within the facility, and spreading to outside the facility. This guidance is for LTCF managers and corresponding IPC focal persons in LTCF.
Click here to access the publication
Consideration for Quarantine of Individuals in the Context of Containment for COVID-19
The purpose of this document is to offer guidance to Member States on quarantine measures for individuals in the context of COVID-19. It is intended for those responsible for establishing local or national policy for quarantine of individuals, and adherence to infection prevention and control measures.
Click here to access the publication
Health Workers Exposure Risk Assessment and Management in the Context of COVID-19 Virus
This tool is to be used by health care facilities that have either cared for or admitted COVID-19 patients; it is to be completed for all health workers who have been exposed to a confirmed COVID-19 patient in a healthcare facility. It will help determine the risk of COVID-19 virus infection of all HCWs who have been exposed to a COVID-19 patient and then provides recommendations for appropriate management of these HCWs, according to their infection risk.
Below are the links to the template for collecting the data contained within the tool and a corresponding data dictionary to facilitate the collection of this data.
Click here to access the tool
Access the data template here
Access the data dictionary here
Rational Use of Personal Protective Equipment for COVID-19
This document summarizes WHO’s recommendations for the rational use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in health care and home care settings, as well as during the handling of cargo; it also assesses the current disruption of the global supply chain and considerations for decision making during severe shortages of PPE. This updated version includes a section on considerations for decision making processes and a summary of temporary measures in the context of severe PPE shortage.
Click here to access the publication
Advice on the Use of Masks
This document provides advice on the use of masks in communities, during home care, and in health care settings in areas that have reported cases of COVID-19. It is intended for individuals in the community, public health and infection prevention and control (IPC) professionals, health care managers, health care workers (HCWs), and community health workers. This updated version includes a section on Advice to decision makers on the use of masks for healthy people in community settings.
Click here to access the publication
Home Care for Patients with Suspected Novel Coronavirus Infection Presenting with Mild Symptoms and Management of Contacts
WHO has developed this rapid advice note to meet the need for recommendations on the safe home care for patients with suspected novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection presenting with mild symptoms and public health measures related to management of asymptomatic contacts.
Click here to access the publication
Q&A on Infection Prevention and Control for Healthcare Workers Caring for Patients with Suspected or Confirmed 2019-nCoV
Are boots, impermeable aprons, or coverall suits required as routine person protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers (HCW) caring for patients with suspected or confirmed 2019-nCoV infection? Can disposable medical face masks be sterilized and reused? Do patients with suspected or confirmed 2019-nCoV need to be hospitalized if they have mild illness? Here you will find answers to these and other questions related to infection prevention and control for health care workers caring for patients with suspected or confirmed 2019-nCoV
Click here to read the Q&A
Water Sanitation, Hygiene and Waste Management for COVID-19
This interim guidance is the second edition and supplements existing IPC documents by referring to and summarizing the latest evidence on COVID-19 in water supplies and sanitation and highlights WHO guidance on water, sanitation, hand hygiene and health care waste which is relevant for viruses (including coronaviruses). It is written in particular for water and sanitation practitioners and providers.
Access the publication here
Guide to Local Production of WHO- Recommended Handrub Formulations
Part A is intended to guide a local producer in the actual preparation of the formulation
Part B contains important safety and cost information and incorporates information from the WHO Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Healthcare
Click here to access the publication