MUSCAT, MARCH 18 - The Sultanate of Oman responded to the increased threat of COVID-19 with proactive and comprehensive measures while there has been a rapid escalation of cases around the world in the past weeks, according to a senior official of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“I’m very happy to see that Oman has taken proactive measures in tackling the coronavirus and currently Oman’s national response is guided by a Supreme Committee, which was established actually days before the WHO declared the COVID-19 a global ‘pandemic’. Since its establishment, in a very short time the Supreme Committee directed on a number of decisive actions to prevent risk of transmission, that would minimise number of potentially infected and flatten the epidemiologic curve to help health system to cope,” Dr Akjemal Magtymova, WHO Representative in Oman, said.
“These decisions are related to various sectors. There are containment measures and there are measures to stop transmission which are being tackled by different agencies like MoH, PACA, MoE and the like. For example, cancelling sporting events and other gatherings, closure of schools, as part of physical distancing measures. The education sector is well prepared and extending various alternative platforms for continuing classes for the pupils at home.”
“In addition to these measures, an important arm of work is detection and testing which is necessary to identify the presence of the virus, contact tracing, isolation as well as assess how effective response measures have been. Testing is a backbone of the response. As WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus put it ‘You cannot fight a fire blindfolded. And we cannot stop this pandemic if we don’t know who is infected’ ,” she said.
She opined that comparative to some other countries, Oman’s demographic and housing structure provides favourable conditions for containment measures and less proportion of population should be at high risk. However, this is a serious disease and although the evidence suggests that those over 60 are at highest risk (which is less than 7 per cent in Oman), COVID-19 killed young people, including children across the globe, too.
“I would say this is the time of solidarity as we are all at the face of a pandemic. Those who are at higher risk are elder people, people with chronic conditions, but also, as shown across the globe, every member of the society is at risk and we have to support each other. There has been a great amount of solidarity over the world and within different communities and I urge all to join efforts across the globe to stop the pandemic.”
She suggested not to panic, adhere to the national response measures by the MoH and Supreme Committee, be Ambassadors for Health, and read WHO sources on COVID-19 for the latest updates based on science and evidence. At individual level, follow hand hygiene, observe general hygiene, and strictly adhere to home quarantine measures when advised by the authorities,” the WHO Representative said.
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