As of October 2022, more than 630 million cases of COVID-19 and more than 6. 5 million deaths were reported (although the actual number of deaths was estimated at more than 20 million). In addition, millions of cancer and chronic disease patients have experienced harmful healthcare delays, and the long COVID continues to elude definitive treatment, posing a constant risk to survivors. The virus also continues to accumulate mutations that would possibly allow it to better evade past immunity. of this study, they continue to view COVID-19 as a persistent and damaging risk to global fitness.
Despite notable clinical and medical advances, the response to COVID-19 has been hampered by broader political, social and behavioural aspects, such as misinformation, vaccine hesitancy, inconsistent coordination and uneven distribution of equipment, vaccines and treatments.
“Each country has reacted differently and inadequately, which is partly due to a serious lack of coordination and transparent goals,” says Jeffrey V. Lazarus, Head of the Health Systems Research Group and Co-Director of the Viral and Bacterial Infections Program. . ISGlobal, associate professor at the University of Barcelona and coordinator of the study.
To build a global consensus on how to address those problems in the future, Lazarus and his colleagues conducted a Delphi study, a well-established study method that demands experts in situations to gain consensus on answers to questions from complex studies. A multidisciplinary panel of 386 academics, fitness, NGOs, government and other experts from 112 countries and territories participated in 3 rounds of structured consultations. The result is a set of 41 statements and 57 recommendations in six broad areas: communication, fitness systems, immunization, prevention, remedy and care. and inequality.
Three of the best-rated recommendations are: (i) adopt a whole-of-society strategy involving multiple disciplines, sectors and actors to avoid fragmentation of efforts; (ii) whole-of-government approaches (e. g. inter-ministerial coordination) to identify, review and address the resilience of fitness systems and make them more responsive to people’s needs; and (iii) an additional vaccination approach, including a combination of COVID-19 vaccination, other structural and behavioral prevention measures, treatment, and monetary support. Panelists also prioritized recommendations for the progression of technologies (vaccines, treatments, and services) that can succeed in target populations.
Other recommendations with at least 99% agreement were: be okay with the public, restore public trust, and have communities of interaction in managing the pandemic response.
Only six recommendations disagreed by more than 5%, adding one that considers other economic incentives to combat vaccine hesitancy or a symptomatic technique for diagnosing COVID-19 in settings where testing is limited.
The 57 recommendations are addressed to governments, fitness systems, industry and other key stakeholders. “When possible, our fitness findings and social policy recommendations can be implemented in months, not years, to help end this public fitness threat,” Quique says. Bassat, ICREA professor at ISGlobal, co-author of the exam and member of the University of Barcelona.
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