Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) technical guidance by WHO COVID-19: preparedness, readiness and actions | Page 2

Critical preparedness, readiness and response actions for COVID-19: interim guidance
Table 1. Critical preparedness, readiness and response actions for each transmission scenario for COVID-19
No Cases Sporadic Cases Clusters of Cases Community Transmission
Transmission scenario No reported cases. One or more cases, imported or locally
acquired. Most cases of local transmission linked
to chains of transmission. Aim Stop transmission and prevent spread. Stop transmission and prevent spread. Stop transmission and prevent spread. Outbreaks with the inability to relate
confirmed cases through chains of
transmission for a large number of cases, or
by increasing positive tests through sentinel
samples (routine systematic testing of
respiratory samples from established
laboratories.
Slow transmission, reduce case numbers,
end community outbreaks.
Priority areas of work
Emergency response
mechanisms Activate emergency response
mechanisms. Enhance emergency response
mechanisms. Scale up emergency response
mechanisms. Scale up emergency response mechanisms.
Risk communication and
public engagement Educate and actively communicate with
the public through risk communication
and community engagement. Educate and actively communicate with
the public through risk communication
and community engagement. Educate and actively communicate with
the public through risk communication
and community engagement. Educate and actively communicate with the
public through risk communication and
community engagement.
Case finding, contact
tracing and management Conduct active case finding, contact
tracing and monitoring; quarantine of
contacts and isolation of cases. Enhance active case finding, contact
tracing and monitoring; quarantine of
contacts and isolation of cases. Intensify case finding, contact tracing,
monitoring, quarantine of contacts, and
isolation of cases. Consider testing for COVID-19 using
existing respiratory disease surveillance
systems and hospital-based
surveillance.
Hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette,
practice social distancing. Implement COVID-19 surveillance using
existing respiratory disease surveillance
systems and hospital-based surveillance. Hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette,
practice social distancing. Expand COVID-19 surveillance using
existing respiratory disease surveillance
systems and hospital-based
surveillance.
Hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette,
practice social distancing. Continue contact tracing where possible,
especially in newly infected areas, quarantine
of contacts, and isolation of cases; apply
self-initiated isolation for symptomatic
individuals.
Adapt existing surveillance systems to
monitor disease activity (e.g. through sentinel
sites).
Test suspect cases per WHO case
definition, contacts of confirmed cases;
test patients identified through
respiratory disease surveillance. Test suspect cases per WHO case
definition, contacts of confirmed cases;
test patients identified through respiratory
disease surveillance. Test suspect cases per WHO case
definition, contacts of confirmed cases;
test patients identified through
respiratory disease surveillance.
Surveillance
Public health measures
Laboratory testing
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Hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, practice
social distancing.
Test suspect cases per WHO case definition
and symptomatic contacts of
probable/confirmed cases; test patients
identified through respiratory disease
surveillance. If testing capacity is
overwhelmed prioritize testing in health care
settings and vulnerable groups. In closed
settings test the first symptomatic suspect
cases.