In a virtual press conference held at Geneva, the WHO chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, emphasized on the possibility of bringing the Virus under control.
By quoting Mumbai’s Dharavi as an example, he asserted that with aggressive measures, the outbreak can still be controlled, even if the numbers have doubled. He gave examples of countries where the virus had surpassed alarming levels and yet was controlled.
“And some of these examples are Italy, Spain and South Korea and even in Dharavi — a densely packed area in the mega city of Mumbai”, he said while explaining to people how an intense outbreak can be controlled.
He further added that “a strong focus on community engagement and the basics of testing, tracing, isolating and treating all those that are sick is key to breaking chains of transmission and suppressing the virus”.
In the month of April, Asia’s largest slum, Dharavi, was a COVID-19 hotspot. By the month of May, the area reported 1216 positive cases along with 56 deaths. However, with aggressive measures by the WHO and local authorities, the area reported zero deaths due to the pandemic in the month of June. It also recorded a reduced case doubling time from 43 days in May to 78 days in June.
The increase of cases in the area is also not alarming now. The growth rate of the spread was recorded 1.02% in June as opposed to 12% in April.
The Mumbai civic body, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been a key player in curbing the spread of the virus. The corporation has also been applauded by the center for “actively chasing” the virus and taking proactive measures for the same.
The Coronavirus pandemic is the most alarming health situation so far. With the world touching a 12.4 million case count, it is imperative to take aggressive measures to control the spread of this outbreak.
