“If an outbreak were to happen, it would be close to impossible to contain,” Syrian-American activist Leena Zahia said.
She was speaking about the possibility of a Covid-19 epidemic in the refugee camps, both inside and outside Syria, that cumulatively house millions of people displaced by the civil war, a prospect that gives public health and aid workers nightmares these days. In the camp of Vial, on the Greek island of Chios, for example, more than 6,000 people are now crammed into a space intended for about 1,000.
The paucity of food in the refugee camps has led to an epidemic of malnourishment. There is a lack of basic sanitation, with far too few toilets and bathrooms. And there are next to no state-of-the-art medical supplies and very few doctors. In the camps in and around Syria, for example, Zahia estimates only 1.4 doctors for every 10,000 people.
It will be the most difficult one to control if it spreads among Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh where more than 8,60,000 stateless Rohingya refugees live in the world’s largest and most densely populated refugee camp, Kutupalong. About half of the refugees are children. Can you imagine what can be happened if the Corona outbreak is there?
Available at:
https://www.worldvision.org/refugees-news-stories/rohingya-refugees-bangladesh-facts and
April 7, THE Nation
https://www.thenation.com/article/society/coronavirus-refugee-camps-trump/
We should be more well prepared and kind too dear Shno Mustafa Ali
Good morning
No only the refugee are in a dangerous situation. I think about Venezuela, it is a country without free down, several cases or a lot of cases and nobody knows the real number of sick people.
No hospital and doctors without protection
It is a sad situation behind Brazil and Colombia
Best regards
Ingrid García
It's so sad dear Dr. Ingrid Del Valle García Carreño . We, the public health workers worldwide, are failed actually and world should think more about their preparedness against pandemic crisis.
The simple answer is a yes. The European situation is both the most shameful, and due to the inflow of various peoples, one where the system have gotten stretched past reasonable limits.
Any of these haphazard camps is already a ticking bomb, not just for the risk of infection but there been infighting and attacks on personnel also.
I am very sad to say that we cannot take any more, all space here have been taken up by economic refugees from Africa to such a degree that we who was born here are now aliens in our own town.
Thanks for sharing your opinion dear Anders Forsgren, we have to control the spread by anyhow.
Muhammed Ashraful Alam yes absolutely and you're honoured for trying. While I honestly wish we could offer something.
As mr Jitendra Kumar said any gathering could end up with a mass infection. And this was the reason I happened on your discussion is that the economical migrants we have here had a mass gathering on Saturday only 2 days ago. Not were they very loud, they also broke every rule about social distance, neither used any kind of protection, not masks nor gloves. I was extremely upset seeing it, as they were yelling and shouting right outside my home and continued to so so trough the night.
Dear Anders Forsgren , the refugees are victims and very rarely they want to be that by themselves. That's another issue and we are now in Corona crisis and we have to control the spread by protecting ourselves as well as protecting them too.
None is safe when are not safe, DG of WHO said it few days ago in his speech. We have to secure everyone to prevent further crisis. Yes, some of us have to sacrifice more and some can take the opportunity too but we should play our role for humanity and as a physician everyone is same to me, never want to differ on black and white or rich and poor. Just want to enjoy the short life as a human being.
Muhammed Ashraful Alam thank you for your nice reply, I certainly do not make any distinction on people for their genetic or ethnic heritage.
While I belong to a minority people who have had an extremely rough time something that continued unto the age of my own upbringing. I have no hard feelings toward the white people, and I have often repeated that they should not be held accountable for the wrongdoings of their parents and ancestors.
My own mother was part of the largest translocation of war children in human history, even though she was deranged and suddenly would have flashbacks seeing soldiers of war, she always acted responsibly, had she been alive she and her best friend who had a similar background would have acted responsible also today following the decrees of the authorities. The actions and behaviour of the people I witnessed two days ago, is completely dissimilar. So my opinion on these people stands firm.
Don't be too upset dear Anders Forsgren , thanks God we are still free from Corona. Just relax and do your best whatever you can and I believe you are the best one too. God bless.
Dear Muhammed Ashraful Alam I am not very upset at least. Irritated is a better word. The need not to spread this virus come from personal experience as I had the mild variety of COVID-19 two months ago which made me sick for 2 weeks, a research collaborator nearly passed away and still is convalescent while a class mate from college whom I made small talk to when we met - no longer is among us.
So now I send the best wishes for you, and urge you to stay safe as you do your important work. Tomorrow afternoon I will enter another country where the COVID-19 pandemic have been successfully combated, and where I have gotten a special permit to enter and work in. No I am not running away from any local situation, this was planned long before this epidemic had started, but my departure have been delayed for a month.
Best wishes always dear Anders Forsgren and it was a nice sharing too.
The presence of Covid-19 in refugee camps is very dangerous, there is more danger of death.
All living conditions of humans crammed together in difficult sanatiation/hygienic conditions will be spreading grounds for infectious diseases and in particular of COVID-19.
Other situations are Submarines, Slums, refugee camps, low income working flats/homes, hotels, youth hostels, etc.
If fresh clean water and soap is not available the results will be most likely more devastating...
Will these outbreaks be detected? Are COVID-19 tests done?
Are infections and deaths reported?
Cases have been reported from Malta and Greece, from Slaughtherhouses and workers homes/camps in Germany/Singapore, Slums in India...
Do you know to report more cases?!
Yes, you are absolutely right. It's in Rohingya camp too, Dr. Carsten Weerth
Yeah, it is an enormous danger, but it is also very interesting that a mass occurrence of Covid in camps has not happened yet. Why? Are refugees better vaccinated? Are naturally more immune to it? Do other their illnesses force Covid not to action in their bodies???
How can we say that when they don't even get their food regularly? It's inadequate testing no doubt and under reporting is also in many cases, dear Boris Divinsky and actually they are the victims of total negligence.
I see, I understand. That is too bad! Can WHO, IOM, UNHCR somehow more help to situation?
I completely agree. There is a huge risk.
Attention should be given to this issue.
Serious measures should be taken by both governments and international bodies to ensure that Covid-19 doesn't spread in the camps. It is also very important to raise the awareness of the people living their.
Thank you
Under reporting and inadequate testing make them silent and cases are spreading in their own way.
It is a major problem at hand now. The relevant bodies should help to prevent the explosion. The EU has started moving some of the critically ill and minors from Greece camps to Germany. This can be extended to other refugee camps.
Thanks for sharing dear Kasim Salifu and the issue is almost neglected at national level.
Last two years the Government of Ukraine fully immunized Ukrainian population through intense cooperation with WHO. I do not see it as imminent concern.
That is not true. Merely 34.5% of Ukrainian population got fully vaccinated as of today. Risks are considerably high.