Time to win the war against COVID-19: How and where community medicine professionals can contribute?

Abstract

A coordinated and multidisciplinary approach is needed to fight against coronavirus. In the absence of any proven therapy and vaccines, the nonpharmaceutical interventions or public health measures will play major role in containment coronavirus spread. The community medicine specialists can contribute to the public health as well as health-care services in combating the pandemic. Domains where community medicine professionals can contribute: The community medicine professionals can contribute at micro, meso, and macrolevel of framework of health system which refers to the patient/individual interaction level, the health care organization and community level, and the policy level, respectively. At micro level, faculty and residents of community medicine department can play a pivotal role in pandemic preparedness in the areas catered by Urban Health and Training Center and Rural Health and Training Centers of Medical Colleges. Considering district at the mesolevel, if the district has a medical college, then the department of community medicine can take the lead in preparing a District Pandemic Preparedness and Response plan in consultation with relevant stakeholders. At the macro level of framework, community medicine specialists can contribute in a larger way such as developing the guidelines and policies related to COVID-19. Where whole-society or the community is the key to control pandemic, the community medicine professionals can play the important role in the response mechanism for COVID-19 as well as for future pandemic.