Conclusion
Obviously, close and continuous monitoring is necessary for accurate tracing and prediction of the COVID-19. Decisions made by officials at the time of crisis should be culturally and socially appropriate and sensitive. Timely, accurate, and transparent information on the epidemic in society and workplace accelerates the implementation of virus-controlling strategies. The University Headquarters for Prevention and Control of the COVID-19 in Shahroud quickly recognized the crisis and activated the emergency management structures to prevent the disease spread.
This comprehensive research project was started in cooperation with three deputies of Health, Treatment, and Research aiming to trace the contacts of the confirmed cases as soon as possible. It was then continued by slowing spread of the epidemic through early detection of the confirmed cases. In contrast to very fast transmission of SARS-CoV-2, manual tracing aiming to prevent the spread of epidemics is very slow; 15 therefore, information-based technologies are required to trace individuals in contact with the confirmed cases quickly and effectively, to give immediate notification, and to start isolation. Each patient with the COVID-19 should be detected, treated, educated and isolated immediately, and their contacts should be identified effectively as well. All of these steps were implemented properly in this program. Moreover, by developing a comprehensive and complete structure and using the opinions of experts in each deputy as well as feedback received from people, this program further improved in accordance with the daily needs of the region.
Considering specific individual, cultural, and social characteristics of each city, it is important that every region should assess its own risks and take prompt actions on an appropriate scale to reduce both the COVID-19 transmission and its economic, general, and social impacts. Coordination and joint actions of Health, Treatment, and Research sectors and the use of information technology according to local conditions can serve as a successful model for controlling epidemics.
Acknowledgements: This work was supported by Shahroud University of Medical Sciences (Grant No. 98126).
Conflicting Interests: The Authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.