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.