COVID-19

Updates as of 25 February 2020

 What is COVID-19?
• Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness
ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).
A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been
previously identified in humans.  
• Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between
animals and people.
• Common signs of infection include:
• Respiratory symptoms
• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath and breathing difficulties
• In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute
respiratory syndrome, renal failure and even death. 
• When a disease is new as COVID-19, there is usually no vaccine until
one is developed. It can even take a number of years for a new
vaccine to be developed.
Update on COVID-19 epidemic until 24th February 2020
• Globally: 79,424 confirmed cases, including 2,626 associated deaths
• China: 77,262 confirmed cases, 2,595 deaths
• Outside China: 2,162 confirmed cases, 17 deaths, from 33 countries
• Iran: 61 confirmed cases, 12 deaths
• Iraq: 1 case reported in Najaf – religious student travelling back from Iran
and 04 from same family in Kirkuk with the recent travel history to Iran

Global Strategic objectives

• Limit human-to-human transmission including reducing secondary infections among
close contacts and health care workers
• Identify, isolate and care for patients early, including providing optimized care for
infected patients
• Address crucial unknowns regarding clinical severity, extent of transmission and
infection, treatment options, and accelerate the development of diagnostics,
therapeutics and vaccines
• Communicate critical risk and event information to all communities and counter
misinformation
• Minimize social and economic impact through multisectoral partnerships
• Identify and reduce transmission from the animal source
 Iraq response to COVID-19
• Restriction of entry to non-Iraqi travelers (direct or indirect for a previous period of
14-days) coming from China, Iran, South Korea, Thailand, Japan, Italy, and Singapore
until further notice.
• Iraqis coming from these countries are quarantined at their homes for 14 days (for
those of no clinical signs), and at designated hospitals in each governorate (for those
with clinical symptoms).
• Advise citizens to avoid gatherings (especially in closed sites) and travel (except in
emergency situations).
• Avoid conducting meetings, symposiums, and other events except for emergency
conditions.
• Adopt a fast track mechanism to procure medical supplies, test kits, PPEs, thermal
scanners, and other needed diagnostic and curative commodities through KIMADIA
and distribute it to all possible sites (Ports of Entry, Government buildings, etc.).
• Since a case has been identified in Najaf & 4 in Kirkuk, special measures are taken in
the holy governorate as follows:
– Inspection of all who were in contact with cases.
– Quarantine all those coming from Iran after 10 Feb 2020 and test those with clinical symptoms.
– Advise citizens not to travel between governorates (especially Najaf and Kirkuk) except for
emergencies.
COVID-19 prevention activities supported by WHO
in Iraq from 10th January 2020 to date
• MoH had their ARI response plans, that had been
quickly activated with technical guidance of WHO
on 10th January to the relevant authorities in MoH
to prepare the Ports of Entry and establish
surveillance in the PoEs.
• MoH higher committee meeting convened on  27th
January 2020
• Coordination teams established on 29th January
2020.
• Quarantine of passengers at six PoEs started from
31st January 2020; three more POE-screening
facilities between Iran and Iraq established on 20th
February
COVID-19 prevention activities supported by WHO in Iraq
from 10th January 2020 to date – contd.
• Laboratory reagents brought in and supplied on 9th
February; so far eleven tests performed, and five became
positive for COVID-19
• PPEs for laboratories were provided on 12th February 2020
and a consignment for managing 100 cases is in the pipeline
• ToT on detection verification and response to Severe Acute
Respiratory Infections was conducted in KRG on 10th and 11th
February 2020 and 25th February in Baghdad. Training for
staff from the hospitals completed for 100 staffs and
another 200 staff will be trained in the coming weeks
• Regular weekly meetings and technical updates shared
among the MoH, relevant ministries, and WHO.
• Situation updates are shared daily with partners 
• A regional mission is planned to Iraq (1-5 March) to look into
COVID-19 Preparedness in the context of mass gathering
 Prevention methods
• Wash your hands frequently: Regularly and thoroughly clean your
hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap
and water.
• Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based
hand rub remove and kills viruses that may be contaminated from the
surfaces on your hands.
• Maintain social distancing: Maintain at least 1 meter (3 feet)
distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or
sneezing.
• Why? When an infected person coughs or sneezes they spray small
respiratory droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If
you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, or the droplets may
contaminate your mucous membranes on of nose, mouth and eyes.
• Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
• Why? Hands touch many surfaces and can contaminated by the viruses
that are discharged from an infected person and staying for a while on the
surfaces. The contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes,
nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make
you sick.
 Prevention methods – contd.
• Practice respiratory hygiene: Make sure you, and the people
around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering
your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you
cough or sneeze. Then safely dispose of the used tissue
immediately and clean your whole upper limb or wash the
clothes at the earliest.
• Why? Droplets spread virus. By following good respiratory hygiene you
protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-
19.
• Practice self quarantine and seek early medical care: Stay home
if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty
breathing, seek medical attention as early as possible. Follow the
directions of your local health authority.
• Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date
information on the situation in your area. Calling in advance will allow
your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility.
This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other
infections.
 COVID-19 awareness session in Erbil
1st March 2020

• Health, WASH, Education and CCCM clusters are

conducting a COVID-19 awareness session (half-day) in
Dedeman Hotel, Erbil on Sunday 1 March, 2020
• The purpose of this session is to spread awareness on
the basic principles of prevention and protection
against infection in the camps supported by partner
agencies
• Project managers are requested to participate
• PMs then transfer this knowledge to their counterparts/focal
persons in the camps, to be disseminated to affected
population
• Deadline for registration: COB Thursday, 27th February
2020
 Important links
• Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the
public:
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-
coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public

• Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation

reports:
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-
coronavirus-2019/situation-reports

• COVID awareness materials –

English/Arabic/Kurdish:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1PB90ELM
HOaQmDYRY8rcUvtNlOOeA78sU
THANK YOU