Qatar’s comprehensive strategy to control the spread of COVID-19 plays a crucial role as the country is preparing to receive a high number of visitors during the FIFA World Cup in 2022.
The country’s ability to predict periods of high transmission, use of methods to improve contact tracing and sharing of information, and implementation of a broad testing strategy to reduce the risk of transmission are imperative. This will be effective not only in the current situation but in the long term as the country will witness a substantial increase in the number of visitors during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and protect its citizens and residents, said a report published on Qatar’s Medical Journal, recently.
It has discussed the evidence on the transmission of severe acute COVID-19, its effect on control strategies, and lessons that can be applied in Qatar.
Factors such as demography, population movement during Eid holidays, screening and tracing of visitors and residents at entry points into the country, and expatriates living and working in high-density settings, use of Ehteraz application and how international airport serves as a major transit destination for the region, as Qatar is expected to experience a rapid expansion of visitors while preparing to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The report suggested that methods that improve contact tracing and the collection of health information such as vaccination status, testing status, and travel history will be imperative in the long term as Qatar prepares for an increase in international visitors for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in addition to supporting global travel by its citizens and expatriate residents.
The report ‘Pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic transmission of COVID-19: Implications for control measures in Qatar’ is co-authored by several healthcare officials and professionals including Dr Hamad Eid Al Romaihi, Co-Chair for the National Pandemic Preparedness Committee and Director of Health Protection and Communicable Diseases at Ministry of Public Health; Sheikh Dr Mohammad bin Hamad Al Thani, Director of Public Health Department; and Dr. Soha Al Bayat, Head of Vaccination at the Ministry.
The report emphasized that Qatar’s timely planned lifting of restrictions and re-imposing restrictions have limited the spread of COVID-19 virus, especially during the Eid holidays, said the report. It also added that well-timed and public communication of plans and periods for increasing and lifting restrictions has remained an important tool in the country.
A survey has estimated that social and physical distancing interventions reduced peaks of COVID-19 incidence by 87%, prevalence by 86%, acute-care hospitalisation by 76%, and intensive care unit hospitalisation by 78%.
Another analysis has found that higher prevalence of infection among craft workers was associated with occupation, with higher odds found among security, transport, cleaning, technical, and construction workers than among professional workers. Craft and migrant workers are also considered more vulnerable to infection due to shared high-density accommodation, transportation, and equipment.
Another study conducted extensive testing of 16,912 healthcare workers employed at Hamad Medical Corporation, which includes 12 hospitals, the National Ambulance Services, and tertiary care services. The study revealed several important considerations for control of transmission within healthcare settings: the vast majority (95%) had acquired infection at a non-COVID-19 facility, many reported exposure to a colleague (45%) or patient (29%) at a non-COVID-19 facility, and adherence to full protective personal clothing was significantly less in non-COVID-19 facilities (68%) than in dedicated COVID-19 facilities (82%).
“These results also suggest that the country’s restrictions were more effective at reducing infection among its professional population, but they remained vulnerable to future outbreaks, while craft and manual workers were closer to reaching herd immunity,” said the report.
