A Concept of Operations for the War on Coronavirus

By Dr. Tom Frieden

Along with our Preventing Epidemics team at Resolve to Save Lives, we have developed a concept for the different phases in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and what needs to be done differently at different times. It’s a war strategy, and like any strategy, will need to be adjusted as we learn more about the virus and about what works to limit spread. The basic concept is below, and I’ve written in more detail about it here.

This figure outlines response measures in COVID-19 containment and mitigation. Disease control activities to reduce spread and effectively treat those infected should be in place from the start of an outbreak. Contact tracing is critical in containment but is not used in areas with extensive spread in communities. Routine non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) are also used early on as they are in a typical flu season, and include washing hands, covering coughs, staying home when ill, and making sure surfaces are cleaned. If COVID-19 spreads widely, additional NPIs may be implemented, including additional personal measures such as staying home if a family member is sick and community measures such as mandatory telework and canceling mass gatherings. These measures will dampen the impact of the pandemic in the hope that pharmaceutical interventions such as antiviral treatments and vaccines become available.