How to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in evacuation centers? May 10, 6:50
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What kind of preparation is needed to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in evacuation centers installed during a disaster? An expert in disaster medicine has published a checklist that summarizes the items that the local government should prepare.
A person familiar with medical care in the event of a disaster and Researcher Seiko Takaoka of the Disaster Prevention Future Center have put together a checklist of items that the local government should prepare in advance to reduce the risk of infection at evacuation centers.
In evacuation shelters, it is desirable to secure a space for each household, such as a family, and to separate it from other households by a partition, etc., at least 2 meters apart.
With this, it is important to inform residents in advance that the number of refugees that can be accepted will be smaller than expected.
Also, it is necessary to coordinate with the department in charge of the prefecture in advance where to evacuate patients who are infected with the new coronavirus and are being treated at home.
In addition, in case there is a suspected person infected at the evacuation center, prepare a room where you can isolate the patient, keeping in mind the use of tents and camper vans. It's also important to be able to track contacts.
Since the local staff who operate the evacuation center will be stressed greatly, it is necessary to establish a method for physical condition management such as temperature measurement and prepare after-care systems such as giving leave after work.
Researcher Takaoka said, “This time it is too late to prepare the sanitary environment after the evacuees have gathered, and it is important to prepare in advance. I hope it will be used as a starting point when discussing countermeasures.”