Key facts

Transmission: Airborne or droplet-borne (usually)

When infected people cough, sneeze, blow their nose or spit, they spread small particles or droplets through the air, which are then breathed in by other people
Direct contact (for example, through kissing, sharing cups or eating utensils) with infected saliva or nose mucous

Most vulnerable to severe consequences

Children under five years old
Elderly
People with weakened immune systems or other respiratory problems

Most vulnerable to contracting the disease

Displaced populations and others who live in overcrowded environments

Symptoms

Cough (may cough up mucous or phlegm)
Difficulty breathing
Fever (sometimes)

If an epidemic occurs

Prevention and control

Monitoring the community and identifying sick people
- Identifying people with suspected ARIs
- Identify and isolate sick people before they spread the disease to others

Treatment and management

Referral of serious cases (example: high fever, difficulty breathing, rapid respirations) to health facilities
Manage and improve nutritional situation, especially of children
- Encourage exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life and complementary breastfeeding until the age of two years, and especially when children are sick.
- Check the nutritional status of children under five (MUAC screening), refer cases of suspected malnutrition to health services and support nutritional programming
Provide psychosocial support to the sick person and their family members

Safe shelters and spaces

Reduce overcrowding and improve ventilation in living shelters, workplaces and schools if possible

Hand and respiratory hygiene

Promote good hand hygiene (handwashing with soap)
Promote respiratory hygiene and coughing etiquette (cover your cough or sneeze using your sleeve or a tissue, wash hands after coughing or sneezing, do not spit onto the ground or in public)
Use personal protection (for example, face mask)

Social mobilization and health promotion

Find out the specific advice being given by health and other relevant authorities
Model following this advice and inform community members of current health practice advice
Offer support and encouragement to follow the advice
- Try to gain understanding about if and why health practice advice is not being followed
- With the advice of your supervisor and health authorities, work with communities to overcome barriers to following health advice and recommended practices
Promote social distancing

Community-based assessment - questions

Make a map of the community.
Mark the following information on the map:
- How many people have fallen sick with acute respiratory infections? Where?
- How many people have died? Where? When?
- Who and where are the vulnerable people?
- Where are the local health facilities and services? (include traditional healers)
Record the following information on the back of the map:
- When did people start to fall sick with acute respiratory infections?
- How many people live in the affected community? How many are children under five years?
- How common is it for people to live together in crowded spaces? Is there ventilation and fresh air in homes, schools and workplaces?
- Are children badly affected by acute respiratory infections? Are there other groups (specific ages, occupations, geographic areas, etc.) that are badly affected?
- What are the community’s habits, practices and beliefs about caring for and feeding sick people? Consider any differences in roles and responsibilities between women and men.
  - When babies and infants are sick, do women continue to breastfeed them?
- Is a social mobilization or health promotion programme in place?
- Which sources do people use/trust the most for information?
  - Are there rumours or misinformation about acute respiratory infections? What are the rumours?

Volunteer actions

24. Routine vaccinations 01. Community-based surveillance 02. Community mapping 03. Communicating with the community 04. Community referral to health facilities 05. Volunteer protection and safety 12. Managing fever 13. Breastfeeding 14. Infant and young child feeding in emergencies 15. Measuring acute malnutrition in emergencies 17. Measuring mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) 19. Psychosocial support 26. Respiratory hygiene and coughing etiquette 27. Shelter and ventilation 28. Physical distancing 29. Hygiene promotion 34. Handwashing with soap 43. Social mobilization and behaviour change