Key facts

Transmission

Coughing, sneezing or close personal contact (infected droplets in the air are breathed in by
another person)
Direct contact with infected saliva or nose mucous

Symptoms

Wide range of symptoms.
Look for fever, cough and difficulty breathing.

Prevention

Identify sick people before they spread the disease to others
Improve the nutritional situation, especially of children
Handwash with soap
Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life
Reduce overcrowding in shelters
Improve ventilation in shelters
Coughing etiquette (cough into sleeve, handkerchief or tissue, NOT the hand)
Social mobilization and behaviour change communication

Vulnerable people

Any person in the community can get respiratory infections
Children up to five years old, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are at
highest risk of severe illness
Displaced populations and those who live in overcrowded environments

If an epidemic occurs

Encourage handwashing
Detect serious cases and refer them to health facilities
Isolate sick people (separate them from healthy people)
Promote coughing etiquette (cough into sleeve, handkerchief or tissue, NOT the hand)
Use personal protection (eg face mask)
Reduce overcrowding and improve ventilation in shelters
Promote exclusive breastfeeding for at least the first six months of life
Increase social mobilization and behaviour change communication
Check the nutritional status of children under five and give nutritional support to those who are malnourished or sick

Community-based assessment - questions

Make a map of the community and mark the information you gather on the map. Record other details.

When did people start to fall sick with respiratory infections?
How many people have fallen sick with respiratory infections? Where?
How many people have died? Where?
How many people live in the affected community or area? How many children under five years of age live in the area?
Who and where are the vulnerable people?
Are children under five most affected? Or are other age groups, occupations, etc., more affected?
Are children in the affected community generally well nourished?
Do people always have enough food?
How common is breastfeeding?
Where are the local health facilities and services? (Include traditional and community carers.)
What are the community’s habits, practices and beliefs about caring for and feeding sick people? When babies and infants are sick, do women continue to breastfeed them?
Is a social mobilization or health promotion programme in place?
Which sources of information do people use most?
Are rumours or is misinformation about the disease spreading in the community?

Volunteer actions

01. Community-based surveillance 02. Community mapping 03. Communicating with the community 04. 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 16. Measuring the height and weight of children 17. Measuring mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) 18. Measuring oedema (water retention) in children 19. Psychosocial support 26. Coughing etiquette 27. Shelter and ventilation 28. Social distancing 29. Hygiene promotion 34. Handwashing with soap 43. Social mobilization and behaviour change