Key facts

When infected people cough, sneeze, blow their nose or spit, they spread small 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

What can you do to prevent and control an epidemic?

Promote good hand hygiene (handwashing with soap)
- BEFORE: preparing food; eating; feeding a child; treating wounds; or caring for sick people
- AFTER: using the toilet or cleaning a baby; touching garbage or waste; touching or feeding animals; blowing nose, coughing or sneezing; treating wounds; or caring for sick people
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)

Practise and promote social distancing
Use and promote personal protective equipment (for example, face masks and gloves) when in contact with potential cases

Find out the specific advice being given by health and other relevant authorities
- Promote recommended health practices (such as social distancing, separation of healthy people and sick people, etc.)
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 guidance of your supervisor and health authorities, work with communities to overcome barriers to following health advice and recommended practice

Make a map of the community.
Mark the following information on the map:
- How many people have fallen sick with SARS? Where?
- How many people have died? Where? When?
- Who and where are the vulnerable people?
- Where are the health facilities? (include traditional healers)
Record the following information on the back of the map:
- When did people start to fall sick with SARS?
- How many people live in the affected community? How many are children under five years?
- Are there handwashing facilities in the community? Are soap and water always available?
- How common is it for people to live or work together in crowded spaces?
  - Is there ventilation and fresh air in homes, schools and workplaces?
- Who and where are the vulnerable people? Who is most affected by SARS?
- What are the community’s habits, practices and beliefs about caring for sick people? Consider any differences in roles and responsibilities between women and men.
- 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 SARS? What are the rumours?

01. Community-based surveillance 02. Community mapping 03. Communicating with the community 04. Community referral to health facilities 05. Volunteer protection and safety 06. Personal protection equipment (PPE) for highly infectious diseases 19. Psychosocial support 20. Isolating sick people 26. Respiratory hygiene and coughing etiquette 27. Shelter and ventilation 28. Physical distancing 29. Hygiene promotion 34. Handwashing with soap 35. Handwashing in a highly infectious epidemic 41. Handling and slaughtering animals 43. Social mobilization and behaviour change