COVID-19, Developing Countries Inefficient Lockdown Policies Vs Door To Door Vaccination Campaign, What Should Be The Future Move?

Editorial

Abstract

Since the start, COVID-19 has had a wave pattern, fluctuating from surge to nearly touching the base on the graph. Managing a pandemic, that is highly contagious and viral in nature; SOPs and vaccination, were means of coping with such pandemic. But as vaccines had yet to be discovered when COVID-19 started, the only way to stop it was to impose a lockdown nationwide and practice strict SOPs to control virus spread. Since day one, the developing countries are finding it hard to make its subjects compliant with the lockdown protocols as declared by their governments

Conclusion:

A study found that imposing lockdown orders on daily business activities and public gatherings has no significant effects in comparison to a nationwide strict lockdown¹.We believe that fighting an infectious disease pandemic by observing SOPs, lockdowns, and vaccination is one of the best approaches, but developing countries governments should have taken into consideration some of the realities that set them apart from developed countries, i.e., the culture and tradition, joint family system, and most importantly, limited resources and a low literacy rate², which were key points in the near failure of these policies.Now, as COVID-19 keeps its waveform and because of its new strain reporting due to genetic mutations, surges in cases can be seen in future. So, governments It should prepare itself for the new waves of COVID-19. Still, the CDC has decreased self-isolation and quarantine time to 5 days, indicating that lockdown is a second priority and governments should focus on vaccination ³.Considering the resource limitations of developing countries, governments should start door-to-door vaccination campaigns like polio eradication programs in big cities on an emergency basis rather than countrywide, as most cases come from urban areas⁴. Likewise, educating people through volunteer groups that address vaccination hesitancy and conspiracy theories should be established. The use of facemasks and observance of SOPs should still be followed, and governments should leave the imposition of lockdowns as a last resort.