Active case finding with case management: the key to tackling the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by WHO on March 11, 2020, the first non-influenza pandemic, affecting more than 200 countries and areas, with more than 5·9 million cases by May 31, 2020. Countries have developed strategies to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic that fit their epidemiological situations, capacities, and values. We describe China's strategies for prevention and control of COVID-19 (containment and suppression) and their application, from the perspective of the COVID-19 experience to date in China. Although China has contained severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and nearly stopped indigenous transmission, a strong suppression effort must continue to prevent re-establishment of community transmission from importation-related cases. We believe that case finding and management, with identification and quarantine of close contacts, are vitally important containment measures and are essential in China's pathway forward. We describe the next steps planned in China that follow the containment effort. We believe that sharing countries' experiences will help the global community manage the COVID-19 pandemic by identifying what works in the struggle against SARS-CoV-2.

Figure

COVID-19 cases in China, as of May 31, 2020 Data obtained from the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China (May 31, 2020). The main plot shows the number of cases per day by the number of days since the cumulative case count exceeded 20. The inset box shows a scaled up plot of cases since day 61. Since April 1, 2020 (the 73rd day in Hubei's curve and the 69th day in the curve for the other provinces), the number included both symptomatic and asymptomatic cases. All data were smoothed over for each day by adopting the latest 3-day window (the day and 2 days before).