“THE cases were rising, and that’s one of the reasons why we shifted [our strategy]. The pandemic shifts, our strategy also has to shift,” said Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation Chief Executive Officer Esther L. Muna, PhD at the CNMI Covid-19 Protocol Forum on Friday at Kensington Hotel.
Prior to the surge, the goal was to contain cases at the border, roll out Covid-19 vaccinations for protection and ensure resources were available for surge capacity.
Prevention and mitigation strategies focused on community-based testing, school-based testing, quarantine for all travelers, isolating all positive cases, a vaccination campaign, keeping the alternate care site, or ACS, at Kanoa Resort a “warm state”; prepositioning staff, contact tracing, and practicing the 3Ws: wear a mask, wash your hands, and watch your distance.
At the time, Remdesivir was available for treatment of Covid-19 patients.
During the first phase of the surge, or the Delta surge, the goal was to minimize hospitalizations and death, minimize the spread, and activate the response for surge capacity.
Prevention and mitigation strategies were centered upon contact tracing, focusing on the reduction of the spread, isolating high-risk individuals to ensure quick access to treatments, the ongoing vaccination campaign, activating the ACS at Kanoa Resort for sub-acute care, prepositioning staff with incentives, constant public health messaging, and continuing to practice the 3Ws.
At this time, more therapeutics were made available, namely Therapeutic A (REGN10933/REGN10987), Therapeutic B (Bamlanivab), Therapeutic C (Bamlanivab and Etesevimab), and Molnupravir (Merck).
Now, during the Omicron detection surge, the goal is mainly to minimize hospitalizations and death.
Prevention and mitigation strategies are geared towards promoting an up-to-date campaign, in which the eligible population is encouraged to get fully vaccinated and boosted when eligible; practicing the 3Ws, encouraging individuals to stay home if they are sick or need to isolate, testing at various available sites, protecting the vulnerable, ensuring quick access to treatments, and shifting contact tracing to assessment and education.
Current treatments that are available are Remdesivir, Evusheld, Sotrovimab, Molnupiravir, and Paxlovid.
If an individual tests positive for Covid-19, he or she does not need to retest but must isolate for five days.
Within those five days, if the individual continues to show symptoms, his/her isolation day count begins after he or she stops exhibiting symptoms.
After a full five days of isolation, s/he must continue to wear a well-fitting mask.
Testing is available via home testing kits or community-based testing sites.
Treatments are available for those who test positive for Covid-19; may show an onset of symptoms within five days; and/or are at risk of progressing to severe disease, even if they have not been hospitalized.
Those who are considered high risk are individuals 65 years of age or older, are diabetic, have high blood disease, are obese, have heart disease, have chronic kidney disease, are immunocompromised, or are pregnant.
Individuals who meet any of these criteria are encouraged to seek treatment for Covid-19 at the Medical Care and Treatment Site, or MCATS, across from the CHCC emergency room, or at the Koblerville Covid-19 Community Center, or KC3, at the Koblerville Youth Center.
KC3 serves as a resource center for information and receives referrals for government isolation and/or treatment at the alternate care site at Kanoa Resort.
For more information, contact the CNMI Covid-19 Infoline at (670) 488-0211 or info@staysafecnmi.com
From left, Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. Chief Executive Officer Esther L. Muna presents at the CNMI Covid-19 Protocol Forum on Friday at Kensington Hotel as Governor’s Authorized Representative for the Covid-19 Disaster Patrick Guerrero, Covid-19 Task Force Chairman Warren F. Villagomez, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and Dr. Lily Muldoon, CHCC medical director of public health listen.
