Comparing the control of COVID-19 epidemic before and after the implementation of rapid response program in southeast of Iran
Hamid Soori,
Gohar Mohammadi,
Ali Ahmadi,
Atefeh Abedini,
Mahmoud Masiha Hashemi,
Majid Sartipi,
Farshid Rezaei,
Ali Salimikhorashad,
Samaneh Sohrabi,
Forouzan Akrami
Affiliations
Hamid Soori
Department of Epidemiology, Safety Promotion and Injury Prevention Research center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical sciences, Tehran, Iran
Gohar Mohammadi
Vice Chancellor in Administration and Resources Development affairs, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Ali Ahmadi
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Health and Modeling in Health Research Center, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
Atefeh Abedini
Chronic Respiratory Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRTILD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mahmoud Masiha Hashemi
Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Majid Sartipi
Health Promotion Research Centre, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
Farshid Rezaei
Health Education and Promotion Department, Deputy of Public Health, MOHME, Tehran, Iran
Ali Salimikhorashad
Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Research Institute of Cellular and Molecular Sciences in Infectious Diseases, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
Samaneh Sohrabi
Vice Chancellor in Administration and Resources Development affairs, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Forouzan Akrami
Medical Ethics and Law Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Objective(s): Organizing the rapid response team is one of the strategic mechanisms that have been used to control the COVID-19 epidemic. This study aimed to compare the COVID-19 epidemic control before and after the implementation of rapid response program in southeast Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in Sistan and Baluchestan province in summer of 2021. The rapid response team has been settled in the region for 3 weeks since 3 July, and rapid response program including mass vaccination with a community-based approach has been implemented in catchment populations of three universities of medical sciences including Zaheadn, Iranshahr and Zabon. Data were collected from June 5, until September 23, 2021 and analyzed using descriptive statistics in Excel software. Results: During the study period, a total of 2,514,911 people were admitted and 2,125,389 people (84.5%) were discharged. 58,441 (2.3%) of the cases were hospitalized. The total number of tests taken during the study period was 310,741 (111,978 tests per million population). This rate decreased about 15% after the implementation (36% versus 21.7%). The total number of positive death cases was estimated at 0.9 per 1000 population. After the implementation, the mean number of hospitalized cases (59 patients per day), the mean difference of positive laboratory cases (400 cases per day), and the mean difference in the number of deaths (confirmed cases) decreased to eight cases per day. Conclusion: The findings showed that the implementation of rapid response program with community-based approach in was successful in controlling the COVID-19 epidemic.
