Commentary
Reza Nassiri
Abstract
Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a COVID-19 pandemic and provided information to healthcare systems on how best to prepare for such pandemic. Although the flow of information is overwhelming, the goal of this short communication is to offer primary care clinics (PC) or medical offices located in community’s specific judgment on how PCs should engage to prepare to meet COVID-19 challenges. These recommendations are based on the authors analysis of the consequences of this pandemic and we believe that more similar communications need to be published in order to understand the complexity of implementing preparedness strategies that is needed for PCs around the world. We also recognize that any such recommendations must be based on numerous untestable assumptions and any of these can reasonably be challenged, we propose specific actions and priorities for community PC preparedness issues more operationally useful. Although, hospitals and other healthcare facilities need to also urgently prepare, this commentary pertains to PC.