Webinars on Protection of health workers in COVID-19 response

WHO organized a webinar on the protection of health workers in COVID-19 on March 19, 2020 under the topic – EPI-WIN COVID-19 Health Sector. Many other webinars have also been organized in South Africa and India by the local universities on this topic.

Professor Claudio Colosio, past Chair and Secretary of ICOH Scientific Committee on Rural Health was invited to speak in these webinars as an expert.

Prof. Colosio is the head of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Occupational Health at the University Hospital of Milano, Italy. He is also the head of the Occupational Health Unit of the Hospitals San Paolo and San Carlo of Milano and of the International Centre for Rural Health. His lectures are about the lessons learned from the protection of health workers in the COVID-19 response in Italy.

Prof. Colosio is part of the International working Group on COVID-19 established by WHO. He is working in the Region of Lombardy, the Italian area most affected by the epidemic, on the possible strategies in tackling the Phase 2 of the COVID- 19 pandemic. Mainly it will be on the risk that the epidemic poses on the resumption of normal activities while ensuring the safety of those who carry out them. Fundamental points are on the active surveillance of workers, the use of nasopharyngeal swabs and serological data, the use of PPP to manage the return of workers who have been absent in these past few weeks due to COVID-19.

Prof. Colosio’s contribution in this respect, will be regarding the active contact research and their safety: the virtuous approach used in his hospital which can become a reference point.