Testing for SARS-CoV-2 at the core of voluntary collective isolation: Lessons from the indigenous populations living in the Amazon region in Ecuador.

Ortiz-Prado, Esteban; Rivera-Olivero, Ismar A; Freire-Paspuel, Byron; Lowe, Rachel; Lozada, Tannya; Henriquez-Trujillo, Aquiles R; Garcia-Bereguiain, Miguel Angel; UDLA COVID-19 Team; UDLA COVID-19 Team; (2021) Testing for SARS-CoV-2 at the core of voluntary collective isolation: Lessons from the indigenous populations living in the Amazon region in Ecuador. International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases, 105. pp. 234-235. ISSN 1201-9712 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2021.02.039

Abstract

Voluntary collective isolation has been proposed to be the best response to COVID-19 for indigenous populations. While the potential value of voluntary collective isolation is appealing, the feasibility of this approach needs empirical evidence to support it as the best response to protect indigenous communities from COVID-19. This paper describes our experience during SARS-CoV-2 surveillance among Waorani communities in the Ecuadorian Amazonian region, from June to September 2020. We found that self-isolation strategies failed to contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2 from main urban areas to remote and isolated comunities.

Additional Information

Item Type	Article
Faculty and Department	Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health > Dept of Infectious Disease Epidemiology & Dynamics (2023-)
Research Centre	Covid-19 Research Centre for the Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases
PubMed ID	33592341
Elements ID	157327