WHO’s list of guidance on COVID-19

A guide to WHO’s guidance on COVID-19

There’s a lot of information out there about how governments, health professionals and the general public should respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. WHO has published guidance and advice every step of the way. 

During health emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic, one of WHO’s most vital roles is to gather data and research from around the world, evaluate it, and then advise countries on how to respond.

WHO teams work with experts from around the world to develop this guidance. Together, the experts review reports, studies, presentations by countries, they analyse trends, consult further expert groups and then agree on the best approach. The guidance is meant for health decision makers who adapt the information for their country and context. As new scientific knowledge emerges, the documents are updated.

Since January 2020, WHO has published more than 100 documents about COVID-19. Of these, more than half are detailed technical guidance, on how to find and test cases, how to provide safe and appropriate care for people depending on the severity of their illness, how to trace and quarantine contacts, how to prevent transmission from one person to another, how to protect health care workers, and how to help communities to respond appropriately.

WHO uses many platforms to reach people with the guidance, beyond publishing it online and sharing it directly through networks. It provides resources and regular updates for those working in professional sectors. WHO teams monitor social media and work with technology companies to get ahead of potential waves of misinformation.

As of July 2020, more than 3.7 million people had enrolled in the OpenWHO platform, which has more than 100 free online courses about COVID-19 in 31 languages, including courses for health workers and other frontline responders.   

The link https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/a-guide-to-who-s-guidance  provides  a summary of some of the documents WHO has developed for COVID-19 and how they can be used.