CDC Project Shielding: Camps

What is the Shielding Approach1?

The shielding approach aims to reduce the number of severe COVID-19 cases by limiting contact between individuals at higher risk of

developing severe disease (“high-risk”) and the general population (“low-risk”). High-risk individuals would be temporarily relocated to safe

or “green zones” established at the household, neighborhood, camp/sector or community level depending on the context and setting.1,2

They would have minimal contact with family members and other low-risk residents.

Current evidence indicates that older adults and people of any age who have serious underlying medical conditions are at higher risk for

severe illness from COVID-19.3 In most humanitarian settings, older population groups make up a small percentage of the total population.4,5

For this reason, the shielding approach suggests physically separating high-risk individuals from the general population to prioritize the use

of the limited available resources and avoid implementing long-term containment measures among the general population.

In theory, shielding may serve its objective to protect high-risk populations from disease and death. However, implementation of

the approach necessitates strict adherence1,6,7, to protocol. Inadvertent introduction of the virus into a green zone may result in rapid

transmission among the most vulnerable populations the approach is trying to protect.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/global-covid-19/Interim-Operational-Considerations-Implementing-Shielding-in-Humanitarian-Settings.pdf

This report was generated on CDC website in 2019