Ending Covid-19 (Coronavirus): The Management of Public Market Cluster for Breaking the Community Transmission (Contamination) in Developing Worlds

Introduction

The developing worlds within the low- and middle-income countries, and even some areas of high-income countries, may represent more than 75% of the world population. The developing worlds don’t usually use the private markets (malls), but they use the public markets with different levels from a village market to a large city market. The low-income populations don’t usually have the fridges and freezers to store food for many days. They don’t even have money to buy food for many days. The population goes to the market daily in cities and once or twice a week in villages where the markets complement the family production. Meaning the market connects daily the cities populations and once or twice a week the village families. During the confinement, it is not possible to close the public markets for the reasons mentioned above. To end the Covid-19 pandemic the public market contamination or transmission cluster needs strategic, practical options and customized ways to prevent the contamination or transmission.

Engaging and Capacity Building of the Public Market Management

Having the public market management engaged to put in place the preventive measures is key. The entry door should be to build their capacity and confidence as well as their leadership. The capacity building should be customized to the specificity of the market including the users (sales and buyers). Many public markets are open spaces, without clear entrances and exits. Very few may have cameras to monitor the respect of the barrier’s preventive measures. Supervisors don’t have in their terms of reference and capacity to monitor the disease’s transmission. In fact, the Covid-19 programs should build it for Covid-19 but also for potential other epidemics or pandemics. 

Handwashing or Disinfection

Many public markets, especially the ones of the small cities and rural areas may not have the capacity to organize the public markets to have official entrances and exits as well as handwashing and disinfection stations. Even the public markets in bigger cities may be in that situation. For the disease’s prevention, in occurrence for ending the Covid-19 pandemic, the support should ensure the persons using the public markets can wash and sanitize the hands at the entrance and exits, and as necessary. It is an important contribution that may have a global impact considering the big number of people using the public markets and who connects more than 75% of the families around the world. In normal situations, hand washing prevents an average of 40% of diarrheas, especially of children.

Wear of Mask and Social Distancing

Having the public market’s users wear properly the mask and social distancing is necessary to end Covid-19 because to have the vaccination coverage level that can break the transmission (at least 60%) may take many years. Establishing a monitoring system of the proper port of mask and social distancing in each public market is important. The management of the public market should be supported in terms of skills, systems, and technologies to be able to sensibilize and monitor wearing the mask and social distancing.

Testing of Covid-19

The public market is a cluster that embraces communities, families, and individuals from different local, neighbor countries, regional and global areas. It is a composite cluster. Testing the users in all of them including confirming the variants may be an important factor in ending the Covid-19. 

Vaccination of Covid-19

The public market is a potential site that may bring the Covid-19 vaccination to the communities. The public market is central in terms of community life. To end the Covid-19, the vaccination should be part of this community life for acceptability and access.

Conclusion

The public markets in developing worlds within the low-middle and high-income countries have potential high impact to implement almost all the diseases prevention strategies and interventions, including handwashing and sanitizing, wearing the mask and social distancing, and vaccination for Covid-19.  

Dr. Claude Sekabaraga