Is 2 Weeks Enough to Control Spread of COVID-19?

We are in week-two of additional measures put in place by government to curb the rising COVID-19 numbers. The benefits of these measures will not be seen for another few weeks, but is two weeks enough? Doctor Melissa Diaz-Musa says that the longer the measures are in place, the better control of the spread.

Dr. Melissa Diaz-Musa

Dr. Melissa Diaz-Musa, Deputy Regional Health Manager, Central Health Region

“That’s the natural process of a virus once it starts to spread. It continues with ongoing transmission in certain environments where it already exists. And it is only after a few weeks that the benefits of these measures will be seen. So we expect to continue going up a little bit and we are very hopeful that we will soon be in our peak with this delta variant and start to recover in the next few weeks. But it won’t be overnight; you can’t put a measure in for one day and then feel that the following day we will see results – it doesn’t work like that especially with transmission of viruses.”

Duane Moody

“Do you think that the two-week period is enough? Should it have been longer? Maybe three or even four weeks?”

Dr. Melissa Diaz-Musa

“Well, definitely two weeks will help, but it is not the great help that we are hoping for. Definitely, the longer the measures stay in place, the better we will be able to control the spread. And we do know that that is a fact. Many countries have continued with very strict public health measures and they have continued it for many months in order for us to get very good control of this spread. But as it is for the two weeks, we do know that we will get some improvement, but you won’t see it within that two weeks; you will see it a few weeks after the public health measures have taken place.”