NEJM Covid-19 Note: "Facing the Monster in Haiti"

In a new COVD-19 Note in the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Vanessa Rouzier provides insight on Covid-19 in Haiti and practical advice to others responding to the pandemic in low-income countries. Dr. Rouzier is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in Medicine at Weill Cornell and Chief of Pediatrics at GHESKIO Centers in Port-au-Prince Haiti. She is on the frontlines of the Covid-19 response in Haiti, working with her colleagues to rapidly adapt to Covid-19. 

Covid-19 first arrived in Haiti on March, 19, 2020 and brought with it a complex set of challenges, including stigmatization and further strain on a limited healthcare system. After two months with fewer than 500 cases, Haiti saw a dramatic increase in cases in mid-May. The country now has a total of 4,441 confirmed cases as of June 15, 2020. 

Dr. Rouzier's piece "Facing the Monster in Haiti," elaborates on GHESKIO’s response, which includes monitoring patients wiht mild disease at home by cell phone, while care for in-patients focus on oxygen therapy, fluid management, and anticoagulation. She offers practical advice such as distributing Covid-19 training videos through social media given social distancing measures, and fighting stigma through grassroots community engagement. 

Read more in the New England Journal of Medicine Covid-19 Note titled “Facing the Monster in Haiti.”