The asylum seekers living in camps like Moria and Vathy are exposed to multiple risk factors that can make them sick and facilitate the spread of any communicable disease. These include the lack of shelter, the highly overcrowded and unhygienic conditions, as they live among rubbish, the lack of sanitation facilities, with lack of adequate clean water supplies, poor or no sewage system and more. Unhygienic living conditions in combination with the total negligence of the Greek government to remove the existing barriers that the asylum seekers face in accessing public healthcare are setting the ground for possible future outbreaks of any disease, including even vaccine-preventable diseases such as Hepatitis A, measles, meningitis etc., while at the same time they have a severe impact on people who are suffering from chronic illness such as HIV and diabetes. We are alarmed about the potential spread of COVID-19 and we are in contact with the National Public Health Organization to coordinate actions, including promotion of health information in the camp and case management.

In our pediartric clinic outside Moria camp, our patients (children and pregnant women) pass through a first screening. If they present coughing, diarrhea, vomiting or fever they are directed towards an extra triage than the others. After this extra triage, those who might present symptoms similar to COVID-19 will be further assessed/consulted. If they indeed present symptoms that are very similar with COVID-19 we will contact the National Organisation Of Disease Prevention who is responsible for the healthcare of people living in the camp. We are constantly adapting our response and we are doing everything possible to protect our patients and our staff and our main priority is to keep our clinics up and running as much as possible.