The worldwide repercussions of the coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) are noteworthy, since the pandemic affects social, political, economic, and healthcare elements in many nations at the same time. The toll of this epidemic has yet to be fully assessed, not only in terms of human deaths and suffering, but also in terms of the psychological impact and the broader economic downturn. The insights made above provide compelling reasons to convert continuing experiences into practical lessons and to enhance the entire spectrum of population health, as well as healthcare delivery and support. (1)
During a pandemic, there are several goals, including the need to study the disease, improve patient treatment, and prevent future spread. As a result, COVID-19 supported the critical roles of diagnostic testing and mass immunization in epidemic management. Ending the epidemic requires the precise use of diagnostic tests in large quantities, as well as the quick use of the data to aid in the implementation of suitable medicines, vaccination programs, and, ultimately, the prevention of further spread. As the number of COVID-19 cases outside of China increased in February 2020, the first bottlenecks in the global logistics chain emerged, with healthcare and laboratory supply chains becoming increasingly dependent on the developing scenario in other nations. An overview of the problems in healthcare logistics in connection to COVID-19 is presented here, with an emphasis on the requirement for diagnostic tests during the first wave and vaccinations during the second and following waves of the pandemic.
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Logistics and diagnostic tests
For a few months, global supply lines were significantly disrupted (February to April 2020). Natural catastrophes, such as floods and earthquakes, have occurred in the past, and the resilience of healthcare logistics and supply lines has been examined in that setting. These included investigating the best methods for finding and deploying parallel logistics service providers, as well as researching ‘temporary facilities’ to deal with the aftermath of such calamities. However, the majority of the scenarios were for a certain scale and region and did not take into account a pandemic, which is considered unusual but far more destructive. The surge in testing demand, combined with the implemented lockdowns, posed a significant logistical challenge, as the right supplies needed to arrive at their designated laboratory destinations in a timely manner, and supply chains needed to remain active while also being able to dissipate and be re-activated as quickly as conditions dictated. (2)
Because of the supply chain’s tight interoperability as well as China’s initial (physical and economic) lockout, which represented a low-tier supply base for a substantial portion of global industrial activities, production would be immediately affected. As a result, a twofold bottleneck arose early in the pandemic in terms of obtaining biological components as well as raw sources for production. Later, the transport, storage, and dissemination of diagnostic tests presented considerable problems.
Furthermore, variables such as a test’s shelf life, the temperature tolerance of the test components, and basic qualities such as the size and weight of the packaging were all essential considerations influencing the ease of distribution. Many federal and international reactions supported the necessary modifications in healthcare manufacturing and logistics services, as well as emergency finance measures that were frequently employed to alleviate the effect of the interruptions.
Logistics of vaccination campaigns
It is obvious that the whole world population cannot be tested (repeatedly) at the same time, nor can it be vaccinated instantly in its totality; thus, decisions must be taken to prioritize sick groups or those at higher risk of infection (for example, healthcare workers). After identifying these groupings, their logistics must be devised and implemented. Over the last few decades, mass vaccination programs have been critical mechanisms for controlling and eliminating infectious illnesses, particularly in low- and middle-income nations. The success of such campaigns was dependent on a number of operational aspects, including the need for publicly available information, the fostering of strong coordination between national and district levels, the timely training of healthcare staff, as well as post-campaign reviews. (3)
Any mass vaccination program has three components: vaccines, well-defined immunization locations, and vaccinators. All three of these components must be present for a successful vaccination delivery. Importantly, vaccine distribution necessitates strict cold-chain control from the producer to the vaccinator, which presents a specific problem for some COVID-19 vaccines. (4). Additional obstacles include the particular storage conditions of several of the top COVID-19 vaccines based on mRNA. Therefore, educated calculations on what the supply will be on the manufacturing side during a certain timeframe, the number of vaccinations and potentially minimal stock are needed to define the actual demand and size during the roll-out campaign.
The International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER), the Society for Cryobiology, and other academic networks, societies, and private companies with specialized expertise in this area include the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER), the Society for Cryobiology, and others. As a result, the possible success of the mass vaccination effort would be contingent on the formation of expert coalitions/task forces inside nations or specific geographic regions. The lessons learned during the first wave of the pandemic, as well as the methods used to overcome logistical obstacles for diagnostic test supplies, provide a helpful template that may be followed and improved upon during the second wave and future vaccines.. The cold chain logistics expertise is extant, and needs to be brought on to the fore so that it becomes a central part of the solution.
