For Australians concerned about the COVID-19 pandemic, the advice is relatively simple; wash your hands regularly with warm water and soap, distance yourself from others and avoid large gatherings, and if you experience symptoms, seek medical attention.
But for the millions of refugees currently living in overcrowded refugee camps across Europe and the Middle East - in Greece, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan - that advice is difficult to follow.
At the Moria Camp, built for 3,000 refugees in Mytilene, Greece, 19,400 people now live side by side. But with only one water tap for every 1,300 people and no soap available, simple preventive measures such as frequent handwashing and social distancing are seemingly impossible.
Médecins Sans Frontières International says there is a high risk the virus will spread at refugee camps where residents are already suffering from untreated respiratory diseases and a severe food deficiency.
"We need to be realistic,” a spokesperson for the charity told SBS News. “It would be impossible to contain an outbreak in such camp settings.”
Paul Ronalds is the CEO of Save The Children in Australia and has visited numerous refugee camps, most recently in Jordan.
Camp residents wear surgical masks to protect themselves from coronavirus in the Moria camp. Source: Getty Images
“I think that wealthy countries around the world are being ignorant of the impact the coronavirus is going to have on vulnerable populations around the world,” he said.
“I am really concerned about what happens when the coronavirus takes hold in refugee camps like those on the Syrian border.
“They simply do not have the ability to withstand the impact of yet another health issue on top of the malnutrition and the existing health issues that they have.
“It’s a significant issue and one the Australian government, European governments, North American government need to really step-up on, otherwise we are going to see really significant increases in the level of deaths from the coronavirus.”
Within Australia's aid budget for 2019-20, $450 million is dedicated to humanitarian assistance, which includes support for refugees and in times of crisis.
While there are no known cases of COVID-19 in refugee camps yet, the consequences of it reaching one of them could be disastrous.
Muhammad H. Zaman is a professor of biomedical engineering and international health at Boston University.
The Moria camp is extremely overcrowded. Source: Getty Images
He said as well as handwashing and social distancing being a challenge, “these communities are also at a social and economic disadvantage and may not be able to store food or buy provisions ahead of time.”
“Underlying health conditions, poor sanitation in and around camps, and poor access to emergency room services can make the problem of COVID-19 a catastrophe for these vulnerable and marginalised groups,” he added.
“At times like this, there is often a tendency to take care of our own citizens and those who are stateless may be left behind to face terrible outcomes.”
Drawing on previous experiences with the Ebola outbreak in Africa and with SARS and MERS in other parts of the world, national director of UNHCR Australia Naomi Steer said a COVID-19 outbreak would be manageable if the basic amenities were made available.
“We have faced SARS in the past, we have faced Ebola - and that’s still ongoing - we’ve faced influenza and it’s really about being prepared, having preventative measures, ensuring that we have appropriate soap, water, sanitizer, very basic things, and of course treatment,” she said.
“If we can corral all those resources, we can feel somewhat confident that we can manage the situation on COVID-19.”
If you believe you may have contracted the virus, call your doctor, don’t visit, or contact the national Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
If you are struggling to breathe or experiencing a medical emergency, call 000.
