New guidelines for COVID-19 surveillance and prevention

The Ministry of Health has just issued a Decision on Guidelines for monitoring and preventing COVID-19. This guideline is a document applied at preventive medical facilities and medical examination and treatment facilities nationwide.

This guideline replaces Decision No. 3638/QD-BYT dated July 30, 2021 of the Ministry of Health on promulgating "Temporary guidelines for monitoring, preventing and controlling COVID-19".

According to the Ministry of Health, people infected with SARS-CoV-2 have diverse clinical manifestations, may be asymptomatic, have mild symptoms or have severe pathological manifestations such as severe pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome progressing to sepsis, multiple organ failure and death.

Groups at risk of severe illness include the elderly, people with serious underlying diseases such as diabetes/cardiovascular disease, people with immunodeficiency diseases, pregnant women. Currently, there is a vaccine to prevent the disease and there are antiviral drugs to treat it.

On May 5, 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that COVID-19 is no longer a public health emergency of global concern, but recommended that countries still need to implement monitoring and prevention measures, shifting from pandemic prevention to sustainable management.

This guideline is developed, updated and adjusted through practical activities with monitoring contents and epidemic prevention and control activities suitable to the current epidemic situation so that provinces, cities, medical units and related units can apply and organize implementation according to local and unit realities.

In Vietnam, COVID-19 has become a group B infectious disease according to the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases.

6 measures to prevent COVID-19 group B

To prevent and combat COVID-19, the Ministry of Health clearly states that each person should proactively implement the following disease prevention measures:

•Encourage implementation of 2K (Mask - Disinfection). Encourage wearing masks in crowded places and on public transport. Disease prevention at medical examination and treatment facilities is implemented according to Decision No. 2609/QD-BYT dated June 20, 2023 of the Minister of Health on Guidelines for prevention and control of COVID-19 infection in medical examination and treatment facilities.

•Wash your hands frequently with clean water and soap or hand sanitizer; gargle with mouthwash; avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth; cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, preferably with a cloth or handkerchief or disposable tissue or sleeve to reduce the spread of respiratory secretions; wash your hands with soap or hand sanitizer, especially after contact with suspicious surfaces.

•Improve health: have a reasonable diet, rest and lifestyle.

•Improve ventilation and environmental sanitation in residential areas, schools, and workplaces;

•Avoid contact with people showing symptoms of acute respiratory illness (cough, fever, difficulty breathing...)

•Educational institutions, agencies, offices, and production and business establishments guide students, pupils, and workers to implement the above disease prevention measures.

How is COVID-19 treated now?

The Ministry of Health clearly states the admission, treatment management, and infection prevention in medical examination and treatment facilities according to the regulations of the Ministry of Health.

Outpatients with COVID-19 need to take the following infection prevention measures:

+ People with COVID-19 must wear a mask. It is recommended to self-isolate at their place of residence for at least 5 days from the first appearance of symptoms or from the time of a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result and to wear a mask until the 10th day to avoid infecting others. If you need to leave your place of residence, you must wear a mask, regularly disinfect your hands, and limit contact with others.

+ Caregivers or people living in the same house as the patient must wear masks when in contact with the patient; limit contact with the patient.

+ Regularly wash your hands with clean water and soap or hand sanitizer; clean and disinfect objects and contact surfaces such as table tops, door handles, handheld devices, toilets, sinks, etc. daily and when dirty.

+ Keep the accommodation airy and clean.

For suspected COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Health clearly states: Require suspected cases to take personal infection prevention measures:

+ Self-monitor health.

+ Wear a mask when in contact with others or when leaving your accommodation.

+ Limit contact with others.

+ Wash hands regularly with clean water and soap or hand sanitizer; clean and disinfect contact surfaces.

In this guideline, the Ministry of Health recommends that provinces and cities proactively prepare adequate medicines, supplies, chemicals, monitoring, testing, and disease prevention and control equipment in accordance with the developments of the epidemic situation.