The Covid-19 epidemic has decreased deeply, has Covid-19 been considered a circulating disease?
The number of Covid-19 deaths is close to 0
According to the Ministry of Health, the average number of new Covid-19 infections in the country recorded in the past 7 days is 4,400. The number of daily cases has continuously decreased in the last 4 weeks. The number of Covid-19 cases requiring hospitalization and severe symptoms also dropped sharply.
Notably, the average number of Covid-19 deaths in the past 7 days was 2 cases, there were days without any deaths. The rate of Covid-19 vaccination among people in Vietnam aged 12 and over is also very high. Specifically, the rate of injection 1 is 100%, injection 2 is 99.8%, and injection 3 is 49%.
The number of Covid-19 cases with severe symptoms nationwide is under 500 cases (treatment of severe Covid-19 patients at the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases. Photo by BVCC)
The Ministry of Health is urging localities to continue giving people the 3rd dose of vaccination and Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to under 12 years old, and at the same time planning to give the 4th dose of Covid-19 vaccine to strengthen community immunity. copper.
The Covid-19 epidemic decreased so deeply that the epidemic map across the country was almost completely covered in green (epidemic level 1).
According to the latest update of the Ministry of Health as of April 5, 94.6% of communes and wards nationwide are in green and yellow zones (low and medium risk of Covid-19 epidemic), of which the number of communes and wards in green areas is green and yellow. 80.8%; the gold zone is 13.8%;
The number of communes and wards in the red zone (very high risk of Covid-19 epidemic) in the country is only 16/10,604 communes and wards. The number of communes and wards in the orange zone is 533/10,604 communes and wards.
Make a plan to respond to the Covid-19 epidemic in the new situation
Regarding epidemic prevention and control, the Ministry of Health recently sent an official dispatch to consult members of the National Steering Committee on Covid-19 prevention and control, the People’s Committees of 63 provinces/cities and related units on the prevention and control of the epidemic. The plan to ensure medical work to cope with Covid-19 epidemic situations in 2022-2023.
Regardless of the situation of the Covid-19 epidemic, the Ministry of Health also emphasized the solution of Covid-19 vaccination for the whole population, focusing on groups at risk of severe disease such as the elderly, people with underlying diseases (Covid-19 vaccination). for the elderly in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo by HCDC)
Accordingly, the Ministry of Health proposed two situations including:
Scenario 1: The SARS-CoV-2 virus is still evolving. However, due to the community’s immunity, the number of severe cases and deaths gradually decreased, leading to outbreaks that were no longer as serious as before or the emergence of new strains of SARS-CoV-2 but less severe.
With this situation, the Ministry of Health proposed a safe adaptation plan, maintaining epidemiological surveillance and assessing the epidemic level. However, people with asymptomatic Covid-19 may not need to be isolated and can participate in some social activities.
Scenario two: The emergence of a new strain of SARS-CoV-2 that has the potential to reduce vaccine effectiveness or immunity, causing an increase in severe symptomatic infections or deaths, especially in vulnerable groups love.
The Ministry of Health proposed the principle of preventing, detecting, isolating, zoning and stamping out epidemics to be implemented flexibly, according to the narrowest scale and scope. The 5K formula + vaccine + medicine + treatment + technology + people’s consciousness + other measures are applied flexibly. Depending on the epidemic situation in each locality, appropriate Covid-19 treatment facilities will be established.
In both situations, the Ministry of Health emphasized the “coverage” of vaccines for the entire population, especially giving priority to groups of people at risk of serious illness such as the elderly, people with underlying medical conditions, etc.
At the same time, the Ministry of Health is also continuing to study, evaluate and review legal regulations and base on the epidemic situation to switch measures to prevent and control the Covid-19 epidemic from a group A infectious disease to a group infectious disease. B.
Safe adaptation to the Covid-19 epidemic is necessary
According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Dac Phu, former Director of the Department of Preventive Medicine (Ministry of Health), with any epidemic prevention and control scenario, the whole system needs to be ready to prepare medical and human resources. force when translating has unexpected changes. At the same time, continue the strategy of safe, flexible adaptation and effective epidemic control.
Assoc. Especially after the next few months, when the immunity of people with Covid-19 and people who injected Covid-19 has also decreased, the risk of large-scale re-infection can still occur.
The medical examination and treatment situation has returned to normal, only severe Covid-19 patients need to be hospitalized for treatment (Medical examination at Viet Duc Hospital. Photo by BVCC)
According to Assoc. Phu, personal prevention, wearing masks, disinfecting, and limiting contact in crowded places should still be focused. Because in addition to the prevention of Covid-19, many other infectious diseases can also be prevented,” said Associate Professor Phu.
Even if Covid-19 becomes an endemic disease, vulnerable groups at risk of serious illness still need to be protected by vaccines and other preventive measures.
“Although the epidemic has been controlled and has large vaccine coverage, in the context that our country is also very open, so people are not negligent and subjective in the prevention and control of the Covid-19 epidemic.”
Deputy Minister Do Xuan Tuyen
“Covid-19 will exist for a long time, so it is necessary to have flexible and flexible measures to adapt to the epidemic in each period, in accordance with the change of the virus.
If Covid-19 turns into a group B disease (a less dangerous infectious disease”, a specific response scenario is still needed because this virus still has many unknowns,’ Associate Associate Professor Phu said.
Regarding the question: “Is it time to consider Covid-19 as an endemic disease?” Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen affirmed that, although the Covid-19 epidemic is under good control, Vietnam is still in the early stages of development. transition between the pandemic phase and the endemic disease phase.
According to Deputy Minister Tuyen, there is no country in the world that officially considers Covid-19 as an endemic disease, but is only gradually easing epidemic prevention measures, such as the UK, Sweden, and Denmark that are not mandatory. isolating with close contacts (F1), not required to wear a mask…
“The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that the epidemic is still happening and there may still be a new strain that makes the Covid-19 epidemic more complicated and increases again.
Vietnam continues to closely coordinate with WHO as well as international organizations and other countries to monitor the epidemic situation as well as update the changes of the SARS-CoV-2 virus so that it can advise the Prime Minister. decided to treat Covid-19 as an endemic disease at the appropriate time.
Currently, the Ministry of Health has developed a response plan to take appropriate measures to prevent and control the epidemic, such as: Adjusting cases; isolation instructions for close contacts; Temporarily suspending medical declaration through airport border gates …”, Deputy Minister Tuyen shared.
at Blogtuan.info – Source: danviet.vn – Read the original article here
