Ministry of Health: From April 1, 2023, Covid-19 is an occupational disease covered by social insurance

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong has just signed and issued Circular 02/2023 amending and supplementing a number of articles of Circular 15/2016 regulating occupational diseases covered by social insurance.

Circular 02 has added Covid-19 to the list of occupational diseases covered by social insurance. Accordingly, occupational Covid-19 is a disease that arises during the working process due to workers being exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the working environment.

Covid-19 vaccination for medical staff at Nghe An General Hospital. Photo courtesy of Thanh Cuong

Workers with common occupations and jobs and sources of exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus include 3 groups:

One is,group of people working in medical facilities.

Second,groups of people working in laboratories, collecting samples, transporting samples, processing, preserving and destroying samples containing SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Third,Group of people working in the fields of epidemic prevention, control, service and relief for people infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus. Cases in this group include:

- People working directly in centralized quarantine areas, home quarantine, quarantine in epidemic areas, and supporting the care of Covid-19 patients at home.

- Patient transport and service person.

- People who transport, embalm, preserve, cremate, and bury the bodies of patients.

- People who monitor, investigate and verify Covid-19 epidemic.

- Customs officers, diplomats, immigration officers; officers, professional soldiers, non-commissioned officers, soldiers of the People's Army, defense civil servants, defense workers and defense officials.

- Soldiers and officers of the police force.

- People with other occupations and jobs assigned to participate in the prevention and control of Covid-19 epidemic.

According to the Ministry of Health, the minimum exposure time (the shortest time of exposure to a harmful factor during work that can cause occupational disease) is once. While the guaranteed period (the period from when the worker has stopped contact with the source of infection until the onset of the disease) is 28 days.

In addition, the examination time to determine sequelae is prescribed after at least 6 months from the time of contracting Covid-19 and being treated stably. In case of not being treated stably, it is carried out according to current regulations.

Also according to the regulations of the Ministry of Health, people working in the above professions and jobs are diagnosed withCovid-19due to exposure during work from February 1, 2020 to before the effective date of this Circular (April 1), occupational disease records will be established for examination and assessment and occupational disease benefits will be enjoyed according to current regulations./.