People's lives are turned upside down because of the cold.

(Baonghean.vn) - The phenomenon of "Polar Vortex" combined with El Nino with cold air currents from the North Pole pouring down to the South has caused the northern and north central provinces of our country to suffer a record cold spell. In Nghe An, the cold has greatly affected people's health and daily life.

Many people had to be hospitalized.

The coldest spell in decades has disrupted people's health, especially the elderly and children.

At Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, the number of patients admitted during this cold spell has decreased compared to normal days. However, it is worth noting that the patients who came for examination were all in poor health, with serious illnesses requiring immediate hospitalization and emergency care.

Many children with severe pneumonia must be treated in the respiratory department of the Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital.

Doctor Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha, Head of the Examination Department, said: During this cold spell, many children have contracted diarrhea, bronchitis, pneumonia, rhinopharyngitis, and severe flu. There was a baby over a month old who had just started coughing, had difficulty breathing, and was wheezing when he was admitted to the emergency room and had pneumonia.

In particular, there was a child who had to undergo emergency resuscitation at the Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital due to carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. That was Nguyen Duc Trung (4 years old, in Vinh Tan ward, Vinh city). Trung's grandmother said: His mother had just given birth to a baby. There was still leftover charcoal in the house so she took it out to warm up during this cold spell. Out of 7 people in the family, 5 were affected, of which Trung was the most seriously affected with symptoms of dizziness, chest pain, and vomiting. Trung was taken to the hospital at 9am on January 25...

Doctor Nguyen Hung Manh, Deputy Head of the Emergency Resuscitation Department, said: Luckily, the child was poisoned during the day, so he was discovered early and taken to the hospital for timely treatment, so his health has basically recovered.

Burning fire and charcoal to keep warm to cope with the cold is common in all households and is especially dangerous if it takes place in a closed room. Not as lucky as Trung's family, the coal poisoning incident in Nam Dan town (Nam Dan district) occurred on the evening of January 21, causing 5 victims in a family to be poisoned, unconscious and hospitalized. Of these, 4 people were transferred to Nghe An General Hospital for emergency treatment, now their health has stabilized and they have been discharged; the 18-month-old girl died due to severe poisoning...

It is known that during recent cold spells, the Emergency Department of Nghe An General Hospital regularly receives emergency cases of CO poisoning due to improper burning of wood and coal for heating. In 2015, the hospital received a case of mass poisoning that left 5 patients from Do Luong in critical condition.

Similar to Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, the number of patients admitted to the Friendship General Hospital has not increased, but most of the patients coming to the hospital during this cold spell are in a state of seriously deteriorating health, commonly with high blood pressure, stroke, and cardiovascular diseases. The Neurology and Cardiology Departments of the Friendship General Hospital currently have patients in critical condition. In the Neurology Department, there are always 5-6 new patients admitted to the hospital every day due to stroke.

Dr. Nguyen Van Long, Deputy Head of the Department of Neurology, said: Cold weather increases the risk of stroke for the elderly, and some chronic diseases will increase more than usual. The high-risk group is the elderly with a history of diabetes and high blood pressure.

The cold air has had a negative impact on the respiratory tract. At Nghe An Tuberculosis and Lung Hospital, the number of patients seeking examination and treatment has increased. Doctor Thai Dinh Lam, Deputy Director of Nghe An Tuberculosis and Lung Hospital, said: During this cold spell, the hospitalization rate of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is 20-30% higher than in other seasons. In addition, there are many people with chronic diseases such as asthma relapse, complications, etc.

To prevent illness in cold weather, doctors advise people to keep their bodies warm by wearing enough clothes, and not going outside unless necessary; eat scientifically, and supplement with energy-rich, easy-to-digest foods such as soup, hot porridge, and nutritional powder to increase the body's energy to fight the cold; Do not use coal or firewood to keep warm, which can easily lead to poisoning. Instead, use electrical appliances to keep warm, but pay attention to the risk of fire and explosion.

Children's education is disrupted

Faced with the cold weather and record low temperatures, the Nghe An Department of Education and Training has directed the education departments of districts, cities and towns to review the actual weather situation to notify students to stay home from school, ensuring the health of students; regularly monitor news on weather forecast channels to update the situation. If the temperature is below 10 degrees Celsius, preschool and primary school students will stay home, and if it is below 7 degrees Celsius, high school and secondary school students will stay home from school.

Parents having to keep their children home from school, right at the end of the year, has caused many families to suffer, especially those with young children. Ms. Tran Thi Huong - an employee of Hospital 115 said: "Both children are in kindergarten. Because my husband works in Tuong Duong, and my grandparents' families are far away, I don't know how to arrange things properly. I had to ask my office for leave to stay home to look after my children...".

Ms. Le Thi Phuong, Deputy Head of the City Department of Education and Training, also said: In the past two days, many parents have called to complain about schools being closed. However, to ensure the health of students, we still strictly follow the regulations of the industry. As for non-public schools, if there is a need from parents, the schools will still organize childcare.

Teachers at Hung Phuc kindergarten keep children warm.

Yesterday (January 26), Hung Phuc Kindergarten was the school with the largest number of students attending school with about 150 children (only 1/3 compared to normal days). To ensure the health of the children, the school's Board of Directors asked teachers to prepare more warm blankets, warm water and hot milk for the children. At the same time, turn on the air conditioner during all class hours and choose appropriate food in the cold season to ensure the health of the children. During class, teachers also proactively increase physical activity classes, organize group games so that the children can run and jump, and limit sitting in one place to avoid getting cold.

The air conditioner in a classroom at Hung Phuc Kindergarten must always be maintained at 32.oC.

Ms. Hoang Thi Vinh, the school principal, said: “Even if students do not go to school or come to school less, all teachers at the school go to work. We are always ready and create the best conditions for the children to be taken care of, ensuring their nutrition and preparing the best conditions for them to be kept warm like at home.

In mountainous districts such as Ky Son and Quy Chau, the Department of Education has also asked schools to remind students not to go outside or come to school without notice. Boarding students whose homes are too far away are not allowed to return home and must gather at school to ensure their health. It is forecasted that the weather will continue to be complicated in the next few days. Therefore, parents need to monitor the weather regularly and proactively contact the school to monitor their children's schedules.

Pink hearts

The temperature dropped, and snow fell in many highland areas such as Ky Son, Tuong Duong, and Que Phong districts. The snowfall was beautiful, but it made the lives of the people here even more miserable and difficult. However, during this record cold spell, many volunteer groups organized to give gifts to children and the poor in the most affected areas.

Young people participate in donating blood at the "Red Blood Festival" organized by Thanh Vinh Live Blood Bank Club.

Mr. Vu Thai Quang - a member of the volunteer group giving gifts in Na Ngoi commune, Ky Son district said: "Each of us needs to have the responsibility to understand the pain and difficulties of our fellow human beings and compatriots to share. Even if it is just an old shirt, a thin blanket or a few pairs of sandals, it will help people in difficult circumstances overcome these cold times, and help the children's way to school be less cold"...

Not only Mr. Quang's group, currently, on social networking forums, many people are actively calling for support for the people in the highlands of Nghe An province. The pink hearts for the community are trying to dispel the cold snowflakes.

On January 26, in Vinh city, many young people did not mind the cold rain to come to the festival "Giọt hồng tương vay" organized by the Vinh City Blood Bank Club.

Nguyen Ngoc Anh, Head of the Vinh City Blood Bank Club: During Tet, the demand for blood at hospitals in Vinh City increases, while students all return to their hometowns for Tet, so the amount of blood reserved for serious cases is very scarce.

We are very happy that despite the cold and rainy weather, many people came and donated blood, including many who participated in the double blood donation program. Hopefully today we can reach the target of 500 units of blood to meet part of the blood supply for hospitals during the upcoming Lunar New Year.”./.

PV Group