More than 40 people died from pneumonia, Vietnam requires Chinese visitors to declare health

Complex developments

The Ministry of Health has just requested provinces and cities with border gates to apply health declarations for Chinese passengers entering the country from 0:00 on January 25 (ie the first day of the Lunar New Year). Accordingly, medical quarantine officers handling entry procedures are responsible for guiding passengers to the medical quarantine department to fill out the health declaration when carrying out entry procedures for passengers from China entering Vietnam.

From 0:00 on the first day of Tet, Chinese visitors entering Vietnam must declare their health status. Photo: VNE

When detecting passengers with suspected symptoms of nCoV infection such as cough, fever, shortness of breath, or respiratory tract infection, medical quarantine officers must apply medical quarantine measures according to regulations. Specifically, they must be taken to an isolation area for screening and promptly reported to the health sector.

The International Health Quarantine Center, the Preventive Medicine Center, and the Disease Control Center (with health quarantine activities) need to organize the printing and distribution of health declaration forms that ensure quality and sufficient quantity for passengers to make health declarations. Health declaration forms at border gates are provided free of charge.

In Vietnam, Cho Ray Hospital has confirmed two cases positive for the nCoV virus: Mr. Li Ding, born in 1954, and his son Li Zichao, born in 1992. The Chinese father and son infected each other with acute pneumonia, because the father came to Vietnam from Wuhan.

The Ministry of Health assessed that the epidemic has an increasing trend, with the risk of spreading to other countries, including Vietnam. The two "hotline" phone numbers for information on acute pneumonia caused by the nCoV virus announced by the Ministry of Health are 0989671115 and 0963851919. People should contact the Department of Preventive Medicine or the nearest medical facility if they suspect or have pneumonia.

Nghe An thoroughly prevents epidemics

Meanwhile, in Nghe An, immediately after the Provincial People's Committee issued an urgent dispatch, the Nghe An Department of Health also sent a document to medical facilities in the area to prevent this epidemic.

Accordingly, the Director of the Department of Health assigned the Center for Disease Control to take the lead, responsible for coordinating with relevant units to strengthen surveillance and medical quarantine work to promptly detect cases of severe pneumonia and severe acute respiratory infections at border gates, Vinh international airport, treatment facilities, especially cases with related epidemiological factors; promptly isolate and handle suspected cases of the disease.

On the morning of January 25, authorities in Hubei province confirmed 15 more deaths from the pneumonia epidemic, while more than 1,000 people have been infected worldwide. The death toll from Wuhan pneumonia has now risen to 41. Hospitals are overwhelmed with patients.

This unit must also strengthen coordination of event-based surveillance (EBS), surveillance of severe viral pneumonia (SVP) cases. Maintain surveillance of influenza-like illness (ILI) at national key surveillance points. Strengthen provincial mobile anti-epidemic teams, ready to support districts, cities, and towns when necessary....

For the Medical Centers of districts, towns and Vinh city, they are responsible for propagating and guiding people to implement measures to detect, prevent and control epidemics. Closely monitor and promptly detect suspected cases in households, villages; communes and wards to isolate and handle promptly; promptly report the developments of the epidemic situation according to regulations. Strengthen the mobile epidemic prevention teams according to Decision No. 5894/QD-BYT dated December 19, 2019 of the Ministry of Health, ensuring 24-hour epidemic prevention work at all units.

For districts with border gates, it is necessary to closely coordinate with functional forces at border gates, seaports, and airports in inspecting and supervising people, means of transport, and goods entering and importing through border gates.

For medical examination and treatment facilities, it is necessary to strictly implement isolation, infection control, cross-infection prevention and protective measures for medical staff. Develop a plan to organize admission, emergency and treatment of epidemics, and maintain regular hospital operations during epidemics.

Prepare adequate medicines, emergency resuscitation equipment and necessary means to be ready to receive, provide emergency aid and treat patients. Proactively notify the Provincial Center for Disease Control, Medical Centers of districts, towns and Vinh city in the work of informing and reporting cases of infectious diseases fully, accurately and promptly according to regulations.

In addition, medical facilities are also responsible for collecting samples of suspected cases (throat swabs or nasopharyngeal secretions or endotracheal secretions), packaging, preserving and transporting specimens in accordance with biosafety regulations and sending them to the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology for diagnostic testing. Investigate cases according to the investigation form for severe pneumonia suspected to be caused by a virus.