When the world turned its eyes away from Asia to find examples of success in dealing with the coronavirus outbreak, much attention was paid to countries like South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong. But there was also a success story, which was later overlooked - Vietnam.
Vietnam, a country of 97 million people, has reported no single deaths and since the blast has confirmed only 328 infections, despite the long border with China and millions of Chinese visitors each year. The situation seems extraordinary given that Vietnam is a country with lower incomes and a less advanced health system than other countries in the region.
For skeptics, the official number of infected in Vietnam is too low to be true, but Guy Thwaites, an infectious disease doctor working at one of the main hospitals designated by the Vietnamese government to treat patients with Covid-19, said official figures match those in reality.
Naturally, the question arises, how did Vietnam manage to successfully manage coronavirus? The answer, according to public health experts, is a combination of factors: rapid government response, immediate response to prevent proliferation, strict contact tracking, quarantine and effective public communication.
Vietnam began preparations for the Covid-19 explosion a few weeks before the first case was discovered. "We did not accept the WHO guidelines. We received and collected data at home and abroad to act quickly, ?said Pham Quang Thai, vice president of the Infectious Diseases Control Department at the National Institute of Hygiene.
In early January, each airport had a place for temperature control. Travelers who had a fever and fever were isolated from the rest and monitored closely.
In mid-January, the government instructed government agencies to take drastic measures to prevent the spread of disease and strengthen medical quarantine at the border.
On January 23, Vietnam confirmed the first two cases of coronavirus. It was two people, a father and a son, who had been in contact with Wuhan, where the virus began to spread. The next day, aviation authorities canceled all flights to Wuhan. On February 1, Vietnam declared a national epidemic - with only six cases confirmed by Covid-19. All flights with China were suspended. In late March, Vietnam suspended the entry of all foreigners into the country.
Also, the medical authorities rigorously tracked the contacts of patients confirmed with coronavirus and placed them in mandatory quarantine for 2 weeks. Patients had to give the health authorities a long list of all the people they had met in the last 14 days. Announcements were placed in newspapers and broadcast on television to inform the public. So people who saw the name on the contact list of the infected showed care and communicated with specialists.
From the beginning, the Vietnamese government clearly communicated with the public: dedicated sites dedicated to the virus, telephone lines, and medical advice applications were opened. In late February, the government also released a song, based on a Vietnamese pop hit, to guide people on how to wash their hands. The video currently has more than 48 million views.
Source: CNN
