Covid-19 epidemic prevention work in the coming time

Although the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on May 5, 2023 that the Covid-19 pandemic is no longer a public health emergency of international concern, the pandemic is not over yet. That means the Covid-19 pandemic is still a global health threat; the SARS-CoV-2 virus has not disappeared or become less dangerous, it is still mutating and there is a risk of new variants appearing, causing new increases in the number of cases and deaths. Therefore, countries should not let their guard down and ignore epidemic prevention and control measures.

The Military Medical Department - Standing Agency of the Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control of the Ministry of National Defense has issued an official dispatch to update information after WHO announced that Covid-19 is no longer a public health emergency as follows:

Recommendations following WHO declaration

WHO makes 7 recommendations to all member states:

(1) Maintain achieved national capabilities and prepare for future situations;

(2) Integrate Covid-19 vaccination into lifelong immunization programs;

(3) Aggregate information from other respiratory pathogen surveillance data sources to enable comprehensive situational awareness;

(4) Prepare medical countermeasures within the framework of national regulations to ensure availability and durability;

(5) Continue strong communication and community engagement programs, synchronously implement information crisis management programs;

(6) Continue to lift health measures related to international travel due to Covid-19;

(7) Continue to conduct in-depth research and make correct assessments of Covid-19.

Recommendations of WHO and US CDC in Vietnam

In the coming time, Vietnam needs to pay attention to the following areas:

(1) Develop a sustainable Covid-19 management strategy or plan based on the national context and risk assessment, including disease classification for Covid-19; ensure flexibility in response measures;

(2) Maintain national capacity to prevent, combat and sustainably manage the Covid-19 pandemic and proactively prepare to respond when the pandemic breaks out strongly;

(3) Integrate Covid-19 vaccination into regular vaccination, increase the 3rd and 4th doses of Covid-19 vaccine for people at high risk;

(4) Strengthen the integration of Covid-19 surveillance into the respiratory pathogen surveillance system, gene sequencing surveillance, and severe case surveillance;

(5) Strengthen communication and mobilization to encourage people not to be subjective and continue to implement measures to prevent and control the Covid-19 epidemic.

Recommendations of the Ministry of Health

Require people not to be subjective or negligent; actively and proactively implement the message of Covid-19 prevention and control "2K + vaccine + medicine + treatment + technology + people's awareness and other measures".

Continue to maintain and promote the implementation of appropriate and effective measures to prevent and control Covid-19 and other epidemics:

(1) Proactively and regularly monitor and closely follow developments of the epidemic situation, especially Covid-19; prepare scenarios and response plans for all epidemic situations;

(2) Organize and implement prevention and control measures right at the border gate; monitor and detect early in the community and in medical facilities;

(3) Develop a vaccination plan for 2023;

(4) Issue a plan to guide the communication work on Covid-19 vaccination in Vietnam in 2023-2024;

(5) Effectively carry out the triage, screening and examination; ensure admission, emergency, isolation and treatment, especially for high-risk groups, minimizing deaths;

(6) Continue to strictly direct the implementation of ensuring medicines, supplies, medical equipment and payment of medical examination and treatment costs under health insurance.

Military Medical Department forecasts the situation in the coming time

The epidemic is currently under good control, all localities are at epidemic level 1 (green), assessed according to Resolution No. 128/NQ-CP dated October 11, 2021 of the Government, Decision No. 218/QD-BYT dated January 27, 2022 of the Ministry of Health. In the coming time, the forecast number of daily cases will fluctuate between 2,000-3,000 cases; the number of hospitalizations, severe, critical cases, and deaths will not increase correspondingly, mainly concentrated in the group of people with underlying diseases and the elderly. The number of cases may decrease in the summer months of 2023.

In the military, the Covid-19 epidemic and other epidemics are still well controlled. The coverage rate of the 3rd and 4th doses of the vaccine is higher than that of the community, along with the drastic and close direction of epidemic prevention and control by leaders and commanders at all levels, with experience in responding to epidemic situations, so the number of cases may increase sporadically in units, with mild symptoms, short treatment time, and difficulty in developing into clusters of cases or large outbreaks.

On epidemic prevention and control work in the army in the coming time

The Military Medical Department requests leaders and commanders of agencies, units, and military medical units at all levels throughout the army to effectively implement the following key contents:

(1) Continue to maintain the operation of the Steering Committee for epidemic prevention and control at all levels; conduct regular and surprise inspections of epidemic prevention and control work of subordinate units, promptly make corrections and draw lessons. Implement information, propaganda and education on appropriate, flexible, effective and sustainable epidemic prevention and control measures.

(2) Review and supplement the epidemic prevention and control plans of agencies and units; supplement human resources, equipment, chemicals, test kits, consumables, etc.; have plans to admit and treat patients at all levels, etc., ready to deploy when the epidemic situation becomes complicated. Diagnosis and treatment of Covid-19 at treatment facilities are implemented according to Decision No. 250/QD-BYT dated January 28, 2022 of the Ministry of Health on guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of Covid-19.

(3) Actively monitor and test for SARS-CoV-2 using rapid antigen tests for suspected symptomatic cases for early detection, isolation, and timely treatment. Covid-19 cases must be strictly isolated, closely monitored, and actively treated to minimize progression and prevent the spread of the disease within agencies, units, and the community.

(4) Continue to summarize the Covid-19 vaccination situation of new soldiers enlisted in 2023 and other groups of subjects, propose additional vaccination numbers and locations, and report to the Military Medical Department to develop a vaccination plan for these groups of subjects.

MILITARY MEDICAL DEPARTMENT

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