According to the latest records from the World Health Organization (WHO), as of November 24, 2023, the number of new cases and deaths due to COVID-19 globally continued to decrease compared to the previous period, with more than half a million new cases and more than 2,400 new deaths (down 13% and 72%, respectively). The Western Pacific region is the only region with an increase in cases, notably Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Guam and Brunei Darussalam.
It is worth noting that a variant of Omicron, BA.2.86, has been upgraded by WHO from a surveillance variant (VUM) to a variant of concern (VOI). As of now, WHO is monitoring 4 VOI variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus: XBB.1.5, XBB.1.16, EG.5 and BA.2.86.
The EG.5 variant has been detected in many countries around the world.
From July 2023 to November 2023, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health continued to coordinate with Oucru to maintain surveillance of SARS-CoV2 virus variants in the city. Eight samples with sufficient COVID-19 viral load were genetically decoded, with the following results: all belonged to the Omicron variant.
Specifically: XBB.1.9 (4 strains), XBB.1.16 (2 strains), BA.2.75 (1 strain), BA.2.86.1 (1 strain). Thus, while the EG.5 variant is the most common and has been recorded in 89 countries, it has not yet been detected in Ho Chi Minh City.
In addition, according to the Department of Health, since the effective date of Decision No. 3896/QD-BYT dated October 19, 2023 of the Ministry of Health on adjusting COVID-19 from Group A infectious diseases to Group B infectious diseases of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases 2007, the hospital system of Ho Chi Minh City has not recorded any new cases of COVID-19 requiring hospitalization for treatment.
However, in the context of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in some countries as it is now, the risk of the number of cases in the City increasing again is inevitable, especially since there is still an EG.5 variant that has not appeared in the city while it is a common variant in other countries.
The COVID-19 epidemic has been controlled but we cannot be subjective.
In this situation, the Department of Health requested the City Center for Disease Control to continue to coordinate with the Hospital for Tropical Diseases and the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU) to strengthen case surveillance, monitor COVID-19 variants integrated into the surveillance of acute respiratory pathogens, and promote health education and communication activities throughout the city.
In addition, treatment facilities should strengthen diagnosis and detection of COVID-19 cases in high-risk patients to provide appropriate care and treatment according to the Ministry of Health's guidelines to minimize the risk of complications or death. Facilities need to ensure readiness for treatment when needed to avoid cross-infection in hospitals.
The Department of Health recommends that people with acute respiratory symptoms (fever, cough, difficulty breathing, etc.) should wear masks and limit contact with others, especially the elderly or those with underlying diseases; The elderly, people with serious underlying diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, people with immunodeficiency diseases, pregnant women should get tested early and get vaccinated against flu and pneumonia to proactively prevent other respiratory diseases.
In addition, people should regularly monitor information about the epidemic situation in the world. People traveling to, from, or returning from countries with increasing numbers of cases should monitor their health and wear masks. Regularly wash hands with clean water and soap or hand sanitizer, and when returning to Vietnam, they should monitor their health and limit contact with people at risk of severe illness such as the elderly, people with serious underlying diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, people with immunodeficiency, and pregnant women.
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