Health sector promptly gears up for nCoV infections

The Ministry of Health (MoH)’s steering
committee for the prevention and control of dangerous and emerging diseases
held an urgent meeting in Hanoi on January 15 to discuss measures to cope with
this disease.

The MoH’s General Department of Preventive
Medicine said on January 14, the infectious disease monitoring system found two
Chinese nationals from Wuhan city to show fever symptoms at Da Nang
International Airport. The two have been isolated and placed under close
monitoring. Samples from them have been sent to the Pasteur Institute in Nha
Trang city for testing.

Pending testing results, the Health Department
of Da Nang city has implemented strict measures to prevent infection at local
medical establishments. The MoH has sent a working group to the central city to
step up disease prevention and control activities, the general department said.

According to the World Health Organisation
(WHO), cases of acute pneumonia caused by nCoV were reported in Wuhan city of
China’s Hubei province. The first patient developed symptoms on December 12,
2019, and the number of cases reached 59 as of January 15, including seven
severe cases, one death, two fully recovered, and others in stable condition.
There is no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission.

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Xuan Tuyen said
Vietnam hasn’t recorded any cases of infection. However, the entry of this
disease into the country is completely possible since Vietnam has constant
trading and tourism activities with China.

In January and February, the MoH will send more
working groups to examine disease prevention and control at hospitals and
localities bordering China. It has also ordered localities to take active
measures to prevent the disease and stay ready to handle and treat infection
cases if there are any.

The ministry will also keep close coordination
with the WHO to update people on the latest information about this disease,
Tuyen added.

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause
illness in the upper respiratory and gastrointestinal tract of humans and some
animals. They can spread through direct contact with respiratory secretions of
patients. 

In humans, coronaviruses cause illnesses in
winter and early spring, ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases
like Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus is a new strain that has not
been previously identified in humans./.