COVID-19 requires continued vigilance.

Recently, the media has reported an increase in COVID-19 cases compared to previous months and the same period last year. This surge in COVID-19 cases has caused many people to worry, with some seeking vaccination centers for booster shots.

The concerns and anxieties of the people are understandable because COVID-19 has caused an extremely dangerous pandemic, infecting 696 million people in 231 countries and territories, and resulting in over 6.9 million deaths. In Vietnam, the pandemic infected 11.6 million people and caused more than 43,200 deaths. It can be said that in over two years (2020-2022), the "COVID-19 storm" has caused enormous losses to the health and lives of people worldwide .

Through the COVID-19 pandemic, humanity gained valuable experience in disease prevention and control, changing perceptions and attitudes towards the disease, and subsequently developing effective methods for preventing and controlling the pandemic. In particular, after a period of vaccination to achieve sufficient herd immunity, the pandemic was gradually brought under control. On May 5, 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 no longer a global health emergency. On October 20, 2023, Vietnam officially declared COVID-19 a Group B infectious disease. The world has overcome the COVID-19 storm and returned to normal life.

After a while, a complacent attitude and underestimation of COVID-19 emerged. Many people did not comply with measures to prevent respiratory diseases in general, and COVID-19 in particular, which increased the risk of the disease.

So how should we respond when COVID-19 cases increase in some areas?

The percentage of people vaccinated against COVID-19 is very high, sufficient to create herd immunity. Furthermore, although the SARS-CoV-2 virus mutates rapidly to create new types, the virulence of these types tends to decrease. Everyone has gained experience in protecting themselves from the epidemic and has applied the recommendations of the authorities quite skillfully.

However, it's important to know that even with full vaccination and herd immunity, the disease can still spread and cause outbreaks without proper preventive measures. A large number of people contracting the disease will overload the healthcare system. And when the number of cases increases, there may be more people with severe illness, especially the elderly, those with underlying health conditions, and those with weakened immune systems.

Although COVID-19 is no longer a Group A disease, the risk of outbreaks remains; a widespread outbreak would threaten the health of individuals and the community. Therefore, people should not be overly worried but should remain vigilant and avoid complacency, underestimating, or neglecting preventive measures. Based on an understanding of COVID-19, every citizen and every family should comply with the guidance of relevant authorities on disease prevention and control.

Authorities are intensifying efforts to update information on COVID-19, its progression, variants, and virulence to improve public awareness and prepare response measures. Healthcare facilities are fully prepared with the necessary human and material resources to respond should an outbreak occur.

Every individual, family, and community needs to implement measures to prevent respiratory diseases in general, and COVID-19 in particular, such as wearing masks in public, avoiding large gatherings if unnecessary, washing hands frequently with soap and clean water, and covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing.

COVID-19 is not a serious concern, but vigilance is still necessary.

Source: https://baophuyen.vn/suc-khoe/202506/covid-19-vancan-canh-giac-b341a10/