Hanoi recommends measures to prevent and control Covid-19 epidemic

The Hanoi Center for Disease Control has confirmed that Covid-19 is a disease circulating in our country. In response to the spread of the XEC variant in some Southeast Asian countries, the Ministry of Health has issued a warning about the risk of this variant spreading in Vietnam. It is forecasted that in the coming time, the number of Covid-19 cases in Hanoi may continue to increase.

The Hanoi health sector recommends that people proactively take epidemic prevention measures to protect the health of themselves, their families and the community, including: Implement 2K (Mask - Disinfection), wear a mask when going to medical facilities, crowded places or on public transport. Wash your hands regularly with soap or antiseptic solution. Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, do not spit indiscriminately, limit gathering in crowded places (if not necessary), limit contact with people showing signs of cough, fever, suspected of having the disease. Increase exercise, physical training and proper nutrition to improve your health. When showing signs of cough, fever, difficulty breathing, go to a medical facility for timely examination and consultation...

According to information from the World Health Organization (WHO), currently, a number of countries in Southeast Asia and around the world are experiencing a rapid increase in the number of Covid-19 cases of the XEC variant of the Omecron strain. The XEC variant of the Omecron strain has been detected worldwide since June 2024. This variant is now present everywhere in the world and is classified by WHO as a low-risk variant - a variant that needs to be monitored.

According to Dr. Teera Woratanarat, a lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine at Chulalongkorn University (Thailand), when comparing Covid-19 with influenza, the risk of infection with the XEC strain has an average spread rate of nearly 7 times faster. Specifically, for children aged 0-4, this ratio is 4:1; for children aged 5-19, the ratio is 3:1; in the group of adults of working age (aged 20-59) as well as the elderly (aged 60 and over), the ratio is 10:1.

Although XEC does not cause severe illness, the rapid transmission rate of this variant increases the risk of infection for vulnerable age groups such as young children and older adults with underlying medical conditions. The symptoms associated with XEC are similar to those of previous Omicron subvariants. The most common symptoms still include a mild runny nose, headache, cough, and sore throat. In particular, sore throat is one of the symptoms that is easily overlooked because it can resemble the flu, strep throat, or tonsillitis.

However, with XEC, sore throat appears in many patients from the first day of infection with the virus. Sore throat associated with Covid-19 tends to be sudden and accompanied by sore throat, dry cough, fatigue, fever, and loss of taste.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/ha-noi-khuyen-cao-cac-bien-phap-phong-chong-dich-covid-19-post882409.html