Ho Chi Minh City activates campaign to protect people in risk groups

This campaign was effectively implemented by Ho Chi Minh City during the COVID-19 outbreak in previous years. 863,401 people were listed and managed, of which nearly 21,000 people who had not been vaccinated against COVID-19 were discovered and mobilized to get vaccinated.

In addition, 8,080 people were screened and detected early for timely care and treatment. The campaign to protect people in the risk group at that time contributed to improving the situation of infection, severe illness and death due to COVID-19.

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic possibly re-emerging due to the gradual decrease in community immunity to COVID-19 in Ho Chi Minh City (from 98.7% in September 2022 to 94.17%) and the emergence of the Omicron sub-variant XBB.1.5, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has directed the city's health sector and the People's Committees of districts, towns and Thu Duc City to immediately deploy solutions to protect people in the risk group, specifically:

Update the list and manage people in risk groups: The People's Committees of communes, wards and towns shall manage high-risk groups in the area, including people with underlying diseases, people over 50 years old, pregnant women, and people who have not been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in people over 18 years old. At the same time, direct relevant departments to coordinate in organizing the review, updating the list, standardizing data of people in risk groups, ensuring that the data is accurate and updated promptly.

Ho Chi Minh City activates campaign to protect people in at-risk groups, image 1 — The "Campaign to protect people in risk groups" was effectively implemented by Ho Chi Minh City during the previous COVID-19 outbreak (Photo: HCDC)

Organize COVID-19 vaccination: Review and make a list of people in the risk group who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 or have not received enough doses; mobilize and persuade people to go to vaccination sites in the area; organize COVID-19 vaccination to ensure that no people in the risk group are left out according to the instructions of the Ministry of Health ; organize mobile vaccination to vaccinate at home for people who cannot move.

Organize additional and booster shots of COVID-19 vaccine for people in risk groups who have received the basic shots; especially in localities where the rate of people in risk groups receiving the second booster shot is below 80%. Review and organize full COVID-19 vaccination for people living with and in the same family as people in risk groups.

Organizing care and treatment for people with COVID-19: Support people with COVID-19 in risk groups to monitor their health and receive treatment as soon as they are diagnosed with COVID-19.

When isolating, monitoring, and treating COVID-19 patients at home, it is necessary to follow professional instructions on self-care and health monitoring at home; and dispense COVID-19 treatment drugs according to regulations.

Provide care and treatment for underlying diseases for COVID-19 patients in high-risk groups at home or at treatment facilities; consultation and coordination with specialists corresponding to the underlying diseases of COVID-19 patients are required. In cases where people living together or in the same family have COVID-19, it is necessary to separate people in the risk group for health monitoring, ensuring the lowest possible risk of COVID-19 infection.

Monitor, isolate, and treat people living together or family members infected with COVID-19 until they are completely cured before being allowed to live together and continue to care for people in the risk group.

Organize communication, consultation, and healtheducation : Strengthen communication activities and health care consultation for people in risk groups, households with people in risk groups to know how to self-monitor their health, implement the 2K message well, especially wearing masks, limiting contact with people around, limiting gatherings and going to crowded places.

Full information on the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination; instructions for early detection of suspected COVID-19 symptoms and notification to health authorities for early testing, diagnosis and treatment. When experiencing one of the following symptoms: fever, cough, sore throat, chest tightness, shortness of breath, body aches, fatigue, loss of taste or smell, it is necessary to immediately notify the commune, ward or town health station for guidance, medical examination, sample collection, monitoring, isolation and treatment according to regulations.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control, the number of new COVID-19 cases on April 18, 2023 in Ho Chi Minh City continued to increase slightly with 47 new cases, of which 27 cases were indicated for hospitalization, of which 24 patients required oxygen (no cases of mechanical ventilation), most of whom were elderly people with underlying diseases.

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