Currently, the COVID-19 pandemic is still raging around the . At the end of the year, the risk of disease outbreaks is still hidden. Therefore, in the current situation, all people's awareness of pandemic prevention and control and drastic measures of localities are very important factors for effective control of infectious diseases.
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Local officials and people overturn unnecessary water containers to kill mosquito larvae and prevent dengue fever.
Infectious disease outbreaks are complicated
Recently, the Covid-19 has been developing after localities loosened social distancing measures. The number of infected cases tended to increase, especially when people returned to their hometown and came back to Binh Duong. In addition, the weather of the upcoming spring is favorable for infectious diseases to appear and develop, especially diseases transmitted through the respiratory tract and digestive tract, such as: hand, foot and mouth disease, measles, rubella, whooping cough, meningococcal disease, flu, diarrhea... Increasing transactions and travels during Tet and festivals are favorable conditions for infectious diseases to spread and outbreak. The increased demand for poultry food also leads to the risk of new and dangerous infectious diseases.
In 2021, the Covid-19 outbreak in Binh Duong province was also complicated, the number of infection cases and deaths increased; although there was no major epidemics, other infectious diseases recorded scattered cases in localities. The province recorded 3,994 cases of dengue fever in all 9/9 districts, towns and cities, an increase of 29.2% over the same period of 2020, including 2 deaths; 12 cases of measles, down 1% over the same period in 2020; 2,033 cases of diarrhea; 411 cases of chickenpox; 1,536 seasonal flu cases. Binh Duong is a province with many industrial zones and a large concentration of workers coming from other provinces and cities to work and live in lodging houses and residential areas. In addition, a favorable climate, and diseases such as: Dengue fever, measles, hand foot and mouth etc. often have potential outbreaks.
According to the medical authority, the winter-spring diseases could develop, due to favorable weather conditions. Doctor Nguyen Thanh Tri, Head of Medical Station of My Phuoc Ward, Ben Cat Town, said: “Although in 2020, dengue fever, hand, foot and mouth disease decreased in the province, there are potential infection cases in the coming days. Currently, a part of the population are not interested in regular preventive measures. Sharing the same opinion, Doctor Do Viet Hung, Deputy Director of Di An City Medical Center, said: "From now until the New Year and Tet holidays the disease and epidemic situation is forecasted to be complicated, especially the Covid-19 pandemic. People in the area commute to work, socio-economic activities increase, the demand for travel is higher, so the risk of disease transmission in the community is very high. The people's awareness of epidemic prevention and the engagement of municipal governments are critical factors to effectively control epidemics."
Effective control and suppression of epidemics
Dr. Nguyen Hong Chuong stressed eight key tasks of medical branch by the end of 2021 and early 2022. Among these eight tasks, he especially emphasized on surveillance and infection case handling. Namely, municipalities need to enhance surveillance in the community for early detection of Covid-19, MERS-CoV, influenza A(H7N9), influenza A(H5N1), A(H5N6); focus on implementing measures to prevent and control respiratory diseases (diphtheria, measles, rubella...) and endemic diseases (hand, foot and mouth disease, dengue fever...); thoroughly handle outbreaks.
“The operation of mobile medical stations in localities and industrial zones must be supervised to ensure that patients receive the best health care and management. The health authority also launched a campaign to kill larvae in high-risk districts, towns and cities, spray chemicals to handle outbreaks; fully prepare equipment and means for diagnosing and giving first aid to patients to reduce deaths due to Covid-19 and winter-spring diseases. In particular, by the end of 2021, the whole medical branch must complete the first shot of Covid-19 vaccine for 100% of the population aged 12 years and over, and the second shot for those after their first injection at the prescribed time. Particularly for the third shot, medical branch is striving by February 2022, to complete vaccination for 100% of the priority groups according to regulations of Ministry of Health, "said Dr. Nguyen Hong Chuong.
To prevent measles, hand, foot and mouth disease, people need to clean their houses, wash children's toys, wash their hands often with antibacterial soap... If there is a child in the house with hand, foot, mouth or measles, care should be taken to prevent the diseases from infecting other children in the house by: Do not share eating utensils, toys, or handkerchiefs. In particular, for dengue fever, people should not be subjective but need to actively take the recommended measures, such as: Clean houses, sleep under mosquito nets day and night, wear long-sleeved clothing to avoid mosquito bites; kill larvae, kill mosquitoes, turn over unnecessary water containers, clear bushes right in the area of their house. People need to raise their awareness of disease prevention, not be subjective or neglectful, and cooperate with the health authority and municipal authorities in taking measures to prevent and control infectious diseases and Covid-19.
Reported by Hoang Linh - Translated by Ngoc Huynh
