With the scattered increase in COVID-19 cases in some countries, including Thailand - a country with close contacts with Vietnam, many people are concerned about the possibility of the epidemic re-fielding. However, many experts affirmed that the current situation is not the same as before, and people should not be too worried.
According to Associate Professor, Dr. Do Van Dung, former Vice Principal of Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, new variants of SARS-CoV-2 continue to appear, but most of them have low toxicity. Thanks to the high vaccination rate and the large number of people who have contracted the disease, Vietnam has formed a fairly solid community immunity, helping to significantly reduce the risk of major outbreaks.
COVID-19 has also been classified as Group B, equivalent to common infectious diseases such as seasonal flu. This shows that the nature of the epidemic has changed, but this does not mean that disease prevention is neglected. The elderly, people with underlying diseases or weak immune systems still need to be monitored and protected.
Dr. Truong Huu Khanh - Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Infectious Diseases Association - said that the current variations are a successor to Omicron, mainly causing mild symptoms. There is no sign of a serious outbreak. The important thing is to stay hygienic, wear a mask when needed and monitor the health of groups at risk, he said.
Regarding additional vaccination, doctors Truong Huu Khanh recommends that it is not necessary at this time, because the current vaccines are still targeting old variants, while the virus has changed. Effective disease prevention is still the application of simple but practical measures such as wearing a mask at the right time, washing hands regularly and avoiding close contact with symptoms.
