The chickenpox epidemic in Ben Tre continues to be complicated and tends to increase, especially in industrial zones. From November 6 to December 27, a total of 197 cases of chickenpox were recorded at Alliance One Company in Giao Long Industrial Park (Chau Thanh District, Ben Tre Province) alone.
According to a source from Lao Dong Newspaper on December 29, in order to respond promptly and have a plan to handle the epidemic in the coming time, the Department of Health of Ben Tre province has developed a plan to prevent and control the epidemic.
Accordingly, in case of detecting a suspected case at a private clinic, it is necessary to collect full information (including phone number and workplace) of the patient, and at the same time make daily reports to the local Health Station. The clinic must arrange examination in a separate area and instruct suspected patients to comply with the "2K" principle (Mask - Disinfection). The Health Station needs to manage and instruct patients to monitor their health at home, while preventing infection to relatives and the community.
In case of suspected cases detected at hospitals or medical centers, examinations are conducted in separate rooms to limit the risk of spreading the disease and require suspected patients to comply with the "2K" principle. Patients are instructed to monitor their health at home and prevent infection to relatives and the community if they are prescribed outpatient treatment. In case a patient is diagnosed with chickenpox and requires hospitalization, the unit must arrange treatment in a separate room to ensure that the risk of cross-infection in the hospital is minimized.
In case of detecting a case in the community, the Health Station must verify and guide the patient to a medical facility for examination, and at the same time require the patient to strictly follow the "2K" principle. The Health Station also guides the patient to monitor his/her health at home and take measures to prevent infection for relatives as well as the community. When a relative has symptoms of suspected illness, he/she must immediately go to a medical facility for examination and treatment.
In case of detecting cases in companies, factories, and medical departments of the company, they will be temporarily isolated in separate areas, instructed on infection prevention measures, and asked to see a medical facility for examination. Every day, companies and factories will report the list of cases to the local Health Station to coordinate management and support disease handling when necessary. In case of cases diagnosed with chickenpox, they must be off work for at least 7 days from the date of rash until the blisters have completely dried or until there is a certificate of recovery from the treating doctor. Companies and factories will disinfect surfaces with 0.5% Cloramin B in areas with cases according to the instructions of the Health Station.
The Ben Tre Provincial Department of Health has assigned the CDC to take primary responsibility for professional work in responding to and handling chickenpox outbreaks in the area. Prepare a mobile anti-epidemic team to support the locality in the event of an outbreak. Prepare adequate biological products and chemicals to fight the epidemic, focusing on chickenpox vaccine and 0.5% Cloramin B.
