"I'm fascinated with what our neighbor Vietnam has done."
"I'm fascinated with what our neighbor Vietnam has done."
We have one of the strictest—and longest—lockdowns in the entire world compared to other countries with higher COVID-19 incidence. But have we really achieved the desired goal of flattening the curve after nearly three months?
If we're going in that direction, we sure would like to get a confirmation from our health authorities and medical experts.
We're constantly told that we should wear face masks, practice social distancing and observe proper handwashing so we don't catch or spread the deadly virus. And, not to forget, strictly obey what authorities are telling us.
But what is the government itself doing to contain the pandemic?
The World Health Organization (WHO) has been clear on the proper steps to contain the pandemic.
Governments should conduct mass testing, undertake contact tracing, put up adequate quarantine facilities for probable and suspected virus carriers, and convert existing hospitals or parts of them into specialized units to treat COVID-19 cases, whether mild or serious ones.
But we really don't have to reinvent the wheel and start from scratch because other countries have successfully beaten back the coronavirus.
I'm fascinated with what our neighbor Vietnam has done to keep its coronavirus death toll at zero despite its proximity to China. The pandemic began in Wuhan City, in the central part of the country, in January.
While other places, notably South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong have successfully handled the coronavirus outbreak, Vietnam holds the distinction of having no recorded deaths from the disease.
Vietnam is a low- to middle-income country with a healthcare system that's far less developed than others in the region. It only has eight doctors for every 10,000 people, a third of the ratio in South Korea, according to the World Bank.
After a three-week nationwide lockdown, Vietnam lifted social distancing rules in late April. It has not reported any local infections for more than 40 days since then. Businesses and schools have reopened, and life is gradually returning to normal, according to a recent CNN report.
So how did Vietnam do it?
There's no one answer. It's a combination of factors, from the government's swift response to prevent its spread, to rigorous contact-tracing and quarantining and effective mass communication.
First, Vietnam started preparing for a coronavirus outbreak weeks before its first case was detected.
Even as Chinese authorities and the World Health Organization were saying there was no "clear evidence'' of human-to-human transmission of the virus, Vietnam took early action in January, implementing temperature screening for passengers arriving from Wuhan at Hanoi's international airport and strengthening medical quarantine at border gates, airports and seaports.
As Vietnam celebrated the Lunar New Year holiday in late January, the Prime Minister officially declared war on the coronavirus.
On February 1, Vietnam declared a national epidemic—with just six confirmed cases recorded across the country. All flights between Vietnam and China were halted. In late March, it suspended entry to all foreigners.
Vietnam was also quick to take proactive lockdown measures. On February 12, it locked down an entire rural community of 10,000 people for 20 days. Schools and universities were ordered to remain closed, and only reopened in May.
The speed of Vietnam's response in late January and early February was the main reason behind its success.
Second, Vietnamese authorities rigorously traced down the contacts of confirmed coronavirus patients and placed them in a mandatory two-week quarantine.
Announcements were placed in newspapers and aired on television to inform the public of where and when a coronavirus patient has been, calling on people to go to health authorities for testing if they have also been there at the same time.
With contact-tracing, the government located almost everyone and asked them to stay home and self quarantine. Vietnam's contact-tracing effort was so meticulous that it went after not only the direct contacts of an infected person, but also indirect contacts. All direct contacts were placed in government quarantine in health centers, hotels or military camps. Some indirect contacts were ordered to self-isolate at home.
And third, Vietnam fully utilized mass communication to inform people of what to do.
Dedicated websites, telephone hotlines and phone apps were set up to update the public on the latest situations of the outbreak and medical advisories. The ministry of health also regularly sent out reminders to citizens via SMS messages.
The country's massive propaganda apparatus was also mobilized, raising awareness of the outbreak through loudspeakers, street posters, the press and social media. Ҭ Vietnam's previous experience in dealing with infectious disease outbreaks, such as the SARS epidemic from 2002 to 2003 and the subsequent avian influenza, also helped the government and the public to better prepare for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Based on these three criteria for Vietnam's successful handling of COVID-19, how did we fare?
One, we did not start early.
Two, we have not done enough contract tracing. In fact, nearly three months of a draconian lockdown, we're a still trying to hire contract tracers.
And three, as far as the government's propaganda machinery is concerned, was it used to keep the people informed about the nature of the pandemic and how to avoid its dire consequences?
ernhil@yahoo.com