Fighting fear and fatigue on the frontlines
On the ground, Vietnam’s swift and targeted response has proved effective through the often tumultuous pandemic so far. At the heart of the country’s strategy has been a common recipe of identifying, testing and isolating all positive cases and their direct contacts, regardless of whether they show symptoms. This strategy of isolating cases based on risk rather than symptoms has proved particularly important as asymptomatic cases and presymptomatic transmission were critical to the spread of SARS-CoV-2.
Another key set of tools in Vietnam’s arsenal has been strict, localized lockdowns and testing. These methods saw Vietnam report zero deaths and 99 consecutive days of no community transmission through to late July. And these strategies again saved the day when the country experienced its most deadly outbreak of COVID-19 infection in Da Nang province in late July and into August, when Vietnam recorded its first of 35 deaths due to COVID-19.
Nguyen Quoc Thai, vice head of the intensive care unit at the Centre for Tropical Diseases at Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi, has had plenty of experience on the frontline managing infectious disease outbreaks, including SARS and avian influenza. He was part of a team sent to Da Nang during the second wave to work alongside medical staff to help build and run the local hospitals and support the treatment and care of COVID-19 patients. Thai emphasized the resilience that the healthcare community displayed in the face of this ongoing deadly threat.
“I think the biggest difficulty is still fear of the disease,” Thai told Asian Scientist Magazine. “But after about a week, people got used to the personal protective equipment and started to feel that they were not alone in this fight, which helped them work more efficiently.”
While COVID-19 infections in Vietnam have significantly slowed since the August peak, outbreaks like the one in Da Nang, which was linked to a surge of infections in other cities and provinces across the country, are important reminders that nations cannot afford to become complacent.
Thai said he sensed some signs of complacency in late October when he, along with members of the Ministry of Health, travelled to Kon Tum and Gia Lai provinces in the central highland region in an effort to review and strengthen measures in local hospitals with the aim of preventing further outbreaks.
“I found that many hospitals still did not properly recognize the risk that COVID-19 could return to Vietnam at any time,” noted Thai. “Perhaps after a pause, people seem to be concentrating on other tasks they consider to be more important. However, the current situation of COVID-19 in the world makes it impossible for us to relax.”
As time passes and people tire of restrictions and yearn for some semblance of normal, complacency can prove deadly. Outside of Vietnam, several Asia-Pacific countries saw a spike in COVID-19 infections from late July, including Hong Kong, which was hit by a surprise third wave, and Australia, which saw its deadliest day in early September. There has also been a recent resurgence of cases on the other side of the world in parts of Europe and the US, spurring governments to plead with the public to stay alert and vigilant.
Vietnam’s success through the COVID-19 pandemic and past health crises proves that hard work and commitment to public health can help nations with limited resources protect their citizens from deadly threats, today and into the future.
This article was first published in the January 2021 print version of Asian Scientist Magazine.
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Copyright: Asian Scientist Magazine.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.
