(NEW) The Ministry of Health of Vietnam: COVID-19 case definition to adjust

(NEW) The Ministry of Health of Vietnam: COVID-19 case definition to adjust (Illustration)

1. Person identified as a suspected case

A surveillance case (suspected case) is one of the following cases:

- A person who meets epidemiological criteria and has the following signs or symptoms:

+ Fever and cough; or

+ At least 3 of the following symptoms: fever, cough, body aches, fatigue, chills, headache, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, loss of taste or smell or a reduction in these senses, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or difficulty breathing.

- A person who has a positive SARS-CoV-2 antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic test 

-A person who suffers from severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) or severe viral pneumonia (SVP) and requires hospitalization.

(Compared to the previous regulations in Vietnam, remove the case of a resident coming from an active outbreak area; being F1 and having at least 2 of the clinical manifestations such as fever; cough; sore throat; runny nose, stuffy nose; body aches, fatigue, chills; decreased or lost taste; decreased or lost sense of smell; pain, headache; diarrhea; shortness of breath; respiratory infection; people with epidemiological factors (excluding F1) are people who are present on the same means of transport or at the same place, event, workplace, class, etc. with a confirmed case (F0) in the period of transmission)

2. Person identified as a confirmed case (F0)

Confirmed case (F0) is one of the following cases:

- A person who has tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by Real-time RT-PCR (polymerase chain reaction) method.

- A person who show the clinical symptoms (specified in Points a, c of Section 1.1) and has a positive SARS-CoV-2 Ag-RDT.

- A person who meets epidemiological criteria and has a positive SARS-CoV-2 Ag-RDT.

(Compared to the previous regulations in Vietnam, remove the cases of close contact (F1) and has a positive antigen test result for the SARS-CoV-2 virus)

3. Person identified as a close contact

Close contact (F1) is one of the following:

- A person who has direct physical contact such as shaking hands, hugging, kissing, direct skin-to-skin contact or body contact, etc. with a confirmed case during the transmission period of this confirmed case.

- A person who still wore a face mask while having contact or communicating within 1 meter, or in a narrow and closed space, with a confirmed case during the transmission period of this confirmed case for at least 15 minutes.

(Previously, Official Dispatch 11042/BYT-DP specified a distance of no more than 2 meters)

- A person who did not wear a face mask while having close contact or communicating within 1 meter, or in a narrow and closed space, with a confirmed case during the transmission period of this confirmed case.

(Previously stated to be within 2 meters)

A person providing health care, examination and treatment directly for a confirmed case during the transmission period of this confirmed case without using adequate personal protective equipment as prescribed.

Note: the transmission period of a confirmed case:

- For a symptomatic case: 2 days before the onset of symptoms and 10 days afterward, plus at least 3 additional days without symptoms (including without fever and respiratory symptoms).

- For an asymptomatic case: 2 days before positive test for SARS-CoV-2 and 10 days afterward.

Official Dispatch 1909/BYT-DP takes effect on May 15, 2022 and replaces Official Dispatch 11042/BYT-DP of December 29, 2021 and Official Dispatch 762/BYT-DP of February 21, 2022.

Bao Ngoc

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