Official Dispatch 897/BYT-MT on guidelines for medical isolation for children under 15 years old issued by the Ministry of Health of Vietnam on February 7, 2021.
Article table of contents
The conditions for children under 15 years old to quarantine at home in Vietnam are as follows:
(1) Facility and equipment conditions in Vietnam:
- It is a separate house (villa, townhouse, or independent house).
- In front of the house, there is a warning sign with a red background and yellow letters: "COVID-19 MEDICAL ISOLATION LOCATION".
- There must be a separate isolation room, closed and separate from the family's common living area. If the house has many floors, use a separate floor to implement medical isolation. In the restroom, there must be hand soap, clean water, or hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.
- The isolation room must be cleaned and disinfected, ensuring ventilation. It is best to regularly open the window, limit the use of air conditioners (if used, keep the temperature above 26°C and increase ventilation); do not use central air conditioning, and limit furniture in the room.
- Inside and outside the door of the isolation room, there are yellow trash cans with lids, foot pedals, and bags lined with infectious waste, labeled "HOW WASTE CONTAINS SARS-CoV-2."
- There are personal hygiene tools in the isolation room; buckets, basins for children's clothes and caregivers for preliminary treatment before washing.
- In the isolation room, there are brooms, mops, rags, two buckets of disinfectant solution or common detergent, and 70 degrees of alcohol so that the caregivers or the isolated children can clean and disinfect the room themselves. day.
- Must be fully equipped with personal protective equipment to prevent and control infection for caregivers and family members (epidemic prevention and control clothing including medical masks, medical gloves, shoes, goggles, and clothes) to use as needed.
(2) Requirements for isolated children and caregivers in Vietnam:
- It is imperative that a healthy person take care of and supervise the child during the isolation period.
- Do not leave the isolation room. Do not contact family members or other people. No contact with pets. Separate meals are provided.
- Instruct children and themselves to strictly follow personal hygiene measures; wear masks; wash their hands frequently...
- Self-monitor the health of children and themselves. If there are suspicious symptoms, notify the commune health worker.
- Actively clean and disinfect the isolation room, clothing, personal belongings, and collect waste according to the instructions in Appendix 1.
(3) There must be a confirmation from the People's Committee of the commune that they are eligible to conduct medical isolation at home in Vietnam (according to the form in Appendix 2).
Specifically, in Appendix 1 issued together with this Official Dispatch, the Ministry of Health of Vietnam provides guidance on environmental sanitation and disinfection during medical isolation for children at home as follows:
Environmental cleaning and disinfection:
- Perform environmental cleaning and disinfection at least twice a day at the following locations: floors, toilet floors, and frequently touched surfaces such as tables, chairs, bed rails, wardrobes, refrigerators, etc. door handles, toilets, sinks, faucets,...
- Must clean surfaces, utensils, and objects before carrying out disinfection. Caregivers must be instructed to use and wear masks and gloves when cleaning and disinfecting environmental surfaces.
- Cleaning and disinfecting solution with ordinary detergent and 70 degree alcohol. Regularly use 70-degree alcohol to wipe the surfaces of electrical and electronic devices such as light switches, TV remotes, phones, etc. Before cleaning, turn off the power.
Disinfect the clothes and utensils of children and caregivers:
- Wash the clothes of the child and the caregiver separately. It is best to wash right in the child's isolation room.
- Before washing, soak the baby's and caregiver's linens with laundry soap for at least 20 minutes.
- If using a washing machine, the machine must have a washing mode at 60 °C-70 °C.
- Dry clothes in a separate place with plenty of sunlight.
