Ensuring epidemic prevention and control in the management of recovered F0 cases

– In the face of the fact that many recovered F0 cases who returned to their localities are re–positive, the health sector has closely coordinated with functional forces to strictly implement regulations on epidemic prevention and control, ensuring that the epidemic does not potentilally spread in the community.

According to Decision No.2008/QĐ-BYT of Ministry of Health dated April 26, 2021 on the issuance of guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of Covid-19, the recovered F0 cases who are discharged from the hospital and return to their localities will be under quarantine at home for 14 days. However, in fact, in the province due to the large number of F0 recovered cases re-positive (59/1,031 cases), the health sector has adjusted the quarantine to ensure that the epidemic does not spread and arise in the community.

Mr. Nguyen The Toan, Director of Department of Health, said that currently, the health sector has regulations and guidance for quarantine, treatment and monitoring of recovered F0 cases that are one level higher compared to the regulations of Ministry of Health. Specifically, all recovered F0 cases who are discharged from the hospital and return to their localities must undergo a 7-day concentrated quarantine at a medical facility or a concentrated quarantine area in the locality and have samples taken for testing SARS-CoV-2 by Realtime RT-PCR three times. After completing concentrated quarantine, the above cases continue to quarantine, monitor their health at home for 14 days and are sampled for SARS-CoV-2 test twice on the 7^th and 14^th days. If the above cases are re-positive, they will continue to be quarantined and treated at medical facilities as prescribed.

The staff of Bac Son District Health Center sprayed disinfectant for cases returning from Bac Giang under quarantine in the locality

Currently, 528 recovered F0 cases are being quarantined at ten district health centers and some concentrated quarantine areas. In addition, Department of Health has decided to requisition the Provincial Traditional Medicine Hospital as a place to quarantine recovered F0 cases whose addresses are in Lang Son city and Huu Lung district. The hospital has received F0 cases since June 22, 2021. As of July 6, 2021, the hospital has quarantined 303 recovered F0 cases, of whom 163 cases are under quarantine. Quarantine work is always carried out by the hospital in accordance with regulations, ensuring that there is neither unsafe situation nor cross infection in the hospital.

Doctor Nguyen Dinh Thu, Deputy Director of the Provincial Traditional Medicine Hospital said that the hospital has mobilized eight cadres to be directly on duty at the quarantine area, daily monitoring health, checking body temperature twice a day; carry out  disinfectant spray, clean quarantine rooms once a day. In addition, the hospital has established a logistics group and a social working group, a disinfecting spray team with more than ten members on duty to ensure all essential living needs for quarantined cases.

During the process of implementing quarantine in the locality, the recovered F0 cases all feel comfortable, agree with the policy and regulations on quarantine to ensure the highest safety, not let the epidemic at risk of spreading. Ms. Trieu Thi Nga, Yen Binh commune, Huu Lung district who is undergoing quarantine at the Provincial Traditional Medicine Hospital shared that she is in the 8th month of pregnancy. At the hospital, she is always cared, taken care of, encouraged by medical staff and doctors so she always feels secured, her health and state of mind are stable. She always follows epidemic prevention and control measures in the quarantine area so that the epidemic prevention will achieve the highest efficiency.

After completing the 7-day concentrated quarantine, the above cases continue their quarantine at home for 14 days under the close supervision of district and commune steering committees. For example, Huu Lung district has received the most recovered F0 cases in the whole province with 344 cases, who have returned from other provinces to the locality. Currently, 180 cases are under concentrated quarantine, 121 cases are under quarantine at home. The work of quarantine at home is particularly concerned by Huu Lung District Steering Committee who requires commune and township steering committees in the area to strictly comply with regulations.

The medical staff of the Provincial Traditional Medicine Hospital  took samples for testing from recovered F0 cases under quarantine at the hospital

Mr. Hoang Trung Ta, Chairman of Yen Thinh Commune People’s Committee, Head of Yen Thinh Commune Steering Committee said that the unit has five recovered F0 cases under concentrated quarantine at Yen Thinh Commune Secondary and Primary School. The above cases are arranged in separate rooms to ensure safety, preventing and controling the epidemic. In addition, the unit has eight recovered F0 cases under quarantine at home with the close supervision of medical staff and the People. The propaganda on epidemic prevention and control has been also carried out continuously by nine community-based Covid prevention teams with nearly 100 people, contributing to raising awareness of the quarantined and people in the area.

Along with the efforts of the whole political system in epidemic prevention and control, it is hoped that recovered F0 cases returning to their localities always strictly follow regulations on epidemic prevention and control in concentrated medical quarantine areas as well as home quarantine. Thereby, contributing to preventing the epidemic from spreading in the community.

According to the Provincial Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control, from June 2021 to July 6, 2021, the whole province received 1,031 recovered F0 cases from other provinces (mainly from Bac Giang province) returning to the locality. Of whom, 528 cases are under concentrated quarantine at medical facilities and concentrated quarantine areas, 310 cases who have completed concentrated quarantine are being quarantined at home.