Covid-19 “Overreaction” a Success in Vietnam: BBC

After taking aggressive measures against Covid-19 in early January, Vietnam reported no new cases in more than a month. “Vietnam saw a small window to act early on and used it fully,” reports Anna Jones for BBC News. “But though cost-effective, its intrusive and labour intensive approach has its drawbacks and experts say it may be too late for most other countries to learn from its success.” The country relied on pubic-messaging and propaganda tools, issuing daily reminders by phone on masks and other protective measures. The public rallied, supporting the government and practicing social distancing. Early interventions – including travel restrictions, closed schools, health screenings, contact-tracing – may have seemed like an overreaction when cases were so few, yet public health officials advise such precautions for new viruses with many unknowns. Authorities limited lockdowns to neighborhoods with clusters. Tests were not widely available, yet anyone entering the country or reporting contact with a confirmed case spent two weeks in quarantine centers. Oxford and Harvard universities operate health programs in the country, based in hospitals, and directors report no effort to hide cases. Prevention is less costly than the cure, concludes Guy Thwaites, director of Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Ho Chi Minh City. The international partners advise that strict precautions applied early are especially useful for locales lacking hospitals, resources and personnel. – YaleGlobal

Covid-19 “Overreaction” a Success in Vietnam: BBC

Once China reported a new coronavirus, Vietnam took aggressive steps on social-distancing, masks, quarantines – reporting about 300 cases and no deaths
Anna Jones
Friday, May 15, 2020

Read the article from BBC News about Vietnam's early intervention to stop Covid-19 infections.

Additional reporting was provided by Giang Nguyen and Bui Thu of BBC News Vietnamese.

Two Responses to Covid-19 Vietnam and US: Population 97 million , 328 million Confirmed Cases 312 , 1.4 million Deaths 300, 86,000 Median Age 30.5, 38.2 Hospital Beds per 1000 2.6, 2.8 GDP per Capita $2,600 $63,000
(Source: World Bank, Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering)

motorcycles on busy Hanoi street passing by billboard uging masks to prevent against Covid-19
Prevention: Vietnam's aggressive and early response meant it required less protective gear, and US President Donald Trump thanked Vietnamese leaders on Twitter in April for sending protective suits for medical workers in April (Source: Voice of America)

BBC News
Related Links: 

Countries That Contained COVID-19: New York Times

Everyone Can Help With Contact Tracing

Time to Make a Face Mask: New York Times

Copyright © 2020 BBC.

Comments

JORDAN-DBA on May 17, 2020:

Ms. Anna Jones reports about how aggressive the Vietnamese government fought against Covid-19 is half-truths!! Yes, they did used pubic-messaging on loud speaker and propaganda tools like billboard signs, closed school after Vietnamese Lunar New Year. As for issuing daily reminders by phone didn’t started until mid-March or the end of March on masks and other protective measures. There are no proofs of practicing social distancing in Vietnam. People still go out to the local market or super market without mask and or stand 2 meters apart! As for wearing protective masks in Vietnam, around 60-70 percent already wearing them even before the Covid-19! They wear them because the majority of people ride moped or scooter and they already used to wearing masks. Not until near the end of March or early April before the new law took place with 7PM curfew of eating out at restaurants, coffee shops, movies theater, massages parlor, spa, karaoke was closed!! So the aggressive measures against Covid-19 in early January was all a lied!! During the month of January, most people in Vietnam are preparing for the Vietnamese Lunar New Year and ton of weddings and they were celebrating like it was 1999!!! February and March the Vietnamese people eating out every nights and having a ball! And not to mention how many people died during those months without ever being tested!! The Vietnamese people doesn't go to the hospital like a lot of Western countries, here in Vietnam they die that day and some places they are buried in the same day!! Ms. Jones also show the data of hospital beds 2.6 per 1000 and the GDP of $2600 in Vietnam compared to the USA. Have you ever been to a hospital in Vietnam?? Do you know just how crowed it is? Patients are lying all over the places including on the floor. Yes, Vietnam has some success dealing with COVID-19, but your report is still HALF-TRUTHS!! You are a reporter, a journalist so please report the WHOLE story or nothing at all!! We all know that the TRUTH HURTS!!

Nguyen Sao Vang on May 24, 2020:

“..here in Vietnam they die that day and some places they are buried in the same day??!! Really? Here? Where do you live here in Vietnam? I am Vietnamese and live in Vietnam actually. What is your another haft truth? You said “buried in the same day” means that you never been to Vietnam! Also, the Vietnamese people used to wear mask but never up to 60%.....I would say 10 times less than that before the pandemic. So please be quiet!