HCMC – Vietnam cannot practice social distancing for too long as it causes huge difficulties for the people and the economy. Instead, the country must combine measures to fight the Covid-19 pandemic and seek solutions to safely live with Covid-19, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
At a meeting with over 70 scientists and medical experts on September 1, the prime minister said the country has set targets to prevent the coronavirus from spreading further in the community and reduce Covid-19 deaths, the local media reported.
Many other countries have changed their strategies and worked out plans to live with the pandemic. Vaccines and antivirals will help reduce the death rate, while the application of science is the key to fight off the pandemic.
Vietnam wants to bring Covid-19 under control but must understand that the job cannot be done overnight and the country must seek ways to adapt to it, PM Chinh added.
Vietnam has combated previous epidemics thanks to directions from the authorities at all levels, the support of the people and the application of science. Therefore, the fight against Covid-19 will also depend on scientists’ contributions through anti-pandemic measures, vaccine and medicine research and the research and development of suitable treatment regimens.
Over the past two years, scientists and medical experts have contributed significantly to the fight against the pandemic. Vietnam was one of the first four countries to successfully isolate the coronavirus. The country has also developed Covid-19 test kits, piloted a Covid-19 antiviral and conducted human trials of local Covid-19 vaccines.
However, the Government leader called on scientists and experts to make more efforts to improve the treatment of Covid-19 patients to lower the death rate. Their opinions sent to the prime minister will immediately be reviewed by the relevant agencies.
At the meeting, Associate Professor Nguyen Viet Nhung, director of the Central Lung Hospital, said the establishment of intensive care units was necessary but not enough to minimize Covid-19 deaths.
The three-level Covid-19 treatment system that focuses on taking care of asymptomatic patients and those with mild symptoms as well as those with underlying health conditions, the elderly and pregnant women, has proved its effectiveness.
