In its efforts to ensure the ultimate safe of voters and polling station staff during the upcoming elections of deputies to the 15^th National Assembly (NA) and all-level People’s Councils for the 2021-2026 tenure, as well as ensure the success of this great important politial event, Da Nang is carring out COVID-19 tests for over 12,200 families that have a member serving at polling places and members of over 65,000 other ones in the city from May 18 -21.

A medical worker takes a combined throat and nose swab of a selected member of a family in Nam Duong Ward, Hai Chau District, to test for COVID-19 in the morning of May 18. Photo: XUAN DUNG

Stepping up population-wide testing of COVID-19

Between May 18 and May 20, medical workers in Hai Chau District will take a combined throat and nose swab of members from nearly 12,500 families in total in 13 wards.

On May 18, swab samples of members of close to 3,000 families in 4 wards was collected to test for virus.

By the end of May 19, medical workers will complete the collection of swab samples for COVID-19 testing from members of the remaining families.

On May 21, the Hai Chau district will continue to carry out COVID-19 tests for about 1,700 people who are personnel and health workers staffing at polling stations in the locality.

In Son Tra District, swab samples of members of nearly 11,000 families were collected in May 18.

Mr Nguyen Cong Thien, a resident of Tho Quang Ward, said “The city’s population-wide testing of COVID-19 is very helpful and meaningful to local citizens, and this helps us feel safe and secure amid the complex developments of COVID-19 outbreak in the city. I hope that every citizen in the city is responsible for following the city’s recommendated preventative measures to protect individuals and our community in order to support the city’s efforts to contain the disease, and life in the city will return to normal soon”.

People in Son Tra District's Nai Hien Dong Ward were waiting in queue for their turn for health declarations before getting a COVID-19 testing in the morning of May 18. Photo: XUAN DUNG

Picture was taken in Nai Hien Dong Ward, Son Tra District in the morning of May 18. Photo: XUAN DUNG

In Thanh Khe District, medical workers will take a throat and nose swab of selected 12,697 members from local families to test for the virus from May 18 -20.

All the tested people were required to adhere to the 5 recommendations of the Ministry of Health, including declare their health conditions, wearing face masks, disinfecting their hands, keeping a safe distance from others, and joining the queue whilst waiting for their turns to have their swabs taken.

Conducting pooled testing for expanding COVID-19 mass surveillance

The collection of swab samples for virus testing from a selected member of each of local families is being carried out in Da Nang as part of the city’s new measures to stop the spread of the virus. 

Da Nang Centre for Disease Control and Preventation (CDC) Director Ton That Dam said that the Da Nang CDC will perform a 'pooled test' with samples of up to 20 people in order to save time and resources, as well as to get the pandemic under control. If pooled sample is positive all individual samples in that “pool” group are tested. If the pooled sample is negative assume all samples within the pool are negative.

Director Dam remarked that diagnostic testing to identify infected patients, including asymptomatic persons in the incubation phase, plays a key role to control the pandemic in Da Nang.

“Pooled testing could also make mass testing faster. It is best used for population-wide screening, contact tracing, and the monitoring of asymptomatic individuals with unidentified risk. Da Nang is implementing diagnostic testing in a massive scale as a cornerstone for its infection control and surveillance strategy”, Mr Dam added.

Reporting by XUAN DUNG – LE HUNG – Translating by H.L