In light of complicated developments of COVID-19 in many localities across Viet Nam, the risk of re-introduction or importation of the deadly virus into Da Nang is still looming. To speed up the tracing of the primary and secondary contacts of COVID-19 in a timely manner, the local medical force not only to be proactive, but also to closely link with other localities.

Staff from the Da Nang Centre for Disease Control trace cases related to COVID-19 patients. Photo: PHAN CHUNG

The Department of Infectious Disease Control of the Da Nang Centre for Disease Control (CDC Da Nang) is now in charge of continuously receiving and processing information related to COVID-19 cases recorded throughout the city.

Accordingly, when a new COVID-19 case is documented, based on the information provided by the patient's medical declarations, the grassroots-level medical forces will spread out to locations to find as many contacts as possible for report to the Department of Infectious Disease Control of CDC Da Nang.

Here, the medical staff must task themselves with synthesising locations visited by COVID-19 patients whilst they are infectious in a chronological order.

According to Master Dang Quang Anh, Deputy Head of the Department of Infectious Disease Control, in order to meet the criteria of prompt and timely provision of epidemiological information, professional forces must utilise all available information channels.

In complicated circumstances under which patients visit many locations and come into contact with many people, the tracing team must increase human resources and break down each timeline to verify and handle the collected data.

“One of the very important information channels that CDC Da Nang cannot ignore is to receive data on patients contracting the virus from CDCs in other provinces and cities across the country. In the current context, when the virus is still raging in many localities, it is very important to capture information provided by other CDCs, said Master Anh.

On June 24, for example CDC Da Nang received information from CDC Quang Ninh about a case in which an infected patient from this northern province stayed in rental lodging on Le Thach Street, Hoa An Ward, Cam Le District.

Upon receiving the information, CDC Da Nang coordinated with the local localities to quickly zone and trace those linked to the infected person. In the evening of the same day, functional forces collected nasal swab samples for COVID-19 testing from 11 primary and secondary contacts. Luckily, all of them tested negative for SARS-CoV-2

Most recently, the CDCs of Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, and Phu Yen provinces provided information to the Da Nang CDC about 13 COVID-19 catching people from these central provinces who had previously been present at Tho Quang fishing wharf for seafood trading.

Right on the night of June 28, the Son Tra healthcare sector organised the sampling for COVID-19 testing on a total of more than 3,000 people all fishermen, small traders and others operating in this area.

Doctor Pham Hong Nam, Director of Son Tra Medical Centre said: “The provision of information by other provinces helps CDC Da Nang to be more proactive in implementing proper preventive measures, especially early detection to minimise the risk of further locally-acquired coronavirus infections".

According to doctor Ton That Thanh, Director of CDC Da Nang, CDCs of provinces and cities across the country have actively boosted mutual cooperation and information exchanges for facilitate their combat against the virus.

In fact, in light of the rapid infection rates of new strains of the coronavirus, nationwide localities cannot effectively conduct contact-trace missions without mutual support amongst them. However, in addition to the great efforts made by functional forces, it is a must-do for the general public to make truthful declarations on their contact and travel history so that functional forces can perform their contact-tracing and testing tasks in a prompt yet effective manner.

Reporting by PHAN CHUNG – Translating by A.T