The Ministry of Health on Wednesday issued new definitions of COVID cases, suspected cases and close contacts in a bid to detect and manage new infections quicker and more effectively.

A medical worker takes a COVID-19 testing sample in Tam Hiep Commune, Thanh Tri District, Ha Noi — VNA/VNS Photo Tuan Anh

A suspected COVID-19 case has been redefined as a person who belongs to at least one of categories:

A suspected COVID-19 case is a close contact (F1) and have at least two of clinical symptoms including fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, stuffy nose, body aches, fatigue, chill, decreased or lost taste, impaired or lost sense of smell, headache, diarrhoea, shortness of breath, respiratory inflammation.

A suspected COVID-19 case is also a person with epidemiological factors (excluding F1) and having at least two of the above clinical symptoms.  A person with epidemiological factors (excluding F1) is the one who is present on the same means of transport or at the same place, event, workplace, class, etc. with a confirmed case (F0) currently in transmission period.

A person who has a positive antigen rapid test result for SARS-CoV-2 virus is also considered a suspected case.

A person coming from active outbreak area(s) is considered a suspected case.

Meanwhile, a confirmed COVID-19 case (F0) is one belonging to one of the following categories:

A confirmed cases is a person who has tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by detection of viral genetic material (PCR).

A confirmed case is a close contact (F1) and have a positive antigen rapid test result for SARS-CoV-2.

A confirmed case is a person with clinical signs of suspected COVID-19.

A confirmed case is a person who has a positive antigen rapid test result twice in a row (2nd test within 8 hours since the 1st test result for SARS-CoV-2 virus and has epidemiological factors (excluding F1).

The ministry also provided definition of a close contact (F1). Accordingly, F1 is a person who has direct physical contact including shaking hands, hugging, kissing, direct skin-to-skin contact, body contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case (F0) during the transmission period of F0.

A person is defined as F1 if s/he still wore a facial mask while having contact, communicate within two meters or in the same narrow, closed space and for at least 15 minutes with the confirmed case in the transmission period of F0.

A person is called F1 if s/he wore no mask when having close contact or communication within two meters or was in the same narrow, closed space with F0 during the transmission period of F0.

Person who directly provides care, examination and treatment for a confirmed case (F0) during the transmission of F0 without adequate use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is F1 too.

The transmission period of the confirmed case is calculated from two days before the onset of the disease until the test result is negative or the CT value is >30.

For the confirmed case without symptoms, the transmission period is calculated from two days before the date the sample is collected and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.

Source: VNS