Official Dispatch 11042/BYT-DP 2021 on changing COVID-19 case definition

To:

- Directors of Departments of Health of provinces and centrally run cities;

- Heads of units affiliated to the Ministry of Health.

Currently, the COVID-19 development remains complicated in many countries and territories with fast-spreading and dangerous variants such as Delta and Omicron. In Vietnam, the pandemic is basically put under control, however, the number of new confirmed cases is increasing in a number of provinces and cities; in order to proactively monitor, early detect new cases, and effectively manage COVID-19 cases according to local conditions and human resources, while the country is implementing the policy of safe adaptation to, flexible and effective control of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Health requests Directors of Departments of Health of provinces and centrally run cities, heads of units affiliated to the Ministry of Health to organize the surveillance of COVID-19 disease for the following subject groups:

1. Case subject to surveillance (suspected case) means one of the following persons:

a) A close contact (F1) who has at least two of the following clinical symptoms: Fever; cough; sore throat; stuffy or runny nose; myalgia, fatigue, chills; reduction or loss of taste or smell; headache; diarrhoea; dyspnoea; acute respiratory infection.

b) A person with epidemiological factors (excluding F1) and meets at least two of the above-mentioned clinical symptoms.

c) A person who has a positive SARS-CoV-2 antigen rapid test result (except for the cases mentioned in Section 2, Points b, c and d).

A person with epidemiological factors (excluding F1) means:

- A person who is present on the same vehicle or place, event, workplace, or classroom, etc. as the confirmed case (F0) during the transmission period.

- A person who is living in, or from an active outbreak.

2. Confirmed case (F0) means one of the following persons:

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

b) A close contact (F1) who has a positive SARS-CoV-2 antigen rapid test result.

c) A person with clinical signs of suspected COVID-19 cases (as mentioned in Section 1, Point a), who has a positive SARS-CoV-2 antigen rapid test result and epidemiological factors (excluding F1).

d) A person who has positive SARS-CoV-2 antigen rapid test results in two consecutive tests (the 2^nd test is conducted within 8 hours after obtaining the 1^st test result) and has epidemiological factors (excluding F1).

Biological products for SARS-CoV-2 antigen rapid test must be on the list licensed by the Ministry of Health. The antigen rapid test must be performed by health staff or suspected cases under the health staff's direct supervision or indirect supervision via remote devices.

3. Close contact (F1) means one of the following persons:

- A person who has direct physical contact (including shaking hands, hugging, kissing, direct skin-to-skin contact, body contact, etc.) with a F0 case during the F0's transmission period.

- A person who wears a facial mask while having contact, communicating within two meters or was in the same narrow, closed space and for at least 15 minutes with the confirmed case (F0) during the F0's transmission period.

- A person who wears no facial mask when having close contact or communication within two meters or was in the same narrow, closed space with F0 during the F0's transmission period.

- A person who directly provides care, medical examination and treatment for a confirmed case (F0) during the transmission period of F0 without adequate use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

The transmission period of the confirmed case (F0) is calculated from two days before the symptom onset of the disease (for asymptomatic case, the transmission period is calculated from two days before the date on which the positive test for SARS-CoV-2 is taken) until the test result is negative or the CT value is ≥30.

The Ministry of Health hereby requests Directors of Departments of Health of provinces and centrally run cities, heads of units affiliated to the Ministry of Health and relevant units to urgently implement this Official Dispatch. Any difficulties arising in the course of implementation should be promptly reported to the Ministry of Health (the General Department of Preventive Medicine) for consideration, updating, amendment and supplementation to the Guidance on surveillance, prevention and control of COVID-19 pandemic./.