COVID-19 increases for the third week, Ministry of Health advises people to be vigilant

Hanoi recorded 185 COVID-19 cases in one week

The number of COVID-19 cases in Hanoi continues to increase for three consecutive weeks, with 185 new cases recorded last week, nearly double the previous week. Faced with this development, the Ministry of Health recommends that people proactively implement disease prevention measures, especially when the need for travel, tourism and crowded gatherings in the summer is increasing the risk of spreading respiratory diseases.

According to the Hanoi Center for Disease Control (CDC), in the past week, the city recorded 185 cases of COVID-19 in 76 wards and communes, nearly double compared to the previous week. This is the third consecutive week the number of infections has increased, raising the total number of cases in the area from the beginning of the year to 588 cases. Currently, Hanoi has not recorded any deaths from COVID-19.

Hanoi CDC said that summer vacations along with increased demand for travel, socializing and participating in crowded activities have created favorable conditions for respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, to spread in the community. The health sector forecasts that the number of cases may continue to increase in the coming weeks.

At treatment facilities, the number of hospitalized patients also tends to increase. The National Hospital for Tropical Diseases is currently treating 18 COVID-19 patients, mainly elderly people or people with underlying diseases - groups at risk of severe progression. Hospitalized patients often experience symptoms such as fever, headache, fatigue, cough, sore throat or digestive disorders such as diarrhea, nausea.

Ministry of Health recommends proactive disease prevention

According to the Department of Disease Prevention (Ministry of Health), the national infectious disease surveillance system and reports from medical examination and treatment facilities show that the number of COVID-19 patients coming for examination and treatment has tended to increase in recent weeks. However, no unusual increase in severe cases or deaths has been recorded so far.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said that by the end of June 2026, the variant NB. 1.8.1 - a subtype of Omicron - is still the main variant circulating globally and in the Western Pacific region. There is currently no evidence that this variant increases the virulence of the virus or reduces the effectiveness of epidemic prevention and control measures.

The Ministry of Health believes that summer vacation and tourist seasons increase travel and exchange demand. Along with hot and humid weather conditions, many activities take place in closed spaces, using air conditioning and restricting ventilation, the risk of respiratory diseases such as COVID-19 and seasonal flu will increase.

According to the Department of Disease Prevention, although most cases of COVID-19 and seasonal flu currently only have mild symptoms and recover after treatment, the disease can still progress severely in high-risk groups such as the elderly, young children, pregnant women, people with cardiovascular disease, chronic lung disease, diabetes, kidney disease, people with immunodeficiency or undergoing cancer treatment.

To proactively protect health, the Ministry of Health recommends that people wear masks properly when going to medical facilities, on public transport, in crowded places or in closed, poorly ventilated spaces. At the same time, it is necessary to regularly wash hands with soap or antiseptic solution, cover the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, keep the residence and workplace ventilated, maintain a reasonable diet, exercise and control underlying diseases well.

When symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose or fatigue appear, people need to limit contact with others, proactively go to medical facilities for advice, examination and treatment, and do not arbitrarily use medicine. For people in high-risk groups or with signs of prolonged illness, severe progression, they need to go to medical facilities immediately for timely treatment.

The Ministry of Health emphasized that COVID-19 and seasonal flu are currently circulating infectious diseases, the number of cases may increase according to cycles and weather conditions. People should not be subjective but also not panicked; proactively implementing disease prevention measures and going to the doctor early when there are abnormal signs will contribute to protecting the health of themselves, their families and the community.

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