A HCM City local goes to the medical station of Trường Thọ Ward to get vaccinated against COVID-19. — Photo tuoitre.vn

HCM CITY — To tackle the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially during the upcoming national holiday of April 30 and May 1, HCM City continues to have a system of COVID-19 treatment facilities that follows the three-tier treatment model, which have been applied by the city in the past COVID outbreaks. 

According to the HCM City Centre for Disease Control, the city's Department of Health on Wednesday organised online training for hospitals and medical centres on the treatment of COVID-19 in adults and children.

Due to the appearance of new sub-variants of the Omicron variant such as XBB.1.5, XBB.1.9.1, XBB.1.16 and XBB.1.16.1, HCM City has recorded a rising number of new cases of COVID-19, together with higher hospital admission rates in recent days.

Medical facilities need to stay alert and ensure that admission and treatment of people with COVID-19 can take place promptly and effectively, contributing to reducing the risk of severe progression.

The city's COVID-19 treatment facilities will follow the three-tier treatment model.

Specifically, the first tier provides treatment for asymptomatic and mild cases of COVID-19, the second tier for medium and severe cases, and the third for severe and critical cases. 

All steps are implemented in accordance with the Ministry of Health’s guidance, doctor Nguyễn Minh Tiến, deputy director of the city Children’s Hospital, said.

It is crucial for hospitals to comply with strict infection prevention measures before and during treatment of children infected with COVID-19, Tiến said, elaborating on some cases when children need hospital admission.

The first case is when a child is diagnosed with mild symptoms of COVID-19 but is progressing to moderate, severe or critical status.

The second case is when a child has mild symptoms of COVID-19 but is accompanied by a high fever above 39 degrees Celsius for more than three days.

Lethargy, chest pain, rapid breathing, and irregular breathing, among others, are some other symptoms that need parents’ attention.

For hospital admission and treatment of COVID-19 in adults, Dr. Hà Thị Hải Đường of the Hospital for Tropical Diseases emphasised the importance of treatment equivalent to the degree of COVID-19 infection of the patient.

At the same time, relevant authorities are responsible for sharing and instructing units on the use of drugs in the treatment of COVID-19 such as antiviral drugs, corticosteroids, anticoagulants, and respiratory support methods, especially the use of ECMO.

Over the past few days HCM City has been seeing a light increase in new COVID-19 cases. — VNS