COVID-19 downgraded to Group B infectious disease

The Committee, led by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, said that COVID-19 had met the criteria for Group B infectious diseases as prescribed in Point b, Clause 1, Article 3 of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, Viet Nam has so far recorded over 11.5 million COVID-19 infections, including more than 43,100 deaths, equivalent to 0.37 per cent of the total caseload, according to the Committee.

The rate of hospitalized COVID-19 patients is lower than that of some Group B infectious diseases, and the rate of severe cases is equal to or lower than that of some Group B infectious diseases such as dengue fever and hand-foot-mouth disease.

The World Health Organization announced on May 5 that COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency, reported Reuters.

In Viet Nam, Group A infectious diseases are extremely dangerous and highly contagious with high mortality rates or unknown disease-causing agents, according to Viet Nam’s Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases.

Meanwhile, Group B infectious diseases are dangerous and may spread fast and cause a risk of fatality./.