COVID-19 Stressors on Migrant Workers in Vietnam: Cumulative Risk Consideration.

This study explored the impact of COVID-19 on migrant workers in Vietnam, using a cumulative risk assessment (CRA) framework which comprises four domains (workplace, environment, individual and community). A cross-sectional study was conducted. Data were collected in 2020 through a self-administered questionnaire with 445 domestic migrant workers in two industrial zones in two northern provinces (Bac Ninh and Ninh Binh) in Vietnam. The majority of migrant workers were female (65.2%), aged between 18 and 29 years old (66.8%), and had high school or higher education level qualifications. Most migrant workers had good knowledge about preventive measures (>90%) and correct practices on COVID-19 prevention (81.1%). Three health risk behaviors were reported: 10% of participants smoked, 25% consumed alcohol and 23.1% were engaged in online gaming. In terms of workplace, occupational working conditions were good. Noise was the most commonly reported hazard (29%). Regarding environment, about two-thirds of migrant workers lived in a small house (<36 m2). Most participants (80.4%) lived with their families. About community domain, many reported low salary or losing their job during January-July, 2020. Most migrants received information about COVID-19. The migrant workers suffered from poor health and low occupational safety, fear of job loss and income cut, poor housing and living conditions and limited access to public services. The holistic approach to address stressors is recommended to improve health and safety of migrant workers.

Timeliness of contact tracing among flight passengers during the COVID-19 epidemic in Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: International air travel plays an important role in the global spread of SARS-CoV-2, and tracing of close contacts is an integral part of the public health response to COVID-19. We aimed to assess the timeliness of contact tracing among airline passengers arriving in Vietnam on flights containing COVID-19 cases and investigated factors associated with timeliness of contact tracing. METHODS: We included data from 2228 passengers on 22 incoming flights between 2 and 19 March 2020. Contact tracing duration was assessed separately for the time between the date of index case confirmation and date of contact tracing initiation (interval I), and the date of contact tracing initiation and completion (interval II). We used log-rank tests and multivariable Poisson regression models to identify factors associated with timeliness. RESULTS: The median duration of interval I and interval II was one (IQR: 1-2) and 3 days (IQR: 2-5), respectively. The contact tracing duration was shorter for passengers from flights where the index case was identified through mandatory testing directly upon arrival (median = 4; IQR: 3-5) compared to flights with index case detection through self-presentation at health facilities after arrival (median = 7; IQR: 5-8) (p-value = 0.018). Cumulative hazards for successful tracing were higher for Vietnamese nationals compared to non-Vietnamese nationals (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Contact tracing among flight passengers in the early stage of the COVID-19 epidemic in Vietnam was timely though delays occurred on high workload days. Mandatory SARS-CoV-2 testing at arrival may reduce contact tracing duration and should be considered as an integrated screening tool for flight passengers from high-risk areas when entering low-transmission settings with limited contact tracing capacity. We recommend a standardized risk-based contact tracing approach for flight passengers during the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic.

Treatment for COVID-19 patients in Vietnam: Analysis of time-to-recovery

To describe the recovery time and related factors among COVID-19 patients in Vietnam. Methods: We used the secondary data obtained from the official database of the Ministry of Health of Vietnam and other public data sources that were available by April 9th, 2020. Cox proportional hazards model was carried out to identify factors related to recovery time among COVID-19 patients. Results: By April 9th, 2020, the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases detected in Vietnam was 255, of which 129 (50.6%) patients had fully recovered. The median recovery time of patients was 17 (95% CI=16-19) days. Older patients had a lower likelihood of recovery (HR=0.98, 95% CI=0.97-0.99, P0.001), whereas patients with a history of international incoming travel had a higher likelihood of recovery (HR=1.57, 95% CI=1.03-2.40, P=0.036). There was no statistically significant difference in the recovery time of patients treated in different hospital settings. Conclusions: More attention is needed for older patients and who did not have international travel history. Patients confirmed with COVID-19 could be treated at local health facilities to avoid unnecessary referrals and burdens to specialized hospitals at the central level.

Injury Mortality in Vietnam: Patterns and Trends, 2005-2013.

CONTEXT: Injury is a growing public health problem worldwide. Deaths due to injuries account for 10% of the world's mortality. More than 90% of the world's injury-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries such as Vietnam. The public health burden has been recognized by government; however, there is a need to study and better understand the epidemiology and trends for injuries and injury-related mortality to be able to better address this burden. OBJECTIVES: In this article, we analyze the patterns and trends in injury mortality from 2005 to 2013 in Vietnam. DESIGN: All registered deaths from injuries from January 2005 to December 2013 were extracted from the Ministry of Health death recording system (A6). Mortality rates per 100 000 population per year were calculated. A linear regression model was used to estimate the injury mortality trends. RESULTS: In the 9-year period, 313 101 deaths due to injuries were recorded in the A6 system; this accounts for about 10% of all deaths. The leading causes of injury-related death were road traffic injuries among the entire population, while drowning was the leading cause of death among children. Other unintentional injuries including occupational, fall, poisoning, and exposure to electric current also accounted for a substantial proportion of the burden of injury. There is a significant reduction trend found in drowning among children 0 to 18 years of age and significant increasing trends in intentional injury causes. CONCLUSIONS: While injuries have been recognized as a public health problem in Vietnam in the last decade, as seen by our analysis, there is a need for concerted action to reduce their burden. Of particular concern is the increasing prominence of intentional injuries. Improved data systems, increasing the awareness in the community, and making appropriate policies and implementing them, as well as implementing effective, evidence-based interventions are all key to decreasing this burden. This is an important study describing injury mortality in Vietnam for the period 2005-2013. The results of the study show that injury death remains an important public health issue that needs more attention from government and relevant agencies.

Prevalence and factors associated with road traffic crash among taxi drivers in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Injury due to road traffic crash is a major cause of ill health and premature deaths in developing countries. Taxis provide a main mode of public transport in Vietnam but there has been little research on the risk of crash for taxi drivers. This retrospective study collected information on taxi crashes for the period 2006-2009 by interviewing drivers from five taxi companies in Hanoi, Vietnam, using a structured questionnaire. Of the total 1214 participants recruited, 276 drivers reported at least one crash, giving an overall crash prevalence of 22.7%. Among the crashed group, 50 drivers (18.1%) were involved in two to four crashes. Logistic regression analysis further identified age of driver, type of driving licence, employment status, perceived sufficiency of income, seat-belt usage, and traffic infringement history to be significantly associated with the crash risk. Further prospective and qualitative studies are recommended to provide detailed crash characteristics as well as behaviour and perception of taxi drivers, so that an effective intervention can be developed to improve road safety and to prevent injury of these commercial drivers.

Prevalence and factors associated with road traffic crash among bus drivers in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Bus provides a main mode of public transport in Vietnam, but the risk of road traffic crash for bus drivers is unknown. This retrospective study estimated the crash prevalence among bus drivers in Hanoi, Vietnam, and identified driver characteristics affecting their crashes. Information on bus crashes for the period 2006-2009 was collected by interviewing drivers from five bus companies in Hanoi using a structured questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine pertinent risk factors affecting the crash prevalence for bus drivers. Of the total 365 participants recruited, 73 drivers reported 76 crashes, giving an overall crash prevalence of 20%. Among the crashed group, three drivers (4%) were involved in two crashes during the past 3 years. Crashes mainly occurred on streets or local roads (81%). Migrant worker (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 4.26, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.20-8.25) and insufficient income perceived (OR 2.60, 95% CI 1.37-4.93) were identified to be significantly associated with the crash risk. Further prospective and qualitative studies are needed to provide detailed crash characteristics as well as behaviour and perception of bus drivers, so that an effective intervention can be developed to improve road safety and to prevent traffic injury of these drivers.

Algunas consideraciones sobre la acupuntura

En nuestra medio la Acupuntura, ha pasado por etapas de alza y bajas, dado por diversos motivos, entre los cuales citaremos en primerr lugar una no adecuada información científica, una propaganda no controlada, creencia por parte del paciente de que se encuentra frente a "la maravilla del siglo" que todo lo cura. En este artículo, tratamos de dar a conocer aspectos de la acupuntura que motiven a los científicos cubanos al estudio, a la experimentación, pero a la vez mostramois las dificultades actuales para la aceptación de esta técnica de tratamiento(AU)