Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Truong Son signed adecision issuing diagnosis and treatment guidelines for the acute respiratorydisease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), the Health Ministryreported on March 26.

The new guidelines will replace of the old ones issued onFebruary 20.

Most COVID-19 fatalities are among the elderly, and people withimmunodeficiency or chronic diseases. The incubation period is between 2 to 14days (5-7 days on average). Common symptoms are a fever, dry cough, fatigue andmuscle aches. Some cases include a sore throat, stuffy nose, runny nose orheadache, cough with phlegm, vomiting and diarrhea. The average time from theinitial symptoms to the severe course of the illness is usually about 7-8 days.

Most people (about 80 percent) only have a mild fever,cough, fatigue, and no pneumonia, and recover on their own in about a week. About14 percent of cases with severe developments such as pneumonia needhospitalization. About 5 percent of cases need to be treated in intensive careunits with symptoms of acute respiratory failure, septic shock, and organfailure, including kidney and heart muscle damage that lead to death.

In children, the clinical manifestations are much milderthan adults. Their common symptoms are fever and a cough or pneumoniamanifestations. The rate of serious illnesses in children is less thanin adults.

Patients after treatment will be discharged from hospital ifthe fever goes away for at least three days, clinical symptoms improve well,survival signs are stable, blood tests are normal, and chest X-rays improve.Especially, they must test negative for SARS-CoV-2 at least twice within 24hours. After leaving hospital, the patients will continue to be quarantinedat home for 14 days and take their body temperature twice a day.

The new guidelines have many new points. The definition of asuspected case has been altered because the epidemiological situation haschanged, and there are many epidemic areas and outbreaks in Vietnam. Thedefinition of a possible case has been removed as testing capacity in thecountry is higher than before.

In terms of treatment, the main focus is on respiratoryfailure with updates on the latest recommendations from the World Health Organizationon oxygen therapy and blood oxygen targets.

The guidelines stress the importance of the close monitoringof patients, especially on the 7th to 10th day of the disease, to promptly detectand handle serious progression.

For patients with severe respiratory distress, incubationand mechanical ventilation should be used early. Non-invasive respiratorysupport measures should be considered for each specific case.

Regarding specific antiviral drugs such as Lopinavir/Ritonavir, Chloroquine, Hydroxychloroquine and Remdesivir, the Health Ministrydoes not recommend using them as there is insufficient evidence on theireffectiveness and safety. The ministry will issue additional recommendationsbased on the results of studies in the world and in Vietnam./.