The fight against Covid-19: Vietnam leaves no one behind.

On a beautiful weekend morning, I decided to change clothes and put on a mask to go out for a haircut. Down the street, there was a small shop catering to students, with signs on both sides of the walkway reminding customers to wear masks and sanitize their hands before entering – a practice many public places in Vietnam are adopting.

Aside from this and not having to wait in line, everything felt surprisingly normal to me, despite the rapidly increasing number of countries around the world imposing curfews and restrictions on public activities. Conversely, life in Vietnam seemed largely unchanged.

In my neighborhood, most students and residents have returned to their hometowns. For over five weeks, no universities have allowed students to attend classes. This is one of many measures implemented by the Vietnamese government from the very beginning to prevent the spread of the disease.

Things were gradually stabilizing again as the first 16 patients had recovered and been discharged a few weeks ago. But the appearance of patient number 17 was like a bolt of lightning, shattering 22 days of peace without new infections in Vietnam. Netizens panicked, and countless criticisms and rumors about patient number 17 were spread. However, after a few days, things gradually calmed down again, and Vietnam continued to maintain composure while the rest of the world struggled to cope with the pandemic.

How is it that a country with nearly 100 million people, a developing country, can control the pandemic so much better than other developed countries? I asked myself this question many times before seeking the answer.

About two or three weeks ago, most of my Vietnamese friends believed that Germany (my homeland) would handle and control the pandemic better because it has a modern healthcare system. But so far, in my opinion, that hasn't been entirely true. While the pandemic is rapidly becoming a serious problem in many countries considered "developed," Vietnam hasn't given it any chance to wreak havoc.

Etienne Mahler, Student at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University, Hanoi)

Vietnamese people perceive the novel coronavirus as a threat, but no one is panicking to the point of fighting over toilet paper. The government always prioritizes the health and lives of its citizens. The northern border with China – where the outbreak originated – is tightly controlled. To date, entry into Vietnam is almost impossible for most tourists, especially those from the Schengen area, as Europe has replaced China as the new epicenter of the pandemic.

All suspected cases and those who had contact with infected/suspected patients were tested and quarantined. The military disinfected all streets. People were advised to limit large gatherings. These measures may sound drastic, but they were actually very effective in preventing the spread of the disease.

Newspapers and social media have also become useful communication channels for disseminating information about preventive measures and updating the status of the epidemic. For the past six weeks, every day, I have received information from the Ministry of Health and related organizations about the latest number of new infections, advice on strengthening the immune system, etc. Everything is updated quickly through two popular applications: SMS and Zalo.

Even without phones or the internet, information about Covid-19 was everywhere in Hanoi: on large posters along the streets, notice boards in alleyways, advertising screens in elevators, and even when ordering food through Grab or Now, you received notifications about the pandemic. Coupled with word-of-mouth, which is very common in Vietnam, it's no surprise that I didn't see a single person who was completely uninformed about the disease.

Having lived in Vietnam for almost six years, of course, there are many things I see that Vietnam needs to improve. However, when it comes to the crisis caused by the pandemic and how the Vietnamese government and people have dealt with Covid-19, I can't think of a better place to stay right now. Vietnam has been doing an amazing job. Although I'm not a Vietnamese citizen, I still feel incredibly proud to be a part of this country.

According to baodautu.vn