According to Doctor Ta Anh Tuan, National Hospital of Pediatrics, the Covid-19 epidemic is now spreading to countries, especially Europe and the United States. Many Vietnamese wonder whether or not to stay, Dr. Tuan has compiled information on how to safely protect the epidemic season, helping many parents and international students feel secure in choosing the best scenario.

First: If you stay

1. Regularly update information on epidemics in the host country and follow the epidemic prevention and control measures of host countries.

2. Psychological preparation may take a long time in the room / dormitory, usually 3 months for an epidemic, and preparing favorite books and music to help reduce or not stress.

3. Prepare personal equipment and how to use such as: Prepare masks and wear properly, soap to wash hands and wash hands often, wet alcohol wipes, toilet paper, remember to change clothes when tying Must go out, eat enough nutrition, eat boiled and hot, avoid alcohol, clean the house regularly, clean all food packaging when buying, drying or sunning them, exercise regularly.

4. Preparing things to use in about 1-2 weeks to limit going to the supermarket, should not store too much such as: instant noodles, buy beans for composting and sprouts; long-lasting fruits such as zucchini, potato pumpkin …; some salted vegetables for a long time such as kimchi, pickled cucumber, sour bamboo shoot, dried bamboo shoot …

5. Prepare some essential medicines: antipyretic, flu, vitamin D, 70-degree alcohol bandage, dry hand antiseptic water (for use when going out), physiological saline, vitamin C, anti-allergic diarrhea, diarrhea (ozerol solution must be mixed according to instructions, do not share when mixing because of danger).

Salt and sugar should be prepared (helps to make up the solution to offset when fever is high, diarrhea). How to do it: Mix one teaspoon of salt (horizontal) and eight teaspoons of granulated sugar (horizontal) into a liter of cooled boiled water. Salt can be used to disinfect or can soak raw vegetables. Buy some more cotton, gauze, and gauze.

Should Vietnamese students living in areas affected by the disease go home?

6. Prioritizing online shopping to limit contact exposure to infection, remember to clean the package with antiseptic water and hand hygiene after accepting open items.

7. If you go to the supermarket remember to wear a mask, do not shake hands, you can use the methods of touching the elbows … try to maintain a distance of at least 1m when in contact with other people, remember to cover your mouth with your elbow when coughing, Sneeze, best to use a tissue to use. Put the mask, tissue after use in the trash.

8. To avoid boredom and stress: Find ways to stay busy for 3 months, find work to do like painting, writing poems, writing stories, composing music, learning a new foreign language … Frequently chatting with you friends and relatives especially when feeling stressed and 3-5 people in the host country, phone numbers to protect citizens of Vietnam or embassies to ask for help when needed.

The second: Prepare to go home

1. Find out news about the epidemic situation at the airports that will pass through.

2. Preparing luggage:

– Personal protective equipment: Dry hand sanitizer bottles up to 100 ml per bottle / 5 hours flight (please read carefully the airline’s regulations on the solutions carried on the plane). Hand soap or a small bottle of soap, just in case the plane is gone. Dry paper towels 1 pack / 5 hours flight, wet paper towels.

Medical masks 2, paper or cloth masks 4 pieces / 5 hours flight. Hair ties and headwear 1 set / 5 hours flight. Scarves 1 piece / 5 hours of flight. Outer clothes 1 set / 5 hours flight. Big glasses help protect the face. Small nylon bag 3-5 pieces. Large nylon bag. Old shawl or magazine 1 piece / 5 hours flight, 1 piece / 1 transit.

Water jugs, backpacks have 2-3 compartments: personal belongings and medicines, clean compartments, dirty compartments.

Medicines needed: Antipyretic, saline physiological mouthwash, wet towels soaked in alcohol used to disinfect hands, seats, dining tables on the plane.

3. Avoid the risk of infection while traveling.

For personal protection:

Absolutely no direct contact with surfaces, always indirect contact through disposable paper towels and then discard.

Wash hands with soap or hand-washing solution: before wearing a mask, after removing the mask, after contacting with the mask, after touching aircraft objects, after touching other people, before eat, after eating, before touching your body like hair ties, changing clothes, undressing in the toilet, after touching personal items such as backpacks, laptops, phones, tablets, etc. when going to the toilet …

When a mask is removed, it cannot be reused. Put the used mask in a small nylon bag for later disposal.

Hair is always neatly tied and covered with a hood. Change hoods every 5 hours.

Clothes to wear 2 sets. The set of outer cover the inner set. Replace the kit outside 5 hours / time. How to change the style from top to bottom, from the inside to limit contact with the outside of clothes. If you cannot change clothes at the seat, wear them in the toilet. Replace and put in nylon bags and tie once you have landed. Remember to wash your hands after removing old clothes before putting on new clothes.

Doctor Ta Anh Tuan

Bring a water bottle to avoid sharing a glass on the plane and try to drink as much water as possible because traveling on a plane is easily dehydrated.

When eating, eat hot foods without cold food, use paper towels to bring without using paper towels on the plane. Wipe the table before and after eating with a wet tissue. Line up the newspaper before sitting in an airplane seat or transit chair, then roll it away, roll the outside (the seat in contact with the seat) inside. Wash your hands right after. If you are afraid of using newspaper, use a t-shirt or shawl to finish and then use a nylon bag to tie it up into a dirty bag.

Regularly wipe your face with a 70-degree wet tissue or alcohol, wipe your glasses before putting them back on. Gargle with salt water for a minimum of 30 seconds after eating, before and after sleeping.

Limit buying food, souvenirs, exchanging money … money received from stores must be disinfected with alcohol or hand sanitizer and let dry naturally. So does an ATM card.

Passport and papers: put in a zip pocket and to prevent dirty, processed after landing. Wash your hands after handling passport documents.

Use of toilets: limit the use of toilets, if used to spray toilet and disinfect dry before sitting down to the toilet. Spray antiseptic after finishing to avoid spreading the disease to the next person if you accidentally get infected.

Transit: avoid traveling a lot when transit, it is best to sit near the next gate. During the transit process as well as on the plane absolutely avoid talking to minimize the risk of infection or spread of viruses. Always apply personal protection like on board.

The third : If isolated

It is necessary to comply with the regulations and cooperation with the quarantine facilities and regulations of the host country. If you are in quarantine in Vietnam, you are more secure, because quarantine in Vietnam is quite good, you should put food outside if allowed and leave money to pay for the anti-epidemic program, because you are definitely will miss my hometown food.

Enlist to make friends, to work, relax. Slow down to look back and feel for yourself. When you feel a burden for the country: It will not be a burden if you try to protect well and not to be infected, but if infected, you should understand that you have tried your best but failed.

Doctor Ta Anh Tuan, According to Dan Sinh