The Hanoi Department of Health has just issued a guideline on strengthening the prevention and control of Adenovirus and ensuring the reception and treatment of patients infected with the virus.

Many hospitals in Hanoi have admitted a large number of children infected with Adenovirus these days, the department said, stressing that especially at the National Children's Hospital, the number of Adenovirus-positive cases has increased dramatically.

Therefore, the department has required medical examination and treatment facilities to arrange enough hospital beds, human resources as well as medical equipment and supplies for the treatment of patients infected with Adenovirus.

Besides, it is necessary for hospitals in Hanoi to consult each other in treating patients infected with Adenovirus. Severe cases with respiratory failure, sepsis, and multi-organ failure must be actively consulted and timely transferred to central hospitals to ensure patients’ safety.

More children in Hanoi are infected with Adenovirus. Photo: VTV

The municipal Department of Health has also requested relevant units to disseminate knowledge to patients and their families and recommend solutions to control Adenovirus infections.

Besides, the department has assigned Dong Da General Hospital (the leading hospital in infectious diseases) and Saint Paul General Hospital (the leading institution in pediatrics) to keep updating knowledge on diagnosing, preventing, and treating Adenovirus patients.

The Hanoi Center for Disease Control (CDC) is tasked to cooperate with medical examinations and treatment facilities in the city, district, and village health centers to improve surveillance of Adenovirus disease to assess the risk of another outbreak apart from the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to a report by the National Children's Hospital in Hanoi, the total number of Adenovirus infections recorded since the beginning of 2022 is over 1,400 cases, and the number of inpatient cases is 811 (accounting for nearly 58%), with seven deaths.

Children with Adenovirus account for about 4% of the total number of inpatients.

National Children's Hospital director Tran Minh Dien told local media that with the increasing trend of Adenovirus cases, the hospital has quickly issued guidelines on the management and rationalization, isolation, and prevention of adenovirus infection.

The hospital has arranged 300 beds for children infected with Adenovirus who are hospitalized with mild illnesses, illnesses with respiratory damage alone, or in combination with underlying illnesses. In addition, pediatric inpatients are cared for and treated in a separate area, ensuring one bed per child.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Adenoviruses are usually spread from an infected person to others through close personal contact by touching or shaking hands; the air by coughing and sneezing, and touching an object or surface with adenoviruses on it, then touching the mouth, nose, or eyes before washing hands. Furthermore, studies have clarified that the virus can survive for up to 30 days on environmental surfaces.

Moreover, the Adenovirus can also affect patients’ gastrointestinal tract. An infection in the gastrointestinal tract may cause diarrhea. Therefore, the health sector must work to curb the increasing number of Adenovirus infections and pay attention to clinical, epidemiological, and community aspects to have timely and appropriate response measures.