STM Article Repository

This paper examined the demographic, temporal and spatial distribution of the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic in Vietnam. COVID-19 data abstracted from the official website of Vietnam Ministry of Health, which provides details of each new, infected case, including age, sex, place of residence, and travel history. Vietnam has only had 268 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and no reported fatality as of April 19, 2020. Of those who tested positive, 223 (83.2%) have recovered and discharged from hospitals. Younger age and men were significantly associated with a history of international travel. Women were more likely to get infection inside the country. Vietnam’s early and aggressive responses including a locally developed diagnostic test, a rapid rollout of suspected cases, tracing of contacts and self-isolation of contacts and communities in which there had been a positive case was effective in limiting spread and keeping the incidence of Covid-19 low. The Vietnamese response could serve as a model for other countries.