Vietnam COVID 19 strategy is a model for the rest of the world

Vietnam’s reaction to the COVID 19 outbreak is to keep calm and carry on.
The Southeast Asian nation of Vietnam is setting an example for the rest of the world by simply keeping calm and carrying on in the midst of the worldwide coronavirus panic.

In general, Southeast Asian countries have reacted in a different way than the rest of the world states affected by the outbreak, and seem to have fewer infections ad deaths as a result. Numbers of both infections and fatalities are as yet far lower than in the majority of first world Western countries, even although the pandemic has been taken equally seriously by their governments.

Expats living, working or retiring in Vietnam may have been less than thrilled by the state’s immediate reaction to the growing pandemic, but locking down and sanitising the homes of all those with symptoms as well as employing quarantine and more testing seems to have kept infections to a minimum. The country was amongst the first to declare an epidemic, and economic gain has successfully been sacrificed for the common good.

As early as January, preparations for the pandemic were being put in place, thus reassuring citizens and the many expats now in the country. To date, no deaths have been recorded while the rest of the world is being seen as playing catch-up as regards infections and mortalities. Vietnam, it seems, is now being seen as a sanctuary in a world gone crazy, with its expatriates now feeling safer than in their home countries. Transparency by the authorities has also helped as it reinforced public trust, helped avoid panic and ensured cooperation with new rules.

There are no empty supermarket shelves, panic buying hasn’t happened, hand sanitiser is easily found and any run on loo roll has been avoided. Initially, Vietnam’s PM declared a war against the deadly virus, treating it as the enemy it is rather than causing panic by sensationalist reporting. In Vietnam, everyone’s in this together, and the coping strategies employed should serve as a model for the rest of the world.