Passengers will have their body temperatures checked at Lao airports (Photo: VNA)Vientiane (VNA) - The Lao Ministry of Health has urged the public to getinformation about the COVID-19 from only reliable and official sources to avoidthe snare of fake news.
Theministry and the World Health Organisation are the only reliable sources ofinformation on the virus and prevention efforts, said Rattanaxay Phetsavanh,Director General of the Department of Communicable Disease Control (DCDC) underthe Lao Ministry of Health.
Thepublic should not read or share social media posts that contain misinformation,he said, adding that at present, two facilities can carry out urgent bloodtests to identify symptoms of the COVID-19, namely the National Centre forLaboratory and Epidemiology, and the Pasteur Institute in Vientiane.
Healthofficials said Mittaphab Hospital (Friendship Hospital) and Mahosot Hospital incapital Vientiane were the only two hospitals in the city designated to treatanyone who contracts the virus.
TheDCDC will work with other hospitals in Vientiane capital, especially the 103Hospital, if Mittaphab has more patients than it can handle, he said.
Healthofficials advise anyone with flu-like symptoms who has travelled to an outbreakarea or had any contact with an at-risk group to get in touch with hospitalstaff.
TheLao ministry is also advising the general public to protect themselves againstthe virus by limiting contact with people suffering from acute respiratoryinfections.
Officials are strengthening preparedness for and response to theCOVID-19, Rattanaxay added./.
VNA
