Policy Response, Social Media and Science Journalism for the Sustainability of the Public Health System Amid the COVID-19 Outbreak: The Vietnam Lessons

TLDR

Vietnam, due to its proximity to China and high trade volume, was expected to face a high transmission risk, but timely government and media communication combined with up‑to‑date scientific research provided reliable information sources. The study examines Vietnam’s policy response, social media, and science journalism during the COVID‑19 outbreak. Researchers built a custom web‑crawling engine to collect 14,952 official media news items on COVID‑19 from early January to April 4. Vietnam’s prompt and effective response—239 confirmed cases and no fatalities—demonstrated political readiness and cooperation among government, civil society, and private individuals, offering lessons for other nations in managing public health crises.

Abstract

Having geographical proximity and a high volume of trade with China, the first country to record an outbreak of the new Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Vietnam was expected to have a high risk of transmission. However, as of 4 April 2020, in comparison to attempts to containing the disease around the world, responses from Vietnam are seen as prompt and effective in protecting the interests of its citizens, with 239 confirmed cases and no fatalities. This study analyzes the situation in terms of Vietnam’s policy response, social media and science journalism. A self-made web crawl engine was used to scan and collect official media news related to COVID-19 between the beginning of January and April 4, yielding a comprehensive dataset of 14,952 news items. The findings shed light on how Vietnam—despite being under-resourced—has demonstrated political readiness to combat the emerging pandemic since the earliest days. Timely communication on any developments of the outbreak from the government and the media, combined with up-to-date research on the new virus by the Vietnamese science community, have altogether provided reliable sources of information. By emphasizing the need for immediate and genuine cooperation between government, civil society and private individuals, the case study offers valuable lessons for other nations concerning not only the concurrent fight against the COVID-19 pandemic but also the overall responses to a public health crisis.