Illustrative photo. Source: Internet 

Accordingly, COVID-19 is added to the list of occupational diseases from April 1, 2023.

Occupational COVID-19 disease is a disease arising during the working process where workers are exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus that is present in the working environment.

The pathogenic factor is that workers are exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the working environment.

The exposure is recorded in one of the documents including the record of occupational exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus that is specified in Appendix 36 issued with the circular 02/2023/TT-BYT; the document about the workers’ participation in disease prevention or relief works for people infected with SARS-CoV-2. The document must be signed, certified by their unit's leader, or granted by competent state agencies.

To claim social insurance benefits, workers are also required to have an assessment of occupational exposure factors specified in Section VI, Form 04, Appendix 3 issued together with Decree 44/2016/ND-CP and a minute of confirmation of exposure to harmful factors causing acute occupational diseases specified in Appendix 5 issued together with Circular 28/2016/TT-BYT.

Illustrative photo. Source: Internet 

According to the Circular 02/2023/TT-BYT, workers, jobs, and sources of exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus include:

- People who work at medical establishments.

- People who work at laboratories, take testing samples, transport samples, handle, preserve, and destroy samples containing the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

- People who serve COVID-19 prevention and control, serve and support people infected with SARS-CoV-2 including:

+ People who work in areas where people infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus stay.

+ Persons who transport and serve COVID-19 patients;

+ Persons who transport, preserve, cremate, and bury the remains of COVID-19 patients;

+ Persons who monitor, investigate and verify COVID-19 infections;

+ Customs officers, diplomats, immigration officers;

+ Officers, professional soldiers, non-commissioned officers, soldiers of the People's Army, defence civil servants, defense workers, and defence officials;

+ Soldiers and officers of the police force;

+ People who do other occupations and jobs and are assigned to participate in the prevention of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Circular 02/2023/TT-BYT takes effect from April 1, 2023./.