According to Circular 02/2023/TT-BYT amending Circular 15/2016/TT-BYT stipulating occupational diseases entitled to social insurance recently issued by the MoH, COVID-19 will become the 35th occupational disease, starting from April 1, 2023.

The document regulates that occupational COVID-19 is a disease arising in the working process because employees are exposed to SARS-CoV-2 at work.

According to the guidance on diagnosis and assessment of occupational COVID-19 disease, the occupations and sources of exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus include those who work in health establishments; those who work in laboratories taking, transporting, handling, preserving and destroying SARS-CoV-2 testing samples; those who work in concentrated quarantine facilities, medical isolation at home, medical isolation in pandemic areas, and support COVID-19 patients at home; those who work as transporters and caregivers for COVID-19 patients; those who engage in the transportation, preservation, cremation and burial of COVID-19 victims; and those who engage in the jobs relating to pandemic prevention include monitors, investigators, diplomats, customs officers, immigration officers, army and police officers, soldiers, civil servants, and others assigned to participate in the pandemic prevention work.

Just one time is the minimum exposure to cause occupational diseases. labourers can contract the disease for up to 28 days after being exposed.

According to the Circular, employees diagnosed with COVID-19 disease from February 1, 2020 to before April 1, 2023 are entitled to make occupational disease records, undergo assessment, and enjoy benefits as per the current regulations./. VNA