Vietnam puts 39 people suspected of nCoV infection in quarantine

As of January 29, Vietnam has 64 suspected cases of new coronavirus infection which has sparked a pneumonia outbreak in China’s Wuhan city. Of them, 39 with high fever and cough have been put in quarantine, VnExpress reported.

Besides, 56 people without fever and cough are still under close monitoring due to close contact with people suspected of nCoV infection.

The isolation area at Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Đ.H

Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son today requested hospitals to classify patients at the time of admission, set up separate rooms for patients with symptoms of acute respiratory infection, especially when there appear epidemiological factors of patients living or coming from China within 14 days.

If the disease progresses severely or the patient is tested positive with the virus, local hospitals are requested to transfer the patients to more advanced hospitals in major cities, Son added.

Currently, the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Pasteur Institute of Nha Trang, and Pasteur Institute of Ho Chi Minh City are the three institutions in Vietnam conducting tests for the nCoV.

One of the two Chinese nationals who were the first confirmed cases of infection by the new coronavirus in Vietnam has recovered, Zing cited the Vietnamese Ministry of Health on January 28.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test on January 25 and 27 on Li Zichao, 28, was negative for the novel coronavirus. Li Zichao is currently conscious, and can breathe by himself, eat and sleep, showed no signs of fever, health officials said.

His father, Li Ding, 66, is still under treatment. He sleeps and eats without difficulty and his organs are functioning well, but still needs a ventilator.

The two men were Vietnam's first confirmed cases of nCoV infection after it was first detected in Wuhan in China last December.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Health has published a hotline 19003228 to provide information on acute respiratory infections caused by the nCoV.

The ministry has required provinces and cities which share borders with China to apply medical declarations for Chinese passengers on entry from 00:00 am on January 25.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked the ministries and branches to coordinate to prevent the deadly virus, get field hospitals ready, and prohibit the import of wildlife into Vietnam.

So far, the disease has also spread to nearly 20 countries and territories besides China, sickening more than 1,900 people.

Chinese authorities said as of January 29, 132 people had died of the disease. The number of confirmed cases of individuals infected with the virus topped 6,000, of which 263 were in critical condition.

In Vietnam, no locals have contracted the nCoV yet.