Patient 736 'source of infection unknown'

On August 7, speaking to a reporter from Nghe An Newspaper, "patient 736" said that he is being isolated and treated at a hospital in Quang Nam, and his health has improved compared to previous days.

"Until now, I still don't know who my F0 ​​is. I once drank with 'patient 680', but I don't think I was infected by this person," said the 39-year-old man, who is the leader of Tam Ky Toll Station.

According to this patient, on July 22, he went drinking with a group of old friends, including a medical staff working in Da Nang. On August 5, the Ministry of Health announced that this person tested positive for Covid-19, "patient 680".

"I drank with them, but we sat quite far away and didn't have close contact," "patient 736" added.

A day later, he and his colleagues went by private car to Nghe An. From 6:00 p.m. on July 24 to 5:00 p.m. on July 25, they stayed at the Muong Thanh Phuong Dong Hotel, had dinner, breakfast and lunch at the hotel's first-floor restaurant.

From 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on July 25, two friends from Hung Phuc, Hung Nguyen picked him up at the hotel and took him to eat at Hoa Son Bon Quan restaurant (address: 777 Le Mao extended street). After that, the patient returned to the hotel.

To date, all test samples in Nghe An related to "patient 736" have tested negative. Photo: Thanh Cuong.

"Less than 2 days after the drinking party with a group of friends in Da Nang, I already had symptoms. If I had been infected by "patient 680", I don't think the symptoms would have appeared so quickly," the patient said, adding that after a day in Nghe An, he started to have symptoms of fatigue. At the same time, information began to appear about Covid-19 cases in Da Nang. Thinking that he might have also been infected, for the next 2 days, he only stayed in the hotel, not going out until the day he left Nghe An. Therefore, although he stayed in Nghe An for 3 days and 3 nights, his schedule, other than staying at the hotel, had only one other place: Hoa Son Bon Quan restaurant.

On August 3, after returning from Nghe An, he proactively went to Son Tra District Medical Center for examination and testing. "At that time, I was not yet an F1 and it was not clear if I had come into contact with any Covid-19 cases. It was not until August 5 that the Ministry of Health announced case 680 that I became an F1. Therefore, after the examination and sample collection, I was still allowed to go to Quang Nam to continue working. At the same time the Ministry of Health announced "patient 680", I also received a phone call from the doctor informing me that I was positive," the man said, expressing his anger because on social media many people posted information that he was an F1 but after taking a sample for testing, he did not quarantine but fled to Quang Nam.

Regarding this case, Nghe An Department of Health has taken samples from 132 people, all of which were negative the first time. However, the epidemiological investigation is still being thoroughly conducted.
Nghe An Department of Health today issued a document calling on anyone who visited Muong Thanh Phuong Dong Hotel between 8:00 a.m. on July 24 and 5:00 p.m. on July 27 and Hoa Son Bon Quan Restaurant, address 777, Le Mao Street, from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on July 25 to immediately contact the nearest health agency or contact the hotline 0912330451 for timely advice and support.