Suspected case in Ho Chi Minh City tested negative for nCoV

A man in Ho Chi Minh City suspected of being infected with nCoV

A 65-year-old man in Binh Chanh tested positive for nCoV at Military Hospital 7A, and his sample was sent to the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City, awaiting confirmation results.

Associate Professor Phan Trong Lan, Director of the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City, said that upon receiving a report of a suspected case of nCoV infection from Military Hospital 7A on the morning of January 4, the Institute took samples from the hospital and directly took additional samples from the patient in the morning and afternoon of the same day, and the test results were negative. At the same time, the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City conducted an antibody test and the results were also negative.

Nghe An medical staff measure the body temperature of people in quarantine to prevent the COVID-19 epidemic. Photo: Thanh Chung

Meanwhile, the authorities have coordinated epidemiological, clinical, and testing assessments and considered this an outbreak for handling while waiting for confirmation results. The Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control and Military Hospital 7A immediately identified F1s and handled them according to regulations.

According to Mr. Lan, the Pasteur Institute of Ho Chi Minh City has sent a specialized team to evaluate the laboratory to Military Hospital 7A to review the entire process, test results, explanations and has made adjustments and instructions to ensure better results in the future.

"From epidemiological, clinical and testing information up to now, the Pasteur Institute of Ho Chi Minh City confirms that this patient has not been infected with nCoV," said Mr. Lan.

Previously, this person's sample tested positive for nCoV at Military Hospital 7A, according to the hospital's announcement. This person's sample was transferred to the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City for confirmation testing.

Military Hospital 7A has been licensed by the Ministry of Health to confirm nCoV testing.

This man lives in Tan Tuc town, is a retired soldier. On December 24, 2020, he arrived at Noi Bai airport, Hanoi from Ho Chi Minh City, then traveled with a group of 20 people on a tour to Sa Pa. On the afternoon of December 27, 2020, he took a plane back to Ho Chi Minh City, staying at home in Ward 5, Tan Tuc town.

On December 28, he developed symptoms of cough and fever, and bought medicine near his home to take. On December 29, he went to a clinic near his home and was prescribed medicine by a doctor. On New Year's Eve, he was admitted to the Emergency Department of Military Hospital 7A by car, accompanied by military medical staff. Doctors suspected, performed a screening examination, and diagnosed the patient with suspected Covid-19 pneumonia, hypertension, and heart failure.

While waiting for official test results, the man's house was locked down and 24 people who had direct contact were taken to the district's quarantine area.

Ho Chi Minh City has gone 33 days without recording any community infections, since the last case in the chain of infections from a flight attendant was recorded on December 2, 2020.

At the end of December 2020, Ho Chi Minh City recorded two cases of nCoV infection who were illegal immigrants. These two cases were in a group of 9 people from Myanmar who followed the open trail to An Giang, from there 3 people dispersed to the western provinces; 6 people traveled together in the direction of Ho Chi Minh City, including 2 people who got off the bus in Long An, one went to Dong Thap and one to Vinh Long, 4 people went straight to Ho Chi Minh City. Currently, this whole group has been discovered and quarantined, of which four people have been confirmed to be infected with nCoV, including "Patient 1440" (in Vinh Long),"patient 1452"(in Dong Thap) and "Patient 1451", "Patient 1453" (in Ho Chi Minh City).