Patients have a photo taken with doctors and medical workers at the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases on Monday. — Photo courtesy of NHTD

They have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 virus more than twice and will have follow-up health checks in the next 14 days.

The hospital’s director Phạm Ngọc Thạch said all of them were in stable conditions.

"Most of the patients were in a panic at first. Along with treatment, we needed to encourage and help them meditate. After they tested negative for the first time, they cooperated better with us," said Doctor Trần Văn Giang from the Department of Viruses and Parasites. 

The 27 patients released were numbered 17, 22, 24, 27, 39, 46, 47, 51, 55, 56, 58, 59, 60, 62, 69, 70, 71, 77, 85,  88, 93, 110, 112, 113, 130, 140 and 187.

The 17th patient is a 27-year-old woman in Hà Nội who returned from a trip to Europe and failed to declare her health status upon arrival in Việt Nam.

She tested positive for the coronavirus on March 6, marking the second phase of Việt Nam’s fight against the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the 59th patient is a cabin attendant on flight VN0054 which carried the 17th patient from London to Hà Nội.

Patients numbered 110, 112, 113 are Vietnamese overseas students returning from Europe who were reported on March 22.

The 187th patient is a 30-year-old American man residing in Tây Hồ District, Hà Nội who entered Việt Nam on March 13.

As of Monday, Việt Nam had cured 52 COVID-19 patients including 16 people infected with the disease from January 23 to February 13 (the first phase). The 36 others patients have been treated since March 6 (second phase).

The country had reported 194 cases of COVID-19 as of Monday morning.

Vietnamese students in Laos stay calm amid COVID-19 pandemic

Almost Vietnamese students pursuing their study at the National University of Laos in Vientiane have stayed calm and abided by health quarantine regulations rather than return to Vietnam in order to avoid creating a burden on the homeland’s medical system amid the COVID pandemic.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak in China’s Wuhan city in late January, the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos has called on overseas Vietnamese students in Laos to keep close watch on the disease developments and strictly follow prevention instructions and policies of the Ministries of Health of the two countries.

They have been updated on relevant information in the homeland and the host country, especially infection risks.

On behalf of Vietnamese students in the university, Doan Tuan Quynh said apart from strictly following prevention instructions and minimising outings to prevent the spread of the disease, Vietnamese students have also maintained sports activities as well as their self-study.

As the largest university in Laos, the National University of Laos currently attracts many international students, including about 250 from Vietnam.— VNS/VNA

Farewell moments with virus patients

About 300 people who were identified to have had contact with COVID-19 patients and their families in Hanoi left the concentrated quarantine centre managed by Artillery Regiment 58

Cases of COVID-19 in Vietnam rise to 194

Six more people have been confirmed to have contracted the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 on March 30 morning, and all of them are workers of the Truong Sinh Co. Ltd, which provides services for the Hanoi-based Bach Mai Hospital.