Fight against COVID-19: Exploits and the last straw

Doctors at the Hue Central Hospital actively treat COVID-19 patients (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The total number of COVID-19 infections in the world has to date exceeded 20 million, of which the US, Brazil and India accounted for more than a half, while the death toll reached almost 740,000.

Since the first case was detected until the 10 millionth infection, the world had gone through six months. But it took only 43 days since the 10 millionth case was reported till the 20 millionth patient was confirmed. This showed the rapid spread of the pandemic.

Vietnam has experienced two phases of the fight against COVID-19, with different features and nature.

In the first phase, most of the infections were imported cases and Vietnam successfully treated all the patients and there were no deaths. But in the second phase, the COVID-19 pandemic attacked hospitals where many patients with serious underlying health conditions have been treated.

Over the past 10 days, deaths related to COVID-19 have been reported every day.

Efforts bring in initial successes

The first phase of the fight against COVID-19 ended after Vietnam had recorded no new infections in the community for 99 consecutive days. During the first phase, the country reported no deaths.

By July 24, Vietnam confirmed 413 COVID-19 cases, of whom 365 had been given the all-clear of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and 272 were imported cases who had been quarantined upon their arrival in the country.

Having implemented the Prime Minister’s directions and with the highest efforts of competent agencies at home and Vietnamese representative agencies abroad, more than 80 flights had been arranged by August 6, bringing home safely over 21 Vietnamese citizens from 50 countries and territories while COVID-19 prevention and control were ensured.

Worthy of note, Patient 91 – a 43-year-old British pilot – who was in the most critical condition has been successfully treated and released from hospital after 115 days of treatment.

Patient 91 was the clearest proof showing Vietnamese doctors’ wholehearted efforts to treat COVID-19 patients.

Associate Prof. Luong Ngoc Khue, Director of the Health Ministry’s Medical Examination and Treatment and Deputy Head of the Treatment Sub-committee under the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, said the successful treatment of Patient 91 was evidence of solidarity, brainpower and efforts of Vietnamese doctors.

“Over the past more than 100 days of treatment, in each stage, doctors put forth new solutions in conformity with the health developments of the patient. Happily, these solutions proved their effectiveness as the patient has recovered well and been discharged from hospital to return home,” Khue said.

An ambulance takes COVID-19 patients to a hospital in Da Nang for treatment (Photo: VNA)

Total force mobilized for Da Nang pandemic hotbed

In the second period since July 25, the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam has seen different developments as there have been infection cases in hospitals, many of them have serious underlying health conditions.

Over the past 20 days, a total of 405 COVID-19 infections have been confirmed with the death toll reaching 17.

The Ministry of Health sent a group of 30 doctors, led by Deputy Director of the Medical Examination and Treatment Nguyen Trong Khoa, to help the central city of Da Nang treat COVID-19 patients in critical conditions.

Khoa said the most concerned matter was that COVID-19 broke out in wards where many patients with critical health conditions were being treated. The number of patients with serious underlying diseases such as kidney failure who are foreseen to die has been on the rise, he said.

During the previous stage, the outbreaks in Binh Thuan and Vinh Phuc provinces and the capital city of Hanoi, most of the infection cases were people returning from foreign countries without underlying diseases so the rate of cases in critical conditions was very low.

Meanwhile, in the second stage, there were a large number of patients in critical conditions, requiring the mobilization of total force of experts from leading hospitals in the country such as Cho Ray Hospital, Bach Mai Hospital, National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases and Hanoi Medical University Hospital./.