At the urgent meeting on the evening of April 7, the leaders of the Hà Nam Health Department reported that at 4 PM the same day, the Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology announced the results for case N V Đ., a 64-year-old man from Xóm 3 Ngô Khê, Bình Nghĩa commune, Bình Lục district, who was treated in the Gastroenterology department at Hà Nam General Hospital and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.
This patient was announced by the Ministry of Health on April 8 as the 251st Covid-19 case in Vietnam.
According to the department leaders, the patient arrived at the Emergency Department at 9:15 PM on March 20, 2020, due to multiple episodes of diarrhea. He was then transferred to the Gastroenterology department for treatment from March 20 until now.
On the morning of April 5, the patient exhibited fever symptoms. By April 6, chest X-rays revealed uneven opacity in the right lung lobe, with interstitial lung damage, prompting the doctors to collect samples for Covid-19 testing.
Speaking at the meeting, Associate Professor Dr. Lê Quang Minh, Director of the Health Department, confirmed that the patient had no epidemiological factors but had many complex underlying health conditions such as gout and cirrhosis.
However, due to the long hospital stay and contact with many individuals, the risk of transmitting the disease to others is very high. Currently, the primary source (F0) in this situation has not yet been identified.
This is identified as a complex case, falling within the 25% of severe Covid-19 cases, so the treatment for this patient needs to be cautious.
Hà Nam General Hospital and the health sector will focus all resources and the best treatment plans for the patient…
The health sector is closely coordinating with the police, local authorities, and health centers of districts, towns, and cities to conduct epidemiological investigations, monitoring, and managing and isolating cases related to the patient in accordance with regulations.
Regarding Hà Nam General Hospital, after receiving the information about the test results of patient N V Đ., the unit quickly defined the epidemiological areas of those related to the patient and immediately isolated the doctors, nurses, healthcare staff, and patients sharing the treatment room.
Currently, over 30 doctors and healthcare staff who came into contact with the patient have been isolated in a separate area.
Deputy Chairman of the Hà Nam Provincial People’s Committee, Nguyễn Đức Vượng, also pointed out that this is the most complex case among the SARS-CoV-2 positive cases in Hà Nam, so the health sector and relevant units need to coordinate closely in investigating, defining areas, managing, and monitoring epidemiological situations quickly and efficiently to ensure control over the infection situation in the community.
During the epidemiological investigation, it is necessary to unify the data from the primary source (F0) onwards. In the coming days, units must report and update the situation promptly to the Provincial People’s Committee, quickly addressing any arising situations.
Also on the evening of April 7, the Bình Lục District People’s Committee erected barriers to isolate the area where patient N V Đ. resides in Ngô Khê 3 village, Bình Nghĩa commune, Bình Lục district.
According to the Ministry of Health, Covid-19 case number 251 is a male patient, Vietnamese nationality, 64 years old, residing in Bình Nghĩa, Bình Lục, Hà Nam.
From March 20 until now, the patient has been treated in the Gastroenterology department at Hà Nam General Hospital, with his son and daughter-in-law coming from Hanoi to take care of him. On April 6, the patient had samples taken. On April 7, the results tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.
The patient is currently being treated and isolated at Hà Nam General Hospital. This case is still under investigation for the source of infection.