Chinese man infected with new coronavirus leaves Saigon hospital

Li Ding (2nd from R), his son and wife pose with a doctor at Cho Ray Hospital in HCMC as he is discharged on Wednesday, February 12, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Huu Khoa.

Li Ding from Wuhan City in China's Hubei Province, center of the nCoV epidemic, had tested negative for the virus twice since Tuesday and was released at 5 p.m., said Nguyen Tri Thuc, the hospital director.

His health is now completely restored.

The Chinese man became the seventh patient infected with the virus to be discharged from hospital in Vietnam. Others were his son Li Zichao, a Nha Trang hotel staff member, and four workers returning from training in Wuhan.

Ding’s treatment experienced many difficulties, taking longer due to the patient also suffering from diabetes, hypertension and coronary insufficiency, apart from an operation for lung cancer, doctors said.

Ding and his son Zichao, released from hospital on February 4, who remained behind to care for his father, were the first two cases infected with the new coronavirus in Vietnam.

Ding arrived in Hanoi from Wuhan City, epicenter of the epidemic, in Hubei Province, on January 13, before proceeding to Nha Trang in Khanh Hoa Province. Zichao, residing in Long An Province the previous four months, went to visit him in the coastal resort. Both traveled to Saigon and the neighboring Long An later.

Ding developed a fever on January 17, with Zichao following suit on January 20. Both were admitted to Cho Ray Hospital and tested positive for infection on January 23.

Li Ding walks toward a doctor at Cho Ray Hospital, HCMC, where he has stayed for treatment of the new coronavirus infection, February 3, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Huu Khoa.

Ding's wife was quarantined at District 11 Hospital from January 24 and discharged on February 6 after revealing no symptoms of infection.

28 people who had previously been in contact with the father and son have nearly passed the quarantine period of 14 days, with doctors reporting no signs of infection, Thuc said.

Vietnam officially declared the novel coronavirus outbreak an epidemic on February 1 and has confirmed 15 cases of infection as of Tuesday, including a three-month-old girl in the northern Vinh Phuc Province. Six of the patients have recovered and been discharged.

As of Wednesday, the global 2019-nCoV death toll had climbed to 1,115 and confirmed infections topped 45,000, of whom over 4,500 have recovered.