Covid-19 'Patient 91' tests negative for lung infection bacteria

The Health Ministry's subcommittee for the prevention and treatment of Covid-19 said that the 43-year-old British man no longer has Burkholderia cenocepacia, a type of opportunistic bacteria that doctors had said is difficult to treat.

This is the fifth day that the patient has been disconnected from the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine that had kept him alive for months.

The patient is now awake and has a mild fever. He will still have to rely on a ventilator for several weeks. He is currently undergoing physical therapy sessions twice a day to recover his muscle strength.

Doctors are still preparing for a lung transplant for the British man who was a pilot for national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines. They say that he could get infected with other types of bacteria during the ongoing recovery process.

"Patient 91" was confirmed to have contracted the novel coronavirus on March 18. His condition worsened soon after and he slipped into a coma for over two months.

He was declared free of the virus on May 20 after seven negative tests in a row, and transferred from the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases to Cho Ray Hospital for further treatment.

Vietnam has confirmed 329 Covid-19 cases so far, of whom 307 have recovered. Of the 22 active cases, 15 have tested negative for the coronavirus at least once.

The country confirmed no new patients on Sunday.