Discharged American praises Vietnam’s Covid-19 response

Matthew Houston, "Patient 68," was discharged from the Da Nang Hospital after more than 20 days of treatment.

The 41-year-old had tested negative three times in a row.

"It’s so important that we patients are quarantined properly," Houston said on being discharged.

Referring to how drastic the Covid-19 situation has become in the U.S., he added: "I’d like to thank Vietnam for saving me. The doctors and nurses are wonderful. They have saved my life."

Houston is married to a Vietnamese woman and lives in Da Nang. He had been to eight countries before returning to Da Nang on March 14.

Since February 11, he had visited India, Spain, Morocco, Switzerland, Germany, Hungary and the Netherlands, then transited at Singapore before landing at the Da Nang International Airport on March 14 on Silkair flight MI632.

After he submitted a health declaration upon arrival at Da Nang International Airport, he was quarantined at the 199 Military Hospital. After his samples tested positive for the novel coronavirus he was admitted to the Da Nang Hospital for treatment.

Hospital director Le Duc Nhan said Houston was in stable health since he was admitted, and the process of helping him recover from the Covid-19 was smooth.

As regulated by the Health Ministry, Houston will be placed under medical monitoring for 14 days to prevent any possible transmission of the virus.

Houston is the fourth Covid-19 patient discharged from hospital in Da Nang and the 86th in Vietnam.

Da Nang now has two patients left and has recorded no new Covid-19 infection in the past eight days.

Vietnam now has 239 Covid-19 cases, including 153 active patients. Most of the active ones are those who have returned from Europe and the U.S. and people who’ve had close contact with them.

To date, the Covid-19 pandemic has killed more than 59,000 people as it spread to 205 countries and territories.