Vietnam Airlines pilot among four new Covid-19 infections

The new infections were confirmed Friday by the Health Ministry.

"Patient 88" is a 25-year-old Vietnamese woman residing in Hanoi's Ha Dong District. A student in the U.K., she returned to Vietnam on March 12. Her flight details were not available at the time of publishing. From March 12-16, she quarantined herself at home. On March 16, she had chest pain and trouble breathing. She informed the Hanoi Center for Disease Control, where swab samples tested positive.

She has been quarantined at the Hanoi's National Hospital of Tropical Diseases and her health is stable. Authorities are in the process of identifying and testing those who had come into contact with "Patient 88".

"Patient 89" is a 22-year-old Vietnamese woman living in Ho Chi Minh City. She travelled from New York to Japan and from Japan to Saigon's Tan Son Nhat International Airport Tuesday on AirJapan (ANA) flight NH 831, seat 28C.

She was asymptomatic on arrival, but her samples tested positive Wednesday. She is currently under quarantine and treatment at the city's Cu Chi field hospital.

"Patient 90" is a 21 year-old Vietnamese woman living in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City. She was in Barcelona, Spain for a month as an intern. On March 15, she traveled from Barcelona to Dubai on Emirates flight EK188 and then to Tan Son Nhat airport on Emirates flight EK392, seat 36A.

At the airport, she had a slight fever and cough and was transferred to the city’s quarantine center where swab samples showed she was Covid-19 positive.

"Patient 91" is a 43 year-old Vietnam Airlines pilot residing in District 2, Ho Chi Minh City. On February 8, he was a passenger from London to HCMC on a Vietnam Airlines flight. While he does not remember all his travel and other details since that date, he piloted Vietnam Airlines flight VN272 Ho Chi Minh City - Hanoi and VN607 Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City on March 16.

From March 13-18, the patient, a British national, was in Ho Chi Minh City and went to a number of places to eat and drink. On March 17, he developed a fever and cough; and on the afternoon of March 18, visited the Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Ho Chi Minh City, where X-rays showed right lung tissue damage.

Swab samples test results showed twice that he was Covid-19 positive. He has been quarantined and is receiving treatment at the hospital.

Authorities have locked down The Ascent apartment building in District 2 where the patient stays. It is home to 765 residents including 159 foreigners.

Vietnam has recorded 75 novel coronavirus infections since March 6 after the country had gone 22 days without any new infection. 

Of its 91 Covid-19 patients, 17 have been discharged. 

The pandemic has spread to 182 countries and territories, claiming over 10,000 lives.