Vietnam begins day five with no new Covid-19 patient

The nation’s Covid-19 tally remained at 324 as updated Monday evening. Of these, 267 have recovered and 57 are active patients.

Of the total number of infections to date, 184 are imported and the rest caused by community transmission. The last community transmission was recorded April 16.

There has been no Covid-19 death in Vietnam to date.

The country’s most seriously ill case, "Patient 91," a 43-year-old British man, was transferred from the HCMC Hospital for Tropical Diseases to Cho Ray Hospital Friday evening for the treatment of pleural infection after he was confirmed free of the novel coronavirus following seven negative tests since May 7.

His condition remains critical and he is still on life support. Doctors are trying to train him to reduce his dependence on EMCO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), a life support machine that pumps blood out of the body and to a heart-lung machine that removes carbon dioxide and sends oxygen-filled blood back. He has been on the machine for almost 50 days.

The HCMC Hospital for Tropical Diseases said Friday that 30 percent of his lungs could now function after 65 days of treatment, compared to just 10 percent a week ago, but a plan for a lung transplant is still on, as decided by the Health Ministry last week. The ministry is also considering transporting him back to the U.K. when his condition improves.

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected 213 countries and territories, with more than 339,300 deaths reported.