Just one day after testing negative for the deadly coronavirus, the British patient, who is a Vietnam Airlines pilot, underwent a sampling test again on April 13, with results turning out to be positive.

Taking care of a patient with the coronavirus (Photo: internet)

The patient’s lung damage has stopped progressing, but the function of the pulmonary ventilation remains limited and the blood coagulation disorders have not improved, said Dr Nguyen Van Vinh Chau, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital of Tropical Diseases. 

On April 12, rhe 43-year-old pilot had RT-PCR tests coming back negative, but his condition has not improved considerably. 

Currently, the patient has no a high temperature, a stable pulse and blood pressure, while still relying on ECMO therapy and dialysis, said Dr Chau, adding that the hospital gets an update on his condition and consults the national specialists’ council for a follow-up therapy. 

The pilot was diagnosed with the SARS-CoV-2 virus on March 18 after visiting Buddha Bar, a coronavirus hotspot in HCM City. He had experienced high temperatures and signs of respiratory failure since hospitalization. 

HCM City has put the Buddha Bar outbreak under control. To date there have been 19 COVID-19 cases linked to Buddha Bar, of which 13 visited the hotspot and the remainder acquired subsidiary infection. 

In addition to the British citizen, 14 other coronavirus patients in the city remain in stable health condition.