Nguyen Thi Du, 23, could not hide her smile after being discharged from National Hospital of Tropical Diseases on February 10.

"After two of my tests returned negative, I felt happy and excited with the thought of going home," said the patient, hospitalized and quarantined since January 25. Returning from Wuhan, China, she was the first in northern Vinh Phuc Province to be diagnosed with the new coronavirus.

Du was stressed out during her time at the hospital, her infected mother, sister and two other relatives still in quarantine.

"I am cheerful after spending a long time in quarantine," said Ly, 29, through tears of joy. Both Du and Ly were part of a group of trainees sent to Wuhan that returned to Vietnam on January 17. Ly attended work the following day before returning to her hometown for Lunar New Year (Tet).

She started coughing on January 27, without experiencing fever. The patient was quarantined on January 31 and diagnosed with 2019-nCoV.

Ly’s family members are also in quarantine at a local medical center since coming in close contact with her. Fortunately, none have shown any symptoms of infection. 

During 10 days in quarantine, with no one around apart from doctors, phone calls became a bridge between Ly and her family in northern Vinh Phuc Province.

Ly and Du were discharged alongside another male patient. According to Doctor Nguyen Viet Nam, working in the hospital’s emergency department, all three patients were extremely happy upon learning they were cured.

Yearning for home, they promised to strictly follow the doctor’s instructions, self-isolate themselves for a period of time and check their body temperature daily to prevent the deadly virus from clawing its way back. Du, although released, remains worried about her four family members since diagnosed with the virus. 

The only man discharged from the hospital on February 10 did not forget showing his gratitude to doctors before heading home in Vinh Phuc.

The only man discharged from hospital on February 10, 2020.
Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy.

All positive-nCoV patients are monitored closely in special quarantine rooms with modern medial equipment, improving the possibility of successful treatment, according to Pham Ngoc  Thach, director of the National Hospital Of Tropical Diseases.

According to the Ministry of Health, there is so far no specific treatment or vaccine against the deadly virus (COVID-19), all the patients are provided with treatments for symptoms and immune system improvement. Including the three, six people have so far been discharged from hospital after doctors declared them free of the new coronavirus. 

Vietnam officially declared the COVID-19 outbreak an epidemic on February 1, and the country had confirmed 15 cases of infection as of Tuesday. 

As of Wednesday morning, the global death toll from the epidemic had climbed to 1,115 and confirmed infections topped 45,000, of whom over 4,500 have recovered.