A boy returning to Vietnam from Turkey infected with coronavirus

A 10-year-old boy is the latest patient to test positive for COVID-19, the Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday.

It brings the total number of cases in Vietnam to 204.

The child lives in Cat Lai Ward, District 2 in HCM City.

On March 14th he flew from Prague (Czech Republic) to Istanbul (Turkey) on Turkish Airlines Flight 1770, seat number 20B and then from Istanbul he boarded flight TK162, seat number 16K arriving in Việt Nam on March 15th, 2020 – the same flight as patient number 83.

Upon entry, he showed no symptoms and was transferred to the quarantine centre at the Military School Military Zone 7, District 12, HCM City. His test on March 18th, 2020 showed he was negative for SARS-CoV-2.

During the quarantine period, the patient had no fever, but his roommate said he had been sneezing for a number of days. On March 27th the patient was tested again, and this time the result was positive.

Currently, the boy is isolated at Cần Giờ Covid-19 Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City.

As of Monday, 16 people infected with the disease from January 23rd to February 13th (first phase) and 39 other patients since March 6th (second phase) have made full recoveries and discharged from hospitals.

Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc on Monday agreed with a proposal to declare the country’s COVID-19 outbreak a nationwide pandemic and asked everyone to stay right where they are for at least 15 days.

— VNS