page_title: COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
section_title: Relapse
hierarchical_section_title: COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam / Medical responses / Relapse
caption_attribution_description: 200319-N-LH674-1022 PHILIPPINE SEA (March 19, 2020) Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Ernesto Santa Ana, from Lynwood, Calif., assigned to Naval Medical Research Center, loads a sample into an ABI StepOne Plus RT-PCR machine with samples for complex surveillance testing for COVID-19 in Naval Medical Research Center's mobile laboratory aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) March 19, 2020. The Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment to the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Kaylianna Genier)
context_page_description: The COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. On 23 January 2020, the first known case of COVID-19 in Vietnam was reported. As of 30 August 2020, the country had 1,040 confirmed cases, 696 recoveries, and 32 deaths. More than one million tests have been performed. Da Nang, as of August is the most-affected city with 394 confirmed cases and 28 deaths.
  Vietnam has suspended the entry of all foreigners from 22 March 2020 until further notice to limit the spread of COVID-19. The measure will not apply to diplomats, officials, foreign investors, experts, and skilled workers. For foreigners that entered the country before 1 March including those with temporary residence permits will also be entitled to extensions till 30 June but must present health declarations.
  Vietnam is cited by global media as having one of the best-organized epidemic control programs in the world, along the lines of other highlights such as Taiwan and South Korea.
context_section_description: Many COVID-19 cases in Vietnam have reported positive tests after they were deemed to have recovered from the disease. This also happened in other countries such as United States, South Korea and China. Dr. Oh Myoung-don, head of South Korea Central Clinical Committee for Emerging Disease Control rejected the possibility of "reinfection", assuming that the patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 virus, most likely due to "the testing kit collected RNA from the dead virus fragments, these may remain in the body for months".
  Vietnam Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long also agreed with the above opinion, saying that maybe the patient has not fully recovered during the treatment process so the virus has not been completely eliminated and still exists in the body, especially in lung mucous cells. According to Dr. Gao Yan, director of Department of Infectious Disease at Peking University People's Hospital, these patients are less likely to spread the disease.
caption: Loading sample into PCR machine for COVID-19 testing.
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