Patient 91 transferred to Cho Ray Hospital
On the evening of May 22, Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City announced that it had admitted the 91st Covid-19 patient (a 43-year-old British pilot) after 65 days of treatment at the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases. Immediately after, the patient was arranged for monitoring and treatment at the Emergency Resuscitation Department.
It is known that before being transferred to Cho Ray Hospital, patient 91 had tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 virus 6 times in a row, had stable vital signs, and was in a positive situation with 30% of his lungs recovered and his respiratory parameters improving well.
12 Vietnamese people infected with COVID-19 in St. Petersburg
According to the Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control of the Vietnamese community in St. Petersburg, Russia, as of the morning of May 22, in the northern capital of Russia, there were 11 Vietnamese students and 1 child infected with Covid-19, including 6 students from the Military Medical School who have recovered. Currently, the students are in stable health.
Faced with the complicated developments of the epidemic, Vietnamese students at a number of schools such as Forestry, Polytechnic, Mining, and Electrical Engineering (LETI) have established an anti-Covid-19 committee to further improve epidemic prevention and minimize its impact.
Handling the risk of COVID-19 infection at Bac Lieu General Hospital
In response to information in the mass media on May 21 about a street vendor selling drinks and cigarettes to Covid-19 patients being treated at Bac Lieu General Hospital, on May 22, the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management sent a dispatch to the Bac Lieu Department of Health regarding handling and overcoming the risk of infection at Bac Lieu General Hospital.
The Director of the Bac Lieu Provincial Department of Health directly inspected and directed units that are implementing quarantine and treatment of patients and suspected Covid-19 patients.
Thailand continues to ease lockdown
On May 22, the Thai government's Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) announced that phase 3 of the lockdown easing will take effect nationwide on June 1. A CCSA spokesperson said that a decision will be made on May 29 to take effect on June 1.
Accordingly, the discussion will focus on assessing the types of businesses that will be allowed to reopen and clarifying that the businesses that will not be allowed to reopen are high-risk activities such as nightclubs, or any business that involves physical contact. In recent weeks, the number of Covid-19 cases in Thailand has recorded a positive decline. However, the Thai government still decided to extend the state of emergency for another month until June 30.
South Korea searches headquarters of Shincheonji sect
More than 100 South Korean prosecutors searched Shincheonji Church headquarters nationwide on May 22 as part of an investigation into allegations that the sect obstructed government efforts to contain the Covid-19 outbreak in the early stages of the pandemic.
The raid marked the first forced investigation into the Shincheonji Church since February, when a group of people claiming to be victims of the sect filed a lawsuit against its founder, Lee Man-hee, 89, for embezzlement, negligence, and violation of infectious disease prevention and control regulations.
Russia confirms it has passed the peak of the epidemic
Speaking at an online government meeting, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the number of new infections per day in the country has been decreasing in recent days and the situation has generally stabilized. He also ordered increased testing for Covid-19 and stressed that Russia has passed the peak and is showing a clear downward trend. Also at this meeting, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said that because the peak of the epidemic has been passed, the number of deaths from COVID-19 in Russia is expected to "increase significantly" this month.
Oxford University expands vaccine trial to 10,000 people
Oxford University is recruiting thousands of volunteers for the next phase of human trials of a Covid-19 vaccine that researchers say is very promising. Up to 10,260 adults and children will be recruited for the trial as Oxford expands the age range of people who can receive the vaccine and attracts several partner organizations across the UK, Andrew Pollard, head of the Oxford Vaccine Group, said in a statement on May 22.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Oxford University vaccine candidate is one of eight that have begun testing among 118 vaccine development projects worldwide. Previous clinical studies of this project are showing positive results. Experts have begun studies to evaluate how the vaccine induces an immune response in the elderly and children and the ability of the vaccine to be effective in the wider community.
UK mandates 14-day quarantine for all arrivals
On May 22, the British Minister for Northern Ireland - Brandon Lewis confirmed that the UK will apply a 14-day quarantine rule for foreigners coming to the country. He emphasized: "Anyone coming to the UK will have to quarantine and the quarantine period is half a month, including British citizens returning from abroad." However, British citizens will be allowed to quarantine at home. Minister Lewis added that this policy will be reviewed every 3 weeks.
The above plan is expected to be applied from next June and the detailed contents will be announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs at a press conference at the Prime Minister's Office on the same day.
South America becomes the new epicenter of COVID-19
On May 22, a World Health Organization (WHO) official said that South America has now become the new epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic. At a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland, Dr. Michael Ryan, Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, emphasized that South America has become a new "epicenter" of the epidemic, in which Brazil is the most severely affected country.
Although the outbreak started later than other regions when the first case was recorded on February 26, the infection rate doubled after 2 weeks, and up to now, the region has become a hot spot in the world with over 500,000 cases, including more than 28,000 deaths. In addition to Brazil, which has the third highest number of patients in the world, Peru on May 20 became the second largest epidemic area in Latin America with the number of infections reaching 104,020 people, an increase of more than 4,500 cases in 1 day.
In Mexico, which has not implemented mandatory quarantine measures except for a call for people to practice social distancing until May 31, the epidemic is at its peak, with more than 56,500 cases, including more than 6,000 deaths. Mexico's mortality rate is high globally, around 10%, partly because more than 70% of the population suffers from blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and being overweight.
US President asks states to allow churches to reopen
On May 22, US President Donald Trump asked governors to allow churches to reopen immediately because this is essential to American life in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. President Trump also said that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will issue guidance for churches when they reopen safely.
South Africa monitors sewer systems to identify COVID-19 hotspots
The South African Water Research Commission (WRC) has recently launched a sewerage surveillance program to search for traces of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19 in the waste of patients passing through the toilet system. This national surveillance program aims to support health workers in tracking Covid-19 cases and mapping infection hotspots in the community.
The WRC will conduct pilot programs this May and hopes to be able to provide a full picture of the diversity of SARS-CoV-2 strains in the community. The cost of implementing a nationwide sewer surveillance program is estimated at about 2.5 million USD, mainly for analysis and evaluation in laboratories. To date, tracing Covid-19 in wastewater systems has been mainly carried out in developed countries with advanced mesh-type sewer systems.
Malaria drugs increase risk of death in COVID-19 patients
The malaria drug hydroxychloroquine is linked to an increased risk of death in patients with Covid-19, according to a study published in the medical journal Lancet. The Lancet study tracked data from 96,000 Covid-19 patients treated at 671 hospitals. The results showed that patients treated with hydroxychloroquine or a chloroquine-related drug had a higher risk of death than those not treated with these drugs.
Demand for hydroxychloroquine has increased after US President Donald Trump announced that the drug was being used to treat Covid-19 patients. Earlier this week, he admitted to using hydroxychloroquine daily as a preventative measure against Covid-19 infection after several White House staff members tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19.
