`This means the patient has a high risk of spreading the infection to the medical team treating him,` Dr. Nguyen Thanh Phong, Head of Infection Department D, Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases, recalled the discussion.

This is the first Covid-19 patient related to the Buddha Bar & Grill outbreak in Ho Chi Minh City.

As the head of the department directly treating nCoV patients, Dr. Phong cannot help but worry about the possibility of cross-infection to the medical team in the department.

`We are not discouraged, but we cannot help but be more vigilant and cautious,` said Dr. Phong.

The male pilot weighs 100 kg, is 1.81 m tall, and has a BMI of more than 30. `The patient is young, has no underlying disease, but obesity is a risk of Covid-19, cannot be subjective,` said the doctor.

At that time, the battle with Covid-19 was still very new.

When entering the hospital, the patient was still alert, walking well, and refused to eat Vietnamese food.

The entire team of doctors and nurses went through a series of countless arduous days to save patients, `there is no longer any definition of time`.

`Sometimes I don’t pay attention to what day it is or what day it is, because almost everyone has to work overtime and be on duty at the hospital regularly, regardless of weekends or nights,` Dr. Phong shared.

Dr. Nguyen Van Vinh Chau, Director of Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases, said that during treatment, the patient’s immune system overreacted when attacked by nCoV.

An online chat group was established, bringing together leading experts in resuscitation, infectious diseases, hematology, respiratory medicine, clinical microbiology, clinical pharmacy… to focus on monitoring and consulting on `

Doctor Nguyen Thanh Phong, Head of Infection Department D, Ho Chi Minh City Tropical Diseases Hospital, prepares protective clothing to enter the `patient 91` care room.

Patients undergoing ECMO treatment must take the anticoagulant drug heparin.

Doctors consulted and decided to switch to using intravenous anticoagulants.

When transferred from Infection Department D to the negative pressure room of the Emergency Resuscitation Department, the patient was taken care of by doctors Duong Thi Bich Thuy, Ha Thi Hai Duong, Nguyen Van Thanh Duoc, Du Le Thanh Xuan and 16 nurses in this department.

The patient’s lungs kept condensing more and more severely.

On May 18, the patient had a second CT scan, determining that his lungs showed signs of recovery by 10-20%.

Mr. Luong Ngoc Khue, Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management, said that the Professional Council of the Ministry of Health agreed to transfer the patient to the Intensive Care Center at Cho Ray Hospital for further treatment.

Mr. Khue assessed that the Ho Chi Minh City Tropical Diseases Hospital `has completed its mission of treating British pilot patients`.

Behind that mission, there are months of forgetting to eat and sleep, and the faces of medical staff with marks on specialized masks.

Despite experiencing many major epidemics such as H1N1, SARS, MERS… but for doctors, the battle with Covid-19 brings `too many first-time experiences in life`.

`Despite many hardships, we have never faltered or become discouraged, always ready in the mindset of frontliners who have the opportunity to come into contact with special cases,` said Dr. Phong.

Many friends called to visit Dr. Phong, telling stories about going to the market to buy fish and vegetables and hearing merchants discuss `patient 91`, believing that the Vietnamese doctor could save the male pilot.

Foreign press acknowledged that Vietnam is trying its best to save the British pilot patient, praising the government’s `strong` measures.

Reuters emphasized that in an effort to save the British citizen’s life, Vietnam `spared nothing to save the life of the 43-year-old man`.

The New York Times closely follows Vietnam’s efforts to treat pilot patients: `Doctors in Vietnam are hoping that a lung transplant can save the British pilot’s life, so that he does not become a fatality.

Le Phuong