A Comparison of Covid-19 Patient Characteristics Before versus After Partial Lockdown in Vietnam

Vo, H.-L.; Nguyen, H. A. S.; Nguyen, T. P. T.; Nguyen, K. N.; Vu, K.-D.; Anh, V. D. T.; Nguyen, T. T.; Hoang, M. T.; Nguyen, T. H. T.; Vu, G. T.; Le, H. T.

Given the sudden rapid spread of the Covid-19 in the community since 25 July 2020, an updated analysis of Covid-19 cases was conducted to examine the differences of characteristics of Covid-19 patients before versus after lockdown end in Vietnam. Data of 569 Covid-19 patients who were confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection from 23 January to 31 July, 2020 was collected from official database of the Ministry of Health of Vietnam and the website of Our World in Data. We divided Covid-19 situation timeline from 23 January to 31 July 2020 into two main periods, before lockdown end (23 January - 22 April, 2020) and after lockdown end (23 April - 31 July, 2020). We found the significant variations in the distribution of Covid-19 patients among different provinces between two periods. Patients had a median age of 38.56 (SD 16.61) years, and the patients in the time after lockdown end were older than those in the period before lockdown end by a median of 5 years. Compared to the phase before lockdown with 268 discharged Covid-19 patients (100%) and no Covid-19 death, post lockdown period had only 34.88% patients cured and discharged from the facilities with 5 fatalities (1.66%) and 191 those being under treatment (63.46%). Significant differences in Covid-19 patients were also observed according to nationality and China travel history before and after lockdown end (p <0.05). Importantly, the number of Covid-19 patients who returned from other countries (excluding China) slightly increased through two stages (p >0.05), partially showing that the continuous volume of people returning Vietnam from abroad during the Covid-19 epidemic. Our analysis indicated demographic and epidemiological disparity of Covid-19 patients before versus after loosening the national lockdown in Vietnam. It is important to suggest that, the proactive efforts of Vietnam in Covid-19 control after lockdown end will be effective when the measures to closely control and monitor repatriation and immigration via its borders are strictly enforced.