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HÀ NỘI — While Hà Nội’s COVID caseload is surging, the capital city has seen fewer severe infections and less people needing hospital treatment.

Speaking to VietNamNet online newspaper, a representative of Hà Đông General Hospital said that the number of COVID patients admitted to the facility has slowed, while critical cases have dropped.

The hospital has assigned 400 beds for coronavirus patients, yet only two-thirds of them are currently in use.

The facility’s representative said: “At the height of the outbreak, all 400 beds were occupied, however, severe cases have decreased in recent days.”

Thanh Nhàn Hospital was also attending to 200 coronavirus patients in critical condition at the peak of the outbreak. This number now has reduced to 130 out of the total 200 COVID patients undergoing treatment here. 

The hospital said that although Hà Nội’s caseload is rising, high vaccine coverage has resulted in a fewer number of severe cases. 

One of the central-level medical facilities, the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases said that its number of COVID patients remains around 580. However, there were fewer patients asking to be admitted. 

The hospital’s representative said: “There used to be a large number of patients asking to be admitted, but we were short on beds and so can only accept a number within our capacity. 

“Now we have enough beds to receive the majority of cases requesting to be transferred here.”

At the COVID-19 treatment facility under Hà Nội Medical University Hospital, critical cases also remain at around 150.

While this might be a sign that Hà Nội is passing the outbreak peak, the hospital manager added that nothing is certain as new variants could still emerge.

In the foreseeable future, people still need to comply with preventive measures, especially the 5K regulations.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the capital city has recorded 808,905 infections, registering around 30,000 new cases per day in the past week. 

According to the health ministry’s Medical Service Administration (MSA), severe COVID cases in Hà Nội are on the decline with 4,161 hospitalisations, the lowest number in a month. 

Among these, 595 patients have mild or no symptoms, 2,765 moderate infections, and 801 cases in critical condition. 

The department also added that Hà Nội’s COVID death toll is 1,170, accounting for 0.4 per cent of the total infections in the capital city.

In a recent meeting of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, Hà Nội health department director Trần Thị Nhị Hà said that the Omicron BA.2 strain is now dominant in the city, and is spreading at a fast rate.

However, the number of patients in critical conditions is decreasing, so in recent days, the rate of hospitalisations only accounts for 1 to 1.5 per cent, she added. 

Experts also said that Omicron infections tend to be less severe than the older variants like Delta, with mild symptoms like sore throat, coughing, headache, and sometimes diarrhoea. 

However, some patients can develop more acute symptoms, especially those unvaccinated, senior citizens, or people with underlying health conditions.

Chử Xuân Dũng, Vice Chairman of Hà Nội’s People's Committee, said that the city has been taking measures to address the situation, therefore the outbreak is still under control.

The city’s management and health sector have required its localities to focus on administering booster shots, utilising technology in managing patients, and raising awareness about treatment at home. 

Districts are also asked to coordinate with market surveillance agencies and local health departments to monitor the selling of the antiviral Molnupiravir. — VNS