People in HCM City wear face masks in public. VNS File Photo Ngọc Hải

Peter Cowan

HÀ NỘI — With only 271 confirmed coronavirus cases and zero deaths to date, Việt Nam has performed well in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and the world is finally starting to notice.

Let’s take a look at some of the key statistics behind that success.

261,004 – Total tests carried out

As of the morning of May 4, Việt Nam had carried out 261,004 tests for the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. This puts the country in the global top 30 for total number of tests, but the raw numbers don’t tell the whole story.

245.89 per cent – Increase in tests from April 4 to May 4

Việt Nam had performed 75,458 tests by April 4, meaning the May 4 figure represented a 245.89 per cent increase from just a month earlier, showing testing capacity has been majorly ramped up.

963.1 – Tests per confirmed case

With 271 cases and 261,004 tests, Việt Nam has carried out 963.1 tests per confirmed case of coronavirus. This ratio is by far the highest in the world, with Taiwan (China) a distant second on 149.4.

This disparity speaks to Việt Nam’s efforts to contact trace confirmed cases, which many countries seem unable to do given the scale of their outbreaks, as well as its vigilance. Note: Our World in Data only has Vietnamese figures up to April 29.

Samples for the SARS-CoV-2 virus test taken by Hà Nội Centre of Disease Control. — VNA/VNS Photo

43 – Percentage of asymptomatic patients in HCM City study

Local and international researchers based in HCM City found that of 30 confirmed COVID-19 patients studied at a quarantine centre in the city, 47 per cent displayed no symptoms of the coronavirus, yet some still seemed capable of transmitting the disease.

The study, which has not been peer-reviewed, was conducted for the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit COVID-19 research group. It notes that the asymptomatic patients were potentially contagious, yet: “They would not have been identified without the control measures as currently applied in Việt Nam.”

85,295 – Highest number of people quarantined at one time

From April 6-7, a total of 85,295 people were in quarantine in Việt Nam. This figure includes centralised quarantine, hospital quarantine and home quarantine under observation.

Though few Western countries have attempted mass centralised quarantines on the scale Việt Nam has, a study in the renowned medical journal The Lancet found it would be far more effective than home isolation to slow the spread of the virus. 

People pack their personal items before leaving a concentrated quarantine area at artillery regiment 58 based in Quốc Oai District, Hà Nội .— VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

51 – Facilities approved to test for coronavirus

As of May 3, a total of 51 facilities nationwide had been approved by the Ministry of Health to carry out confirmatory tests for SARS-CoV-2.

This includes 24 facilities in the north, four in the central region, one in the Central Highlands and 22 in the south.

415.7 million – Face masks exported up to April 19

Though many countries face shortages of protective equipment as demand soars, Việt Nam was able to export 415.7 million face masks in three and a half months.

Domestic supply has also been ensured, with the Government mandating that a maximum of 25 per cent of a manufacturer’s output be exported.

More than 43 million – Views of Ghen Cô Vy

Since being released on February 23, the song from the Ministry of Health and artists Khắc Hưng, Min and Erik has garnered close to 50 million views on YouTube.

The tune exhorting the importance of handwashing went viral worldwide and has since spawned covers, parodies and become an earworm. The song is an example of the country’s policy to use every tool in its arsenal to fight the virus.

0 – Deaths

The most important (and improbable to some) statistic is that Việt Nam has yet to record a single death due to the coronavirus.

Though several patients have needed use of a ventilator and life support, no one has succumbed under treatment from Vietnamese doctors. VNS