The patient was being treated at Hà Nam General Hospital. — Photo nld.com. vn

HÀ NỘI — A man previously cleared of coronavirus infection who died on May 1 has been determined to have succumbed to liver cirrhosis, not COVID-19.

The National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control confirmed on Monday night that the 64-year-old man had perished in the northern province of Hà Nam.

The man, known as patient No. 251, first tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 on April 7 and was treated at the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Hà Nội until April 17 when he was discharged.

He tested negative four times before being transferred to Hà Nam General Hospital for continued treatment of his underlying conditions.

The patient was first admitted to his local hospital for treatment for liver cirrhosis, exhaustion and severe gout on March 20.

After the patient died, Hà Nam General Hospital conducted a SARS-CoV-2 test that returned negative. The man also did not have any symptoms of lung damage caused by COVID-19.

The steering committee met earlier today and determined the man had not died due to contracted the coronavirus.

To date, Việt Nam has reported 271 infections and zero deaths. — VNS