Kachin State’s First COVID-19 Patient Leaves Hospital
By NETWORK MEDIA GROUP (NMG)
Tuesday, May 12, 2020
Kachin State’s first COVID-19 patient was discharged from the hospital in the state capital of Myitkyina on Monday.
Dr. Phone Maw, the head of Myitkyina hospital, said that Patient 144 had tested negative two times for the virus, so he was allowed to be released. He left at around 9:30 a.m. on May 11.
“He received medical treatment in our hospital for two weeks. Then we sent his nasal and throat swabs to the National Health Laboratory. After 48 hours, we sent his swabs again for medical analysis. The results were negative twice,” Dr. Phone Maw explained. “His health is good. Therefore, we allowed him to leave hospital. He is now staying at a quarantine facility. After two weeks, we will do a follow-up medical check.”
Patient will have to undergo a home quarantine for another seven days after completing 14 days in official quarantine in Myitkyina.
“If his health is fine, we will send him home,” the doctor told NMG, adding that the patient’s home is in Mohnyin. “After that, Mohnyin hospital will do a follow-up medical check. If his health is fine, he can go out in public.”
Patient 144 had been working as a Chinese-Burmese language interpreter in a show factory in Yangon’s Hlaing Tharyar Township. He returned to Mohnyin by car on April 16, was quarantined in Ponnyashin Sakhupala hospital, and tested positive for COVID-19 on April 24. He was transferred to Myitkyina hospital on April 25, where he received treatment.
The Ministry of Health and Sports has reported that there are 180 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country, as well as six deaths and 72 recoveries. Of those 72, 55 people have been discharged from hospitals.
